# How do you clean your Snow Blower?



## steeve725 (Jan 25, 2014)

After your done using your snowblower how do you clean the snow off?

I store my snow blower in my garage, and park it on a rubber mat. Prior to putting it in the garage I usually use a broom to get the snow off.

Just got a new Toro snowmaster, unlike my ccr 2000 there is more exposed painted metal on the snow master.

Will using a broom scratch the paint on the snowmaster, like it can do if you were to use on a vehicle?

Thanks.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

like you I use a broom for most of the snow on the snowblower but once in the garage I use a space heater to dry out the auger area. I usually run the heater for an hour ( sometimes more ), that's usually enough time to melt any snow left on the body of the machine


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I use a car brush. I just break off the scrapper on the end and I sand the end round so that there are no sharp edges. It works well. The wax takes care of a lot of the snow not sticking.


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## RAYAR (Mar 7, 2015)

For the most part, I use a railroad switch cleaning broom to get most of the snow/slush off. It stays in non-heated storage.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

No one has ito deal with salt and slush that's laden with sand and salt ?

Most of what I deal with is quite a way from the highway; but I do have about 50' of frontage at the end of my driveway where I pick up a lot of gritty salty sandy slush.

The salt quickly corrodes those chintzy aluminum electrical connectors.

I hose the unit down whenever we have a day above freezing, if we ever do, and try to pay attention to all connections . . . . but it seems to be so futile.


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## mikeinri (Mar 16, 2015)

I like the space heater idea, although mine normally thaws just fine in the shed. No mat (good idea), just the PT wood floor.

I do use a snow brush as needed. Also the scraper end in the augers. But, there are too many nooks and crannies to get every spec of snow.

Mike


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

I have lots of wax on everything so the snow comes off pretty easy. i too use a heater to melt off the snow and park the blowers on catch pans


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Automotive snow brush and when it's dry I try to wipe down with automotive detailer (spray wax) every so often.
$6 Part Number A1624 at walmart and it can be used when still wet.

Meguiar's Quik Wax - Walmart.com


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## jermar (Dec 10, 2014)

I use care when I melt it with a heat gun. Just a few minutes heats enough to get most of the slush out of the machine.


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## Padraig (Nov 23, 2015)

I park it in my unheated garage until I need it again. Clean, change oil at end of season.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Good idea Frog, 
I use their Gold Class. 



Kiss4aFrog said:


> Automotive snow brush and when it's dry I try to wipe down with automotive detailer (spray wax) every so often.
> $6 Part Number A1624 at walmart and it can be used when still wet.
> 
> Meguiar's Quik Wax - Walmart.com


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## steeve725 (Jan 25, 2014)

On my new Toro 721 snow blower is it OK to wax the plastic body. I know in the past when waxing my car if i got wax on the plastic parts that sucked.

Also, if I don't use wax, can I still use a small Broom on the 721's all plastic body. I don't know if the bristles will put little fine scratches on it. My old ccr2000 had fine scratches all over the plastic body, but I got it used several years ago and never really paid that much attention to it. The ccr2000 body wasn't shiny like the Toro 721's body is.

Thanks.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I give my Honda the evil eye until all the snow melts and then put it away.

It usually only takes a couple minutes. Like to show it who's boss.


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## pdesjr (Feb 7, 2015)

Broom for the heavy stuff.Then I fire up the compressor that's in the shed and blow the rest off.Put it in the shed on a mat and towel it off


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## Mike C. (Jan 28, 2016)

On my Toro 521,I clean it off with a broom while idling to get most of the snow off.Then I back it into the unheated garage and use a hair dryer to melt the snow around the base of the shute,if I don't it'll be stuck tight the next time I go to use it.

It also has an un-winterized Harbor Freight Greyhound engine on it,so I blast the hot air around the throttle/governor linkage to make sure that doesn't freeze up,too.

I don't know about the new ones,but it seems that Toro used(uses) very good paint on their blowers.Mine is a 1988 and it still looks very good with no care whatsoever from me.

I have two Ariens ST824's,and the paint pretty much just fell right off of the hopper on one,and the other is almost as bad.I see a lot of Ariens blowers around here from the late 70s,80s and 90s that are covered in rust whether used in salt or not.


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## guyl (Jun 12, 2016)

I clear off the snow with an old broom and put it away in a unheated garage. I'll be a bit fussier (especially around any parts that move such as the chute mechanism) if there is a chance of getting some above freezing point temperatures, such as near the end of winter.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

I have a three (3) blade Impeller, and I always park it so that blades are at 12:00 O'Clock, 4:00 O'Clock, and 8:00 O'Clock so that they won't get frozen in place.

I also have plastic shielded control cables, and I make sure that the outsides are dry, or at least free of snow at the drip-loop points, so that the cables don't get frozen in place (I still have had occasion to rely on a Hair Dryer when this fails).


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

Vermont007 said:


> No one has ito deal with salt and slush that's laden with sand and salt ?
> 
> Most of what I deal with is quite a way from the highway; but I do have about 50' of frontage at the end of my driveway where I pick up a lot of gritty salty sandy slush.
> 
> ...



I go directly to the end of the driveway and do the EOD first, then I do the remainder of the driveway which is all fresh snow. This reduces the amount of residual salt.


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

SnowG said:


> I go directly to the end of the driveway and do the EOD first, then I do the remainder of the driveway which is all fresh snow. This reduces the amount of residual salt.


That's a great idea. 

I sometimes ride my bicycles in winter and bought salt-awayto rinse it off with to help prevent it from rusting. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00144EOLC

If you really want to keep your snowblower rust-free that might be an option.


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## guyl (Jun 12, 2016)

I also do the end of the driveway first but for a different reason: If I were to have a sudden breakdown of my machine during the job, I would have a better chance of having the most critical part of the job sufficiently done to be able to drive away with the car.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* I only wash them in the fall use that deep crystal car wash soap. during the winter I just leave them alone. with the snow caked on them.*


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

If I see a bunch of white staining on the machine when I'm done, I rinse it.


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## Ariens hydro pro (Jan 24, 2014)

My Ariens machines I brush off the snow with a corn broom found on the porch, then wheel in into a heated garage. The garage is 40 degrees and more if I'm working in there. In the spring I wash it like a vehicle and service it then store it for the off season.


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## Ariens hydro pro (Jan 24, 2014)

uberT said:


> If I see a bunch of white staining on the machine when I'm done, I rinse it.


I clean the near road areas first so the machine is salt free by the time I return it to the garage.


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## driz (Dec 19, 2013)

guyl said:


> I also do the end of the driveway first but for a different reason: If I were to have a sudden breakdown of my machine during the job, I would have a better chance of having the most critical part of the job sufficiently done to be able to drive away with the car.


That's a good idea because most of that road salt gun I'll be long gone if you knock out the ugly part first and then proceed to clean out all the clean stuff just naturally disappears. Besides at that caked on built-up salt melted stuff at the end of the driveway is the stuff you want gone first anyways just so it's out of your life
I think the most important part is at the end of the season sit down with it nice and dry give a quick send Chad a bit of primer and some more paint and those places where the paint is coming off on the bottom. Mine always get scraped up dragging on the bottom and along the edges down at the bottom. I've got the best stuff you can use for that POR 15 . Do your touch up with that over a ruffed up surface and then go back eight hours later and put it quick coat of topcoat over the top of it. He just got a remember if you wait till it's completely hi do you have the stuff it with 220 sandpaper in order to get the topcoat stick well.


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## driz (Dec 19, 2013)

guyl said:


> I also do the end of the driveway first but for a different reason: If I were to have a sudden breakdown of my machine during the job, I would have a better chance of having the most critical part of the job sufficiently done to be able to drive away with the car.





guyl said:


> I also do the end of the driveway first but for a different reason: If I were to have a sudden breakdown of my machine during the job, I would have a better chance of having the most critical part of the job sufficiently done to be able to drive away with the car.


That's a good idea because most of that road salt gun I'll be long gone if you knock out the ugly part first and then proceed to clean out all the clean stuff just naturally disappears. Besides at that caked on built-up salt melted stuff at the end of the driveway is the stuff you want gone first anyways just so it's out of your life
I think the most important part is at the end of the season sit down with it nice and dry give a quick send Chad a bit of primer and some more paint and those places where the paint is coming off on the bottom. Mine always get scraped up dragging on the bottom and along the edges down at the bottom. I've got the best stuff you can use for that POR 15 . Do your touch up with that over a ruffed up surface and then go back eight hours later and put it quick coat of topcoat over the top of it. He just got a remember if you wait till it's completely hi do you have the stuff it with 220 sandpaper in order to get the topcoat stick well.


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## djgilchr (Dec 30, 2016)

RAYAR said:


> For the most part, I use a railroad switch cleaning broom to get most of the snow/slush off. It stays in non-heated storage.


I have the same snowblower Craftsman 12/32 - Model # 71-52112-1, would you know what the size of the auger belt is? Would you know where I can get a copy of the parts manual?


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

I store mine covered outside so when I am done after a snow event I broom off the snow and rinse the bucket, auger, and impeller with water. Let it cool down, fill with gas and cover it.


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## pearlfinish (Oct 25, 2016)

The Q said:


> I store mine covered outside so when I am done after a snow event I broom off the snow and rinse the bucket, auger, and impeller with water. Let it cool down, fill with gas and cover it.


Just out of curiosity, doesn't it freeze up after you rinse it with water, and it just sits there outside?

I'm only asking, because even my car will freeze up when I wash it in the winter time, and don't dry it properly.


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## rearaghaerh (Dec 23, 2016)

I just run snow through mine. Drain the gas and change the oil at the end of the season. Been doing that since new in 1998.


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## The Q (Dec 19, 2016)

pearlfinish said:


> Just out of curiosity, doesn't it freeze up after you rinse it with water, and it just sits there outside?
> 
> I'm only asking, because even my car will freeze up when I wash it in the winter time, and don't dry it properly.


No. After rinsing I run the auger for a couple minutes to fling any puddling water. Never had a problem in 18 yrs.


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## RAYAR (Mar 7, 2015)

djgilchr said:


> I have the same snowblower Craftsman 12/32 - Model # 71-52112-1, would you know what the size of the auger belt is? Would you know where I can get a copy of the parts manual?


I have a PDF manual for the C950-52812-8 and it appears to be pretty much the same for the most part. It covers the 10HP & 12HP. The PDF is about 12MB in size. I can send it to you if you want it.
The belt it lists #51224 is a 1/2" X 40" industrial belt for the auger drive.
As far as I can tell, the drive belt is #51458 ... 1/2" X 39" (transmission drive)


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF djgilchr

Ran your model number on SearsPartsDirect . com but it's not coming up with anything. Was going to try and confirm RAYAR's info.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I leave my blowers outside under a blue tarp all year long. No washing, waxing, cleaning, detailing, or ironing. 

I don't put gas in it until the snow is definitely going to fall, then I start it and turn it off. End of season, add Stabil, start it, drain it, let sit. I change the oil no often than once in 5 years, and just started using synthetic this year.

I do my driveway and sidewalk first then the EOD. I want to get the easiest on the machine and the most done first in case it breaks. The harder it is, the greater chance of it breaking. The EOD though it's HHH (high hard heavy) it's at least in a smaller area and I'm not throwing the snow far. Also worse comes to worse I only have to do one side of the driveway and I don't have to take it all the way down to the asphalt, just be able to drive over it.


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## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

During the season I:

Make it a point of handling areas by the road first so salt is removed as I blow other areas. (Something I learned here.)
Clean off residual snow/ice with a window scraper/ brush combo I found at a car care store.
Throw a few buckets of water on the housing and exterior when the weather's gets above freezing. Then towel dry.
Keep the skids on wood blocks so the scraper dries.

Once or twice a year I:

 Clean everything with my car wash stuff
 Wax the entire snow blower with carnuba (Something else I learned here.) 
 Treat plastic areas with 303 Protectant so everything is protected from snow and ice.


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## wow08816 (Feb 2, 2017)

Since my snow blower is used exclusively for residential snow removal only, the amount of wear and tear is minimal. Hence, EOY maintenance is simple. Hose down & sit out to dry. Spray WD40 in chute, auger, impeller & housing. 

I also spray blower with WD40 at least 30 minutes before each use during winter season. It has eliminated all my clogging issues and seems to have the added bonus of inhibiting rust. My 13 year blower looks almost as good as the day I bought it.


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