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Snowthrowers age at about the same pace as dogs.
By Andrew Pollack on 02/11/2008 at 11:20 AM EST
When I went to order the parts, Barb asked if it was worth spending a hundred dollars on a nearly 15 year old machine. How long do these things really last? Of course, the answer is that it depends on how you take care of them, and what you're willing to do in terms of repairs before you consider it DRT. (Dead Right There).
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this kind of machinery ages in "Dog Years" -- about 7 times the rate of humans. Just like a good dog, there's some expense involved in getting a new one, then you spend that first year breaking it in, developing an understanding, and taking more time in its care than you will in the future. Everything goes great for the next five to seven years as long as you keep up on the basic maintenance, but eventually you're going to have some small medical problems. Its a good dog, it has treated you well, and there's no reason not to give it the extra care and a little money if that's what it takes. Later in life -- maybe at around 14 or 15 years old -- things start to get a little more difficult. Those repairs are a bit more difficult and replacement parts can be time consuming and expensive. Sadly, there will come a time when spending more time and money on it is just prolonging the outcome and adding only more pain and suffering to the relationship and it's time to move on peacefully.
This year I've had to replace a fuel line -- something that should be easy but takes a few hours because of the way it is routed -- and now I'll be replacing the friction disk, friction plate, clutch cable, and clutch cable spring. When the season is over and the weather warms up, I'll need to sand blast most of the painted surfaces and re-paint as well as reinforce the intake scoop's sides as they have gotten weaker with rust and bend too easily now. These things won't really cost me more than twenty dollars or so, and for now spending a hundred and fifty dollars to avoid spending a thousand is still a smart decision with this old dog -- after all, its still got a good reliable motor, and we've gotten to know each other over years. I'm not looking forward to breaking in a new puppy at all.
1. Use a 2 gallon gas can, unless you're using it more than once a week, then
use a 5 gallon but fill it to 4. ALWAYS add just the right amount of Sta-bil
to each new fill-up of the can. That way whenever the season ends, the gas in
the carb has been treated.
2. DRAIN the fuel at the end of the season. Make sure to run the thing till
the carb is empty, and even push the spring on the bottom of the carb to drain
the bowl.
3. If it won't start on one or two pulls at most, something isn't right. If
you're needing the wind that electric start just to get going, you need to pay
some attention to it.
4. Learn what a "Shear Bolt" is, and have a few in a jar where you know to find
them. If the auger gets caught on something or iced and wont turn, these bolts
will quickly snap, letting the motor turn freely. You'll need to replace the
shear bolt to use the machine again. This is a safety thing, and it works
well. I've gone though about 1 each year.
5. Store it someplace dry, scrape and paint it where it rusts.
Hope that helps.
years. I was the 3rd owner and I took very good care of it. But the last repair
was one that would have cost me the most. So, with much sadness, I opted for a
brand new one. I don't know if I'll get 30 years out of it, but you never know.
And you are correct, unlike your mower, for example, your snowthower gets used
very infrequently. For me, in Ohio, maybe 3-4 times a year.
hour as much as 3-4 times a WEEK in January, February, and March. About 3-4
times a Month in December, and usually once or twice in April.
But then, if we don't get at least 3 inches of heavy wet snow or 4-5 inches of
powder, it doesn't even get started.
once a month or so. I put a piece of paper with "Snowblower Starts" and each
month listed on it. If I'm in the garage and see I haven't started the blower
this month I start it up and let it run long enough for me to unplug the
starter and move it back to its spot in the garage, then turn it off and cross
off that month on the list.
it's stored inside and I never let gas sit in it. I leave exactly enough gas
in it for the job I'm about to do, and when it's done it idles until the tank
runs empty. The only thing I'm worried about is the rubber primer bulb, which
appears to be getting a little worn and isn't as flexible as it used to be, so
I will probably order a couple of spares this year and put them on a nail in
the garage above the snowblower. For the record, my tiller is a rear-tine
Troy-Bilt Horse, circa 1973, and I've had the engine redone once, for $114. I
have tractors that date back to the 1940s.
you?
often, we get "wintry mix," for which a snowblower is completely useless. As
long as MTBE and ethanol have been in fuel mixtures, you have to figure that
small engine makers have adjusted to suit. Like I said, this unit is barely
five years old now.
blends (which are pure bottled evil, in my considered opinion - but for other
reasons) do terrible things to gaskets, seals, o-rings, and fuel lines that
aren't specifically made for it.
for the various MTD equipment I've had over the years. Particularly, I love
the fantastically simple, efficient, easy to work on drive systems (My MTD
Mower had a variable sized pulley system for gearing, and my MTD snowthrower's
friction disk & plate blew me away when I realized how they work).
they all look alike.
But I'm glad you're happy with it anyway.
is 10 HP motor and cuts a 24" wide path. I love my MTD....especially this
year.
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Boy is this refreshing, I bought a new puppy(snow thrower) 2 weeks ago before
our last snow. Never having one before this is a reassuring assesment of my
investment. If this is true I have bought my first and last, by the time DRT
comes I'll be ready to move to Arizona and retire 8)