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

I HAVE NEVER USED ONE BEFORE.

So, some stupid questions (I am sure):

When I start blowing snow it works fine, then after 15 minutes, it just stops blowing snow.  (Motor is fine).  Why does the auger just stop turning?  It doesn’t look too packed with snow, and I am going at a normal pace.  Anyways, this happened the other day so I put it away (it was dark) and started shoveling.  This weekend, it was nice outside, so I brought it out to try to diagnose the issue.  I started it up and the auger turned fine! So I put it away again.  Then tonight, I started blowing snow, and after 15 minutes it just stopped turning the auger again - with no visible signs of packed snow inside.

Is a belt starting to slip or something as it heats up? What drives the auger anyway - a clutch or a belt?  What the heck is a shear pin for?

 Thanks!!

Phil

There are two belts that drive a 2 stage blower, they are usually found under the guard on the part of the engine that faces forward. One of these belts drives your auger and impeller fan while the other drives a friction disc which makes contact with the friction wheel which drives your wheels.  Clear as mud right ?

A shear pin is a special bolt that is meant to "shear" off if you jam something in your augers, thus preventing any damage to your auger or gear housing. A broken shearpin will prevent your augers from turning so look for bolts that run through your each of the auger shafts. If one or both are missing this could be your problem.

I seem to think that maybe a bad auger belt is the problem.  And by the way there are no stupid questions here!

Phil