Stupid snowblower!

Vulcan Bob

Vulcan Bob

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Hi all, ok this is a rant, with a question at the end. As was so many of us, we got a ton of snow, for awhile about two inchs an hour. Nice fine light stuff ideal for my whimpy 5.5 HP two stage snow blower. OK waited to have enough snow down to use it and guess what, no joy, wouldent even give a put-put. Goofed with it a bit (yes it had gas) tried starter fluid, no joy again, no ignition, as no spark at the plug on the spark test. Oh well been shoveling every hour since seven PM. it's now 4:32 AM, the borough snow plow finally came by and buried both our cars. Wife has to be at work at the hospital at seven AM so out I go again to liberate her car, at least I stayed ahead of it a bit.

Now for the question, needless to say I am a bit put out with yon snow blower and am contiplateing the best way to put it out of my misery. I think I should drag it out to safe place and use up a clip of .30 M2-AP ball on it. I wasent quite clear on the question first time around Im afraid, I wasent looking to fix it, Im looking for suggestions on how to kill it for good! Oh yeah, used it last december with no problems, have Sta-Bil in the gas, tried new plug still no sparky! Who knows what it's current problem is, I just dont care. Been looking to buy a new one with some guts anyway. Thanks all!
 
Last edited:
"no spark at the plug on the spark test"

Is this a pull-start or an electric start? Loose wire from the magneto to the plug? If electric, is the outlet you're using turned on? :) Is there a dead-man switch that's corroded enough to not close anymore?
 
A new coil/magneto would only set you back about 40 bucks or so if that's the problem. Could be a bad kill switch and or wire, along with a fouled sparkplug. Buy a plug, disconnect the kill wire, and see if you've got a spark. Or just hold onto the sparkplug wire and crank the engine, you'll know if you've got voltage to the plug soon enough ! If all else fails, double tap and call it a day. Then send the wife out with the shovel while you stay inside and watch Sportscenter ! Shoo
 
Might see if the engine has a 'low oil sensor' on the crankcase.

I've seen these little sensors conk out and quit. Engine not low on oil, but sensor grounded out and kills the ignition anyhow.

If it has some sort of sensor low on the crankcase, might try unhooking it.

Then there's the fuel and sparkplug thing.
 
Whatever happened to all the kids who used to go around with snow shovels, trying to make a few bucks? Same thing with raking leaves. I guess they're too busy playing video games.:(
 
If none of the suggestions get it going I would check the magnet on the flywheel and the face of the pickup coil to see if they are covered with rust. Use some fine emery cloth and clean up the surfices of the magnet and coil.

You can hold on to the spark plug wire and move the flywheel back and forth with the magnet passing the pickup coil to see if thier is spark.

This is where the trouble is in these components.

You did not mention if you have had the engine running this year.
 
What kind of snow blower?? Go to Google and type in _____ snow blower wont start. Go from there.
 
All my gas operated equipment fails to start if the current product we call "gas" is left in the tank more than a few weeks. I don't know why but if I remove the carb. and clean it and put it back together it starts right up. Good luck. I've been told to put a stabilizer in the gas tank when it is not in use.
 
Snow?

Wyatt Burp said:
What's snow?
Click to expand...

It's that stuff that we use to keep illegal Mexicans out of Maine and in California where they belong.... :)

Bob, I feel your pain Brother....

StillSnowingJanuary192010004.jpg
 
Bob,
I feel your pain! We have about 17", I suppose you do too. Fired up the trusty Toro (It did start:)) but then the plastic scraper on the front tears loose and gets tangled up in the auger. I will say it made for some interesting sounds! Managed to rip it out and throw it down the street in frustration and went back to work. Now the remains of the strip are digging into the ground and it would be easier to push my truck. Finally shut it off and grabbed the shovel. Let me know how you put yours out of it's misery, I need some ideas!
I gotta get a plow for my 4 wheeler!
 
No... Don't use the M2 AP ammo on it. Use something big and heavy that will do more than punch clean .30 caliber holes...

A quick story... Keep in mind that I am in Tennessee - it will help you visualize it better:

A friend of mine worked as a route salesman for a large food distributor. He would travel the mid-state on his route, which included schools and individuals alike. On one of his rural stops, he was telling the old man of the farm about his new "Model 29 S&W in .44 Magnum." (Not everyone knows the calibers for each model S&W, so he told the old boy.)

The old man said he would like to see it some time, and my friend said no problem - he went to the car and retrieved it. My friend told him stories of Elmer Keith and long distance shots that had been made. With that, the old man said "Son, draw a bead on that old bucket out there and see if you can hit it." Not being one to disappoint, my friend obliged. He fired the first round and knew he had hit the bucket, but not dead center. He smiled wryly as his next round really made the bucket dance, lifting it about a foot before it settled back down. He then proceed to add four more holes to his pattern. The old man looked at him and said "Boy you need to practice some - you missed every time."

My friend looked at the old man like he needed to have his eyes examined and explained that he could easily see all six holes in the bucket. The man said lets go see... And they proceeded to walk in slightly different directions. The old man walked over to an old milk pail that did not have a single hole in it. My friend walked over to a larger bucket that did indeed have 6 magnum size holes in it - and the old man's destroyed garden tiller underneath it. The old man had turned the large bucket over the engine of the tiller to keep the rain off/out of it. That second shot that had so impressed my friend was a shot that struck the recoil starter mechanism and the released spring was what had launched the bucket upward - not the fired round itself.

Alas, as the tiller dripped its last few drops of it lifegiving oil onto the ground, and my friend was standing there with his mouth hanging wide open, not knowing what to say, with that same cold feeling running through his veins that one experiences upon seeing that hidden patrol car when they are doing 20m.p.h. over the speed limit.

He ended up replacing the old man's tiller... But then he made an even worse mistake - he told someone what had happened. From that day forward, he has been known as the:

TILLER KILLER!

Regards,
Mike
 
Snow blowers only work when it isn't snowing. Lawnmowers only work in the winter.

Use a 30-06, then move south.
 
I can relate Bob. I "had" a Toro a few years ago. Sometimes it started and worked like a champ, sometimes it would not start no matter what I did. It was a hand me down so I guess what work I did get from it I should have been happy.

We had 16" in the yard, but in the driveway there were some drifts over 30". Shoveled the cars out and then the neighbor across the road came over with his 4wd Kubota and plowed me out. Gotta love a good neighbor.

Hey Jeff, told the wife today there is going to be a new Yamaha Grizzy with a plow here soon. She almost agreed. If I work on her some I think I can make it happen.
 
I just gotta call from my cousin and he said his snowblower seized up lol. No kidding. It must be contagious.
 
Might I suggest... firing on it with a large caliber:
IMG_5354.jpg



Old Sear tractor, JD plow, home made mount
PlowinSnowCCRd5.jpg



Second attempt to pull town truck back on the road:
exeterhighway.jpg

Third try was the charm...
 
I'm not sure why I need to explain this....

Snow blowers are one of the best power tools ever. But just a minor bit of common sense needs to be applied. First and foremost, when you are buying it, opt for more horsepower. Then don't settle for any that doesn't include electric start. Nothing like 110v starter motor turning it like it was summer time.

Then when they first hint at a storm 3 or 4 days out, go to the garage and start the thing. Let it run for at least 10 minutes. If its cold out and won't start, direct your salamander heater at the thing. Yes, its a bit dangerous if you've spilled fuel. But heating the engine or entire device up to about 100 degrees seems to make them run.

Its winter. Its not unreasonable to start the thing every 2 weeks regardless of predicted weather. The same goes for your generator (they can both be running at the same time.)

In the past I've perfected vandalism with a snow blower into a science. Now I don't have any neighbors I hate. I even wish I could attribute them going other places to my evil war against them. I'd sleep warm and comfy if I thought the nasty work I'd done had motivated them to go elsewhere. No such luck.

I just wish I was healthy and able to run my snowblower. Well that and I'd gotten a foot or two of snow to use it on.
 
And don't forget the off season tune up....

So right you are Dick...

But to that I would add that annual, pre-season tune up weather it seems like of not.... last year's sparkplug that at $5 cost too much to replace in August is priceless in February....

My shop picks the snowblower up in April or May, stores it all summer, fluffs it up in November and delivers it back to me.... ready to go for a very small fee.
 
So right Drew. An oil change and a new spark plug go a long way to keeping these things reliable. Also, change the priming hose every couple of years. Very easy job.
 
Here we are on the fourth page and no update from Bob.

Come on Bob, give us a report on the situation.

What have you done so far? Just standing there looking at it won't help.
 
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