Craftsman Snowblower Video
VIDEO SUMMARY
We are going to blow some snow today and have some fun. We will be working with a Craftsman snowblower. Snow blowers are not a too much different from a lawn mower. A mower has a big blade under the deck that spins around and shoots the grass out the side of the lawnmower. A snowblower does the same thing. It has auger blades in the front that spin and cuts into the snow. It then feeds it back to another high-speed impeller that shoots the snow up and out the chute. As a safety precaution when using a snowblower, wear ice cleats on the bottom of your boots. They simply attach to the bottom of your shoes or boots and make sure you don’t slip on the snow.
Before you use the snow blower, get the owner’s manual out and read it, including all the safety precautions. These are dangerous machines and you, or someone nearby, could get hurt. Respect the snow blower as you would any other power tool.
This blower has a powerful gasoline engine with an electric starter. Plug in an electrical cord to the unit and push the start button. It also has a rope-pull start in case the power is out.
This model has a lever that controls the discharge chute. You just tilt the lever to the left to discharge the snow to the left. Or to the right for the opposite direction discharge. The same lever will adjust the height of the discharge out of the chute.
Snow blowers have a transmission similar to an automotive. This one has six forward speeds and two reverse speeds. Adjust the speed according to the depth and how wet the snow is. Go too fast and you will choke the front of the snow blower. You will have to experiment with the proper speed.
Snow blowers are a bunch of fun if you have to shovel snow. They will save your back. And this one matches my shirt and pants! Cool. One last thing if you want to make sure your snow blower works for you in the winter, be sure to do maintenance in the fall before the snow falls. Also, make sure that your driveway does not have any rocks or sticks on it, that could get into the augers and break the shear pins.
COMMENTS
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victor 27 Feb 2009, 08:29
Regarding safety -- I have a very unusual but very important story to tell.
I know someone who lost two fingers on his hand while attempting to clear
the snow throwing impeller on his snowblower. He shut the machine off, and
then reached in with his hand to clear the clogged snow from around the
impeller blades. The impeller rotated violently therby severing his
fingers. It seems the belt that drives the impeller must have wound up
like a spring when the machine was under power and the impeller was
clogged. Then, when the operator cleared the snow, the belt tension was
relieved and the impeller turned abruptly. I don't know the person who was
injured but was told of this by a neighbor of mine. I assume it to be true
and it does sound plausible. So, be cutious and use a stick to clear snow
even if the machine is turned off.
Bob Tingler 03 Mar 2009, 18:43
You make safety references in at least three parts of your snow-blower
hints, but the big one that should be added is clogged snow chutes. Yours
is the luxury model that has two stages, each of which helps push the snow
through the chute and by design greatly reduces the chances of blockage.
However, heavy, wet snow can form an ice column that is heavy and resists
flying through the chute. Too many a hand or finger - or worse yet - a
scarf falling into the auger can result in amputation or strangulation.
If you must get rid of snow/ice blocking the chute, turn off the machine and pull off the spark plug contact before clearing the chute. A 2 x 2 stick will usually get the job done and you can Velcro it to the snow-blower. Stand off-center to the end of the stick when you use it, so the stick does not blow back into your face or body - in case you think you are a tough guy that does not need to turn off his machine while clearing the chute. The more economical model for people who are not clearing grand estates; who want to cut their costs; or who don't have room to store such a large machine; is the single stage, narrower blade version. It tends to clog with wet heavy snow, but shaking the machine or using the stick will clear the chute. Sometimes the less curve you have in any snow blower chute allows the ice and snow to pass through it without clogging. Spraying nanotechnology lubricants inside the chute can also be helpful to make the snow slip through the bends and turns. "Lubriplate" is very slick when it dries and comes in spray cans. Also carefully follow directions for the use of 2 versus 4 cylinder motor oil, and whether a particular engine mixes the oil and gasoline in the prescribed ratio, or the oil is poured into its own reservoir.
Grant 14 Nov 2009, 15:21
I have an chute adjuster on my push snowblower. The knob to snug the top
portion of the chute into 1 position does not tighten. It just continues
to turn. When I want to direct the snow higher or lower, the chute moves
up when the snow is being picked up. Is there a way to improvise a
tightener?
Thanks, Grant
Roger 16 Nov 2009, 10:10
Grant,
Have you checked the threads on the tightener knob and bolt? If the threads are worn, you might be able to just replace that setup with a new bolt and nut. It would be hard to determine if you could improvise a tightener without seeing what the chute looks like.
John 09 Dec 2009, 09:43
My snowblower isnt throwing the snow nor is the auger rotating the pins are
not broke ive checked them. The thrower isnt even spinning. Im not sure
what is happening I was using it and it was working just fine then all of a
sudden I had nothing. How can I fix this everything looks like it is in
tact
Lui 09 Dec 2009, 22:38
I have a Craftsman Snowblower that was given as a gift. It was very useful
that winter especially when we had a blizzard. Winter is here again and as
much as I am not looking forward to a lot of snow, I'm sure we might get
some. My problem is I do not know what gasoline to put in the machine and
if it needs to be mixed with something else. I appreciate your help.
Roger 10 Dec 2009, 08:09
John,
There could be several reasons for the thrower not spinning. If you unit is a belt drive, the belt could have jumped off the pulleys, the belt could have broken or stretched so it slips on the pulleys. If the blower has a chain drive, the chain could have also broken or come off the pulleys. Some pulley have a woodruff key to keep them from slipping on the shaft. This key could have slipped out or broken. This might give you a starting point to check your snow blower. View all comments |
