Learn how to correctly service, clean and care for your snow blower to extend its life and improve efficiency. Proper storage of your snow blower in the off-season will also ensure you get the most out of your blower year after year.
• Check the oil level before each use and add as needed.
• Check the fuel level before each use.
• Check shear pins and other bolts frequently for proper tightness.
• Change the spark plug every 100 hours or once a season.
• Check snow-blower shave plates and skid shoes for wear and damage; replace as needed.
• After use, run the auger on a dry surface for a few moments to eliminate moisture on the unit and to prevent freeze-up of the auger / impeller.
• Check tire pressure.
Service the Rubber Auger
These rubber paddles will eventually need replacement because they wear out over time. Their service life will depend on variables, such as use, adjustments, maintenance and operating surface. Rubber paddles should be replaced when they're damaged or worn out. They may also need to be replaced if the unit is improperly discharging snow forward instead of through the chute.
Clear a Clogged Discharge Chute
Hand contact with the rotating impeller inside the discharge chute is the most common cause of injury associated with snow blowers. Never use your hand to clean out the discharge chute.
To clear the chute:
Shut the engine off.
Wait 10 seconds and ensure the impeller blades have stopped rotating.
Always use a clean-out toll, not your hands.
Properly Adjust Skid Shoes
Adjusting the skid shoes on a two-stage snow blower allows you to determine how close to the ground the unit will clear snow.
If you're clearing an even and solid surface, you can adjust the skid shoes as follows:
TIP:
The auger housing needs support during this adjustment. Find something that might be equal to or close to 1/8 of an inch thick (a piece of wood, a couple of sections of newspaper, sheet(s) of cardboard). Make sure the width is less than that of your snow blower. To properly support your unit for this adjustment, don't use anything that's fragile or unstable.
Place the supporting device underneath the center of the shave plate below the auger housing. This support should then elevate the sides of the auger housing slightly.
Now loosen the hardware, securing the skid shoes on both sides of the auger housing, slide the shoes until they're even with the ground, and then tighten the shoe hardware.
If you remove the support material, you should find that your shave plate is positioned just slightly above the ground with the shoes properly supporting the entire auger housing.
Special Irregular Surface Adjustment:
If you're are clearing a surface that has an unusually irregular surface, such as gravel or cobblestone, you should follow the instructions above, but you should use something much thicker than 1/8 of an inch for support during the adjustment. The actual thickness needed depends on the severity of the surface or the size of stones covering the surface. For example, if you have stones that are as large as a 1/2 inch in diameter, use something close to 3/4 of an inch in thickness for this support.
***Before performing maintenance on any unit, always disconnect and ground the spark plug wire.
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