Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Sounds like a rhyme... anyway, the new 7524 I brought home yesterday sits on a level garage floor with the left side (from operator standpoint) of the auger intake housing about a half inch off the floor. I checked tire pressure, and they're both the same. I also undid the skid bolts to let the scraper bar hold the unit up and you can easily see where it's higher on the left than the right. Do you fine fellows (especially PK) think there's something I can do myself, or do I need to lug it back to the shop I bought it from?

Thanks in advance,

ND

ND,

Usually this problem doesn't occur on smaller units.

On larger blower housing models, the weldment tolerances need to be held extremely tight to prevent "rocking". Due to manufaturing tolerances, all snowblowers have a small amount of variation, but should be easily correctable with the skids, scraper adjustment, or tire pressure.

My thoughts are to check the unit in various locations on your floor just to make sure the floor is not the problem.

Secondly, and I believe you did at least one of these, but loosen the scraper blade as well as the skid shoes to see if you can level it.

Third, try swapping the tires from one side to another and see what happens. The tolerances from tire mfg'ers for the mounted OD of snothro tires is not very tight. The large tolerance could allow for one tire to be a good deal large than the other at the same pressure. Usually the variance isn't much, but if your unit got one tire from two different lot numbers or points of manufacture...

If this doesn't help, maybe try leveling the frame or blower housing with shims and a carpenters square, then check the other to see if it is vertical as well.

If you have housing that is that far off (~over .125" from side to side), definitiely call the dealer and have the housing replaced. You may be able to negotiate having them pick it up as if transporting this back will be a hassle.

PK

PK, Thanks for the reply.

I did raise the skids all the way so they were not touching the floor, to see how the housing sat on just the scraper bar. It still rocks if you stand behind the machine and grab a handle. At rest, the left side of the housing is a half inch or so off the floor, regardless of where in the garage it sits. I let the machine lie back on its handlebars, and looked at the way the scraper was adjusted, and it's even across the span of it. Compensating with scraper bar adjustments would make the bar protrude further off the housing on one side than the other. The tire pressure is equal on both sides, but switching the wheels around did make some difference. If I left it that way the tires would be in the wrong rotational direction. I'm thinking of putting the machine's axles on equal jackstands and seeing what happens. But regardless of what I do at this point, I think my best bet is to bring it back to the dealer.

Thanks again.
ND

OK, because I cant seem to let this rest, I went back out to the garage. I put a 1/8 piece of wood under the scraper, and adjusted the skids so the machine did not rock as much. Then I took the piece of wood out, and saw that the scraper, which was adjusted parallel with the bottom of the housing, was higher on the left side than it was the right. So, I loosened the scraper bolts and evened it up a little. Now it's almost the same distance from the floor all the way across, and the machine does not rock as much. I guess that's all the dealer would have done anyway... So maybe I saved a trip with the machine.

But... while I was up close and personal with the auger, I noticed that the black finish on one half of the auger is peeled off leaving about a 1/4 of exposed steel shaft right where it meets the gearbox. Now it's going to rust up and the finish will be flying off the auger.

Why am I beginning to regret this purchase?
ND

OK, the dealer made it all right. I huffed the thrower into the back of the minivan, and brought it to the dealer. He started to dismiss a few things, and tell me it was "Mickey Mouse" stuff I was talking about, but he got where I was coming from when I explained that the money I paid for this unit yesterday was a significant outlay for me right now, and that I was concerned that maybe I bought the wrong machine, given that it's brand new but misaligned and the paint is peeling off the auger's shaft, as well as one of the rubber pads that stop the control lever from chewing the handle bar was missing. At that point he told me not to worry, that he'd take care of any of my concerns under warranty. He had one of his guys redo the skid adjustment, got it level, and then showed me that depending on where you park it, it's gonna teeter a little bit because floors and the way the tires are mounted change things. OK, fine. Then I asked him if he had any orange paint for the scratch on the housing, and he gave me a whole spray can "for my troubles". He told me he was going to order a bunch of the rubber pads on the handlebars and that I should stop buy and pick some up when I'm in the neighborhood.

I'm satisfied now. NOW LETS SEE SOME SNOW!!! I'VE GOT SOME THROWING TO DO!!! (It's not coming next week, that's for sure, they're calling for mid-60's here... bummer ;-) )