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

What a fun weekend!!!

Fri night-
Had a few inches of fluff, decided to fire up the ole girl and do some blowin.  So i did.  I'm about 60 seconds into it, and the blower just dies(like it ran out of gas)  I know it has gas (i always leave it with a full tank) so i try and restart it.  No go, keep trying still no go.  I've pulled it about 10 times, my shoulder is starting to ache(arthritis), so i plug in the electric start.  Still no go.  Prime it 2x, 1/2 choke, full throttle.  still no start.  Ok, let's look for spark.  Hmm, no spark, but the light glows as I crank it, so I know at least the "generator" system is making juice.....  So i sit there a bit looking at the thing, and something doesn't look right.  Clearly the trouble is in the ignition system somewhere, but where?  So i start thinking about pulling covers, checking wires, etc.  Then i notice that there's this 1/8" wide x 1/4" high slot to the left of the choke, that looks like it's missing something.  I stand up and start to walk into the garage to ponder it a bit, and out of the corner of my eye i catch a glimpse of something red laying on the walk.  Huh, lookit that, it's the ignition "key"(ya know, the thing you NEVER take out of your machine?)  I must have knocked it loose when i was cleaning the blower after the last use and it fell out when i was blowin.  Turns out a blower will stall if that bugger isn't in there.  I think i'll install a switch this summer....

Sat night-
Wife and i stayed in all day watchin flicks.  Go out bout 8pm- got around 8-10" EOD is bout 1.5 feet.  The orange monster just ate that up.  Helped out a neighbor with his eod who said he'd been out shovelin for an hour.  I tell him to go in and ill finish up, so I do.  Then i go in the back, cut some trails for dog, clear the deck, and go inside.  As always, i can pick my gear and keep it in "3rd" and "4th" and happily plod along.  took about 45 min

Sun morning--
YEEEEEEHAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!  This is what i'm talkin about.  Got a solid foot and a half for half the drive and almost 3 feet for the other half(plow in)  This time(first time ever) i can't "pick my gear" 2nd would work but the engine was really loaded, so i did it(the 3 foot part) in first, and I got an easy 50' throw.  I tied a piece of fishing line to the key and tied it to the handle bar so if the key falls out i won't lose it.  I do my drive, a neighbors(who use to own an mtd- sold it and is saving to buy a nicer machine) cut paths for the dog, clear the deck, and rake the roof and blow that.  I swear i got a 60' throw a couple times.  There were times where the snow was anywhere from 2-8" over the intake height of the machine, and it just kept goin(i have both wheels locked) My wife has always felt that I "over bought" by buying the 824, until yesterday when she looked out the window and saw that 30' high 50' long arc.  That machine opened up a big ole can of orange whoop-butt on that stuff, and was with me pace for pace for every minute of the two straight hours I was using it.  When I cleaned it off and brought it into the garage, both it and I were actually steaming.  It was alot of fun, I can only imagine how much fun Frank had this weekend.  My all columbia gear kept me totally dry and toasty warm the whole time.  SO much so in fact that when I was done, i played with the dog in the backyard for 30 min.  whatta great day- all because of a snow blower.