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

Hello all, first post here...

My wife asked me to snowblow out out elderly neighbor...

Unfortunatly, not knowing there was a mat at the bottom of her stairs, my snowblower sucked it up and is now jammed in the impeller area.
I have a Toro Power Max 826 LE Model #38620.

The mat is, of course, not a some light weight mat... no, no... it is one made out of old tires and "sewn" together with rather thick wire.
I could cut it out, but would take an enormous amount of time and energy.
I was trying to find out how easy it would be to partly dismantle the impeller... and how to do that?

Any help would be appreciated!!!

FIRST disconnect the sparkplug wire.  Next I would most likely remove the chute to have an open area to work and start cutting out sections of the mat.  I'm sure you'll get other good suggestions with somebody having the same experience. 
I would also try rotating the impeller with a board stuck down the chute opening (after removing the chute) to try and get it un-wedged.  It won't be simple by the sounds of the mat durability.

Ouch, no good deed goes unpunished.  Good Luck, think you're just going to have to snip snip a whole lot.

-Dan

daniel wrote:

X2

Marc

If you can borrow a small set of bolt cutters, try to cut any wire you can reach. A vise grip snapped on to the end of the wire,pull out what you can,cut it off. Turn impellor repeat-repeat, till all is gone.
Two hours and I'm good to go. No more mats at my house!!!

T.J>

daniel wrote:
X3

daniel wrote:
You got that right...

Well I appreciate everyone's responses.  Waited for a nice, rather warm day and went to work with my razor knife and bolt cutters.
Took about 2 hours, but I got the mat out... although it is useless as a mat now 

Thanks again!!!

Be careful.  This is 2011 now.  After being nice enough to do all that work for her, you may end up with a bill for a new mat in your mail :)