It's time to tune-up the snow blower

A snowstorm in the 7 day forecast should not be a reminder to have your snow blower tuned up! If you put the snow blower away last year with concerns about performance, now is the time to act.  As soon as it’s cold enough for snow, small engine shops are quickly inundated with calls for repair, replacement part supplies run short, and many homeowners are forced to grab a shovel and clear snow the old fashioned way.

Schedule service early and save money. Most small engine shops will offer incentives or specials that encourage customers to get the snow blower tuned up in late summer and fall. The small engine shop can curb the influx of calls when it snows and you can save some money!

If you plan to service the machine yourself, here are a few pointers to keep in mind to keep the job frustration-free.

1-      Keep the owner’s manual handy and make note of the snow blower’s model and serial number. When ordering replacement parts online or at your local dealer, the model and serial are critical to getting the correct parts. The manual will tell you everything you need to know about the snow blower and the items that need to be addressed for proper tune-up. Where to grease moving parts, oil change information, belt location and adjustment requirements are all spelled out in the manual.

2-      Go all out – don’t try to save a few dollars by avoiding critical replacements with temporary repairs. Replace the spark plug, remove & paint rust, and if the condition of the belt is questionable – install a new one! New equipment is expensive but will run like new for many years if properly cared for.

3-      Get started. Unless your garage is heated and outfitted with a lift – waiting to start only means the ground will be colder and your hands more reluctant to cooperate! The mad dash for common replacement parts starts at the first sign of snow too.  Order early and stock up on shear pins, fuel stabilizer, or even a spare scraper blade.

Determine the parts needed for your snow blower tune-up, order online, and receive the shipment in time for a weekend project. ProPartsDirect.net sells genuine replacement parts for the most popular brands like Ariens, Toro, Cub Cadet, Simplicity, and Snapper. 

The Snowblower Parts Crunch

The 2013/2014 winter has been brutal. The weather pattern has been delivering storms nearly back to back. Coupled with extended bouts of bitter cold, it seems the only way to cope with the conditions are to give it a name(Polar Vortex), so we can really get mad at it!

The conditions don’t just test our patience, they challenge the machines that contractors and homeowners use to manage all the snow.  Increased use and heavier snow will cause snowblowers to fail. When snowstorms span the entire country, from Texas to Bangor, Maine, the number of people using snowblowers is insane!  Belts and bolts give way on the machines driving demand on replacement parts.

Again, consider the size of the storms – cities in the southern half of the country don’t have a fleet of snowplows to handle the snow. The locations that do have snow removal equipment probably haven’t used or serviced the machine in over a year, so a major snow event is when issues first arise.  

When the entire country needs a new auger housing on a random Tuesday following a 4 day storm, it’s easy to see how parts quickly become unavailable or backordered. Manufacturers who build the parts have nothing to provide small engine shops to sell to customers.  Back to back storms slow everything from airline travel to parts deliveries.  

It’s frustrating to tell a customer a part is on “national backorder.” National backorder means there is no estimate when a part will be available and that stores nationwide can’t access the item. A $10 snowblower belt in July is practically an afterthought. However, in February, that belt is absolutely critical to clearing snow and keeping walkways safe.

TIP:  In most cases it is more effective to keep your original order with your parts vendor than cancel and check elsewhere!  Parts vendors all pick from the same inventory. Think of it like standing in line and deciding to leave your spot; if you change your mind and return, you go to the back of the line.

The ProParts Advantage allows our company to be in the top tier for all major suppliers. This means we are the first to receive backordered parts.

In the era of Amazon providing next day service – and exploring “drone” deliveries, it’s frustrating that the nature of our industry can’t even come close to that speed. We offset the demand by keeping a massive inventory of fast moving parts like belts, sheer pins, and bearings.  – but when it rains, it pours….or snows in this case.    

While it’s impossible to predict when or what will break on your machine, it’s a good practice to keep the usual suspects on hand. Having an extra belt or sheer bolt on hand is invaluable.