The Benefits Of Buying and Stocking Parts Early

Spend time preparing for the upcoming season and avoid the headaches and trouble in-season.

As a landscaper, you really need to look at your efforts through the eyes of a small business owner. Taking advantage of pre-season buying programs keeps items on the shelf for quick repairs and manages consumables. A little bit of attention spent is the difference between turning a profit on the year, growing your business, and standing out among competition. 

Here is an example of the immediate financial impact of not having backup parts:

• Cost of new part and overnight shipping.
• Lost time spent diagnosing and physically repairing the issue.
• Lost revenue due to lost time. Your landscape crew is not cutting and earning; they are waiting.

True Cost of Downtime

1.      Customers who pay for a professional expect great work, no excuses. Landscaper says: “I broke a belt, I’ll return in 2 days.” Customer hears: “Call someone else who can get the job done right.”

2.      $6000 buys a nice enclosed trailer and huge billboard… that nobody sees when it is parked at the shop waiting for a repair.

3.      Failing to prepare says a lot about your business. Not having pride in your work is reflected through your employees and ultimately customers. If you don’t take your work, seriously neither will your customers. Eventually the phone stops ringing and you will never know how many sales you are missing. A reputation is the hardest thing to repair.

Take some time…

Look at what you spend on consumable items.  Trimmer line, two-cycle fuel, air filters, oil filters, and blades are replaced based on hourly use so you can estimate your seasonal parts budget. If you only order as parts break, calculate your shipping cost and lost income during the down time. You will find that it costs more to order only when you need parts vs having the consumable parts on hand.

Once you know what you spend each season, take 20% of what you spend to place a bulk order next spring. Companies like ours, ProParts Direct, have the best buying programs in January and February to help jump start the season.  You can also save by combining several smaller orders into one large order. Shipping charges on individual packages adds up quickly.

Knowing what you need makes it possible to take advantage of pre-season sales and bulk discounts. It’s the little steps that will help increase your bottom line and help your company grow.

For Parts view our website www.propartsdirect.net

Don’t put that snowblower away … yet

Although it feels like winter won’t quit, the good news is that spring will be upon us soon. Before switching from snowblower to lawnmower, it’s a good idea to prepare your snowblower for next winter. It’s a fairly simple process and it will keep your snwoblower running for many years. The following steps should be completed each season.

1.       Fuel used in small engines should always be treated with stabilizer. Ethanol contained in today’s gasoline causes trouble with the carburetor and headaches for the owner. If you don’t treat fuel year round, at least consider adding to the fuel and running the machine before storing.

2.       Inspect the snowblower for worn or loose parts. The scraper blade and skid shoes are designed to wear so if anything looks questionable, just make the repair. Crashing into large snowbanks and throwing heavy snow will weaken shear pins and loosen bolts all over the snowblower. Tighten bolts and replace where necessary.   

PROTIP – While you are at it – change the oil and spark plug! Check your owner’s manual for machine specific instructions, but a 5W30 oil should do the trick.

3.        When storing the snowblower – remember it should stay covered and dry. Clear room inside the shed or even pick up a cover. Either way, make sure it’s secure because it makes a nice home for pests!

Preventative maintenance is straight forward, so a homeowner can complete in less than an hour. Just make sure to have the correct replacement parts on hand before starting the project. Order the replacement parts online at ProPartsDirect.net or call us with questions at 800-305-9255.

Think spring!

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.  

Top 10 Snowblowers of All Time

In a recent blog we attempted to compile a list of the top 10 lawnmowers of all time.  For the most part our readers agreed on our selections, but we also discovered that we left out some great machines. The feedback and discussion that followed was awesome!

As the snow continues to fall this winter, we figured it was the perfect time to roll out our next top 10 list… The Top-10 Snowblowers of All Time!

Our list was compiled using an informal survey of parts and sales experts with over 50 years of experience. We judged based on durability, cost, and some we thought were cool!


10 – Kai Grundt’s V8 Snowblower – A 412 horsepower snowblower that throws snow 50 ft at 3500rpm. Not a useful snowblower for most at nearly 1000 pounds, but what do you expect from a 454 cubic inch big block?

     9 - Zaugg, Snow Beast – If you don’t mind giving up a spot in your garage and driving your neighbors crazy, you could own the most intense walk behind snowblower we could find! The

beast has a 54hp Kubota Diesel, nearly 4 ft (width and height) clearing area, and at just shy of 3000lbs, you could save a few dollars and forgo tire chains!

8 – Granite State “Snow Cloud” – Our company (ProParts Direct) is based in New Hampshire, The Granite State – so the Snow Cloud automatically lands on our list! A machine shop in Hinsdale, NH was building this blower which was sold by Montgomery Ward under model 5662.









7– Ariens Model 10M- Built in 1960, this machine is one of the first snowblowers and helped put Ariens on the map. It was built using a 2-speed gear transmission drive system before switching to a friction disk in 1961. The bucket on the 10M used a half round shape allowing the auger to extend in front of the machine…something that probably makes safety officials hair stand on end today!

6 – Jari Jaw – This monster is unique in that it has two augers – and a mean looking guy painted on the side. Although there are plenty of moving parts to break – the machine is built like a tank. Built in the 1960’s its time has passed – you are likely to find one buried in an old garage.  It is worth nothing that Cub Cadet is producing a 3-stage snowblower – making the Jari Jaw a distant relative.

5 – Toro Snow Pup – You would be hard pressed to find a landscape or snow removal crew that did not have this single stage blower. Lightweight and powerful, it is the perfect tool to clear walkways and easy to lift into the back of the plow truck.

4 – Exmark Rotary Broom- While technically it’s not a “snowblower,” the machine can move snow! The rotary broom has a price point that makes it more appropriate for commercial and municipal applications, but its ability to move compacted snow when salt won’t work is impressive!  Here is a quick video of the Exmark Rotary Broom in action:

Watch on YouTube




3- Honda HS1132 – Everyone can agree that Honda makes a great product, from generator to snowblower, the unit is built to last. The snowblower can throw snow for miles, will start with a couple pulls, and if properly cared for – will last forever. The most apparent downside on these machines are the cost. For most homeowners, spending $3000 isn’t an option.

2 - Simplicity 870 (Late 90’s)- The look of a Simplicity snowblower has always been a little different. Its c-

channel steel handles use a better quality, thicker steel to create one of the strongest chassis around. The late 1990’s was also when Simplicity stopped using the Tecumseh flat head engines, one of the most reliable, powerful, and easy to repair engines available. It’s rare to find an engine today that could kick as hard while under load.




1 – Ariens 924050 – This snowblower was repeatedly mentioned as one of the best. It’s durability alone sets it apart! If you have an older Ariens, chances are it’s the 924050! Released in the early 90’s, it featured 8” tires which was a major upgrade over the 6". There is a very good chance there are a couple of these in your neighborhood today!And the best part?!? Ariens still makes parts to service this snowblower!

What do you think? What snowblower are you running? Share your thoughts with us! Join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter

The new “Age Old Question”: Horsepower vs cc’s

How powerful is your snowblower? When a customer shops for a new machine, the most common question is about its power. An engine’s CC (Cubic Centimeters) determines how large and ultimately how much power it can put out. Ft lbs tells you how much torque the engine will produce… but that’s another story for another day. Two things to remember:

•       There is no math equation to calculate Horse power.
•       Adjustments in gear ratios and rpms will impact the performance of any snow blower.

A general understanding of CC’s will prepare you when shopping for a new snow blower this season.

Here is a chart to help approximate cc to torque to horsepower. We used 3600rpm in this example.

179cc = 5hp

205cc = 8-9 gross torque = 5.5 – 6 hp

250cc = 11-11.5 gross torque = 7 – 8 hp

305cc = 13.5-14.5 gross torque = 9 – 10 hp

342cc = 15.5-16.5 gross torque = 11 – 12 hp

While the above calculations aren’t exact, it’s a step closer to understanding how cc’s correspond to horsepower. Keep this in mind next time you are shopping for a new snowblower!

ProParts Direct Holiday Gift Guide

Do you have DIY’er, landscaper, or outdoors person that needs a gift this season? While we offer millions of parts to fix a broken machine, we also sell lots of very cool products that everyone can enjoy!

No-Spill Gas Can – $30.99

http://www.propartsdirect.net/p/Fuel-Cans-and-containers

All new fuel containers are required to have built in safety mechanisms to prevent spills… the days of the simple can and spout are gone. This can is a no-fuss, next best thing to the old cans. Push the button and pour.

Additionally, the No-Spill design cuts off supply to the outside air – preventing ethanol in the fuel from pulling in moisture and corrupting the gas. The vacuum assist also does a great job preventing an over filled tank.

Why we like it: Rugged, DOT approved, variety of sizes and colors.

Why you will love it: No more spilling gas! Seriously - No flimsy spouts or complicated safety mechanisms. Push the button and go!

Radio Earmuffs – $79.95

Radio Ear Muffs

What Holiday guide is complete without a snappy gadget to listen to some tunes?! Radio

Earmuffs are the ear protection that you won’t work without! Complete with AM/FM radio and Aware technology to allow some environmental sound in.

Why we like it: Accessory jack allows an iPhone or MP3 player to connect.

Why you will love it: Stream any audio from your phone – Sirius, Spotify, iTunes – whatever.

Snow Accessories  - $39.00

http://www.propartsdirect.net/p/Ariens-Snowblower-Parts-Accessories

Grab a snowblower cover and keep the dust and rain off the machine! A floor mat is a perfect way to contain melting snow in the garage. Park your machine over the mat in the summer to catch mud, leaks, or spills.

Why we like it: Contains messes and prevents slip and falls.

Why you will love it: Use it all year to keep the shop or garage organized.

Grassbuster – $9.99

Grassbuster

The Grassbuster tool always finds its way into our lists. With a rounded, flexible scraper edge it is perfect for the curved underside of mower decks. It’s built to last and the stainless steel blade will remain rust free with superior strength!  

Why we like it: A clean mower deck provides a better cut and improved longevity.

Why you will love it: Perfect stocking stuffer that’s affordable and functional!

This year give your family and friends the gifts they need and will use! Our suggestions are affordable and practical. What do you think? Visit us on Facebook . Happy shopping! 

Top 3 Aftermarket Lawnmower Parts

In a recent article, we discussed aftermarket lawn mower parts. Hopefully you were able to learn the difference between OEM and aftermarket and why you can trust them. This article will take a closer look at the features of aftermarket mower blades, air filters, and trimmer line.

Oregon lawnmower blades are built to meet manufacturer’s specifications and provide users with high quality, safe, and affordable product. Oregon is an industry leading aftermarket supplier because they constantly refine their products to exceed requirements.

We sell tons of Gator Mulcher G6 mower blades. It’s affordable and reliable. The G6 provides a super high-lift for better bagging performance and improved side discharge. The blade is fused with tungsten carbide so the cutting edge remains ultra-hard, increasing time between sharpening. 

Our Oregon air filters ship out as fast as we can restock! Why? They are built with premium paper to prevent particle ingestion. A higher pleat count extends the filters life and most importantly your engine. Last, the filters carry a 12 month warranty against defective materials, exceeding the industry standard by four times. When our customers need filters, we don’t think twice before suggesting Oregon.

Gatorline is another ProParts Direct favorite. The Magnum Gator Trimmer line is built around a high-strength

inner core – highly resistant to abrasion and breakage. Magnum Gatorline comes in three different shapes: round, square, and our favorite, SuperTwist. Supertwist trimmer line reduces noise level, engine drag, and vibration. Looking for the best? Step up to the Platinum Gatorline!

We could provide plenty of great examples where Oregon is our top choice, but it’s safe to assume that our point is made. No matter where you look, Oregon wins on both quality and price. Have you put Oregon to the test?  

 What do you think? Follow us and join the discussion!

Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Pinterest  -  Google+