Hello Friends,
Well, it's been a very cold and long Winter here in the Great White North! Actually, the worst in 40 years they say. I believe it as I had to work many days in less than -20C and more often in -14C which are both a bitch to say the least! However, many a snowblower got their health back and not a single call back - the sign of a true Professional!
So you think you made it through the Winter right?? Your probably smiling and thoughts of your blower are being replaced with green lawn views and all your plans for Spring to shortly arrive and Summer! But your blower has it's own plans for your next season and if it can help it, it wants you to Fail and end up hiring a Snow Removal Service! You see, blowers are meant to fail - engineered to do so... by their very nature. You might think you will take care of it come next October or November, but by then the damage is done (you see, it's the temperature fluctuations from April to Oct/Nov. that cause the Worst problems) in most cases (Dying Carb.) or worse - your left with a dead blower! Bad gas, gas never treated, gas never treated and never ran throughout the gas system - especailly the carb., bad oil - as black as a witch's coultron wants to coat your carb, score your piston thanks to aluminum engine shaving breakin off, spark plug gum up thanks to that bad oil and neglect, belts that should have been changed 3 years ago, slow leak tire, dry as hell gear box, rust, and the list continues!
Solution, have your blower tuned up in April/May and put to bed properly by an expert who knows his shit! Plain and simple, spending that money now is the best investment you can make to extend your blower's life and give you the peace of mine of that fearfu Fall NO START! Any reputable Service Tech will stand behind his tune-up and warranty it to start later when needed or come back at no charge to either fix it or take it in for a quick repair! Make sure to get that in writing if you are unsure about the dealer at first! I personally have the "Ottawa Area Snowblower Registry" where i begin tune-up as early as April and warranty my service with a no hastle Free Roadside Assistance on First No Start! You paid for that insurance, so you deserve it! So make your blower last another 10+ years by doing it right this time even if you had a late start in your thinking!
P.s. I want to add something very important here for all of you so listen carefully! 35% of existing blowers have either damaged or dead electric starters! In North America this is a very serious problem which sadly has never been addressed - a good proportion simply kick the bucket early. Some is due to user abuse because they press the start button for 10 minutes straight and fry out the brushes and often even the steel sprocket which turns the engine as it extends and engages. But lots of time, the product is just defective and my belief is 1 out of every 5 are defective from the beginning. Here is the truth, stop feeling bad about your starter! And don't wait until Fall to fix it when you finally wake up and think your blower needs a tune up or is not starting! Electric Starters are the MOST expensive part on your machine and most dealers don't want to toy with them because the manufacturers charge 150-250 just for the part! Then add the same for labour and a bit more for pick up and delivery and Vwa-la - one cranky you who does not want to pay 350-400 for a part such as that on top of your 200 tune-up! And believe me, we don't want to hear you whine either, I have better things to do! Solution - in Spring/Summer call your dealer and see if they do rebuilds! Yes, much cheaper aternative - anywhere from 80-140! Both the brushes and the sprocket can be replaced and the unit rebuilt to knew like! Better yet, once they tell you they can rebuild it, take it off yourself! Remove the gas tank screws and remove the 2 bolts holding the Starter in place and gently pull out! There you have it, a wise solution and a price you don't need to whine about! Next season, you will be happy to see your machine in tip-top shape and your starter saving your back once again! Happy Spring Everyone! Al...
