# How long do you warm up your engine?



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I usually let it warm up about 3 minutes before starting to blow snow


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

2 min if iam running clean full synth oil which i always do


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I probably give it around a minute, at maybe half throttle or so, and gradually turn the choke off. Once the choke is off, and it's still running smoothly, I go to full throttle and start blowing. Maybe I should give it more time to warm up, but at least it seems gentler on the machine than starting it, and immediately driving into the snow.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

I drive into the snow as im pulling on the rope, Is that bad? Lol


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Probably two to four minutes - however long it takes me to do some hand clearing in front of the garage door. I also run it a low throttle for about a minute before shutting down.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Until it runs with the choke off......


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

russ i sent you a couple private messages are you getting them?


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## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

No option on the poll for me as I usually run for 5 minutes before use and throttle down for 2-3 minutes before shut down. Could be the reason why I have machines with original engines from the early sixties but what do I know and will wait for a desk jockey insurance salesman tell me otherwise.:wink2:


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## tomlct1 (Jan 6, 2016)

Both of my machines (Ariens 624E w/Tec OH195SA, and single-stage MTD w/Tec HSSK50) seem to run well unchoked as soon as they are started, so I don't need to give them a long warm-up. I use full syn 5/30 oil in both of them.


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## chargin (Mar 29, 2015)

5 -10 minutes.
I start it up and then shovel the steps before blowing.


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## nastorino (Jan 28, 2016)

I started my 24" SHO EFI at low throttle. Let it idle for a minute or so then bring the throttle up to 50% for another minute or so. Then I step up to 100% throttle for another minute or so. While this is occurring I'm shoveling the snow out of the door frame of the garage door. 

I do the same thing on the tail end of the cleanup. When all done I let the machine idle at 50% for a few minutes. Then I back it off to low throttle and shut it down.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Mine lives in a relatively warm (50ºF+) garage, so it's not the same as for one stored outdoors or in an unheated space. I start and let it run at idle speed while I wander back inside and close the garage door. I use the time to adjust clothing layers too, sometime drain a cold-contracting bladder. Add the sunglasses I forgot, scratch my ear and adjust hearing protection muffs... Then go at it with a vengeance.

Shutdown procedure follows a similar pattern. The fuel valve gets closed at the end of the driveway on the way back, and the engine speed goes to idle until stalls out of fuel. Then clear any snow in the bucket before opening the garage door and pulling it back inside. It goes back on the dolly after the oil is checked and the fuel tank is topped up, then rolls inside to wait for the next use.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

DriverRider said:


> ...will wait for a desk jockey insurance salesman tell me otherwise.:wink2:


That's a good one!

I do have to say it's guys like you (and some others here) that have convinced me to: 
A: Never jettison old US Iron _*before*_ you know what you're doing 
B: Seek out, acquire, re-furbush and restore some cool older machines from the 60s, 70s. ...Maybe some from the 80s.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I wait long enough to hear the tone of the engine level off and smoothen. Takes about a minute until the engine is warm enough to settle. 

I always idle down before shutting off, but just a couple seconds.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

drmerdp said:


> I wait long enough to hear the tone of the engine level off and smoothen. Takes about a minute until the engine is warm enough to settle.
> 
> I always idle down before shutting off, but just a couple seconds.


Same here.

Only time it's different is when the temp drops really low, just take a little longer on start-up.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

i run it at high idle off to the side the whole time i'm shoveling the drive so i don't have to listen to the dog barking cross the street.


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

Maybe a minute or so, a 2 stroke warms up very fast because there is no heavy oil in the crankcase that needs to be heated.


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

Once she is happy running with the choke off, I head out into the white stuff. 

When I'm done, I pull it in the shed, idle her down and let it run long enough with the doors closed to give the mice a good dose of carbon monoxide before I shut it down.


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

I let mine idle until I can convince my wife to go out and run it. Sure uses a lot of gas that way though!:devil:


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

jonnied12 said:


> I let mine idle until I can convince my wife to go out and run it. Sure uses a lot of gas that way though!:devil:


Chance of mrs dr bob using the machine is akin to that tall skinny cowboy and that girl in the penguin suit: Slim and Nun. She doesn't care for the noise, doesn't care for the smell, doesn't care for the cold or the work, doesn't care to learn how it works. I guess it's really job security for me... Like THAT'S a good thing. 

:angel:


Still no snow here to play in. The trees all look like a fairy-tale wonderland thanks to a few days of freezing fog. High today 25º, supposed to warm up some and maybe rain in the next few days. I might have to come east soon to get a reasonable dose of fun.


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