We’re in mid-November now, and not too far away from the first snowfall of the season (especially for certain readers who live in snowy areas!) With that being said, Snow Blower Source has compiled a list of snow blower maintenance tips you should be performing before taking out the machine for the first time, just to make sure it operates like it’s supposed to.
Make Sure Everything’s Tightened in Place
The last thing you want is for a screw, bolt or nut to come loose when you’re driving your snow blower up and down your yard. Best case scenario, something pops loose and you have to put it back in. Worst case, it’s a crucial part (like the drive belt or spark plug) and your snow blower just shudders to a halt.
It takes all of a few minutes to complete this step, and if you do it right you don’t have to check it every single time you pull out your snow blower. Just go over where parts are bolted together, and check that everything’s tight and in place. Everything should be tight and secure, so pull out that wrench and get to work.
Is Your Oil Filled Up to the Right Level?
While snow blowers aren’t overly complex, like the way F1 race cars are, it still has a lot of moving parts inside that need to be lubricated. If there’s not enough oil, then the metal begins to scrape against other metal and damage takes place. Again, if this doesn’t happen on a regular basis, then the damage can be minimal; if it’s a repeated occurrence, you risk blowing out the machine entirely.
This step is really and only takes a couple of seconds. Remove the oil dipstick, wipe it against a rag or paper towel, insert it back in again, and pull it out. If the oil falls to the right level on the dipstick, you’re good. If not, you have to fill it up a bit. But to make sure you don’t overfill (that’ll cause another set of problems!), fill it up slowly with a funnel.
Inspect Important Parts for Wear and Tear
While there may be a lot of parts in your snow blower, the main ones you want to be concerned with are:
Scraper Blade: This will not only pick up snow off the surface it’s on, but also protect the housing. Make sure it’s in good shape (i.e. not cracked or worn) and you should be good to go.
Slide/Skid Shoes: Just as with the scraper blades, these shoes are integral to the inner housing parts.
Auger: They should make contact with the ground, otherwise they’re too worn out to be of any effect at all.
Spark Plug: This sort of falls under the category of making sure everything’s been tightened properly, but also in a different category because of its importance. The spark plug is responsible for the ignition process, so you want to make sure it’s in decent working shape. Some blackness or dirtiness is to be expected (this is the natural carbon buildup), but it should still look and operate fine. Try changing it about once a season.
Tires: While you won’t be driving this thing on racetracks any time soon, it’s still a good idea to make sure the tires are firm and inflated. The last thing you want is to be pushing it along and get a flat, then have to struggle with it.
Shear Pins: These little guys are responsible for connecting the auger to the gear case. Or, in simpler speak, they’re the parts of your snow blower that break when things get dangerous, like if the auger and/or gear case become over-torqued. You obviously don’t want them broken to begin with, because then you’ll have not much idea of differentiating between a safe and dangerous situation. Check that they’re in good condition.
With a little bit of checking up before you take the snow blower out, you can ensure you’ll have a much easier time of clearing your driveway. And using these tips also means that should anything go wrong, you’ll have a good idea of how to over the basics. But if you do need to replace any parts or accessories, Snow Blower is just the place you want to look at. As a bonus, we offer free shipping (yeah!) and tax-free pricing (except in MN), so check out our catalogue and get your snow blower in fine working shape!
