NutterButter
Footballguy
FatNick swears by it.
The first firing up of the blower is always a little nerve racking. It takes a bit for her to get going. Always fear that this is the year that the carb bites it and I have to take it to the shop.
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Snow blower/thrower shopping - What ya got? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Gottabesweet
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The first firing up of the blower is always a little nerve racking. It takes a bit for her to get going. Always fear that this is the year that the carb bites it and I have to take it to the shop.
Man in the yellow hat
Footballguy
I have a feeling I need a new carb as well. Was just looking online. Put a new transmission on last year, so I may try to tackle the carb myself as well.
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NutterButter
Footballguy
I was referring more to having bad fuel in the carb so needing to have it taken apart and dried out. I've done that with my leaf blower but not with the snow blower. I've got two blowers in my life and the wife ain't one of them. The 2nd winter I had her, I had the shop do it, but since then I've been burning off all the fuel at the end of the season and I haven't had any problems.
BeTheMatch
Footballguy
Yeah, I emptied mine last year, but then like an idiot I kept the old gas around in the can and figured it would be fine with Seafoam in it. Now I've got all this old gas in there, and it's been a ##### to start every time. I think I'm going to just let all the old gas run out on idle. That's got to be the problem.
Judge Smails
Footballguy
I'm wearing shorts playing golf at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast tomorrow. 70. Might be a bit chilly. I'm a wuss compared to you guys. Flying to MN Tues morning. Dreading it already.
PIK95
Footballguy
We had an Arians from 1977 that I finally gave away in 2010ish. That thing was a beast and weighed as much. It had chains on the tires and carburetor issues, but it got us through many storms. We have a Craftsman now and it's ok. It's not made as well as the old ones. The metal bends easy, pins are constantly snapping, and the electric starter stopped working by the time I got it home it seemed. It does the job though. I'm wordering if we will get any snow this year looking at the current pattern. Sheik?
Man in the yellow hat
Footballguy
I've had nothing but issues with my Craftsman, but I've vowed to learn as much as I can about repairing and replacing to keep it running. So far so good. Sunday morning was -3F here. Fired it up and it ran the best I've seen it in a long time. Nice to get in and out without much issue in that weather.
BeTheMatch
Footballguy
Tuesday will be a heat wave - in the 30s. You missed all the fun. It was 26 below on Saturday night. Actual air temp.
Hawks64
Footballguy
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
You just blew my mind. A riding lawn mower I can put a blade on to plow in the winter? Where do I find one of these?
Hawks64
Footballguy
I know Deere and Craftsmen make them but I'd imagine most big lawn tractors can handle them.
Baloney Sandwich
Footballguy
I have one but it doesn't really do a great job. You end up having to go out multiple times during big storms and it only pushes the snow to the side so on big storms the snow really piles up. End of the day, it is just easier to snow blow the whole thing.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
After a quick check it looks like some have actual blower attachments, instead of just the blades.
wilked
Footballguy
Got the Ariens out the other day first time since last year. Filled it with gas, opened choke, a couple of pumps on the primer, and it fired up with three pulls.
Boy that felt good... It's a beautiful thing to own a well-designed machine
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wilked
Footballguy
What I do:
toward the end of season, start only topping the gas up to half full. Easy enough to add more if you run low. Once it is truly end of season (say April) I run the tank out on idle. Then pull the sparkplug, add a tablespoon of oil to the cylinder and a capfull of stabilizer to the gas tank (don't get that backward), and give it a pull or two to turn it over. Replace plug, put it away for the year.
Meantime, take whatever gas you have left and add it to your car. Don't let gas hang around for more than a month or two.
offdee
Footballguy
Found a used Ariens on Craigslist near me.....1986 model for $450. Thoughts on good buy or no?
Description given:
8HP, 24" Airens snow blower. 1986 vintage. Shows very little use.
It is pull start, I can add electric start for another $75.
Just replaced the fuel line and cleaned the carburetor.
Runs well and really throws the snow.
Nice heavy gauge steel, built to last.
Hawks64
Footballguy
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Another option is to either use, or install a fuel cut-off valve. Like THIS . My blower engine came with one. If you don't want to limit your fuel or risk having to idle out a lot, just get one of these switches, and after you're done each time, simply turn the valve to "off" and let it run out. It'll essentially burn up all the fuel downstream of the switch, ensuring your carb bowl is mostly empty. I use Stabil Marine in all my small engine gas, so whats in the tank never gives me issues the next year, especially if I top it off with fresh stuff before the starting it.
Same concept, just another way to do it if you don't want to run the tank dry.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Yeah - I agree. Only a 24" too...I could see that price for a bigger one. I could see $250, maybe $300 if it's in really good shape. The mechanics of it will be better than most newer ones, but the newer engines are better IMO.
A few years ago, there was guy giving away one like this on Freecycle near me. If you're patient, I think you can find one for a lot less.
I replied less than 20 minutes after he posted telling him I'd come get it, and he said he'd had 10 people reply and 2 were literally racing to his place to get it.
Hawks64
Footballguy
I was trying to gauge what I'd pay for it but couldn't come up with a price that I would pay. I got a new 24" Sno-Tek by Ariens (Ariens house brand, generic or whatever you call it) for 450. It's has a Chinese engine when Ariens were still using US built, but that's the only major difference that I could tell. I'm sure there are other differences in terms of gauge of metal and such but I can't tell. I've had it for 4 or 5 seasons now and it's been awesome, handles anything the Chicago winter throw at me.
offdee
Footballguy
Yeah that was my initial gut instinct as well, and looks like others agree. Thanks guys. Pass.
BowieMercs
Footballguy
I have a 48" 2 stage i put on my 26hp tractor. 
For a walk behind a 24" 2 stage (Ariens is the king here) with tank treads would be my choice if I were to get another to augment the tractor mounted unit.
For a walk behind a 24" 2 stage (Ariens is the king here) with tank treads would be my choice if I were to get another to augment the tractor mounted unit.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Sorry I just now saw this, but I see others commented - yes. I've got a Craftsman that I cobbled together with random stuff (free blower with a bad engine, then added a Harbor Freight engine, then added some mini-bike tuning parts and a new carb jet, and the impeller kit) that is a complete beast, mostly due to the impeller kit. You don't have to buy a kit. Just go buy some metal plate, some nuts/bolt, washers, and some bailer belt from Tractor Supply. You can make the same thing for about $14 in parts, and have plenty of belt left over in case you need it. The hardest part is drilling through the impeller. It's just tight confines to work in. If you can pull the housing, it should be a lot easier, but I was lazy.
The impeller kit basically keeps your impeller housing nice and clean. It'll increase your throw distance for slush easily 50%, if not double. You don't notice a huge difference in powdery stuff, but that's rarely an issue for blowers anyway. It's the slushy stuff that will mess up a non-kitted blower.
lumpy19
Footballguy
I put new belts on my Craftsman and it helped a lot with the heavy snow. It's still not an Aries but it does get thru the heavy stuff the plow leaves at the end of the driveway.
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
Finally get to test this thing out!
BowieMercs
Footballguy
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
Success!! This thing is awesome. Just blows through snow. Neighbors were flaging me down, i was a boss on my block! I have the ariens 28inch 2 stage blower. Its almost too big honestly. Can be pretty difficult to maneuver at times. But worth it as it destroyed the snow bank(i live on a busy street).
Question. Other then turning it off, do i need to do anything else? I know at the end of the season to burn off any remaining fuel. Any thing else i should do after using it?
I have the ariens 28inch 2 stage blower. Its almost too big honestly. Can be pretty difficult to maneuver at times. But worth it as it destroyed the snow bank(i live on a busy street). Question. Other then turning it off, do i need to do anything else? I know at the end of the season to burn off any remaining fuel. Any thing else i should do after using it?
Jobber
Footballguy
Park your snow blower on cardboard or a tarp. To prevent a rust mark on your garage floor. Once it's a couple seasons old, and assuming it's not aluminum.
More on topic...my Craftsman 2 stage is probably 15 years old now and starts on the first or second pull. All I do is run it dry in the spring. No other maintenance.
More on topic...my Craftsman 2 stage is probably 15 years old now and starts on the first or second pull. All I do is run it dry in the spring. No other maintenance.
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PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
thanks very helpful. I did notice i had some snow stuck in the blades and figured it would melt. hadnt thought about rust mark. Ill go throw some cardboard under it.
What about changing the oil? how often are folks doing that?
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Johnny Rock
Footballguy
Change the oil once a year if you use it fairly regularly.
Grease the zerks on the augers.
Buy extra shear pins.
Use only a broom handle or some other device to free a clogged chute, even if the engine conks out and is off.
offdee
Footballguy
House I'm buying has a Craftsman 26" 208cc (8HP) snowblower in their garage. Looks to be about 5 yrs old. I inquired asking if they were interested in selling and he said "make me an offer"
Assuming all runs well, what would be a good offer that would get him interested, but still get me a good deal?
Assuming all runs well, what would be a good offer that would get him interested, but still get me a good deal?
=Smackdown=
Footballguy
Brand new this ran around $900-$1,000
I'd offer about $300
If he's moving someplace warm - $200
offdee
Footballguy
They are moving from Wisconsin to New York. So will still need it for snow, but probably not cheap/easy to ship it.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
Used it once this winter. Probably a chance we get hit in march but who knows.
Just run it dry for spring shed storage? I have a can full of gas now too that has been sitting sonce January. Can i put that in my car or what?
Just run it dry for spring shed storage? I have a can full of gas now too that has been sitting sonce January. Can i put that in my car or what?
belljr
Footballguy
PIK95
Footballguy
belljr
Footballguy
STEADYMOBBIN 22
Footballguy
Just saw the thread and realized it doesn't look like mine will get any action this season. I think I'll fire it up this weekend and do a few laps around the driveway just to get the fluids moving. Maybe I'll don a full snowsuit and ski goggles for the full effect.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
I used mine once. We got maybe 4 inches, and it was melting, but ### ####it i was determined to try it out!
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Same here - I was glad I got to at least get it out and use it once, if nothing else just to run some fresh gas through it so it's good till next winter. I need to do an oil change in the spring, and the drive belt keeps slipping off, so I have to find out how to tighten that thing up.
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
so how will my snow blower handle ice on top of snow?
PIK95
Footballguy
NutterButter
Footballguy
butta. the opposite stinks trying to dig up all the ice base that's stuck to the ground. might actually help if the ice mixes with the powdery stuff in the chute to give it some weight with all this wind.
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
Thank goodness for this snowblower. Handled this heavy snow like a boss. Destroyed the snowbank as well. Very happy with my purchase 
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
Yea. Initially, i thought i bought a bigger snow blower than i need. But im on a busy road so the snow banks are brutal. I had to do two of my neighbors snow banks because their snowblowers couldnt make a dent on it. This thing is a beast(Arians 28" btw)Took it down like a champ!
oldmanhawkins
Footballguy
Finally got to use my snow blower. Thought it would mean less work for me but it just meant less work for my neighbors.
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