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Snow blower/thrower shopping - What ya got? (1 Viewer)

Another question.  So the fricken plows put another snow bank in front of my driveway.  So i may have to go clear it again tomorrow.  Is that going to be a problem once all of this ices over tomorrow?

 
Another question.  So the fricken plows put another snow bank in front of my driveway.  So i may have to go clear it again tomorrow.  Is that going to be a problem once all of this ices over tomorrow?
You don't need to tackle the bank head on.  If I have a big bank, I go parallel to the street and just take off as much as the snowblower can handle on each pass.

 
So am I ####ed?

my snowblower is still in my garage with fuel in it, plus I have a can with 1-2 gallons in it still. What should I do with it and the gas?  I want to put them in my outdoor shed. 

 
So am I ####ed?

my snowblower is still in my garage with fuel in it, plus I have a can with 1-2 gallons in it still. What should I do with it and the gas?  I want to put them in my outdoor shed. 
Not ####ed as far as the machine goes. Unhook the fuel line and drain the gas into the can. The machine will be fine

Idk what you're going to do with the old gas though 

 
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If he puts a fuel stabalizer in the old gas will that keep it good or does the gas eventually go bad?  I have a couple gallons of gas in my garage but i put fuel stabilizer in it when i filled it up.  Just didnt use the blower much last year. 

 
But at this point, do not run the blowe dry, correct?  I should have done that a few months ago I guess. Having a now 3 year old and 7 month old gets in the way. 

 
If he puts a fuel stabalizer in the old gas will that keep it good or does the gas eventually go bad?  I have a couple gallons of gas in my garage but i put fuel stabilizer in it when i filled it up.  Just didnt use the blower much last year. 
Too late for the stabil now imo

 
But at this point, do not run the blowe dry, correct?  I should have done that a few months ago I guess. Having a now 3 year old and 7 month old gets in the way. 
After you drain the gas out of the tank you can try to start it and let it run til it quits. Small engine guys will tell you that you should run them dry so the old gas isn't sitting in the carb

 
So am I ####ed?

my snowblower is still in my garage with fuel in it, plus I have a can with 1-2 gallons in it still. What should I do with it and the gas?  I want to put them in my outdoor shed. 
I never have trouble with gas from previous year and I never use stabil. Lawn mower, weed Wacker, snow blower, pressure washer, I think you'll be fine

 
Agree with lumpy19.  I put Stabil Marine in every can of gas I get.  I regularly keep gas in my cans for 1 year without issue.  This past winter, I stocked up my 5 - 5 gallon cans and only used 1 over the winter.  I keep gas in my blower too.  I just turn the fuel shut-off valve and make sure I let the carb bowl run dry.  No need to drain the tank if you have Stabil in it.  In fact, if you have a fuel shut-off and can starve the carb and run that dry, FILL the tank as it leaves less room for air.  Lots of air can get water in your gas as the temperatures outside change over the seasons.

My basic rules are: Stabil Marine in every can of gas; If it has a fuel cut-off, I turn it and let it run the carb dry...then fill the tank.  If it doesn't have a shut-off, I'll drain the fuel.  For my smaller stuff (weed eaters, leaf blower, etc.) I just start them up 1x mid winter because draining and stuff is just too much trouble.  Never had a problem. 

No harm in adding Stabil now - Just add it.  You'll be fine.

 
I tried to use gas that I bought in the summer in an ice auger in Jan or feb a CPL yrs ago. Long story short after pulling my guts out I poured some on the ground and it wouldn't light with a match :shrug:

 
Bad gas won't ruin it most likely, usually just won't start as the carb will get gummed up from particles in the gas. Especially true if it was E10 gas as ethanol breaks down pretty quickly. Newer lawnmowers have this issue a lot due to EPA mandates affecting how the carb's are designed.  So at worst you might be looking at blowing a few bucks to have a mechanic clean out the carb on it (can find youtube videos on how to do that yourself if you are mechanically inclined.) If it was me I would drain the tank as much as I could, then add some new gas with Stabil, see if she starts up. Run it dry then or top off the tank completely with new gas with Stabil.

 
I guess I will try to just start it and see what happens ....  if it doesnt start the first time with the electric start, i will assume i need to do something about it. 

The gas can i will see if my twp disposes of it if it is bad. 

 
Swapping mower stuff for blower stuff in the am.  Picked up a new "cutting bar" or lower wear plate.  Amazed at how much my old one was worn.

 
Have a maintenance question as i prep for this coming storm.   So last winter i forgot to run off the gas so its been sitting since then with a half full tank.  I started the blower and im running it until the tank is empty and replacing with new gas.  Question.  I got gas about 2 years ago(5 gallons) and still have enough to use.  Is it still good?  Or should i get fresh gas from the gas station?  I did add stabil to the gas container storing this gas when i bought it initially? 

Second question.  If recommended to get new fresh gas, where can i dump the gas thats still in there? 

 
Have a maintenance question as i prep for this coming storm.   So last winter i forgot to run off the gas so its been sitting since then with a half full tank.  I started the blower and im running it until the tank is empty and replacing with new gas.  Question.  I got gas about 2 years ago(5 gallons) and still have enough to use.  Is it still good?  Or should i get fresh gas from the gas station?  I did add stabil to the gas container storing this gas when i bought it initially? 

Second question.  If recommended to get new fresh gas, where can i dump the gas thats still in there? 
I was in the same spot and just dumped the gas into my car.

 
Have a maintenance question as i prep for this coming storm.   So last winter i forgot to run off the gas so its been sitting since then with a half full tank.  I started the blower and im running it until the tank is empty and replacing with new gas.  Question.  I got gas about 2 years ago(5 gallons) and still have enough to use.  Is it still good?  Or should i get fresh gas from the gas station?  I did add stabil to the gas container storing this gas when i bought it initially? 

Second question.  If recommended to get new fresh gas, where can i dump the gas thats still in there? 
Why are you wasting a half tank of good gas?

 
Don't necessarily handle it better, but it will be a much smaller percentage overall unless you have a very small tank in your car.
Yeah 3-5 gallons of still usable but not fresh gas intermingled with 12 gallons of new gas. ‘Tis nothing.

 
I'm rocking a Toro CCR3650

I just hope she starts up this season.  I had her tuned up about a month and a half ago but I haven't fired her up, yet.  Last time I tuned her up, we got buried with 25" snowstorms every weekend for about a month. 

 
I'm rocking a Toro CCR3650

I just hope she starts up this season.  I had her tuned up about a month and a half ago but I haven't fired her up, yet.  Last time I tuned her up, we got buried with 25" snowstorms every weekend for about a month. 
Haha that’s what I  got and just attempted to tune it up myself yesterday,  I hate working on motorized stuff.  It works good, not like a snowblower, but I need something I can carry from driveway to skating rink. 

 
Back in 2014 I bought a Craftsman 88173 24" 208cc dual-stage snowblower and I want to say back then I paid like $699 for it?  I don't recall.  In the fall time, after the last cut of the season, I generally run all the equipment out of fuel, I'll usually put a little Seafoam in the tank for the last bit in case anything is left in the carb or fuel lines.  I do the same in Spring with the Snowblower, I just fire it up and let it run out of fuel, before I fire it up I add a little bit of Seafoam.  I try to change the oil every other year and I just stick to odd number years to make it easy.  I spray down the chute and the auger with silicone spray before winter and at the end of winter to try to slow down rust.  If I see any nicks or chips I try to touch it up with a little touch up paint I have laying around.  Last year the tires were completely flat.  I went to push it outside to fire it up and I thought "God almighty this thing is heavy. . .and I must be getting old, this is harder than hell to push. . .wait a minute. . . d'oh!"

I use a Dakota SnoBlade, I bought mine back in 2012 I think for $60 but they're damn near double that now on Amazon.  I would think anything with a blade and wheels that lets you flip the blade is sufficient.  I really like this a lot.  I would say when we get 2-3 inches of snow this is perfect, above that, I use the snowblower.

 
Used my 5 year old Toro for the first time this winter yesterday.  Put gas in and the first pull it started like it does every year.  My Snapper that I bought brand new when we moved into our home  never started at the first snow..always had something go wrong.

 
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Bump.  I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead.  It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend?  With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me.  I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.

 
Bump.  I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead.  It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend?  With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me.  I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Ive never used one but I've heard some good things about Snow Joe fwiw but i really dont know much about them

 
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Bump.  I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead.  It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend?  With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me.  I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Have a buddy who has an EGo and loves it. Haven't had any huge snow yet, but has handled 5-6" easily.

 
Maintenance question

have an old Ariens 824. Has worked great. Obv big storm in Boston recently. It has always started first pull, but I was really challenged to start it. After a lot of cajoling finally got it started but it really wasn’t running great. Cleared a bunch of snow, then shut it down for the moment. Went back out an hour or two later, wouldn’t start. Finally decided to pull the plug, make sure I’m getting spark. In the course of this realized the metal part in the spark plug boot was messed up. 
 

i took the boot off, put the metal part (coil) directly on the plug, and she started up easy. Ok…wrapped that all in electric tape and figured save that fix for another day. Then went to use it, and the wheels won’t turn. Auger turns no sweat, throws snow, but drive isn’t engage. 
 

tried different gears, tried bouncing / kicking it, nothing. The drive lever from The handle is definitely fully engaging. 
 

I believe next step is to take the bottom plate off and look inside while it’s running. I believe I need to check that the belt is on and working, and that the friction plate is engaging. Is that correct? Any other tips? 
 

thanks 

 
Replaced both rusty metal skid shoes on my Ariens with some heavy plastic/poly non abrasive skid shoes - for about $40 - makes such a huge difference in ease of operation/turning.

No longer have to worry about scratching up pavers, etc either.

 
Bump. I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead. It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend? With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me. I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Have a buddy who has an EGo and loves it. Haven't had any huge snow yet, but has handled 5-6" easily.

Which one does he have? I don't want to pay the $ for the 2 stage. Yet I wonder how hard pushing the single stage would be and not sure how the auger propelled ego would handle the snowplow pile at the end of the driveway.

I'm in central NJ so when we get snow it's often wet or a mix rather than fluffy snow. My driveway is 2 cars wide, 2 cars long (slight incline) and maybe 100 feet of sidewalk. Only will have pavement/cement to shovel.

I was thinking about one of the Toro snowmasters (a hybrid). Around the same cost of a lower end 2 stage but is supposed to be easier to maneuver and faster to use.


Any thoughts?
 
Bump. I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead. It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend? With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me. I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Have a buddy who has an EGo and loves it. Haven't had any huge snow yet, but has handled 5-6" easily.

Which one does he have? I don't want to pay the $ for the 2 stage. Yet I wonder how hard pushing the single stage would be and not sure how the auger propelled ego would handle the snowplow pile at the end of the driveway.

I'm in central NJ so when we get snow it's often wet or a mix rather than fluffy snow. My driveway is 2 cars wide, 2 cars long (slight incline) and maybe 100 feet of sidewalk. Only will have pavement/cement to shovel.

I was thinking about one of the Toro snowmasters (a hybrid). Around the same cost of a lower end 2 stage but is supposed to be easier to maneuver and faster to use.


Any thoughts?
He has one of the single-stage models, definitely not the 2 stage. I personally will be going with a 2 stage model, not sure if it will be Ego or another brand. I have a 140' x 17' wide driveway and need the self-propelled.
 
Bump. I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead. It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend? With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me. I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Have a buddy who has an EGo and loves it. Haven't had any huge snow yet, but has handled 5-6" easily.
TWSS
 
Bump. I've had an an electric (corded) Toro Power Curve 18" for 4-5 years and it works OK for the few bigger snowfalls we get every winter in Indianapolis, but with all of the improvements in the battery models over the past few years, I'm curious if I should look at one of those instead. It's a PITA for me to drag an extension cord all over the place.

Anyone have a newer battery-powered snowblower they'd recommend? With how little I use mine, I'm not interested in the maintenance required with a gas-powered one, so those are off the table for me. I'm also sort of interested in which manufacturers might have the best battery ecosystem if I want to look at eventually getting a battery-powered lawn mower, etc.
Have a buddy who has an EGo and loves it. Haven't had any huge snow yet, but has handled 5-6" easily.

Which one does he have? I don't want to pay the $ for the 2 stage. Yet I wonder how hard pushing the single stage would be and not sure how the auger propelled ego would handle the snowplow pile at the end of the driveway.

I'm in central NJ so when we get snow it's often wet or a mix rather than fluffy snow. My driveway is 2 cars wide, 2 cars long (slight incline) and maybe 100 feet of sidewalk. Only will have pavement/cement to shovel.

I was thinking about one of the Toro snowmasters (a hybrid). Around the same cost of a lower end 2 stage but is supposed to be easier to maneuver and faster to use.


Any thoughts?
I have a Toro Snowmaster and like it a lot. 3 downfalls of it are 1) I haven't found any chains to fit the wheels so it can be a pain in the right situation when the wheels spin and you have to help it. 2) If you get a wet heavy snow like we do in Iowa early in the season or early spring, it does plug up easier than some of the 2 stage models. 3) some times it struggles doing the end of the driveway after the snow plow has been through. Overall, it is a great snowblower that will handle pretty much anything a 2 stage will handle and it is considerably easier to move around that a bulky 2 stage. I can even lift it to get it in the back of my truck so I can go do the inlaw's driveway.
 

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