Hey Everybody,
I'm considering a snowblower purchase. I've got an old one that is unreliable and dangerous (there is no safety engagement handle for the impeller - just a switch).
I didn't really have a budget in mind but I see decent looking models going for $700-$1000. I was considering putting my absolute limit at $1000 and happen to find this Husky at that price with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-961930097-2-Stage-Electric-Thrower/dp/B00LHN4MX0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415971571&sr=8-3&keywords=husqvarna+snow+blower
My driveway isn't too big - it fits maybe 10 cars if you packed them tight. And I have a sidewalk to take care of, which is on a hill so decent self propulsion and power are important.
I'm fairly certain that husky is overkill for me, but I'd rather get more than less if I'm only gonna save a couple of hundred dollars. My neighbor and I help eachother out from time to time so I occasionally end up doing more than just my driveway
Anyone have experience with this (or Husky snowblowers in general) or any recommendations in the <$1000 range?
Thanks a lot,
Joe
I have had an Ariens for many years, it has been very good and I think you can get a 10 hp one for around 1,000 dollars.
Bought an older Honda last year for my parents. Track drive, 5 or 6hp, 22" cut. Paid maybe 200 or 250. Works great, and despite the lack of electric start, got no complaints last winter as to reliability or utility.
22" seems narrow, but it's very maneuverable, and if you blow yourself into a corner, it takes nothing to horse it back around. Would buy another if the opportunity presented itself.
If you want the best, IMHO, you cannot go wrong with a Honda track drive. All tire driven snow blowers will eventually have a flat tire. It has a variable speed tranny and not gears, 2-stage thrower and even with no electric start, mine has started every time with one pull. I've had mine for 14 years and it runs as good as the day I brought it home. I spray "Pam" cooking spray all over the 2-stage mechanics and the snow and ice does not stick. There are other manufacturers out there, but the Honda has been the best by far that I have seen in over 40 years of blowing snow.
I currently have an Ariens that the previous owner of my house was nice enough to leave for us. I found the manual and it looks like it's a 22999. I'm not sure how old it is, but a quick search online finds this post showing that it could be from as early as 1969, although mine looks a bit newer than this one:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179535
I've heard Ariens is one of the best brands but I'm not sure I want to try to rehab it. It leaks oil and/or gas. One tire looses air consistently (tho some tire slime helped a lot).
I found one new Ariens that is similarly priced to the Husky I found .... although the Ariens ddoesn't offer free shipping, so that tags on extra cost. And I'm not sure it has all the bells and whistles of the Husky (Heated hand holds :) and headlights, etc.. )
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/Ariens-28-In.-Deluxe-Dual-Stage-Snow-Thrower/0000000200404?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping%2Bsearch&utm_campaign=google%2Bproduct%20search&gslfah&gclid=CLiml9Sr-8ECFRAQ7Aod5l0AxA#
Hard to go wrong with Honda's in most cases so I'm not surprised to see some recommendations for those... but they seem pretty costly. Most Honda's I found were over $2000 and I'm not prepared to go that high.
The "Pam" cooking spray is a great tip! Someone told my wife about that a couple years ago and I've been using that trick ever since. It helps A LOT :)
Ariens have always had a good name in snow blowers. Rugged well designed units that last for years with proper care. The ones sold at Home Depot are rebadged Husqvarna/Craftsman/Poulan/whatever, nowhere near Ariens traditional quality. They are decent but don't expect a Cadillac for the price of a Chev. Look for a better quality used unit that has been well maintained rather than a light duty new one. Lots of folks downsizing to condos or warmer climates are looking to move them.
I had an older Ariens that was well built BUT it was a single stage that only blew the heavy snow about 8', ok for sidewalks but not my parking area so I gave it to a nephew and got a Snapper 2 stage that really throws it.
Snapper is also a premium brand. Glad to see you appreciate quality.
If New, you can't go wrong with Ariens, get it from an Ariens dealer.
If used, go 70's 80's vintage JD. The only part you can't get for them is the
drive pulley for the auger. The drive-line is all cast-iron
I am going on Season 3 since I re-powered and "rebuilt" it.
Mine is a 7/24 1970's vintage with replacement Harbor Freight 6.5 HP on it.
99% direct bolt on replacement, only change was to the chute crank handle
P.S. get a two stage
This vintage for the JD.
Not the TRS TRX series
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20727/jd.jpg)
Thanks for the continued advice everybody.
Quote from: sawguy21 on November 14, 2014, 11:18:25 PM
The ones sold at Home Depot are rebadged Husqvarna/Craftsman/Poulan/whatever, nowhere near Ariens traditional quality.
Would you put Husky on the same level as Craftsman? My neighbor bought a Craftsman snowblower a few years back and I believe he's had to have it in for service/repair twice already :(. I'm definitely looking to avoid that.
I've had both Husky and Craftsman stuff and the Husky stuff seems a pretty big step above the Craftsman in general, that's why I posted my original link. I was a little sad to read a post on that amazon product page saying that Husky ships in "1 to 2 months".... that might be a dealbreaker. I might search online today and see if I can find a showroom locally that has some of the higher end brands.
As far as rehabbing my Ariens or finding a used one - I'm sure that would be the best value, but my mechanical skills aren't the best so that would be risky, especially considering we already got some flurries this morning here in northern NJ
Quote from: dgdrls on November 15, 2014, 09:42:36 PM
If New, you can't go wrong with Ariens, get it from an Ariens dealer.
If used, go 70's 80's vintage JD. The only part you can't get for them is the
drive pulley for the auger. The drive-line is all cast-iron
I am going on Season 3 since I re-powered and "rebuilt" it.
Mine is a 7/24 1970's vintage with replacement Harbor Freight 6.5 HP on it.
99% direct bolt on replacement, only change was to the chute crank handle
P.S. get a two stage
This vintage for the JD.
Not the TRS TRX series
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20727/jd.jpg)
Does yours have a safety handle that keeps the augers spinning? On my Ariens, you have to lean over and flip a toggle latch next to the chute to enable/disable the augers. A couple of times I realized I walked away from the machine to clear something out of the way and left the augers spinning. It's disturbing to look back and see those blades churning away :o.
Quote from: lowpolyjoe on November 14, 2014, 08:47:15 AM
Hey Everybody,
I'm considering a snowblower purchase. I've got an old one that is unreliable and dangerous (there is no safety engagement handle for the impeller - just a switch).
I didn't really have a budget in mind but I see decent looking models going for $700-$1000. I was considering putting my absolute limit at $1000 and happen to find this Husky at that price with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-961930097-2-Stage-Electric-Thrower/dp/B00LHN4MX0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415971571&sr=8-3&keywords=husqvarna+snow+b
My driveway isn't too big - it fits maybe 10 cars if you packed them tight. And I have a sidewalk to take care of, which is on a hill so decent self propulsion and power are important.
I'm fairly certain that husky is overkill for me, but I'd rather get more than less if I'm only gonna save a couple of hundred dollars. My neighbor and I help eachother out from time to time so I occasionally end up doing more than just my driveway
Anyone have experience with this (or Husky snowblowers in general) or any recommendations in the <$1000 range?
Thanks a lot,
Joe
Get one your wife can run!!!!
I got a used honda 6 22, ($600.00) it is not big but works well, no bells or whistles. The one thing I don't like is the short handle on the chute to adjust the direction and level, Its a stretch for me to reach it and I often lean on the kill switch and shut it off when adjusting the chute.
Quote from: lowpolyjoe on November 16, 2014, 08:29:57 AM
Quote from: dgdrls on November 15, 2014, 09:42:36 PM
If New, you can't go wrong with Ariens, get it from an Ariens dealer.
If used, go 70's 80's vintage JD. The only part you can't get for them is the
drive pulley for the auger. The drive-line is all cast-iron
I am going on Season 3 since I re-powered and "rebuilt" it.
Mine is a 7/24 1970's vintage with replacement Harbor Freight 6.5 HP on it.
99% direct bolt on replacement, only change was to the chute crank handle
P.S. get a two stage
This vintage for the JD.
Not the TRS TRX series
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20727/jd.jpg)
Does yours have a safety handle that keeps the augers spinning? On my Ariens, you have to lean over and flip a toggle latch next to the chute to enable/disable the augers. A couple of times I realized I walked away from the machine to clear something out of the way and left the augers spinning. It's disturbing to look back and see those blades churning away :o.
All the controls are at the operators handles. There is not a squeeze handle for the auger, its a lever.
Red is throttle, Center is gears forward and rev. Right is the auger. Drive squeeze handle on the left.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20727/jd2.jpg)
??? It should have a dead man or an interlock switch that kills the engine if the auger is engaged when the operator lets go of the handles. That is dangerous.
QuoteIt should have a dead man or an interlock switch that kills the engine if the auger is engaged when the operator lets go of the handles
QuoteDrive squeeze handle on the left.
Let go of that handle and the drive stops, I believe.
Does it also stop the auger?
I pulled my old Ariens out of the shed last weekend and made sure it started and ran. Took some pics
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30795/Photo_2014-11-22_15_43_41.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30795/Photo_2014-11-22_15_43_35.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/30795/Photo_2014-11-22_15_43_28.jpg)
You can see the manual lever near the bottom that enables the auger. I suppose maybe there was some sort of safety handle hooked up to it at one point, but I don't see any remnants of it.
Anyone in the Northeast was treated to some lovely weather yesterday. I sprayed the Ariens liberally with Pam cooking spray but it immediately bogged in the 1-2 inches of slushy snow and I gave up.
The snow was really heavy. Would a new snowblower be able to handle that disgusting sludge? I'm talking about the two-stage units around the ~254cc engine size.
I got rid of my Ariens because it wouldn't handle wet snow, my 2 stage Snapper is much better.
lowpolyjoe
Save your money. 2" of slush is either soon to melt, or easy to shovel off. ;)
Quote from: beenthere on November 27, 2014, 10:48:59 AM
lowpolyjoe
Save your money. 2" of slush is either soon to melt, or easy to shovel off. ;)
Sometimes 2" of slush is about to become 2" of ice and when your driveway is 1,000' long it's not so easy to shovel.
:D :D :D
QuoteSometimes 2" of slush is about to become 2" of ice and when your driveway is 1,000' long it's not so easy to shovel.
I wholeheartedly agree, but that little Ariens won't be much better. ;) ;) ;D
I either use my leaf blower or if I see snow, I turn around , go back inside and eat a bowl of Grits and usually by then it has melted. Sorry, no good advice but I wish we had a little more snow. :D
Consumer Reports Jan. 2015
Large Two-Stage
#1 Cub Cadet 31AH57S $1500
#2 Troy-Bilt Vortex 2890 31AH55SQ (best buy) $1300
#3 Cub Cadet 930SWE 31AH95SU $1600
#4 Ariens 921032 $1300
#5 Craftsman 88396 $1200
#6 Cub Cadet 31AH55T (best buy) $1100
#7 Ariens AX254 921030 (best buy) $1000
#8 Trot-Bilt Storm 3090XP 31AH55Q (best buy) $1100
Compact Two-Stage
#1 Troy-Bilt Vortex 2490 31AH54Q (best buy) $1100
#2 Craftsman 88173 (best buy) $680
#3 Toro Power Max 724 OE 37770 $800
#4 Ariens 920021 $800
I hope I got all the #'s right
Thanks for the rundown Den.
As it happens, I ordered a Husqvarna about a week and a half ago. It was supposed to be delivered yesterday but it didn't make it. After a few phone calls, it sounds like the distributor (Amazon) may have never sent it out at all. I'll probably talk to someone tomorrow about it again
This is a bummer because I might have to wait another week or two for delivery if I need to put in another order and who knows when the next snow storm will be. We got several inches of rain in the last few days and if it was a few degrees colder it would have been a few feet of snow.
I may make the rounds to all my local HD and Lowes locations and see if they have a Husky or Ariens in stock before putting in another online order... but carting home a monster 2stage snowblower on my own might be tough.
Whatever I get, I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for the help so far
Keep the shovel handy. ;D
Quote from: den on December 10, 2014, 08:29:08 PM
Consumer Reports Jan. 2015
Large Two-Stage
#1 Cub Cadet 31AH57S $1500
#2 Troy-Bilt Vortex 2890 31AH55SQ (best buy) $1300
#3 Cub Cadet 930SWE 31AH95SU $1600
#4 Ariens 921032 $1300
#5 Craftsman 88396 $1200
#6 Cub Cadet 31AH55T (best buy) $1100
#7 Ariens AX254 921030 (best buy) $1000
#8 Trot-Bilt Storm 3090XP 31AH55Q (best buy) $1100
Compact Two-Stage
#1 Troy-Bilt Vortex 2490 31AH54Q (best buy) $1100
#2 Craftsman 88173 (best buy) $680
#3 Toro Power Max 724 OE 37770 $800
#4 Ariens 920021 $800
I hope I got all the #'s right
I'm surprised there was nothing about a Honda in there? I'm interested in how the Honda's with tracks do in the snow? Do they get better traction than a standard blower with chains on it? Seems tracks can go either way, either excellent, or horrible.
Track snow blowers are great. I have a Kawasaki 27" 8 hp on tracks and the only blower better in that class is a Honda. The thing is like a mini dozer you can bog it down but I never got it stuck. No I have a 42" on a Kubota 17 hp lawn mower works great for the area 5000 plus sq' takes half the time of the old Kawasaki [1988]
Piston, look at the price point, you won't find a Honda 2 stage for that kind of money. Those are all decent value for the buck but you will need to spend quite a bit more to get into the premium units that will perform better and last a lot longer if properly used and maintained.
A number of those have cheap disposable Chinese engines. They are not repairable, the carb or rewind fails replace it. Internal problems it's a new engine. There are few service parts.
Honda is the only manufacturer that stayed with the track system. They are very expensive to produce and really don't work all that well in this application. They tend to climb over the snow rather than digging in so the auger can do it's job.
Quote from: sawguy21 on December 11, 2014, 12:35:05 PM
Honda is the only manufacturer that stayed with the track system. They are very expensive to produce and really don't work all that well in this application. They tend to climb over the snow rather than digging in so the auger can do it's job.
I ran a friends tracked honda for a few years. And that was my thoughts also.
Beat me up way more than a wheeled version.
The one drive system that works well for extra traction, is the wheeled one were the axle shifts to the back. It also puts extra weight on the cutting edge to help keep it from from climbing up.
Quote from: millwright on November 14, 2014, 11:43:52 AM
I have had an Ariens for many years, it has been very good and I think you can get a 10 hp one for around 1,000 dollars.
I've got an Ariens 1032. That's 10 hp, 32" wide cut width. It's a monster, and eats snowdrifts for breakfast. It's an older one, and they still have all the parts available if any repairs are necessary. I would highly recommend one of these to anyone with a lot of snow to get rid of. My driveway is 450 feet long.
I spoke to the freight company and they still have no idea where the package is.
I just called Amazon and cancelled the order. I also notice the price dropped almost $80 since my order less than 2 weeks ago... wonder why.
woodworker9 yours is one of the best ever built, a far cry from the 1000 dollar Poulan built Ariens being flogged at the Great Orange Menace.
This past weekend my wife and I were in Lowes because they had (according to online inventory) 3 units left of the snowblower I wanted.
We waited a few minutes for someone to help us. Then we asked the 'greeter' at the front to find someone. He paged for assistance. Waited another 10 minutes. Nothing. So we left.
We ended up ordering from Amazon even though they lost the first one in transit. It arrived this morning :)
It's the 254cc, 27" Husqvarna I linked in the first post. Had to come to work so I didn't have time to unbox/assemble it. Looking forward to getting it up and running this weekend. I've got my fingers crossed - I think this is the most expensive tool I've ever bought :D
This is my 'insurance' that will prevent it from snowing for the next 5 years. 8)
My first snowblower was an Ariens 2-stage and it worked pretty good for the first 2 years, then it was hard to start and I had at least 2 flats every season. When I moved to a new location, I sold it and bought a Honda-track blower. That Honda has been the best snowblower I have ever used. It is now 13 years old and always starts the first pull. It has hydrostatic forward/reverse, no gears to select. As far as traction, there is none better IMHO. Once the snow gets packed, it doesn't matter if you have a track machine or tires with chains, it's still tough work. When the shear pin breaks on a hunk of ice, the Honda takes about 3 minutes to replace, while the Ariens takes alot longer, at least the older ones did. For the money and long lasting, I'll take a Honda track any day.
I had a few people recommend the Honda's but they all seem about twice as expensive as I was willing to spend :-[.
I've also read very widely different comments about the track system (vs tires). Some say it's the best thing ever. Some say it's prone to failure. Luckily they were all ot of my price range so I didn't have to worry about it ;)
It is a little discouraging that the model I bought has 2 out of 4 reviews say it broke immediately. But considering the model has been sold out for half the season and there are only 2 people saying it broke, I'm hoping that's 2 out of (a lot) of samples.
I will say it's a sexy piece of machinery.... I saw one assembled in Lowes. Lots of levers, a few buttons, heated handlebars, etc... 8)
Quote from: sawguy21 on December 11, 2014, 07:39:01 PM
woodworker9 yours is one of the best ever built, a far cry from the 1000 dollar Poulan built Ariens being flogged at the Great Orange Menace.
Yes, it is. A local old timer who rebuilds these for a hobby/extra cash told me to buy this particular one, and to get an older one. He rebuilds them when he finds them, and told me they're his favorite.
He also told me to stay away from all the newer ones because the parts inside aren't anywhere near as tough.
Tested out the new snowblower a couple of days ago. Made an unboxing video + review for anyone interested in my impression of the model I picked up. Real test will be when I get some serious snow :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WXyt5fOOnI
My dad has a few year old Ariens 1032, nice machine. 10hp Tecumseh. We had an Ariens when I was a kid that was bulletproof too. I have a 20 year old Simplicity I bought about 5 years ago from the original owner, well kept and clean. 24" cut and 8hp Tecumseh. They're good reliable engines IMO.
Make sure you have spare shear bolts and auger belt. Also clear the area to be worked before it snows, door mats and frozen newspapers are hard on the machine. ;D
Quote from: sawguy21 on January 06, 2015, 11:24:09 PM
Make sure you have spare shear bolts and auger belt. Also clear the area to be worked before it snows, door mats and frozen newspapers are hard on the machine. ;D
Excellent point. I ran over a phone book one year with my old machine - no fun cleaning up yellow shredded paper all over the place :D
I'll look into the shear bolts and auger belt.
Thanks
Joe
in 1995 When I lived in West Milford NJ, I bought a Husquavarna Snow blower form a dealer on Warwick Turnpike. As memory served, It was a 15hp and 30 inch intake. It was the best snow blower that I have ever seen. That sucker would throw snow 40 to 50 feet. When we got the 6 foot deep snow with drifts to 25 feet, in 1996, that blower cleared my 200+ foot long driveway. It went through almost 10 gallons of gas to do so, but thank God I had it because the plow truck was all but useless in that depth. You will not be dissapointed.
When I moved to Indiana in late 1996, i sold it to a friend here that had a small business and was tired of paying to have his medium sized parking lot plowed 20 times a year. He is still using it to this day and other than a few shear pins, oil changes, and a couple replacement belts, it is still serving him well.
Good to hear Fred.
I'm a little worried that they "don't make 'em like they used to", but only time will tell. It definitely feels like it has power :)
Quote from: sawguy21 on January 06, 2015, 11:24:09 PM
Make sure you have spare shear bolts and auger belt. Also clear the area to be worked before it snows, door mats and frozen newspapers are hard on the machine. ;D
Today I thought of this post, sawguy... recalling that I never bought any spare belts.
This morning I got my 1-year-old Husqvarna snowblower started up to dig out from under the foot and a half of snow we got from the blizzard. I was smiling to myself about how clever I was to buy a bigger model than I thought I would need. One pass down my driveway and the auger stops spinning >:(.
I know very little about engines and machines in general. I started taking off random bolts and eventually discovered the impeller belt had come loose and seemingly had turned inside out? (the V was face up) Got it back on, reassembled everything - half hour wasted but I'm back on the go. 2 minutes later, same problem ::). I check and this time the belt had snapped. Can't find details of the belt in the owner's manual ??? Why ?! Just says they suggest you have a certified mechanic replace the belt. So I measure the belt - seems like 35" but it's hard to tell because the end is frayed where it broke. Checked 2 local stores, found a 35" belt. It seems kind of tight, but I got it on. Start her up. Immediate burning smell :(. Disassemble again. The belt is too short. Some internet research reveals it's actually a 35.4" belt (90cm darn metric system :D). 20 minute drive to the nearest Lowes to find the correct replacement. I grab 2, to be safe, and a drive-belt while I'm there. $65!!! What! I put one back.
Reassemble for the 4th time. Finally good to go. 20 minutes later, ran over a stray tennis ball, jammed the impeller. Geez....
Side note -while I was buying replacement belts, another guy was in Lowes with his brand new (one day old) Husqvarna arguing with customer service. He had a snapped belt as well. I talked to him briefly. We were both pretty bitter.
Anyway... hope everyone made it through the blizzard safe.
We just bought a Craftsman 24" two stage, brought it home, took it out if the crate gassed it up and it started right up. One small problem, it will only run on 1/2 choke. Glad the wife got the service contract. the service man came and took off the bowl and pushed a tip cleaner through the main jet. Tried it, same result, replacement carb on the way but they are back ordered for at least two weeks. Apparently all of this model have a problem.
I heard from my mechanic buddy that the carb gets clogged with plastic from when they drill the tank to install the fittings.I would have done the work myself but it is a brand new unit. There is no gas shutoff or fuel filter in the line so the tank has to be drained to work on the carb. What a pain.
I have a 40 year old Ariens at my Mom's that works just great.
Another problem is the corrosion inhibitor used at the factory, it gets in the fuel system and clogs the carb. The current crop of snow engines are all made in China.
That's a real bummer jwilly.
So frustrating to buy something new so you won't have to deal with all the problems of old stuff breaking down or needing service - then it blows up in your face :'(
I still have my old Ariens but it was barely working when I finally broke down and bought my Husqy. I bet I could get it back in shape with a serious tune-up, but that's the exact sort of work I was looking to avoid.
Further frustrating is the fact that I can't find the belts on Amazon. I thought maybe I could find them cheaper than Lowes. Even having problems finding the correct replacement at JacksSmallEngines.
I'm on my third winter with a Toro Powermax 826. I finally tried the electric start, as I think it only has a three year warranty, to make sure it works - it does. I've had no issues with it at all, starts and runs great and blows snow into the next township. I did buy it from a local dealer and it was prepped for me, ready to go.
I know that the OP already bought a blower but I thought I'd share my experience with a Toro for anyone who is also looking for a blower. However, to be truthful, this is my first (small) snowblower, so I only have that as a point of reference, as opposed to the 6 foot monster that we had behind our tractor.
I'm almost finished restoring my 1981 Ariens ST1032.
It's been sitting idle for 30 years. I bought it (in a hurry) to clear my 400 m (1/4 mile) driveway when my D7 died. The following year I bought a JD diesel tractor with a 60" front-mounted blower. I just used the Ariens to clean up around the house for few years. Eventually I found I could get the tractor right up close to the house and I stopped using the Ariens. Unfortunately, I never properly put it away for long-term storage.
Now my daughter needs a desperately needs a snowblower. Her neighbour had a nice one and the two of them took turns clearing their common parking area. But he found better work in Ontario and left in the new year, along with the blower :(.
The machine was in bad shape (or so it seemed). Flat ovals on the bottoms of the tires -- which blew apart when I filled them. Engine would turn, but no compression and no spark when I crank it over. None of the controls would move -- rusted solid (and no Blue Creeper on hand :() The wheels wouldn't even roll.
Fast assessment: This machine had a 10 HP B&S engine, and parts are still available on-line. Parts are also available on-line for the snowblower. Good start, but what's it going to cost?
I opened the machine up and found it was built like the proverbial brick outhouse. A bit of penetrating oil and some elbow grease and things started to move. A bit of oil or grease in the proper places and things began to move smoothly :).
OK, no point in going further if I couldn't get tires. After all these years, identical tires available locally. Total cost including mounting them -- $150 after taxes.
But wait, what about that engine? I took it to a friend who field-stripped dozens of B&S engines back when he was prospecting. First impression -- gummed up carb, rusted fuel tank, rusted spark plug, and a stuck valve. He said he'd take a look and let me know what had to be done.
In the meantime, I carried on cleaning, lubricating, filing, straightening bent stuff, etc. No word on the engine. Finally he called -- "It's ready". Yep, he cleaned it up, rebuilt the carb, freed up the valve, and had it running. $100 after taxes. I told him that was too little and he said that was what I was going to have to pay him if I wanted the engine back :D.
I'm going to have to adjust the carb a little, and one of the handlebars is bent just enough that the blower clutch won't engage from the operator's station. But everything works.
Now that I've been under the hood, so to speak, I can see why these machines were so popular.
PS: So how do you get all the rust out of a small fuel tank? Take it off the machine, fill it with a pound or so of small nuts, bolts, and washers. Then shake. Dump the nuts, bolts, etc. plus rust onto a workbench, roll the nuts, bolts, etc out of the pile with your hand, and put them back in the fuel tank. Repeat until no more rust comes out. Then rinse the tank with solvent or kerosene. ;D ;D
Good for you 8) Those machines are almost bullet proof. It is old if it has the metal tank.
I have a yard machines cheapo and it's halfway decent, emphasis on halfway. It's put together real cheaply. The cutting edge is prolly 1/16" thick...
My pops just bought one of them craftsmen ones, with the joystick. It seems allright. It has bottom levers that are steering clutches. I just assembled it for him I never ran it, so couldn't tell ya
Brucer if its a steel tank and you can weld cut it open wire wheel it and then weld it back! Or, I'd fill it full of all sorts of abrasive things and put it in a hamster wheel.
lol
eh eh
Quote from: sawguy21 on January 06, 2015, 11:24:09 PM
Make sure you have spare shear bolts and auger belt. Also clear the area to be worked before it snows, door mats and frozen newspapers are hard on the machine. ;D
So is a 20' cable dog lead. Don't ask how I know ::)
JJ
Was the dog attached? One of my customers did that, the dog wasn't hurt but absolutely terrified of the machine afterwards.
No dog attached.
When I am home they are free range.
JJ
Quote from: JJ on January 25, 2016, 06:45:55 PM
Quote from: sawguy21 on January 06, 2015, 11:24:09 PM
Make sure you have spare shear bolts and auger belt. Also clear the area to be worked before it snows, door mats and frozen newspapers are hard on the machine. ;D
So is a 20' cable dog lead. Don't ask how I know ::)
JJ
Lost a nice 50' garden hose. It did not shear the bolt, but it was a real pain getting it unwrapped from the auger.