I've had so little snow this year, all my machines need is some love. So once a week I make sure to go out in the garage and give them big hug and tell them everything will be okay. My wife thinks there's something wrong with me, she's probably right. 😆😁🤣🤣
Just a tip - run a little Seafoam in the gas all winter long. You won't need to clean our carburetor then (or ever!) My gas can always has Seafoam mixed in so anything that needs gas , also gets the fuel system cleaned.
Can never get enough of your helpful and insightful videos. Throwing in an occasional Quagmire...well that's just icing on the cake. And I thought I was the only one up early on a Saturday AM! Always with such gratitude JB. Happy to LIKE and SHARE.
3:50 A shot of Berryman's rubber belt dressing, once or twice a year, will help preserve, and extend the life of your belts. 6:35 For those who, like me, live in an area of the Country where ethanol free gasoline is not available, there are countless videos showing how to remove ethanol from gasoline using nothing but water. I do it all the time, not only for my snowblower, but for all my gas powered yard tools, and even for my 1970's muscle cars.
Good maintenance routines go a long way. I have a 1995 MTD 22 inch snowblower with a tecumsah 5hp and the only maintenance I’m doing is belt replacements and oil changes. The whole deck is so rusted up that I don’t see a point In spraying it down. My neighbor put it on the curb and we took it. He did not maintain the deck well but he maintained the engine good.
I'm on top of everything you mention .... except. I still don't have reverse . Tried the adjustment link , nothing ... may have to send it out . But thanks for your update video. You rock . No snow in jersey yet .. sure I also purchased a truck with a plow .....no snow... my wife makes laughs at me every time the weather man comes on the news .oh plus 32 bags of salt ... lol ...just my luck
Hey Edgar I would have it looked at then! This has been a weird winter for sure! Very odd weather! We’ll see if it snows in the next month or so. Thanks for being a cool fan!
@@GarageGear Last summer I replaced all of my gas can spouts. I have 6 -5 Gallon older cans, and many smaller ones. The ones you recommend from amazon work great! They all pour correctly now. I also found a full new 5 gal can and converted it. JB you have the no snow blues. We may have to send you somewhere with a lot of snow and a big snowblower if it gets any worse.
Great advice JB! A little bit of preventative maintenance during down times always pays off when you have snow on the ground and your machine fires right up!
Lol don’t give me that no snow! You guys had 66” of snow ❄️ and I was super jealous. Our biggest storm all year was 0.5” since I bought this $4k Honda snowblower 😂
Hahaha I know… you’re right lol! Since then it’s been minimal. If the lake wasn’t there we would have got probably close to nothing. You’ll get your chance. Keep the faith brother!
one thing i did to my snowblower and love it is i replaced the steel skids with inline skate wheels... never will have a worn skid and it rolls effortlessly...
Another awesome video and thank you so much for posting the link where I can buy the gasoline caps for my old gas cans, can’t wait till they arrive. I have been looking all over for these things and where do I find it, inside garage gear
I live over here in the 585 and man the amount of snow we haven’t gotten is ridiculous. We’ve gotten like a total of 10in this year when we normally get 90+. Bought a new snowblower to only use it twice😭
JB we haven't had a measurable snow fall here in Pittsburgh yet,and seems like the weather pattern has changed and looks like we'll get no snow this year. I'm ok with that but I did the upgrade or modification to the auger using the rubber on the impeller. Well there's always next year lol, great video as always.
I'm a new homeowner..also from the Buffalo area. Bought myself a new snowblower after the holidays after our last couple huge storms and have not had a chance to use it just yet but appreciate all your videos and tips and advice! Great channel!!
JP excellent video. Man like I said, you saved me a good couple hundred dollars at beginning of winter when my snow blower didn’t start. I watched your videos and it was the carb. I live just south of Rochester NY so I’m about 1.5 from you and I haven’t had to snow blow once yet. I do what you said let my snow blower run 10 minutes once a week while it’s not being used w/no snow and starts right up every time. I’ve actually do it 2 times a week. I start her up and let her run 10 minutes each time to keep the gas moving. I’ve actually ran out of gas once just from starting it twice a week n letting her run, but I’d rather have to buy new gas and have my snow blower in great running shape than to risk the gas sitting to king and clogging up carb. Ty JP
ROCK ON MARK! You got it all figured out my friend! Keep that gas moving a couple minutes here and there and you’ll be good to go. Thanks once again for the positive feedback!
Thanks for the gas tank spout tip. In the south we are preparing for spring. A couple of trees on my street started to flower already. I’ll start checking my lawn equipment this weekend.
-- Appreciate the advice on the gas can spout. Don't know why I didn't think to search them, lot on the plate I suppose, but the new ones are a fire hazard. Seen it before (exhaust/spillage). I have the classics, but ordered some more for your link. Oh, and your thoughts on marine grease versus low temp white grease? Think I saw marine grease pumping into that auger.
Hey mark! No problem my friend! Love the old style! Hate all the new ones! They all leak! Either grease is good! I use red and tacky grease on the auger shafts/zerks but marine grease would work here as well!
I am new to your channel but just to let you know I too like to keep my blower and mowers in tip top shape and that includes service and detail your not alone!
Hey JB! Fun and practical as always! Could you sometime do a comment on EFI machines and the pros and cons. Also, what are the situations where Tracks are better than regular wheels? Are Tracks better for gravel or uneven driveways?
I like all these ideas! I tried getting in with a local shop that sells ariens to do videos on this but they weren’t cool with free advertising. 🤷♂️ they were old timers! No clue how the world works nowadays! I’ll see what I can do about this in the future!
No snowblower action this weekend. Today, I’m doing a brake fluid exchange with my trusty Harbor Freight one man vacuum bleeder. I’m going to pull the caliper slide pins and freshen up the lube. Thanks for another great video!
Great video! Quick question if I shorten the arch of my chute, can I get my snow thrower to throw higher so I can clear my woodshed. Already have a paddle kit installed. Please help! Thank you!!
Hey Michael a taller chute helps throw it further with more accuracy. Thanks for the positive feedback! I swapped out an old small chute on a 1971 ariens with a taller one and it sends it farther now!
Good stuff as always! My blower wasn’t starting earlier this year until I changed the gas out from last year. It didn’t smell funny or anything, which is why I was wondering why it wasn’t working. Is this common?
Years ago when cars were made with carburetors, we would add a bottle of cleaner to a tank of gas every few months. Another way was to stick the end of the fuel line in the bottle and let the fuel pump suck it dry. Can you recommend a cleaner to use either way to avoid the carb removal or shop visit?
Hey Shawn! I do! I oil coat my machines big time before putting them to bed. If I don’t cover them they’ll be covered in dust and dirt from the summer months. Stuff always blows into my garage. Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear I would suggest an indoor cover that breaths though. An outdoor snowblower cover (like Ariens sells for outdoors) will just trap humidity and moisture inside it all summer long and cause it to rust like crazy. Unless your garage is climate controlled (even then I would still recommend something that breathes) . An old bed sheet actually works great, and you can even just throw it in the wash if it gets to dirty! lol My 2 cents worth anyway.
I do several other things with my snowblowers when they’re not running. First I take out the spark plug and examine its condition, besides checking the overall plug, it helps determine how the engine is running. If the plug is covered with carbon it means the engine is excessively burning oil or the fuel to air ratio is out of wack. I also have a special engine compression tool that I use to do a compression test on the engine.
Another video jam-packed with practical advice to keep our machines functioning well, J. B. I was able to use my machine once this year, on heavy wet snow and it worked great. Of course, a big winter storm is still possible but I find myself staring at my lawn, my lawn fertilizer and the fertilizer schedule I developed from watching your videos and I’m eager to get started on my lawn.
Hey Doug! A lot of people are feeling the same way. This has been an odd winter for sure. Many people are looking to their lawns with an eagerness to get going. In another month well be really getting things going. We still could get some snow here I. The near future. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend! 👍👍
If you have already done all this stuff in the Fall, what would be the most important things to check again? My system does not use oil in the auger, it uses grease, so I filled it solid as well.
Hmmmmm... JB, I'm an avid viewer of your videos and have learned much from them. But there's something in here that has me wondering. It's about skids, which wear out far too quickly, IMO. You say: "I usually set them to about 1/8" to 1/4" off the ground." HUH? Well, I guess they wouldn't wear quite so fast if they were 1/4" off the ground... But isn't the purpose of the skids to prevent wear on the scraper blade? I set my skid height by putting a yardstick or scrap of pegboard full-width under the scraper bar, then lower the skids to the ground surface. This keeps the bar off the ground. And this year, I'm trying out roller skids, which are, unfortunately, made from tough plastic. So far, they're working well, but we've had a pretty mild winter with only a couple of snowfalls exceeding 3 or 4 inches. So I've only run the blower a time or two with them installed. I'm hoping for the best, because I hate replacing the skids every other year or so.
Hey Chuck! Perhaps I miss spoke. I set the scraper bar 1/8-1/4 inch off the ground by adjusting the skids. They are always in contact with the ground. Let me know how those rollers hold up! 👍
I've recently switched to all metal gas cans. This was based on the advise of a repair shop. I had some issues with with work equipment, mainly pieces of plastic in the fuel tank. What is your opinion. Thank you.
I have one old 5 gallon metal tank and the others seen in this video. Never seen any worn plastic inside of mine over the years. Guess it’s a matter of preference! Thanks for watching!
Hey JB! Great video to enjoy the morning coffee with! Thanks for that! Great tips and tricks there for sure! We are starting to finally get some good snowfalls up here in central NB that I can get some good fun hours on my olde 1980 11/33 Yardman Snowbird! Some of these tips in todays video I’m going to apply to my blower today for some off day maintenance! Thanks again JB! Really enjoy your vids! Andrew from NB, Canada :)
Put my snowblowers away. Spring clean ups I'm starting... - 22 inch snow deficit lower new england... 1130dle. 1028... 2x 8524... plenty of paddle toros also...
Another great video JB! Some awesome tips for winter “downtime.” I was actually thinking about changing the oil in the Troy-bilt it definitely needs it. It got a lot of use in November and December. What’s up for the weekend besides watching the Super Bowl? The beef jerky looks delicious too! Cheers buddy!
@@jaybooth4815 looks like you got your wish. 👍 headed to St Simon Island in Georgia. Supposed to be warm while we’re there! 👍 have a good week my friend!
I can not stress enough to only use ethanol free gas. If you drain your carb before storage and use real gas you probably can go 20 years before touching the carb.
Hey B3 I would recommend an ariens deluxe 24. They are built very well and last an extremely long time of cared for properly. They are kinda like the Toyota of snowblower. Low maintenance and last a long time.
Okay so we've had no snow here in the new york metropolitan area this winter. Meanwhile back in november I prepped in service and gassed up my snow blower in anticipation of a normal snowy winter. The gas tank is full on the snow blower. What do you recommend? Fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank or should I just run the snow blower until it is out of gas and store it Dry for the summer?
Hey Vincent! If you were to keep that gas in there even with stabilizer chances are good it would go bad over the summer months since it’s been in there since the fall already. That means it would basically be in there for about a year. I would either drain it out through the carb or just turn it on and let it run(might be a while that way). If you drain it through the carb that won’t take as long and you’ll get every drop out. Then you can just store it away for summer! Thanks for watching!
All we use for fuel dispensing at Eliminator are the NO-SPILL fuel tanks that we purchase through Stens auto venting and only filled with no ethanol fuel with the K100S+ fuel stabilizer. The NO-SPILLS are not cheap but easy to operate the push button fuel activator and the auto shutoff does work as advertised.
Hey JB....Do you like to use Fluid Film to lubricate or spray down the inside of your cables ? Or is WD40 the best choice...especially if you have a certain cable that like to freeze up when it's really cold out ?
Hey Joker! Wd40 or silicone are my go to items for cables! They are a little thinner and flow down the cables better. Fluid film is a little thicker and may not get down all the way. Enjoy your weekend brother! 👍
Question hoping you can answer: I have a late model Ariens 30" that has the rotating chute control similar to the one you show in this vid (5:11). My ONLY complaint with this otherwise excellent machine is that this rod tends to move from where I position it while the machine is running. I'm sure the weight of the offset handle contributes to this, but it is a real pain when I'm trying to drop snow in a specific direction and I have to keep repositioning the handle as I make a pass to maintain that angle. My sister has the same machine and has noted this issue as well. Was wondering if you have any experience with this or possible solution for same? Love the channel!
Hey Michael! I think I have a solution for you. Under the black panel that connects to your chute up top, look underneath for a bolt with a spring wrapping around it. Tighten it up a few turns! Should help you out! 👍
Omg it was all gone in a week! Crazy! We always have periods of warm temps every winter! This winter has definitely been warmer. 40’s next week too! Thanks for watching Olivier!
@@GarageGear Nothing beats an old trailer house furnace for a garage in my opinion, they blow out the bottom instead of the top and they are small and don't take up much room and heat like crazy, it can be zero outside and it will heat my garage to being comfortable in 20 to 30 minutes, even my tools and stuff in the garage are warm enough to use in an hour or so. (Since you have an attached garage, I think anyway, idk what would be best for you, if you have forced air, maybe just run a duct out to the garage you can open and close with separate heat controls would be the best for you). I was lucky enough to find an old oil one (which are a bit more rare and can be harder to find a used one) but a new trailer house oil furnace or natural gas/propane one (if you can't find a used one) still maybe a cheaper way to go then a new wall electric unit and will heat a lot better, and use less energy too (call all of your local furnace guys, many will keep old trailer house furnaces that still work good just for that reason). So I just made a stand for a 55 gallon drum on it's side and put it outside for a fuel tank (used fuel oil tanks are easy to find too) so I didn't have to dig a trench and run a natural gas line out to my garage. Propane ones are really common and easy to convert to natural gas, if you are on city gas. I ran the stove pipe out the wall too and it works just fine so no need to mess around with the roof and shingles and stuff too 👍
Am I seeing it right on your 10000 series Ariens? You tossed the chains and went with Carlisle X-Trac 13-5 x6's? Get tired of the bouncing? I am actually waiting for a set of them to arrive for my 74 10000 series too 😆 I got tired of the bouncing too 😵💫 Broke down and even bought a Harbor Freight small tire changer. Painted the rims, and am going to try to go tubeless on them. On my John Deere 826 with the tall tires it bounces so much less with chains then they did on the 10000 series Ariens. BTW how you liking those X-Tracs instead of the turf tires and chains? 🤔
Hey Paul! CONGRATULATIONS you are the first person to notice the new tires! Im giving you bonus points lol! 👍 The old tire chains were really old and wearing thin. The old tires had very slow leaks as well! It was time! Never had any issues with x tracs so I figured I’d splurge on them. They are the same size as the old tire and chain set up but about an inch wider. Pretty cool looking. I used tubes for fear of the small amount of corrosion on the wheel rim causing leaks. It took me 90 minutes just to get one tire off and I said, “that’s it”! Took them to a mechanic I know and he put them on for me. He finished them for me with tubes inside in an hour. Couldn’t afford to lose a whole afternoon messing with them! They gripped great in the little snow that we have gotten! I did a short video with them recently you can see them there! I’ll probably be doing a full make over on the machine in the summer! Could be a cool project! You’ll love those tires on yours! Thanks for watching bud!
@@GarageGear I kind of figured you took them to the shop since you didn't have a video on them. You really have to have a Harbor Freight mini tire changer and some good small tire spoons and soapy water too to do it yourself. Is a really good video by Case Ingersoll Tractors Northeast on changing small tires and yes you need to clean up the rims and paint them to get them to seal or use some Xotra seal bead sealer or both. Once you watch his video and change a few yourself it will be pretty easy for you. Yes the 13-5 x6 X-Tracs are one inch wider, you can get them in 4 inch wide too. So glad you like them. Now I can't wait til mine show up! lol I am lucky and have an extra set of tires and rims so I painted one set of rims as I wait for the tires to show up, and still have the other set with chains on the blower if I need to use it. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR VIDEOS! And your input on your tires too! I have a 826 John Deere a Ariens st928 and my 74 10000 series. Of the 3 I by far love my 74 10000 series Ariens the most, built so much better and heavier with roller bearings instead of bushings too.The only sad thing is that the 74 was in such good shape, and the 8hp tecumseh runs so good I really can't justify doing the predator swap on it, so I settled for an impeller kit and a Holy Grail chute instead lol And yes I would kind of like to pull the auger housings off them and sandblast and paint them and do full make overs on all 3 this summer lol
@@donvonschitzinpantz2 oh that will keep you busy! We’ll see how things line up for summer time. Also cool that you kept the original engine. If mine worked better I would possibly have kept it on but was really more of a pain. Thanks for sharing everything here Paul! 👍
@@GarageGear If you can find a 73 or 74 10000 series they put an 8hp Tecumseh on them so they finally have the hp they really needed. They are a little safer too since they got rid of the "drive away without you option" 😄The 75 - 78 that still had the old style "tear-drop bucket" (not all of them did) are really good machines too, and they have much more ergonomic friendly controls. I would have really liked to have found a nice 75 -78. 👌 After that I think things really did start to go downhill. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! 👍
I just got an old 70s ariens compact version. Guy who sold it said it needed a new spark plug. I took the bowl off the carb and removed the ice inside and it fired up. That model needs the attachment lever pulled in otherwise it kills the motor when the auger is enraged. I thought a pulley was locked up or something at first
We gave my grandfather a small snow blower one year. He said it was great for clearing the snow. When there wasn’t any snow, it was great as a pooper scooper. He said he’d just shoot it over to the neighbors yard. 😂
Ya might wanna mention NOT using ethanol regular fuel!!! Each year I get calls that mowers, etc wont start because... they didnt take my instructions seriously, and let the thing sit all winter with regular ethanol in it. I burn nothing but NON ETHANOL PREMIUM fuel in my yard equipment and never have a starting issue. Period.
Here is a LINK to the OLD STYLE GAS CAN SPOUTS mentioned in the video. Thanks for supporting the channel!👍 amzn.to/3Ig4IG7
Fleet farm,Menards and tractor supply sells them too
@@andrewheinen9185 thanks for sharing Andrew!
I've had so little snow this year, all my machines need is some love. So once a week I make sure to go out in the garage and give them big hug and tell them everything will be okay. My wife thinks there's something wrong with me, she's probably right. 😆😁🤣🤣
Hahaha right there with you my friend! My wife has caught me doing the same at least twice lol! Weird winter we’re having!
Took your advice and bought an Ariens. Been a slow winter for snow. I drain the carb bowl and let the machine sit with a dry tank.
Good idea if you’re not seeing any snow for a while! Can’t go wrong with an ariens! Thanks for watching crunty! 👍
Just a tip - run a little Seafoam in the gas all winter long. You won't need to clean our carburetor then (or ever!) My gas can always has Seafoam mixed in so anything that needs gas , also gets the fuel system cleaned.
Thanks for sharing painter! Good tip
Can never get enough of your helpful and insightful videos. Throwing in an occasional Quagmire...well that's just icing on the cake. And I thought I was the only one up early on a Saturday AM! Always with such gratitude JB. Happy to LIKE and SHARE.
Appreciate you Joe! What’s got you up so early?👍
Tkx again JB, I found a "Deathanol free" pump locally by me @ a FastTrack recently! Keep-up the Informative vids!
Yep the place I got to has a stand alone pump as well! Smart man! Thanks for watching yale!
I'm not minding the lack of Buffalo snow, we had enough in Nov & Dec. Thanx for the mid winter tips
Hahaha yeah I hear ya! I’ve been able to get a lot of other stuff done because I haven’t been outside shoveling lol! Thanks for watching count!
Handy tips and product plugs too... I didn't know that beef jerky makes snowblower maintenance easier and more fun...
Hahaha sure does! The garage gal has a weakness for beef jerky! So of course she was happy they sent us some! Thanks for watching! 👍
3:50 A shot of Berryman's rubber belt dressing, once or twice a year, will help preserve, and extend the life of your belts. 6:35 For those who, like me, live in an area of the Country where ethanol free gasoline is not available, there are countless videos showing how to remove ethanol from gasoline using nothing but water. I do it all the time, not only for my snowblower, but for all my gas powered yard tools, and even for my 1970's muscle cars.
Thanks for sharing!
Good maintenance routines go a long way. I have a 1995 MTD 22 inch snowblower with a tecumsah 5hp and the only maintenance I’m doing is belt replacements and oil changes. The whole deck is so rusted up that I don’t see a point In spraying it down. My neighbor put it on the curb and we took it. He did not maintain the deck well but he maintained the engine good.
Hey if it works it works! Thanks for sharing Matthew!
I'm on top of everything you mention .... except. I still don't have reverse . Tried the adjustment link , nothing ... may have to send it out .
But thanks for your update video. You rock . No snow in jersey yet .. sure I also purchased a truck with a plow .....no snow... my wife makes laughs at me every time the weather man comes on the news .oh plus 32 bags of salt ... lol ...just my luck
Hey Edgar I would have it looked at then! This has been a weird winter for sure! Very odd weather! We’ll see if it snows in the next month or so. Thanks for being a cool fan!
All great advice! I even took my snowblower out to lunch and a "Walk" around the neighborhood. I miss spending time together with no snow. :)
Haha ya gotta do it! Winter isn’t over yet! Thanks for watching Ted!
@@GarageGear Last summer I replaced all of my gas can spouts. I have 6 -5 Gallon older cans, and many smaller ones. The ones you recommend from amazon work
great! They all pour correctly now. I also found a full new 5 gal can and converted it. JB you have the no snow blues. We may have to send you somewhere with a lot of snow
and a big snowblower if it gets any worse.
@@tedhardulak7698 awesome! Send it while it’s still relatively cold out here! 👍
Great advice JB! A little bit of preventative maintenance during down times always pays off when you have snow on the ground and your machine fires right up!
It’s a smart thing to do! Thanks for watching bud! Excited for lawn season starting soon?
@Garage Gear Yes, I'm so ready! Been a really warm winter here, grass is super green in February here. It's weird lol
@@TheLawnLover same here weird!
Lol don’t give me that no snow! You guys had 66” of snow ❄️ and I was super jealous. Our biggest storm all year was 0.5” since I bought this $4k Honda snowblower 😂
Hahaha I know… you’re right lol! Since then it’s been minimal. If the lake wasn’t there we would have got probably close to nothing. You’ll get your chance. Keep the faith brother!
@@GarageGear I did my first oil change on her and tucked her away for season lol. Maybe that’ll help my chances
It was 62 degrees in Connecticut yesterday and haven't had any snow yet and no snow predicted for the rest of the month.
Very odd winter we’re having! I wonder if you’ll even turn your machine on this season! Crazy! Thanks for watching Thomas!
Oh wow... I thought those old school gas can spouts had been outlawed. Thanks, JB! Also, where's all the snow? None here in MI, either.
I’ll be waiting for the cops to arrest me lol! This has been a weird winter mace! Whole country is short on snow! Thanks for watching bud!
one thing i did to my snowblower and love it is i replaced the steel skids with inline skate wheels... never will have a worn skid and it rolls effortlessly...
Very cool JW! I assume you fabricated your own?
@@GarageGear on my craftsman they bolted right where the bolts for the skid plate went and the scraper blade just needed a bit of adjustment...
@@GarageGear your vids are awesome
@@JW-iw6ww that’s awesome JW! Appreciate you bud! 👍
Another awesome video and thank you so much for posting the link where I can buy the gasoline caps for my old gas cans, can’t wait till they arrive. I have been looking all over for these things and where do I find it, inside garage gear
Awesome Gregory! Glad this video helped you out! 👍👍
Great advice as always. This has been a very easy winter on our snowblowers. The best news is less salt being used on the roads to rot our cars.
That is true! Looks like our cars will all last another year lol! Thanks for watching John!
I live over here in the 585 and man the amount of snow we haven’t gotten is ridiculous. We’ve gotten like a total of 10in this year when we normally get 90+. Bought a new snowblower to only use it twice😭
Your time is coming don’t you worry itz! Thanks for watching!
JB we haven't had a measurable snow fall here in Pittsburgh yet,and seems like the weather pattern has changed and looks like we'll get no snow this year. I'm ok with that but I did the upgrade or modification to the auger using the rubber on the impeller. Well there's always next year lol, great video as always.
Wow! You could always go buy lots of bags of ice. Pile them up and chuck them lol! Winter isn’t over yet! We’ll see what happens!
I'm a new homeowner..also from the Buffalo area. Bought myself a new snowblower after the holidays after our last couple huge storms and have not had a chance to use it just yet but appreciate all your videos and tips and advice! Great channel!!
Appreciate you James! Thanks for being a cool local fan! Go BILLS!
JP excellent video. Man like I said, you saved me a good couple hundred dollars at beginning of winter when my snow blower didn’t start. I watched your videos and it was the carb. I live just south of Rochester NY so I’m about 1.5 from you and I haven’t had to snow blow once yet. I do what you said let my snow blower run 10 minutes once a week while it’s not being used w/no snow and starts right up every time. I’ve actually do it 2 times a week. I start her up and let her run 10 minutes each time to keep the gas moving. I’ve actually ran out of gas once just from starting it twice a week n letting her run, but I’d rather have to buy new gas and have my snow blower in great running shape than to risk the gas sitting to king and clogging up carb. Ty JP
ROCK ON MARK! You got it all figured out my friend! Keep that gas moving a couple minutes here and there and you’ll be good to go. Thanks once again for the positive feedback!
Thanks for the gas tank spout tip. In the south we are preparing for spring. A couple of trees on my street started to flower already. I’ll start checking my lawn equipment this weekend.
You got it Eugene! Spring is on its way! Sounds like a good plan! Thanks for watching bud!
Bought a snowblower in October of 2023 to make sure I had it ready. I am still waiting for a storm in Southern Ontario. January 2024! Come on snow!
You’ll get your chance don’t you worry! 👍
-- Appreciate the advice on the gas can spout. Don't know why I didn't think to search them, lot on the plate I suppose, but the new ones are a fire hazard. Seen it before (exhaust/spillage). I have the classics, but ordered some more for your link. Oh, and your thoughts on marine grease versus low temp white grease? Think I saw marine grease pumping into that auger.
Hey mark! No problem my friend! Love the old style! Hate all the new ones! They all leak! Either grease is good! I use red and tacky grease on the auger shafts/zerks but marine grease would work here as well!
Very mild winter here in Connecticut but I've been in the garage working on the blower and mowers great tips from you!
Hey David! I’m shifting to lawn equipment soon since there isn’t much snow to throw. Thanks for watching!
I am new to your channel but just to let you know I too like to keep my blower and mowers in tip top shape and that includes service and detail your not alone!
Hey JB! Fun and practical as always! Could you sometime do a comment on EFI machines and the pros and cons. Also, what are the situations where Tracks are better than regular wheels? Are Tracks better for gravel or uneven driveways?
I like all these ideas! I tried getting in with a local shop that sells ariens to do videos on this but they weren’t cool with free advertising. 🤷♂️ they were old timers! No clue how the world works nowadays! I’ll see what I can do about this in the future!
No snowblower action this weekend. Today, I’m doing a brake fluid exchange with my trusty Harbor Freight one man vacuum bleeder. I’m going to pull the caliper slide pins and freshen up the lube.
Thanks for another great video!
It’s been a pretty dry season js! Unreal! Awesome my friend! Let me know how it goes! Thanks for watching as always!👍👍
Great advice as always JB! My snowblower has only been used 3 times all winter and they were all small snowfalls between 2-4"
Weird winter we’re having! Spring is right around the corner! Thanks for watching as always bud! 👍
Great video! Quick question if I shorten the arch of my chute, can I get my snow thrower to throw higher so I can clear my woodshed. Already have a paddle kit installed. Please help! Thank you!!
Hey Michael a taller chute helps throw it further with more accuracy. Thanks for the positive feedback! I swapped out an old small chute on a 1971 ariens with a taller one and it sends it farther now!
You have some awesome videos on Ariens Snowblower Maintenance! Good stuff here!!!
Appreciate it Jeff! Thanks for watching! 👍👍
I haven't even had to pull my snowblowers out of the shed yet....NO SNOW in Western Maryland as of yet. 😢 Really starting to irritate me.
Winter ain’t over yet my friend! Hang in there bud! It would be crazy though if you didn’t have to start it up at all!
Good stuff as always! My blower wasn’t starting earlier this year until I changed the gas out from last year. It didn’t smell funny or anything, which is why I was wondering why it wasn’t working. Is this common?
Hey duz! Gas can go bad in about 6 months or so. It may not smell (yet) at that point. Good work getting fresh gas in it. Thanks for watching!
Years ago when cars were made with carburetors, we would add a bottle of cleaner to a tank of gas every few months. Another way was to stick the end of the fuel line in the bottle and let the fuel pump suck it dry. Can you recommend a cleaner to use either way to avoid the carb removal or shop visit?
Hey 657! I don’t mess around with cleaners. I just run ethanol free gas in my machines to avoid issues. Thanks for watching! 👍
Great vid JB. Question, come the end of the season would you suggest covering the blower if kept in a garage?
Hey Shawn! I do! I oil coat my machines big time before putting them to bed. If I don’t cover them they’ll be covered in dust and dirt from the summer months. Stuff always blows into my garage. Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear I would suggest an indoor cover that breaths though. An outdoor snowblower cover (like Ariens sells for outdoors) will just trap humidity and moisture inside it all summer long and cause it to rust like crazy. Unless your garage is climate controlled (even then I would still recommend something that breathes) . An old bed sheet actually works great, and you can even just throw it in the wash if it gets to dirty! lol My 2 cents worth anyway.
I do several other things with my snowblowers when they’re not running. First I take out the spark plug and examine its condition, besides checking the overall plug, it helps determine how the engine is running. If the plug is covered with carbon it means the engine is excessively burning oil or the fuel to air ratio is out of wack. I also have a special engine compression tool that I use to do a compression test on the engine.
Great tips here BCSERK! There’s always something to do on a snowblower mid season! Thanks for sharing bud! 👍
Maintenance goes a long way. If you were buying a new snow blower what brand would you recommend I’m looking at toro and aries
Go with ariens!
Thank you for the advice I think we are going to have some more snow this year on Long Island and I want to be ready
@@johnmcalisterjr3913 you got it! 👍
Another video jam-packed with practical advice to keep our machines functioning well, J. B. I was able to use my machine once this year, on heavy wet snow and it worked great. Of course, a big winter storm is still possible but I find myself staring at my lawn, my lawn fertilizer and the fertilizer schedule I developed from watching your videos and I’m eager to get started on my lawn.
Hey Doug! A lot of people are feeling the same way. This has been an odd winter for sure. Many people are looking to their lawns with an eagerness to get going. In another month well be really getting things going. We still could get some snow here I. The near future. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend! 👍👍
If you have already done all this stuff in the Fall, what would be the most important things to check again? My system does not use oil in the auger, it uses grease, so I filled it solid as well.
Hey Billy I would give the belts a check, controls and a good protective coating! Probably all you’ll need to do! 👍
Hmmmmm... JB, I'm an avid viewer of your videos and have learned much from them. But there's something in here that has me wondering. It's about skids, which wear out far too quickly, IMO.
You say: "I usually set them to about 1/8" to 1/4" off the ground." HUH? Well, I guess they wouldn't wear quite so fast if they were 1/4" off the ground... But isn't the purpose of the skids to prevent wear on the scraper blade?
I set my skid height by putting a yardstick or scrap of pegboard full-width under the scraper bar, then lower the skids to the ground surface. This keeps the bar off the ground. And this year, I'm trying out roller skids, which are, unfortunately, made from tough plastic. So far, they're working well, but we've had a pretty mild winter with only a couple of snowfalls exceeding 3 or 4 inches. So I've only run the blower a time or two with them installed. I'm hoping for the best, because I hate replacing the skids every other year or so.
Hey Chuck! Perhaps I miss spoke. I set the scraper bar 1/8-1/4 inch off the ground by adjusting the skids. They are always in contact with the ground. Let me know how those rollers hold up! 👍
I've recently switched to all metal gas cans. This was based on the advise of a repair shop. I had some issues with with work equipment, mainly pieces of plastic in the fuel tank. What is your opinion. Thank you.
I have one old 5 gallon metal tank and the others seen in this video. Never seen any worn plastic inside of mine over the years. Guess it’s a matter of preference! Thanks for watching!
Hey JB! Great video to enjoy the morning coffee with! Thanks for that! Great tips and tricks there for sure! We are starting to finally get some good snowfalls up here in central NB that I can get some good fun hours on my olde 1980 11/33 Yardman Snowbird! Some of these tips in todays video I’m going to apply to my blower today for some off day maintenance! Thanks again JB! Really enjoy your vids! Andrew from NB, Canada :)
Awesome Andrew! That’s a great older machine you got! Keep that engine purring!
Your videos are always appreciated, thanks.
Appreciate you stephen! Thanks for watching !!👍
Hey JB how come NO ❤️ for single stage blowers? especially now with the minimal snow fall across US
Hey puffy! I will definitely add this to my list for next year! I would like to pick up a small one to do videos on! Many have asked for this! 👍👍
Put my snowblowers away. Spring clean ups I'm starting... - 22 inch snow deficit lower new england... 1130dle. 1028... 2x 8524... plenty of paddle toros also...
I think I’m about ready to box mine up too! Thanks for watching Todd!
Another great video JB! Some awesome tips for winter “downtime.” I was actually thinking about changing the oil in the Troy-bilt it definitely needs it. It got a lot of use in November and December. What’s up for the weekend besides watching the Super Bowl? The beef jerky looks delicious too! Cheers buddy!
Hey Jay! Good idea to get at it! Game later and filming some videos before I go on vacation next week! Who ya rooting for?
KC...mostly because it's AFC. Have a great vacation! Hopefully it's warm where you're going.
@@jaybooth4815 looks like you got your wish. 👍 headed to St Simon Island in Georgia. Supposed to be warm while we’re there! 👍 have a good week my friend!
@@GarageGear enjoy buddy!
I can not stress enough to only use ethanol free gas. If you drain your carb before storage and use real gas you probably can go 20 years before touching the carb.
Spot on JT! Thanks for sharing!
What 24” snow blower would you recommend for long lasting durability.
Hey B3 I would recommend an ariens deluxe 24. They are built very well and last an extremely long time of cared for properly. They are kinda like the Toyota of snowblower. Low maintenance and last a long time.
Okay so we've had no snow here in the new york metropolitan area this winter. Meanwhile back in november I prepped in service and gassed up my snow blower in anticipation of a normal snowy winter. The gas tank is full on the snow blower. What do you recommend? Fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank or should I just run the snow blower until it is out of gas and store it Dry for the summer?
Hey Vincent! If you were to keep that gas in there even with stabilizer chances are good it would go bad over the summer months since it’s been in there since the fall already. That means it would basically be in there for about a year. I would either drain it out through the carb or just turn it on and let it run(might be a while that way). If you drain it through the carb that won’t take as long and you’ll get every drop out. Then you can just store it away for summer! Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.
All we use for fuel dispensing at Eliminator are the NO-SPILL fuel tanks that we purchase through Stens auto venting and only filled with no ethanol fuel with the K100S+ fuel stabilizer. The NO-SPILLS are not cheap but easy to operate the push button fuel activator and the auto shutoff does work as advertised.
Thanks for sharing this Wayne! Good to know there are some other tanks out there worth buying! 👍
Thanks for the great tips, JB!
You got it Joe! Enjoy your weekend! 👍
Hey JB....Do you like to use Fluid Film to lubricate or spray down the inside of your cables ? Or is WD40 the best choice...especially if you have a certain cable that like to freeze up when it's really cold out ?
Hey Joker! Wd40 or silicone are my go to items for cables! They are a little thinner and flow down the cables better. Fluid film is a little thicker and may not get down all the way. Enjoy your weekend brother! 👍
@@GarageGear Thanks man
Another good one. Thanks JB.
Appreciate you Chuck! You ROCK bud!
Love your content!
Appreciate you John!
Question hoping you can answer: I have a late model Ariens 30" that has the rotating chute control similar to the one you show in this vid (5:11). My ONLY complaint with this otherwise excellent machine is that this rod tends to move from where I position it while the machine is running. I'm sure the weight of the offset handle contributes to this, but it is a real pain when I'm trying to drop snow in a specific direction and I have to keep repositioning the handle as I make a pass to maintain that angle. My sister has the same machine and has noted this issue as well. Was wondering if you have any experience with this or possible solution for same? Love the channel!
Hey Michael! I think I have a solution for you. Under the black panel that connects to your chute up top, look underneath for a bolt with a spring wrapping around it. Tighten it up a few turns! Should help you out! 👍
@@GarageGear - Thanks! I'll give that a shot!
Ima check out those gas can spouts!
Nothing beats the old stuff! Have a great week Flint!
Nice tips bud. Really enjoy it. Cheers
I do the same thing with my gas cans. Those kits are nice. I hate the new style. Most people do it seems.
Can’t beat them! I have only met one person in my life that actually likes newer gas cans. He doesn’t play with a full deck… thanks for watching!
Haven’t had snow since Christmas 😢
Crazy right? Weird winter! Thanks for watching Wildman!
@@GarageGear you have the best channel for small engine tips
@@wildmanofthewynooch7028 appreciate you bud! Thanks for being a cool fan!
What to do when theres no snow. I discovered they blow leaves pretty good in the fall.
Hahaha they sure do! Thanks for sharing!
How about doing a video on converting a cable controlled chute to a crank controlled chute
That’s not a bad idea! I’ll save this for next winter! Thanks for watching!
I was just at fleet farm and they workers said they didn't sell many blowers this year
Weird weather we’re having this season! It ain’t over yet! Thanks for watching Andrew!
Wait... didn't you get like 12 feet of snow? It all melted!?
I didn't know Buffalo was that warm in the Winter!
Omg it was all gone in a week! Crazy! We always have periods of warm temps every winter! This winter has definitely been warmer. 40’s next week too! Thanks for watching Olivier!
Is your garage heated?
Not yet but soon! I have space heaters but want a powerful wall heater. Installing one this summer!
@@GarageGear Nothing beats an old trailer house furnace for a garage in my opinion, they blow out the bottom instead of the top and they are small and don't take up much room and heat like crazy, it can be zero outside and it will heat my garage to being comfortable in 20 to 30 minutes, even my tools and stuff in the garage are warm enough to use in an hour or so. (Since you have an attached garage, I think anyway, idk what would be best for you, if you have forced air, maybe just run a duct out to the garage you can open and close with separate heat controls would be the best for you). I was lucky enough to find an old oil one (which are a bit more rare and can be harder to find a used one) but a new trailer house oil furnace or natural gas/propane one (if you can't find a used one) still maybe a cheaper way to go then a new wall electric unit and will heat a lot better, and use less energy too (call all of your local furnace guys, many will keep old trailer house furnaces that still work good just for that reason). So I just made a stand for a 55 gallon drum on it's side and put it outside for a fuel tank (used fuel oil tanks are easy to find too) so I didn't have to dig a trench and run a natural gas line out to my garage. Propane ones are really common and easy to convert to natural gas, if you are on city gas. I ran the stove pipe out the wall too and it works just fine so no need to mess around with the roof and shingles and stuff too 👍
Haven't even put gas in this year.
Ha wow! Definitely a strange winter we’re having! I’m considering taking my winter tires off. Lol thanks for watching!
I bought an Ariens Deluxe 24 about 5 weeks ago. You can all thank me for the lack of snow.
Hahhaa so you’re the one ??? Lol! Thanks for watching bud!
@@GarageGear Yup! Grand Island resident. Learned a lot from your videos, thanks for making them.
@@Kevin-sg5xc ROCK ON neighbor!!! Appreciate you!
I think you live in the Hamburg area that house is next to my friends
I’m actually in Lancaster near Salvatore’s! Thanks for watching!
Am I seeing it right on your 10000 series Ariens? You tossed the chains and went with Carlisle X-Trac 13-5 x6's? Get tired of the bouncing? I am actually waiting for a set of them to arrive for my 74 10000 series too 😆 I got tired of the bouncing too 😵💫 Broke down and even bought a Harbor Freight small tire changer. Painted the rims, and am going to try to go tubeless on them. On my John Deere 826 with the tall tires it bounces so much less with chains then they did on the 10000 series Ariens. BTW how you liking those X-Tracs instead of the turf tires and chains? 🤔
Hey Paul! CONGRATULATIONS you are the first person to notice the new tires! Im giving you bonus points lol! 👍 The old tire chains were really old and wearing thin. The old tires had very slow leaks as well! It was time! Never had any issues with x tracs so I figured I’d splurge on them. They are the same size as the old tire and chain set up but about an inch wider. Pretty cool looking. I used tubes for fear of the small amount of corrosion on the wheel rim causing leaks. It took me 90 minutes just to get one tire off and I said, “that’s it”! Took them to a mechanic I know and he put them on for me. He finished them for me with tubes inside in an hour. Couldn’t afford to lose a whole afternoon messing with them! They gripped great in the little snow that we have gotten! I did a short video with them recently you can see them there! I’ll probably be doing a full make over on the machine in the summer! Could be a cool project! You’ll love those tires on yours! Thanks for watching bud!
@@GarageGear I kind of figured you took them to the shop since you didn't have a video on them. You really have to have a Harbor Freight mini tire changer and some good small tire spoons and soapy water too to do it yourself. Is a really good video by Case Ingersoll Tractors Northeast on changing small tires and yes you need to clean up the rims and paint them to get them to seal or use some Xotra seal bead sealer or both. Once you watch his video and change a few yourself it will be pretty easy for you. Yes the 13-5 x6 X-Tracs are one inch wider, you can get them in 4 inch wide too. So glad you like them. Now I can't wait til mine show up! lol I am lucky and have an extra set of tires and rims so I painted one set of rims as I wait for the tires to show up, and still have the other set with chains on the blower if I need to use it. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR VIDEOS! And your input on your tires too! I have a 826 John Deere a Ariens st928 and my 74 10000 series. Of the 3 I by far love my 74 10000 series Ariens the most, built so much better and heavier with roller bearings instead of bushings too.The only sad thing is that the 74 was in such good shape, and the 8hp tecumseh runs so good I really can't justify doing the predator swap on it, so I settled for an impeller kit and a Holy Grail chute instead lol And yes I would kind of like to pull the auger housings off them and sandblast and paint them and do full make overs on all 3 this summer lol
@@donvonschitzinpantz2 oh that will keep you busy! We’ll see how things line up for summer time. Also cool that you kept the original engine. If mine worked better I would possibly have kept it on but was really more of a pain. Thanks for sharing everything here Paul! 👍
@@GarageGear If you can find a 73 or 74 10000 series they put an 8hp Tecumseh on them so they finally have the hp they really needed. They are a little safer too since they got rid of the "drive away without you option" 😄The 75 - 78 that still had the old style "tear-drop bucket" (not all of them did) are really good machines too, and they have much more ergonomic friendly controls. I would have really liked to have found a nice 75 -78. 👌 After that I think things really did start to go downhill. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! 👍
@@donvonschitzinpantz2 interesting info! Thanks for sharing bud! And thanks for the kind words! 👍
I just got an old 70s ariens compact version. Guy who sold it said it needed a new spark plug. I took the bowl off the carb and removed the ice inside and it fired up. That model needs the attachment lever pulled in otherwise it kills the motor when the auger is enraged. I thought a pulley was locked up or something at first
Cool my friend! Feel free to email me a pic! Thanks for sharing!
@@GarageGear couldn't find any contact info
@@andrewheinen9185 it’s in the video description. Don’t want to post it here or I’ll get spammed.
@@GarageGear done!
Accesses vs. excess.
Thanks for watching
Supertech oil worth putting in? Does it compare well to the name brand oils?
Sure is! They actually compared it on project farm! It was right up there with Mobil! Thanks for watching!
We gave my grandfather a small snow blower one year. He said it was great for clearing the snow. When there wasn’t any snow, it was great as a pooper scooper. He said he’d just shoot it over to the neighbors yard. 😂
Hahaha well he’s not wrong lol! Thanks for sharing!
"These ones".
"These ones".
"These ones".
Thanks for watching
Ya might wanna mention NOT using ethanol regular fuel!!! Each year I get calls that mowers, etc wont start because... they didnt take my instructions seriously, and let the thing sit all winter with regular ethanol in it. I burn nothing but NON ETHANOL PREMIUM fuel in my yard equipment and never have a starting issue. Period.
Thanks for sharing Dee!
Nice tips bud. Really enjoy it. Cheers
Thanks for watching bud! 👍
Thanks for watching!