Got out the 10 year old Craftsman snow thrower today for the 3-4" dusting we got. Started on one pull as usual, use only e-free gas and run it dry every Spring. Life was much easier today than last November's snow, and not just because it was less inches of snow.
November I couldn't get enough air in the tubeless tires to get them un-flat. Finally I gave up and ran it with flat tires. About 5 years ago I put an aftermarket (non-Craftsman) snow cab on it, a great investment in personal comfort. However that threw the weight balance off, and I never got around to putting a counterbalance weight on the front. The result was, with the flat tires throwing the weight balance even more off, I had to pull up on the handles with about 30 pounds of force to keep the bucket on the ground. I had to push and pull to get it to move at all. When I was done my 100-some foot driveway, my arms were exhausted.
After that ordeal I decided to resolve the issues. The next day I pulled the wheels off and had a local tire shop put tubes in. Last week I mounted an 8 lb weight on the front of the bucket with SS 1/4" bolts and fender washers. The result? Really, really easy going. While it takes a little more umph to lift the bucket to clear obstacles, once pivoted it rests at a more comfortable balance point that doesn't have me reaching down, and stooping to avoid the top of the cab. While throwing snow, I had to stop myself from my old habit of lifting the handles several times, the bucket stayed on the ground without any help.
So, what I learned, stop putting off necessary mods. Next up, have to find myself some conveyor belt.
November I couldn't get enough air in the tubeless tires to get them un-flat. Finally I gave up and ran it with flat tires. About 5 years ago I put an aftermarket (non-Craftsman) snow cab on it, a great investment in personal comfort. However that threw the weight balance off, and I never got around to putting a counterbalance weight on the front. The result was, with the flat tires throwing the weight balance even more off, I had to pull up on the handles with about 30 pounds of force to keep the bucket on the ground. I had to push and pull to get it to move at all. When I was done my 100-some foot driveway, my arms were exhausted.
After that ordeal I decided to resolve the issues. The next day I pulled the wheels off and had a local tire shop put tubes in. Last week I mounted an 8 lb weight on the front of the bucket with SS 1/4" bolts and fender washers. The result? Really, really easy going. While it takes a little more umph to lift the bucket to clear obstacles, once pivoted it rests at a more comfortable balance point that doesn't have me reaching down, and stooping to avoid the top of the cab. While throwing snow, I had to stop myself from my old habit of lifting the handles several times, the bucket stayed on the ground without any help.
So, what I learned, stop putting off necessary mods. Next up, have to find myself some conveyor belt.
