Troubles in snowblower city
- Thread starter MNGB
- Start date
I had to dig my mother in law out today from all the crap we got dumped on us in the last 2-1/2 days (about a foot) plus the end of the driveway which has been packed down by it's own weight since the mess started. The idiots in the plow need to get out and take another swipe at least a 1/2 a blade width, maybe more as they got nowhere near the curb in the town she lives in.
I went up there "loaded for bear" as she's 30 miles away from me. I had 3 snow blowers in the back of the Dakota and my 2x10 plank/ramps. A lawn boy 8-24. 2 stage (really a toro) a 2 cycle paddle style MTD and one I just bought this morning, a Bob Cat 7-24 2 stage, been watching on CL since the summer. This one's a Briggs 7 hp snow engine, 1st of those I have had. Got it cheap, engine code number says engine was built in 1980. Had good spark, wouldn't run on its own beyond what I could spray in the spark plug hole, I pulled the carb and ran it in the ultrasonic, was surprised how clean it is/was from the get go. I think the only thing wrong was that the gasket between the carb and the elbow was cinched by the mounting screw as it should be but the other side they missed the hole in the gasket and the outside of the gasket was next to the mount screw. So it was sucking air. Local small engine shop had the mount gasket but not the gasket between the 2 halves of the 2 pc flo jet in stock so I had to buy a 27 dollar carb kit (OEM Briggs but box tab said made in China) just for those 2 gaskets. Plug was nice and tan so I didn't mess with any adjustments as I had it apart. Starts and runs good now.
Took em all because I was that far away from home, no tools to speak of in the truck and didn't want to fix them "in the field" at 9*F outside. Figured I'd just grab another machine out of the truck if needed.
Didn't get the Lawn boy out of the truck but ran the other 2.
I set the shoes on the 2 stages a bit high to account for my gravel driveway at home. So I did "cleanup with the paddle blower. Also did most of the back porch with the paddle blower til I blew the belt on it.... About a swipe and a half left and I'd have been done when that blew. So had to finish with the shovel.
On way home now, checked on my mom's driveway, she has been letting her neighbor park there, they actually had it clean unlike last year.
Sitting at cracker barrel on way home now
I went up there "loaded for bear" as she's 30 miles away from me. I had 3 snow blowers in the back of the Dakota and my 2x10 plank/ramps. A lawn boy 8-24. 2 stage (really a toro) a 2 cycle paddle style MTD and one I just bought this morning, a Bob Cat 7-24 2 stage, been watching on CL since the summer. This one's a Briggs 7 hp snow engine, 1st of those I have had. Got it cheap, engine code number says engine was built in 1980. Had good spark, wouldn't run on its own beyond what I could spray in the spark plug hole, I pulled the carb and ran it in the ultrasonic, was surprised how clean it is/was from the get go. I think the only thing wrong was that the gasket between the carb and the elbow was cinched by the mounting screw as it should be but the other side they missed the hole in the gasket and the outside of the gasket was next to the mount screw. So it was sucking air. Local small engine shop had the mount gasket but not the gasket between the 2 halves of the 2 pc flo jet in stock so I had to buy a 27 dollar carb kit (OEM Briggs but box tab said made in China) just for those 2 gaskets. Plug was nice and tan so I didn't mess with any adjustments as I had it apart. Starts and runs good now.
Took em all because I was that far away from home, no tools to speak of in the truck and didn't want to fix them "in the field" at 9*F outside. Figured I'd just grab another machine out of the truck if needed.
Didn't get the Lawn boy out of the truck but ran the other 2.
I set the shoes on the 2 stages a bit high to account for my gravel driveway at home. So I did "cleanup with the paddle blower. Also did most of the back porch with the paddle blower til I blew the belt on it.... About a swipe and a half left and I'd have been done when that blew. So had to finish with the shovel.
On way home now, checked on my mom's driveway, she has been letting her neighbor park there, they actually had it clean unlike last year.
Sitting at cracker barrel on way home now
Blew a bit of snow this afternoon with the GT5000 it got up to about 40*F so the snow here was getting soft and slushy but it went pretty good mostly clean up some places where the snow was so soft it blew really good and where it was slushy it only went about 10/15'. Got done what I wanted put .4 hrs on checked the belt and its doing good so we'll see now its started to sprinkle so lite rain not liking that
Well the "A" couldn't handle it in the deep snow had about 5 hrs on it and was working the 2+ ft snow when the belt just broke so back into the shop installed the BX (notched) belt went out got about ft into the deep snow suddenly nothing looked down by the front tires there was the belt threw it off faster than a pair of panty on a hay ride. back into the shop installed a AX belt went out dis about 3 good pass's then it go quite looked back and there laid the belt not broken just threw it off. So I went home searched for a belt found an OEM belt its $20.00 vs $9.00 hoping that will do the trick should be here Monday or Tuesday
Hey Chris that might be a option
I have a nice Power King with a 60" deck that took over the Craftsman's duties so if it goes that's good besides I'm thinking it time to start reducing the herd
You might surprise yourself at how good it feels to have some of those machines move on to new owners. It did me and freed up time to properly maintain the ones that I kept.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Thanks Chris and I'm thinking the same and it will give me more room in the buildings