# How to Store Your Snow Blower - Spring Equipment Maintenance



## Ariens Company (Nov 1, 2013)

It is time for the "Changing of the Guard" from blower to mower.

As you retire your snow blower to storage and begin prepping your lawn mower for the cutting season, follow these helpful tips to extend the life of your machines – both your mower and your blowe​r.

Give your mower a good checkup before the busy mowing season starts, and properly store your snow blower so it will be ready to go back to work next winter. An Ariens and/or Gravely dealer can help service your equipment each year as you enter the season of the "Changing of the Guard."

Click here to view the details and print the check list.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

contrary to what most owners on this website do sounds like ariens recomends leaving a full tank of stabilized gas in it like the briggs website recomends.. on the other hand honda recomends draining tank.
not sure why ariens says to throw stabilizer in remaining fuel as you should put stabilizer in it the day you purchase it.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

You're kidding right ? We are expecting another foot of snow next Thursday in NY.


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## MattM (Dec 11, 2012)

brickcity said:


> contrary to what most owners on this website do sounds like ariens recomends leaving a full tank of stabilized gas in it like the briggs website recomends.. on the other hand honda recomends draining tank.
> not sure why ariens says to throw stabilizer in remaining fuel as you should put stabilizer in it the day you purchase it.


I bought a Honda eu3000is generator two years ago. They recommend storing it full, with stabilizer, then draining it out and refilling it with new gas. What a PITA.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

+1.



brickcity said:


> contrary to what most owners on this website do sounds like ariens recomends leaving a full tank of stabilized gas in it like the briggs website recomends..


This is what I've been doing for years. I don't bother draining it and refilling the following season. I just fire the machine up and off I go. I think some of these newer stabilizer products are better than we give credit to.

Yeah, something is brewing for Wed night in my area. I'm wondering if this will be the "big one" we've been waiting for   Snow blowers at the ready !!


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## Hova04 (Jan 9, 2014)

Well I've heard different advice for my toro. Some tell me to let it run until the gas burns out. Though I'm going to do what the tech who serviced it told me. He said to just tilt it over and drain the gas out after I let it run for 5-10 mins w stabil. 
But I here of a winters mix this Thursday.


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## Hova04 (Jan 9, 2014)

This is what I've been doing for years. I don't bother draining it and refilling the following season. I just fire the machine up and off I go. I think some of these newer stabilizer products are better than we give credit 

What stabil brand do you use? And how much do you put in ?


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

it would be nice if the lists were in pdf, i don't have a printer with this computer


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

I put SeaFoam in the gas and run it dry.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

I drain mine completely. Have never had any problems. My train of though is that yes filling the tank up completely can save some time and if you have a metal tank cause it to hopefully not rust (I still don't get say if there was water in the gas why it wouldn't rust anyway).
But I do know that say if it didn't snow one year and the machine just sat there I will have 2 year old gas in the tank that will need to be removed the next time I want to use it. 

Plus when I drain the tank any water or garbage that has gotten into it over the use can be sucked out as well.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

MattM said:


> I bought a Honda eu3000is generator two years ago. They recommend storing it full, with stabilizer, then draining it out and refilling it with new gas. What a PITA.


I have an EU2000i. I store it with stabilizer in the gas, but I drained the carb bowl before putting it away for the season. 

If the EU3000is is the same as mine, there would be a screw at the carb bowl, open the screw, and the bowl drains through a tube, out the bottom of the machine. From a look at the 3000is manual, it appears yours may have the same drain. 

The carbs in the 2000, at least, are apparently rather susceptible to gunking up from gas going bad, due to very small openings in the jets. I need to clean mine at the moment, it needs partial choke to run smoothly. 

I've never replaced stabilized gas the next season, I just run what was in there. I do run the carb dry in my blower before storing it.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 6, 2013)

I run Marine Stabil and Lucas in every tank. I also drain mine dry, but I also put them in a climate controlled downstairs so I don't have any issues with moisture over the summer.


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## fixer5000 (Nov 3, 2013)

i use seafoam in every engine driven thing i own and have for years. i do not drain anything dry ever. never had a problem. that's how i do it. 4 stroke 2 stroke same thing and they all start when i need them.


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## pfn (Dec 24, 2010)

from Ariens... http://ariens.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...G~wr1Dv8S52L~GlIe~yL~Jvkq~_~~tDoMIDr~&2=10398


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

I have always run my machines, and boats dry, and have had no trouble, probably for 30 years. And latelyI have been using Seafoam, or Techron in the bad gas.
Sid


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Bingo..........




vmaxed said:


> i put seafoam in the gas and run it dry.


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## MattM (Dec 11, 2012)

RedOctobyr said:


> I have an EU2000i. I store it with stabilizer in the gas, but I drained the carb bowl before putting it away for the season.
> 
> If the EU3000is is the same as mine, there would be a screw at the carb bowl, open the screw, and the bowl drains through a tube, out the bottom of the machine. From a look at the 3000is manual, it appears yours may have the same drain.
> 
> ...


Yes, I run the generator out of gas and drain the fuel bowl as well for long term storage.


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