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

I have a new Toro 1028lxe that I love.  I have used it for about 5 storms so far.  I have one question though.  Occasionally, I am going along and it starts to want to pull to one side or another (I think it's usually to the right). I find myself trying to fight to keep it straight.  If I look back after a long row that I've done, it looks like I was drunk.  Anyone have an idea of what causes this?

Make sure that both wheels are locked in. Thats what i had to do to my ariens. Then it sould go straight.

Just a wild guess,but have you checked the air pressure in the tires ?

Less alcohol consumption by the driver maybe? 

Air pressure would have been the first thing I check.  You may also want to see if the scraper is even.  One side could be dragging lower than the other side and pulling the machine.

Marshall wrote:

I saw nothing in the manual about the maximum number of gin and tonics able to be consumed by the operator before erratic steering takes place!

I will check all of the suggested items.  I don't think it's the air pressure though, because the problem only happens sporadically.  As I'm thinking of it, I wonder if it is the scraper catching on packed snow or ice on one side.  I will check to see if one side is lower than the other.

tire pressure .skid shoe height ,scraper or shave plate adjustment and lockpin in wleel.

not necessarily in that order.

later chris

Also if one scraper shoes is level the the other is not , it will cause one to "dig in" harder than the other on the driverway.  ( assuming your diveway it level, unlike mine)

                                               18 degrees

driveway level...

thats an urban myth ,nobody has actually seen one let alone owns one.

later chris

jake14mw wrote: Well.........then By God that ain't it........consume away! 

Hi jake.Move your scraper bar up out of the way Make sure you are on a flat surface.If you have a shed woth a plywood floor make sure it is level.Put  your skids at the same height on each side.Get  a couple of paint sticks and lower your scraper bar down to the sticks.Go a bit higher,maybe 1/4 inch on the scraper bar if you have a rough pavement.

Steve 

IT's the quantity of snow in front of the machine or maybe unnevely drive way thats it....

My surgeon friend at work bought a Craftsman snowblower this winter, she has not idea what model # only that it is a big one, they went out and bought it one day.  It will not track right either, her husband is a engineer, very bright, he has checked and replaced and adjusted everything and he cannot get the darn thing to track straight no matter what he does.  I have met him, nice guy, he is no dummy, I wish I had time to go and check out and try out the machine.  She insists it is not dragging on anything.....

If I only had the time....

C

i posted on this earlier but forgot the hardest one to repair.

sometimes the auger bucket is actually twisted and it wont line up quite right.and no amount of fiddling will fix it.

you have to set it on a very flat surface and do some carefull measuring everywher there is a bolt hole the same from side to side.i use the holes for the driftcutters.

only saw one that was built out of line and it was welded wrong

came from sears.dont remember if it was mtd ayp or murry built.

later chris 

I also remembered this-make sure both shear pins are in.  My Dad's old Sears Trackdrive would not track striaght = it was a broken shear pin.                                 18 degrees

Snowshovler, my Ariens 1128 LE had a bent auger housing.   It was about 3/8" of an inch off.  Have you seen any other Ariens blowers have this problem?

never saw an ariens with a bent anything...

what did you do to that drop it off a truck  ha ha .

seriously though  ive seen some strange stuff done to ariens but the bucket has alwaya been true.

later chris