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

In the owners manual for my Simplicity 1170 blower it calls for the auger shaft assembly to be greased every 10 hours. You also have to take the shear pins out and turn the auger shaft. It can be a real pain in the neck. It was 20 degrees here, but I did get it done. How many of you do this in the winter? Sometimes getting the pins out is a real battle. If anyone knows any secrets Im open to suggestions.

The ones I've had the most trouble with adding auger zerks are MTD & its "clone" units. The auger rake tubes are almost paper thin! Trying to keep a zerk snug on one of these units is impossible without welding on a nut. The Ariens tubes are INDEED beefy, but they already have grease fittings (although some never see a grease gun!). I guess that if you drilled a hole thru the rake tube and deep enough into the "axle" shaft, you could add a zerk (without welding a nut) IF the rake tube is thick. For those without welding equipment - JB Weld could be used to secure a nut instead, and would provide a nice, leakproof seal!

Marty