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

Hi all - please help an ignorant fool with his first snowblower.....  I've inherited a Yamaha 2 stage machine.  It's about 15 years old and in fantastic condition.  The engine runs great, and until the first time I used it, so did the auger.  After probably going into a pile of snow too fast, the auger has stopped working.  Nothing happens when hold the auger handle down.  People have said that I've more than likely busted a shear pin, but I can't seem to find a broken one.  Currently, when the machine is off, i can manually turn the auger, which in turn, rotates the impellar.  If I have broken a schear pin, would this be happening?

Thank you!

Take the shear pin out for inspection. 

I once had one break and both ends of the bolt were stuck in the auger, despite it not being connected to the shaft.

Small chance, maybe, that when you spin the auger it that it's catching on a burr of a shear pin and spinning the impeller.

Probably not your issue, but worth the minute to check before operating on the unit.