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

Well, I figured 5" of very light snow warranted use of the snowblower since I have been looking forward to trying it out.

I went w/ a 24" wide model as it fits in my garage much better and is easier to maneuver between my cars.  I did not think I was going too fast - maybe speed 3 or 4 - but snow seems to escape around the sides of the cage.  So several times I had to double back over the trail I left behind.  I don't remember that happening w/ my 29" Craftsman.

Also, my second reverse gear runs just as slow as the first reverse gear.  Can I adjust that myself or should I have the dealer do it?  I am sure they will but I have to borrow a truck to bring it back to the shop, so if it is easy I would do it myself.

Lastly, the snow was not going near 40'.  I figured 9.25HP over a 24" width would be a monster.  I think this was because the snow was so fluffy, it seemed to disinergrate in mid air.  I guess I will wait for a heavier snow to evaluate that.

Gotta say, the automatic traction control worked great.  The machine is extremely easy to turn.

I appreciate any input you guys can provide :)

I've also noticed that it is possible to run the machine at too slow a speed. The throttle is almost alway full on and sets a sort of high idle. At that point the governor actually controls how much gas is going to the engine. If there isn't enough load then the engine is just at a fast idle. Once you have enough load the governor feeds in more gas and the engine starts to roar. What I basically try to do is go as fast as possible without overloading the impeller. With deep snow the auger can feed more snow to the impeller than the impeller can throw away. At that point the blower starts to snowplow and snow piles up in front of it. Thats the point I normally slow down by one "notch". You also get a noticeable increase in how far the snow is thrown, assuming it sticks together.

nibbler wrote:

Good info Nibbler... thanks for the input :)