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

i'm interested in buy a 24in simplicity snowblower for a driveway i'll say 60 x20 with a small slope upwards from the house. same engine and torque as the L1226E. aluminum gear case though. any kind of help will appreciated.

wow this is a great discussion simplicity or ariens my dealer sells both

I don't claim to be an expert on lubrication. However, from the information gathered below, I'm having difficulty translating Simplicity's choice of lubricant as being a step backward. Seems to me, that if you never have to change the lubrication, that would be a good thing. Information from JD/Simplicity manual for gearbox maintenance. Second line pretty much sums it up. Checking Gearbox Lubricant Auger gearbox has been lubricated at factory and SHOULD NOT require additional lubrication. If for some reason the lubricant should leak out, or if the auger gearbox has been serviced; check lubricant. M71588 1. Remove check plug (A). 2. If you cannot see grease, use a wire or plastic tie strap to check for grease. · If you can see grease on wire or tie strap, do not add grease. 3. If necessary, add John Deere High Temperature EP Grease 100 gr (3-1/2 oz) maximum when gearbox is empty or an equivalent, such as: · Benalene No. 372 · Shell Darina 1 · Mobiltem 78 · Texaco Thermatex EP1 4. Install check plug. Thermatex 000 and Thermatex EP greases are organoclay greases formulated specifically for applications where a non-melt product is required. Product Application Thermatex 000 has excellent feedability to gears and bearings. It is recommended for the lubrication of mining machinery and textile equipment, especially equipment where central greasing systems are intended. Thermatex EP greases are for the lubrication of furnace door bearings, kiln car wheel bearings and shafts extending through furnaces. Product Description and Features Thermatex 000 is an organoclay grease containing a viscous base oil. Thermatex EP are organoclay greases containing extreme pressure additives. They are extremely resistant to water washout and protect against corrosion. Benefits In service Thermatex 000 and Thermatex EP greases provide: Non-melt thickener for high temperature service Good pumpability Excellent resistance to water washout Extreme pressure properties (Thermatex EP) Product Description: Shell Darina® Greases SD are multipurpose, non-soap greases. They give excellent lubrication for extended time periods, in wet or dry applications, and over a wide range of temperatures. They are also formulated to provide extreme pressure (EP) characteristics. Shell Darina Greases SD are based on a non-melting bentonite clay thickener system. Due to the inert nature of the clay, these greases are suitable for applications where the lubricant is exposed to contaminants such as water and chemicals found in many industrial applications including chemical plants and paper mills. These greases are not recommended for use in centralized lubrication systems. Applications Excellent for applications in the following environments: • industrial grease-lubricated machinery at temperatures up to 250°F (350°F with frequent lubrication) • ball, roller, and sleeve bearings, as well as sliding surfaces and grease lubricated gears • wet and heavily loaded applications • chemical plants and paper mills, where grease is exposed to very wet conditions • mining and process plants, where crushers, screens and kilns are operated at high temperatures Features/Benefits • non-melting • excellent resistance to water washout • good load carrying capability • good resistance to rust and corrosion Mobiltemp 1 and 78 Product Description: Mobiltemp Series greases are high performance clay-thickened products designed for the lubrication of plain and antifriction bearings operating at low speed and high temperature or under cycling conditions from ambient to high temperatures. These greases use a clay thickener, which, unlike traditional soap thickeners, do not soften at high temperatures. They are based on a high quality, high viscosity mineral oil and are specially formulated to provide: low volatility and excellent resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, resistance to water washout and good anti-wear performance under heavy loads and low speeds. Mobiltemp 1 and 78 are NLGI Grade 1 greases, and Mobiltemp 2 is an NLGI 2 Grade. Mobiltemp 78 also contains molybdenum disulphide for added anti-wear protection. Mobiltemp Series greases are particularly suited for high temperature applications, and are very resistant to water or steam contamination. These greases have excellent resistance to changes in consistency under both high temperature and cyclic conditions of heating and cooling. Even with severe working under such conditions, they will not soften or harden significantly. Because they use low volatility base oils, these greases resist hardening when the grease is held at high temperatures for long periods. Mobiltemp Series greases have excellent resistance to water washing and, under humid conditions, can absorb about its own weight of water without any major change in structure or consistency. Mobiltemp Series have good flow properties and can be used with centralised grease systems down to 10ºC, even with long distribution lines. With its additional anti-wear additization, Mobiltemp 78 is particularly suitable for the lubrication of sliding machine elements subject to limited or slow motion or shock loading. With their excellent track record of superior performance in critical high temperature applications, Mobiltemp Series greases have become the products of choice for users around the world. Features and Benefits The Mobil brand of greases is well known and highly regarded worldwide based on their outstanding performance and the RandD expertise and the global technical support that stand behind the brand. The highly versatile performance of one series of lubricants in this family, the Mobiltemp Series, has made them the choice of many users around the world. Mobiltemp Series greases enjoy an excellent reputation in the lubrication of high temperature applications where conventional soap thickened products are not viable. Close contacts with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users ensure that products such as the Mobiltemp Series will be available to meet critical application needs. The Mobil brand of greases is well known and highly regarded worldwide based on its outstanding performance and the RandD expertise and the global technical support that stand behind the brand. Mobiltemp Series greases were designed specifically for difficult, high temperature applications, and offer the following advantages and potential benefits. Features Advantages and Potential Benefits Excellent protection against wear at high temperatures Reduced downtime and maintenance costs Will not soften and leak from bearings Extended intervals between relubrication Very good resistance to water washout and steam Maintains bearing protection and keeps equipment running even with gross water contamination High stability under high temperature environments and temperature cycling conditions Long product life under arduous conditions. Resists grease hardening and "frozen" bearings Very good anti-wear properties Protects equipment, even at low speed and under shock load, and reduces unexpected downtime Good low temperature properties Effective low temperature dispensing and machine start up Applications Mobiltemp 1 and Mobiltemp 2 are recommended for the lubrication of plain and antifriction bearings or sliding machine elements in applications operating at low speeds and high temperatures or under cycling conditions from ambient to high temperatures. The grease will not soften and leak under high temperature conditions or harden excessively on cooling. The recommended operating temperature range is 0 to 170º C, with even higher temperatures for short periods, with appropriate relubrication intervals. Mobiltemp 78 is recommended for similar applications to Mobiltemp 1 but the presence of molybdenum disulphide makes it particularly suitable for the lubrication of sliding machine elements subject to long relubrication intervals, limited motion or shock loading. The recommended operating temperature range is 0 to 170º C. Specific applications for Mobiltemp greases include: Oven conveyor chain bearings Kiln car wheel bearings Glass manufacture conveyer belt roller bearings Cams, ways and other sliding machine elements (especially Mobiltemp 78) Back to Top Typical Properties Mobiltemp Series Mobiltemp 1 Mobiltemp 2 Mobiltemp 78 NLGI Grade 1 2 1 Thickener Type Clay Clay Clay Color, Visual Amber Amber Gray-Black Penetration, Worked, 25º C, ASTM D 217 325 280 325 Dropping Point, ºC, ASTM D 2265 300 300 300 Viscosity of Oil, ASTM D 445 cSt @ 40º C 460 460 460 cSt @ 100º C 31.7 31.7 31.7 Four Ball Wear, ASTM D 2266 Scar, mm 0.5 0.5 0.5 Four Ball EP, ASTM D 2596 Weld Load, kg 200 200 200 Load Wear Index, kgf 50 50 50 Copper Strip Corrosion, ASTM D 4048 1A 1A 1A Wet Roll Stability, ASTM D 1831 Mod., Penetration change, 0.1 mm -60 -60 -60 Penetration Change, ASTM D 217, 60X to 100000X, mm/10 +50 +50 +50

mikiewest wrote:

Mikie: your experience is the exception. Not the rule. I speak from personal experience, and pretty much general knowledge shared by those I know willing to speak the truth. Asian vehicles are simply built better. Pick up any consumers guide and look at reliability and repair records for vehicles going back twenty years or more. It's pretty much an accepted fact by most of the world that Asian vehicles are much more reliable. When I walk down my street and see that 75% of the vehicles being driven are Asian, that has to tell us something. Right? I'm sure that if you live in a location where there is a domestic vehicle plant, there will be an understandable skew of the numbers in favour of domestics due to brand loyalty/employee ownership. However, I'm a thousand miles from any vehicle manufacturing plants. We live and drive in very harsh conditions. People here buy what works and costs least to maintain.

borat that might have been true but ford fusion and escape have gotten very good to excellent ratings for reliability.Also maybe that japanese car might be more reliable but when you have to fix it,its much more expensive to do so.

mikiewest wrote:
Actually I think that Snowmann provides very fair-balanced information.  I appreciate his willingness to share his knowledge on this board.  He knows more about Ariens so of course he's going to discuss Ariens products.  Frankly I wish that someone associated with Simplicity (or is it Briggs now), Toro, Honda, etc...would be as willing to share their expertise on this forum as well. 

i will bring up the lubrication need with the dealer when i purchase it. my husky 8527sbe manual says no lubrication needed,was done at the factory although i did spray some silicone on the pivot points.

jack wrote:

I'm assuming that the manual was referring to the auger gear case not requiring lubrication. My Simplicity manual says the same thing. Elsewhere, any machine with exposed moving parts, working in wet and occasionally salty conditions will require lubrication regardless of what the manual says. Unless you want your wheels rusted to the axles, augers rusted t the shafts, premature wear/damage to control linkage, cables and drive chains etc. you'd be wise to put a bit of effort into keeping the machine lubed. Particularly if you don't do your own repair work. The bill adds up pretty quick trying to get a rusted wheel off at a repair shop at $82.00/hr.????? (can you believe that?)

At those rates,one is better off taking a course on how to maintain their snowblower.Oh and dont forget the outrageous p/u and del of ur snowblower rate....

borat i have noticed rust on the axle on my husky should i take the wheel ,sand the rust ,then lub it with what? your the man borat

jack wrote:

Yes. You should clean up the axle and put any decent marine or snowmobile grease on axle shaft and inside wheel. You don't need to get down to shiny steel on the axle. Just get any lumpy stuff of of it. I find that medium grip sand paper is good for that. If you have no supply of grease nor a grease gun, you can get a small single hand operated grease applicator and grease for less than $20.00 at any large auto parts store. You'll need the grease gun to lube the auger shafts and any other component with zerk fitting sticking out of it. As Mikiewest says, it would be beneficial to learn something about the equipment and do as much work as you can. As previously mentioned, the shop rates at some service outlets are utterly ridiculous. You can do a bit of preventative maintenance now and it will save you big bucks down the road.