In order to make your snow blower last as long as a decade or more, it is important to properly maintain and store it. Read and follow the instructions in the owner’s manual on how to maintain and store it. Here are some of the basics.
Start of the season
- Inspect the snow blower for missing bolts. Check the condition of the belts by making sure the belt has the proper tension—your manual will have tips for checking tension-- and replace the belt if cracked or visibly worn. A belt that is too loose or tight will wear out quickly and may fail, causing damage to pulleys and tensioners.
- Check the tires to make sure they are properly inflated per the manual or inflation rate printed on the side of the tire.
- If any gas was left in the snow blower from the previous season, use it up before adding more. Old gas can gum up the carburetor requiring use of harsh, hazardous chemicals to clean it out.
- Check the spark plug and replace if it is full of black, sooty deposits or the engine consistently misfires or won’t start.
End of the season
- Add only enough gas needed to complete the last uses of the snow blower, running it out of gas or draining the gas for other uses before storing. This assures the gas doesn’t get old, attract moisture and fowl the engine at the start of the next season.
- Check the oil and if dirty, drain into a receptacle and recycle it. Dirty oil is thick and dark in color. If it’s relatively clear in color and clean, top off the level as needed. Make sure the drain plug is tight and there are no leaks.
- Lubricate and grease the drive and chassis as needed. The manual will specific what and how to lubricate it.
- Remove the spark plug and squirt some fogging oil in the top of the engine through the open spark plug hole. This lubricates the pistons and cylinders assuring their do not rust or corrode before the next season.
Don’t forget the bottom of your snow blower
Snow blowers have sacrificial surfaces that are meant to take the brunt of wear over time. Skids on the bottom of the auger housing adjust the height and need to be replaced when worn to keep the auger housing from contacting the surface being cleared of snow. There is a scraper bar to scrape snow off the surface being cleared and direct it into the auger, which wears away over time. Just a few screws or bolts hold it in place so it’s easily replaced.
Check the Choose to Reuse guide for other options
If these simple maintenance steps are more than you mechanical capabilities, check the Choose to Reuse guide for repair places that can do it for you. If you need a snow blower, also look for options to buy a used or refurbished blower on the Choose to Reuse guide.
