Snowblower time!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Duffyjr

Duffyjr

Joined
Jan 13, 2016
Messages
3,488
Location
Northeast Nebraska
How many of you guys have your blower(s)ready to go? (where applicable of course) I usually do this mid to late October, just never know when we will get some snow plus I prefer to change the oil in half way decent weather. This will be my 23rd season with my old MTD and it has never failed to start after sitting all year with what ever gas was in it when I parked it. I use to start it up about half way thru summer but haven't done that for years. I also have a new single stage that I'm somewhat worried about being it has the newer carb on it but I decided to treat it just like my MTD, E0 with red sta-bil so I'll find out this weekend whether my strategy worked or not.
 
Honda HS520A ready to go. New auger rubbers and scraper blade. Oil was changed before storage.
 
O--the joys of northern states.....not many snowblowers in Chattanooga tn,,,but there Coffee might be...
 
Last edited:
Nope. I don't touch mine until I winterize the lawn mower and tractor. If I'm still mowing the lawn every week, it's not gonna snow. I usually winterize the lawn equipment around Thanksgiving.
 
I buy recondition sell snowblowers so I always have snow blowers that are ready to go. However I acquire one intending to sell it but like it better than another and now want to keep it. Then I need to improve it by installing an impeller kit, wheels instead of skid shoes, chute control lever, or some other improvement
 
I also left the gas in my 5 yo craftsman heavy monster this year which takes hours to run out of gas. Its that or tear the thing apart to get to the tank hose. I used Walmart's "Gumout Multi-System Tune-Up" the entire season last year. Its part Seafoam (has IPA) part techron (has PEA). It resolved a wandering idle and backfire, which I assume was gummed up gas in the carb. Was running perfect when I shut it off, like you, I'm wondering what will happen. I bought a 6hp $400 MTD track drive snowblower back in the 90's. That thing dominated the neighborhood, coming to the rescue of the neighbors. I remember going around neighborhood, slamming through snowbanks, circling swearing neighbors unclogging Ariens, Toro and Chraftsman fancy snowblowers. My oldest boy has that at his house, its still going. All rusty, still dominating modern machines.
 
Our main snowblower goes on the John Deere garden tractor. I usually swap that over when I'm done with the leaves. I do have a 1984 Toro 724 that is pretty much on stand by in the garage though, just in case it snows before I can get the blower attachment onto the tractor.
 
Mine is ready, all I need is snow. My main concern now is finding the time to prep my two power washers for winter.
 
I'm dreading it. I forgot to empty the tank *or* put stabil in it. And it all evaporated over the summer. I did use ethanol free gas ...
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
....This will be my 23rd season with my old MTD and it has never failed to start after sitting all year with what ever gas was in it when I parked it. ...
I just traded my 23 yo 740 dollar MTD Yardmachines 26" with 8hp Tecumseh snowking engine. Its never picky about gas though I sometime top oil it a capfull of 30ND. I just bought a new $1200.- Toro 826 HD OXE with the manual single stick chute control. This machine weighs a lot more than the MTD but it has "features" like anti clogging impelller intake, no shear pins required auger drive shaft and, the slick single stick chute control that nothing else seemed to have. Hope it works ok. Its at least 100lbs more over the old machine. Felt sad as I gave away the old MTD workhorse for nothing to the delivery guy frown BTW the HD Simplicity seems super serious sexy but at almost "Honda" prices. Ariens seem to have nothing "special" to offer at all. sexy simplicity
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I'm dreading it. I forgot to empty the tank *or* put stabil in it. And it all evaporated over the summer. I did use ethanol free gas ...
If you used ethanol free gas it shouldn't be too big of a deal.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
....This will be my 23rd season with my old MTD and it has never failed to start after sitting all year with what ever gas was in it when I parked it. ...
I just traded my 23 yo 740 dollar MTD Yardmachines 26" with 8hp Tecumseh snowking engine. Its never picky about gas though I sometime top oil it a capfull of 30ND. I just bought a new $1200.- Toro 826 HD OXE with the manual single stick chute control. This machine weighs a lot more than the MTD but it has "features" like anti clogging impelller intake, no shear pins required auger drive shaft and, the slick single stick chute control that nothing else seemed to have. Hope it works ok. Its at least 100lbs more over the old machine. Felt sad as I gave away the old MTD workhorse for nothing to the delivery guy frown BTW the HD Simplicity seems super serious sexy but at almost "Honda" prices. Ariens seem to have nothing "special" to offer at all. sexy simplicity
You made a good choice going with the Toro. From working on them, I'd say Toro is one of my favorite machines with Ariens a close second. Hondas are dead last. The engines are great, but everything else is terrible. Expensive transmissions with little pins that break inside leaving the heavy machine dead and hard to move. Replacing the pin requires taking apart the whole machine. The metal is also not really any thicker than other name brand snowblowers, so the premium price is not really worth it.
 
I'm not worried, since re-powering the ancient Ariens 24" with a Predator, I have had no starting troubles. Thanks for the reminder. I should order a belt, some extra shear bolts and drive disk, just so they won't break.
 
Last edited:
I was planning on starting up the blowers this past Saturday, but it was raining cats and dogs all day. I hope to get them going this weekend. I drained the tank and carbs at the end of the season, so I'm hoping everything will go smoothly. I'm running an old Honda single stage HS621 and an even older two stage Toro 521. I bought the Toro last year and only used it once this past winter!
Originally Posted By: andyd
I'm not worried, since re-powering the ancient Ariens 24" with a Predator, I have had no starting troubles. Thanks for the reminder. I should order a belt, some extra shear bolts and drive disk, just so they won't break.
Andy, I'm thinking about buying a 3rd snow blower to guarantee than it won't snow once this season at all! I just bought a set of snow tires for the car, so I'm already pretty certain it'll be a snow free winter...
 
I have an old Toro from 1987 that is an absolute workhorse and it is only a single auger but it goes through snow like no ones business. It needed a carb rebuild when I bought it for $60 and I have been using it for 5 years.
 
Probably start it up this up coming Monday. I have had zero issues with my Tecumseh 8.5 MTD blower. Little bit of rust here and there but after 20 years it isn't an issue.
 
My 521 before: and after: The recoil starter needed to be rewound when I bought it, previous owner was in a rush so he got a new blower. Funny, he said that this old 521 was probably twice the weight of the new 24" blower (MTD or something). I fixed the starter, cleaned the blower, greased it up and it was good to go. I changed the oil as well, of course. I actually can't remember what I put in it, probably Rotella 5W40. I did add a fuel filter at some point as well. The serial number dates her as a 1990 model.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

hardcore302
What is the best 4 stroke mower you have owned?
3 4 5
Replies
81
Views
4K
MSCH
3
RIP 44 years old snowblower
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
350Rocket
K
E0 vs E10 for storage?
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
bridgman
B
How to keep this mower in tip top shape?
2
Replies
21
Views
984
bridgman
I
Honda HRR216 GCV160 lawn mower issues
2
Replies
27
Views
3K
Fordiesel69
Top