Snowblower(s)

[MstrCarpenter]

There was 8"+ snow forcasted for Thursday night and my JD27 has an issue with chain jumping the sprockets. Tried realigning and swapping a few bearings and 2hr.s later it still doesn't work. One of the guys said there are always some on Marketplace. He scheduled to pick up an Ariens 8/24 and a Craftsman 9/28 "that ran last year" at 4:30.. both of them for $40. The Ariens got quick jet cleaning but the actual problem was the teeny tiny vent on the carb was blocked. The Craftsman's throttle linkage needed some PB Blaster; it was stuck on full. The mig was all set up so the skids got some 1/4" x 1" added to them. 

I wouldn't normally have stressed about 8", but with the warm weather we were having there's no frost. The new skid steer bucket would tear up the gravel driveways but I could still use it for the snow banks at the road...and I now have two working snowblowers!

We got about an inch of powder.

[Snipe Hunter]

I've got the Ariens 5/24 with the 5hp Techumseh Snow King. The 5hp works but sure could use a few more hp to pitch the snow further. I keep thinking I'll repower it when the engine dies. 25 years and it isn't close to dying. It cranks right over and runs like new. But a 9hp with electric start would sure be nice. Glad I have a narrow driveway.

[R Clark]

I don't know why, but I feel like I'm completely ignorant when it comes to small engines and messing with those carbs.  Maybe I ought to pick up a cheapo machine just to fix it up and get over myself on the subject.

My snowblower is a 30" TroyBilt with 357cc Tecumseh.  I guess that's about a 9 HP motor?  I bought it when it was a couple years old and gently used from a guy who was moving to Florida.  It has electric start, but I usually pull start it; it starts on first or second pull.

[Snipe Hunter]

Small motors are really simple if we don't over think them. It's rare that the carb is the issues if you run it dry or keep conditioner in the gas and run it a few times in the off season.

Make sure your choke is closing all the way and adjust it if it isn't. Yours starts easy. Doesn't get much better than that