snowblower wish list

[Limited-Time]

Re: snowblower wish list

One like this perhaps:

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

One like this perhaps:

that indeed would be the bomb.. however.. you must notify all your neighbors
to remove pets and small children from the sidewalks.


wouldnt that bee cool.. to have a 1/3 scale one of those.. I should go to the train meusum here in Golden.. see if they have detailed drawings.. and build a 1/4 scaled model..

 

[bandit86]

Re: snowblower wish list

problem solved, looking through the classifieds i came across a honda 8hp hs80 on tracks that needed tranny work for 495 plus taxes. Sitting in my garage now. This thing is awsome. All the snow melted so i drove it into some ice, chews it like a blender.

 

[DJ]

Re: snowblower wish list

.. however.. you must notify all your neighbors
to remove pets and small children from the sidewalks.

..

And------Geo Metros.

 

[bandit86]

Re: snowblower wish list

need a manual to adjust the clutch cables for a hs80, anyone have one?

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

problem solved, looking through the classifieds i came across a honda 8hp hs80 on tracks that needed tranny work for 495 plus taxes. Sitting in my garage now. This thing is awsome. All the snow melted so i drove it into some ice, chews it like a blender.

nice score.. chews it like a blender huh.. make a round of margaritas...

I dont know anything about HS80's look online for a manual or something. I have gotten several manuals from online there are some great resources. maybe see if there is a yahoo group or something.. the internet is a great place to dig up info (as you all know)

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: snowblower wish list

I wish my snowblower had a cupholder

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: snowblower wish list

8hp min, 12hp preferred.
Two stage
Electric start
I prefer wheels
Differential unlock- trigger on handle unlocks differential for easy turning
Heated handles
Light
Drift cutters
Joystick chute control
Oil drain extension- clears the chassis for easy draining

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

I wish my snowblower had a cupholder

not just a cup holder.. but a heated cup holder... or a hot coco dispenser.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: snowblower wish list

How about one of these?

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

oh my.. thats like a combine for snow.. love it..

a couple years ago there was a mid 50's early 60's 2 1/2 ton truck mounted snow blower for sale. ( the engine for the snowblower a ford industrial gasoline engine driving 8 v-belts. to the shaft running the snow blower) was mounted where the bed should have been. .. it was a 4x4 unit.. it was big and mean looking.. they wanted like 5k for it. I was thinking.. where could I park it.. where could I park it.. but alas. I diddnt buy it..

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: snowblower wish list

Its an airport snow blower. They are used because leaving snow berms on the runways and taxiways is not a good thing! I watched a guy accidentally fill a small single engine airplane with snow one night - he wasn't paying attention and was blowing snow right into a "tie-down area! Those things blow snow with so much power that he punched the side window of the airplane out and filled it with snow in a heartbeat!

 

[Jeff-in-PA]

Re: snowblower wish list

I have two snowblowers, a walk behind and one mounted to my Cub Cadet.

The walk behind is a Toro 3521 ( 3 speed, 5 hp & 21" wide ) which is a two stage snowblower. I use this for the light snows.

If it snows more or drifts, I break out the Cub Cadet 125 with the 42" single stage snow thrower. I have a weight box on the back for traction plus chains.

Jeff

 

[bandit86]

Re: snowblower wish list

I bought a snowblower to fab onto my garden tractor, a cub cadet 1220 but didnt have the heart to take it apart. Looks like a lot more fun then walking behind one.

 

[lowkee]

Re: snowblower wish list

so what brands are good, what to stay away from?

Being certified in all but a few, for the money I'd say go with White/MTD (same thing, really) dual stage blower @ ~8hp. Unless you live where you will see 2+ feet of wet snow at a time, stick with 8hp.

Toro makes a rugged blower, but they need to be gone through every year by a dealer (I'm not joking, here.. you will kill it if you don't. They make bearings for them which are made to wear out annually [bi-annually if you hardly use it]).

Honda makes a sweet *looking* one with treads, but it is prone to break down and costs just as much as a car to repair (it is a Honda, after all).

John Deer used to make decent ones, but they are too plastic nowadays. Frozen stuff + plastic doesn't equal a good time. Stick with an older used model if you really want a 'Deer'.

If you have a short driveway or just sidewalks to clear, go with the Toro single stage blower (the big one, not that tiny POS). It has rubber paddles and throws snow amazingly well. It is 2 cycle and will outlast you driveway. Last one I had was about 20 years old and still started 1st pull. They look cheap, but they last.

Last option is a blower attachement for your mower. They work amazingly well if your mower has the option. I'd seriously recomment the windshield attachment if you plan to use it often, as mower blowers throw the snow 20-30feet and it always comes back to you in one direction or another. Mower attachments also nearly never break. The only maint required is lubing the pivot points.

As for options, plug-in electric start is almost ubiquitous nowadays (esp with 8+hp blowers) and is quite useful if you aren't one to tune up your blower once per season. Otherwise you'd be hard pressed to find any Briggs or Kohler engine which doesn't start 1st or 2nd pull.

The plastic surround is nice for mower attached blowers, but is a PITA for stand ups.

Battery start is never needed unless you are too weak to pull the cord.

Tank treads are cool, but impossible to work on, so either never break them or avoid them entirely.

Power chute motors strip VERY easily, so stick with manual turning chutes.

Hydro is a waste of money, especially if you have a long driveway. 1. put it in gear 2. walk. Not much more needed for most uses.

That's about it. Blowers are expensive items, and I don't want to see anyone buying one they will pay for again in the first few years of repairs. Good luck and bundle up!

Hope that helps,
Lowkee

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

I have two snowblowers, a walk behind and one mounted to my Cub Cadet.

The walk behind is a Toro 3521 ( 3 speed, 5 hp & 21" wide ) which is a two stage snowblower. I use this for the light snows.

If it snows more or drifts, I break out the Cub Cadet 125 with the 42" single stage snow thrower. I have a weight box on the back for traction plus chains.

Jeff

awsome snow rigs.... I should get pics of mine. maybe this afternoon.. I will line them all up and take a pic.. and post them... I think snowblowers are almost as fun as boats.. .. I found another one.. a really old montgomery wards model.. really old.. circa mid 70's.. gonna try and get my hands on that as well.. doesnt run.. but hey.. thats the best way to buy them... best of luck to the folks on the north east.. with all the snow you've been getting... enjoy the blowers.. (in the 50's here again today)..

 

[redfury]

Re: snowblower wish list

I nominate lowkee as Iboats unofficial snowblower expert Good stuff there! ( is it, lowkee as in "Low Key" or "Loki", the norse god of mischief? )

Speaking of blowers, I pulled my big 8 hp in the house ( no garage to work in ) and pulled the flywheel off to see why I wasn't getting any spark. Well, the points were working just fine, but the ground wire to shut the motor off that runs from the throttle controls to the points wasn't. Apparently years of wear wore through the insulation AND the solid copper wire, causing permanent grounding...no wonder I didn't have any spark! So, I made a new wire and took it out. Got spark, but no pop. Carb started leaking fuel all over the place again. I think I have a poorly seating float pintle. I replaced it as well as rebuilt the whole carb, but I didn't obviously pay enough attention to that area of the carb. So, that's coming off again to get "rebuilt" one more time. I'll have to inspect the seat to see if it's gotten deformed....Sure wish I could get this thing to start on one or two pulls, the electric starter just smokes now. I pulled that off, but I don't know anything about starters, so I'll have to see if I can find a used one somewhere.

 

[lowkee]

Re: snowblower wish list

No need to pull the carb to fix the float. The screw under it should come off and drop the entire bowl.

Once you have it off, remove the pin which holds the float in place. Then shake the float next to your ear. If you have liquid, you'll need a new float ($5-10 for most makes, $20 for Honda). If it feels light and makes no noise, there are a couple of other things to check.

1. Make sure the float tops out a level. This means, when installed, the float should stop rising when it is roughly parallel to the ground. To adjust this, simply remove the float and tweak the tiny platform which presses up on the needle (the think which dropped out when you removed the float ). Once that is complete, time for #2

2. A clean seat isn't limited to toilets. Make sure the screw-in brass seat the needle goes into is clean and free of any sludge (aka 'varnish'). The seat is a replacable part, but rarely ever goes bad. If yours is bad, don't fret, they only cost about $3-4 and include a needle... which brings me to..

3. The needle will likely have a rubber tip, which can go bad (dry rot) if you're the type to drain the carb prior to storage (not the best method, btw). If it is deformed or dry rotted, go get a needle and seat.

4. The screw which holds the bowl in place will always have a paper washer in it. If it doesn't, that'll be a prime method for leaks. Only use a paper washer, as rubber rots too quickly and metal defeats the purpose of that washer.

5. The bowl gasket. The round rubber seal which came off with the bowl is a general maint item and will need replacement every few years if you are like me and look forward to rebuilding the carb every year. It's a 50 cent part, just go get one.

6. Just kidding.. those are the only things which cause a carb to leak fuel

As for your first question:

is it, lowkee as in "Low Key" or "Loki", the norse god of mischief?

Yes.

 

[redfury]

Re: snowblower wish list

I bought a complete rebuild kit for it last year...soaked the carb in carb dip after disassembling it over night, blew it out with the compressor, and put the new components in ( including a new float ). I'll just pull the carb back off the blower and go through it again. I'm sure it's something simple.

 

[colobiker]

Re: snowblower wish list

Another thing to watch for is the needle valve controlled by the float. I just rebuilt a carb for one of mine, after words. i wasnt getting fuel to the bowl. it was the replacement needle valve, not fitting propertly with the seat.
just an FYI..

another thing to watch the seal on the bowl drain, if its been sitting and then you use it. the gasket can tear causing you leaking issues as well
on one of mine I am working on rebuilding now I am going to braze that drain hole shut. (since i always shut the fuel off and run it dry) the blower was a freebie from a buddy, it sat for many years.. and got water in the carb, which froze making a small hole in the bowl..

ahh fun things to work on when it too cold to go boating