Warnings ancross all Michigan. Dang it. My near 15 year old blower died after last winter. Hell of a time getting anyone to work on them anymore. The local shop I bought it from no longer sells or services them. Finally found a fella to work on it. Dropped it off in early September when it was still in the 80s. He replaced a ripped up belt. Finished 3 or 4 days ago and I’ve got it home just in time it appears.
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That's great that you found a good repairman. My Ariens is 11 years old. It has the Subaru/Robbins engine and I just gassed it up and checked the oil yesterday. Starts on the first pull every time. Actually surprises me. Only problem that I ever had was something stuck in the carb. I took it off, sprayed heck out of it and viola, been great ever since.
I went smaller for storage purposes (22") and damn if that thing doesn't punch well above its weight. Glad you mentioned belts. I never even considered it as a consumable, and will look into ordering one up for drive and blower, just in case.
Amazingly this was the first time it failed, although there are some sheer pins I’ve broken and replaced on my own. In that case, half the battle is getting the garage heated up with portable propane heaters and the machine defrosted before replacing the broken sheer pin. Everything you do is twice as hard in the winter.
LOL - Yeah, I also use the propane portable for the garage in winter. I hear ya.
Just a few flakes observed this morning, Derf
Seems we're going to get dumped on this weekend!!
Stay warm, Derf
Edit: Whew what a slog! The snowblower was pushing the snow, instead of expelling it. Had to use the shovel frequently, and the snow was sticking to the shovel badly. Took about 3 hours. I should have hit it once this morning, rather than waiting until it was mostly over.
•Check electrical connections: Look for any loose, damaged, or corroded wiring, especially near the throttle and ignition. Clean all connectors and ensure they are tight.
•Inspect the switch: Make sure the handlebar switch is working properly.
•Examine the fuse and relay: Verify that the fuse and relay for the heated grip circuit are intact and not blown. The fuse is typically an inline fuse holder located in the wiring harness near the battery or under the dash panel.
•Test voltage with a multimeter: With the engine running, use a multimeter to check for voltage at the hand warmers. There should be a path for power and a ground connection.
•Check for continuity: Use a multimeter to test the continuity of the hand warmers themselves. An open circuit (infinite resistance) means the heating element is bad.
•Troubleshoot weak heat: If the hand warmers are only slightly warm, they often work best at full throttle and may not get "hot" like other types of grips.
If the fella out in the woods really fixed my Honda I'll be happy. Not too confident. It had lost all the hydro fluid. Should know after a good hour's work what shape it's really in. Sorry I checked the weather. Looks like 4-7 inches tonight and 35 mph wind.
--- snow blower impellers and chute area
--- standard hand snow shovel blade face
If you can have these in a warm area (garage) for application
--- WD-40 can be used to repel snow sticking to shovels and snowblower chutes by creating a slippery, non-stick surface. It's best to use the Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant or Big Blast formulas for this purpose. Before applying, clean the surface to remove dirt, rust, and oil.
There is also an Armor All product spray (ceramic) that helps with this and may be used on vehicle surfaces during the warm months.
Wet snow and the blower is no fun !!!