# How do you use your snow blower in 40 inches of snow?



## SnowGuy69 (Feb 12, 2014)

On Long Island we got about 12 ". No big deal.

My sister-in-law sent my wife pictures of there 40 ". 

How do you use a snow blower in 40 "? Guess you better have drift cutters. BTW: My Brother-in-law shoveled by hand.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

We got in the 33" range yesterday and I learned a few things.

Yes on drift-cutters; you'll still get spill-over on the bucket they will cut a wall that won't cave-in on your engine.

Make sure your engine is winterized. My '89 8hp tecumseh kept ingesting snow from landing on the heat box and sliding down gap between the hotbox & muffler. 

My Briggs flathead with a flo-jet carb has we well protected air intake tucked way-up under the winter cover. The engine got buried a few times and the only thing I had to make sure was clear was the tank vent.


----------



## SAVAGE420 (Apr 21, 2015)

Just keep chugging along is what I do 









Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------



## SAP_ALL (Apr 4, 2014)

late-January or mid-Feb I start to use second extender


----------



## RAOUL225 (Jan 24, 2020)

You go out more often instead of removing it all in one shot.


----------



## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

RAOUL225 said:


> You go out more often instead of removing it all in one shot.


that's the smart way BUT in those areas that got 40 plus it came down harder over night while everyone was sleeping,
those cases drift cutters and rocking the machine up and down from the handle bars helps,


----------



## RAOUL225 (Jan 24, 2020)

I am the only guy on the street that like to blow snow in the middle of the night.


----------



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

RAOUL225 said:


> I am the only guy on the street that like to blow snow in the middle of the night.


And your neighbors, if you have any, love you.
OK, if they are not close to you.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

"How do you use your snow blower in 40 inches of snow?"

One answer, slowly ... 

If you know your getting that much, its easiest to do it in phases for sure, not all at once


----------



## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

classiccat said:


> Make sure your engine is winterized


What do you mean by that?


----------



## tomlct1 (Jan 6, 2016)

We did not have that much snow with this storm, but my words of advice, for when you are in snow higher than the housing (like where the street has been plowed up near the sidewalk) - I remove the cleanout brush/tool from the top of the housing. One time, I lost it in the snow and later hit it. I lost only the brush, but it could break shear pins, and force you to replace them when you would rather be clearing the snow


----------



## RAOUL225 (Jan 24, 2020)

Big Ed said:


> And your neighbors, if you have any, love you.
> OK, if they are not close to you.


Just kidding! I have a snow contractor that comes in with his big tractor blower.I use the blower to clear my walkway and pathway. At $200 a year you cannot beat it.


----------



## CTHuskyinMA (Jan 14, 2019)

I saw a news clip this morning of a guy in Binghamton, NY who was using an Ariens in snow that was over the top of his bucket. He was barely moving forward.


----------



## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

How would... I use my sno thro in 40" of snow? I would do two clearings.


----------



## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

RAOUL225 said:


> You go out more often instead of removing it all in one shot.



this is the smart answer. once it gets as tall as your bucket i would go out maybe before.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

kd8tzc said:


> What do you mean by that?


folks that are using a non-winter engine are missing critical engine guards/shrouding; one example: the 212cc Predator out-of-the-box. there are several threads on converting the predator.

sidenote: on fixed-jet engines (like a honda, honda-clone, etc.), the summer jetting will be too lean for winter use.

the shrouding does a few things:

Prevents snow/water from being ingested into the carb intake. Even on my winterized 8hp Tecumseh, yesterday's pounding highlighted that engine's Achilles heel.
Keeps the throttle linkage from freezing
Puts warmer air into the carb which will richen the mix...why its very important with adjustable carbs to wait for the engine to be at operating temperature with the shrouds on.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

My Predator 212 conversion never has any issue in freezing weather for years now ... guess I am the exception ...


----------



## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

SnowGuy69 said:


> How do you use a snow blower in 40 "?


With Great Gusto!


----------



## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

SAVAGE420 said:


> Just keep chugging along is what I do
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There ya go! Proceed until the snow covers up to the belt guard, then go back until the snow falls in front of the bucket, repeat.


----------



## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I have not come up against 40" in one snow storm, though I have had 100"+ in a single season. As has been noted, I'd keep at removing it in chunks rather than at the end if at all possible. I do have a couple of sets of drift cutters in the shed, but I have not had a need to put them on for several years now.
Hope everyone is safe and digs out soon.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

oneacer said:


> My Predator 212 conversion never has any issue in freezing weather for years now ... guess I am the exception ...


OR you haven't encountered the right conditions as @Freezn can attest.

Predator Governor Linkage Icing


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

SnowGuy69 said:


> On Long Island we got about 12 ". No big deal.
> 
> My sister-in-law sent my wife pictures of there 40 ".
> 
> How do you use a snow blower in 40 "? Guess you better have drift cutters. BTW: My Brother-in-law shoveled by hand.


shovelling builds muscle and character. I did it for 50 years until the ol lady nagged me into getting a blower.

ya, driftcutters or break it down with a shovel.


----------



## cobra2411 (Jul 31, 2016)

I'm usually out before the storm is over, but when there are drifts or blowing snow if it's light I let it crash over and if it's a heavier snow I rock up and clear the top, then 2nd pass and clear the bottom. It's very slow work. 

I used to run a '61 Simplicity single stage with a 7.5hp engine and the pullies turned up a little. That would chew through solid ice... There were NO safeties other than what's between your ears. I used to just let it crash over and come back and make a second pass. 

I really should invest in a set of drift cutters but where I live it's super rare to get that much snow in one storm and typically when you do get a bunch of snow it's because the system stalled out so there's little wind. Just go out every 5-6" and clear it away...


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

SAVAGE420 said:


> Just keep chugging along is what I do
> 
> 
> 
> ...


i shared this with my facebook group of Honda maniacs if that is okay.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@classiccat,

Yeah, I suppose if I blew the snow against the wind, instead of working with the wind with proper adjustments, and all the snow blew back on me and the machine ( note: this would not happen, as I work with the wind), then having myself and any one of my machines covered with snow would certainly create problems for me and my machines.

Work smarter, not harder is my motto ...


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I helped the guy who has a $80,000 Holder snow removal machine that has hundreds of local residential contracts one time. He needed an auger gearbox for his Honda so I just gave it to him.

He does my driveway and berm for free the last 2 seasons.


----------



## Jason B (Jan 28, 2015)

SAVAGE420 said:


> Just keep chugging along is what I do
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, that may be the winner.


----------



## 3vanman (Nov 21, 2017)

I haven't faced a 40 inch snow fall, but my property slopes, and as a result a 12 inch snow fall can lead me to having to deal with drifts up to 2 or more feet.
As others have stated, I spread out the load. 
Was a nice sunny -10C day, took me about 4 hours and my trusty old Craftsman II didn't let me down.
BTW, no drift cutters, just took the time to ensure the engine didn't get to buried!!


----------



## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

orangputeh said:


> shovelling builds muscle and character. I did it for 50 years until the ol lady nagged me into getting a blower.


She never realized you would turn into an extraordinary Honda mechanic with the skills to make some side money. Then again, maybe she knew this would keep you home and out of jail or stripper bars.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

I just power in, let the snow flow over the top til it wont go any farther. Back up and hit it again. On the return trip, clean up the row that spilled over the side. On the Toro the other night, the snow was flowing over the engine and the big blower to was level with the top of the tank.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

In my experience when you get that kind of snowfall in that short a time period, the snow is almost always light and fluffy. It's much easier than heavy wet slushy snow to handle.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

With the HSS1332 with the auger housing extender, I can blow about 30" of snow in a single pass, like today's EOD berm. With my old HS80, I had to go out every time the snow got to about 16-18" and blow it all out, unless it all fell overnight in which case you wake up to this:


----------



## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

oneacer said:


> @classiccat,
> 
> Yeah, I suppose if I blew the snow against the wind, instead of working with the wind with proper adjustments, and all the snow blew back on me and the machine ( note: this would not happen, as I work with the wind), then having myself and any one of my machines covered with snow would certainly create problems for me and my machines.
> 
> Work smarter, not harder is my motto ...


In an ideal situation. Sometimes the wind is swirling though and you can't blow with the wind. Up along Lake Erie we get that from time to time.


----------



## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

same here . living on a mountain top can be hard at times . wind changes direction at it's whim


----------



## SAVAGE420 (Apr 21, 2015)

orangputeh said:


> i shared this with my facebook group of Honda maniacs if that is okay.


Definitely buddy! 

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------



## SAVAGE420 (Apr 21, 2015)

Jason B said:


> Ok, that may be the winner.


Lots of fun! 

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Yeah, getting out there before it gets too crazy is the thing I try do. However, I don't think the weather people predicted that massive, heavy band of snow that set up from Albany across VT and across NH and over to the coast. I would have gotten up in the night to go out and try to cut a few paths.

I think 30" is probably the most I've ever done from a storm. All I had was the TORO single stage and I'm sure I was out there for hours. Not a good scene.


----------



## ZTMAN (Jan 11, 2018)

tabora said:


> With the HSS1332 with the auger housing extender, I can blow about 30" of snow in a single pass, like today's EOD berm. With my old HS80, I had to go out every time the snow got to about 16-18" and blow it all out, unless it all fell overnight in which case you wake up to this:
> View attachment 171927


Gotta love those Hondas. Did you re-jet your carb?

I usually go out every 12 inches or so. I could not imagine doing 40" at one time.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

ZTMAN said:


> Gotta love those Hondas. Did you re-jet your carb?


Yes, I'm right at sea level, so I went from the #102 stock to the #110 jet and am currently running at 3700RPM.


----------



## Darby (Dec 18, 2020)

SnowGuy69 said:


> On Long Island we got about 12 ". No big deal.
> 
> My sister-in-law sent my wife pictures of there 40 ".
> 
> How do you use a snow blower in 40 "? Guess you better have drift cutters. BTW: My Brother-in-law shoveled by hand.


Once you get one pass thru, enlist the aid of a helper to work in front on you, pulling snow down with a shovel. Then blow that.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

The first snowblower I ever used back in the 1960s belonged to the parsonage down the street - a Jari-Jaw. It had a very tall double-auger housing that could pretty much handle any depth of snow. I've often wondered why snowblowers are not still built this way. EOD berms sure have not gotten any smaller...


----------



## Johnny G1 (Jan 28, 2020)

I have a Snow Shark, twin auger's which I bought 20 some yrs ago, the old tecumseth gave up a few yrs ago, machine in excellent shape and have spare clutches and lots of new chain if needed, one day I have to find an old motor and put it back to work, quite novel the way they built it in those days, from the 60s I have been told.


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

SnowGuy69 said:


> How do you use a snow blower in 40 "? Guess you better have drift cutters.


#1 Put on warm snowmobile pile gear ( helmet is great against blowing snow.)

#2 Have a big a$$ Ariens blower


----------



## MrSnowBlow (Apr 2, 2017)

CTHuskyinMA said:


> I saw a news clip this morning of a guy in Binghamton, NY who was using an Ariens in snow that was over the top of his bucket. He was barely moving forward.


I live in Binghamton but own aToro!


----------



## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

kd8tzc said:


> What do you mean by that?


What he means is to make sure you have a winterized engine. It's probably safe to say that any original engine is. However was folks re-power more vintage machine with engines such as common predators they are usually losing those features. They may include: no air filter, a heater box that uses muffler heat to preheat intake air, shrouding to keep snow out of the recoil, a mitten friendly rope handle, a gas cap with a shrouded vent to prevent water entry, a rubber boot on the spark plug to prevent ignition interruption.


----------



## SnowGuy69 (Feb 12, 2014)

My wife showed me a pic. My brother-in-law shoveling it. I can't imagine it was good for him at 70 Years old.

When I was a kid I had a Snowbird. When we were going to get a huge snow fall I used to do it when the snow hit 15 inches or so. The only problem is the wind often blew the snow right back into the nice clean driveway. At the end of the storm, you had as much as everyone else.


----------



## SnowGuy69 (Feb 12, 2014)

Mountain Man said:


> #1 Put on warm snowmobile pile gear ( helmet is great against blowing snow.)
> 
> #2 Have a big a$$ Ariens blower
> 
> ...


I like the helmet!


----------



## Elfiero (Apr 9, 2019)

I wish we could get some of those big dumps here in fly-over country, like you guys on the coasts get. When I look outside, my grass is still green. Next week, we are supposed to get an inch-big deal.


----------



## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

How about clearing 20" deep twice 😄


----------



## Darby (Dec 18, 2020)

tpenfield said:


> How about clearing 20" deep twice 😄


Brilliant !


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

tpenfield said:


> How about clearing 20" deep twice 😄


come'on TP! where's the fun in that?

would you rather catch 1 40" fish or 2 20" fish?


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

tpenfield said:


> How about clearing 20" deep twice 😄





classiccat said:


> come'on TP! where's the fun in that?
> 
> would you rather catch 1 40" fish or 2 20" fish?


In all seriousness, we got just shy of 3'. That's bordering between fun & pain.

I gained more respect for you folks that have to clear this much several times in a season.


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

SnowGuy69 said:


> I like the helmet!


Thanks ! Its warm, helps with noise, and even has a Flip Down sunvisor. If I added a port to the snowblower, I could also have a heater shield 🤣


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

2 yrs ago


----------



## Spring1898 (Jan 1, 2013)

Go out more than once!
Or if it was a surprise snow, I would push down on the handles to lift the front into the snow, letting the housing float over the snow underneath to take some of the weight. Then pull it out, and go over the stuff I passed over. Still slow, and gave more of a workout than just slowly inching in and letting the snow fall down.

Where I used to live, we once got 150cm (5 feet) on Christmas day.
For that Christmas I pulled the easy card and did it with the Kubota Tractor and 42" Blower 
Even so, I ended up going in twice, once to take the top layer, and the second time to take the bottom leftovers.

Oh, and wear ski gear.

And older single stages are lighter for use on the roof...


----------



## LoganH (Oct 27, 2018)

CTHuskyinMA said:


> I saw a news clip this morning of a guy in Binghamton, NY who was using an Ariens in snow that was over the top of his bucket. He was barely moving forward.


We had 35” in Thursday’s storm. My HSS928 with tracks just motored through the light fluffy stuff. Many times I could see only the top of the blower. Main issue was the light snow worked the way onto the drive belt and it started to squeak. Next day it dried out and worked fine for the cleanup.


----------



## SnowGuy69 (Feb 12, 2014)

I may have to re-think getting those drift cutters. In all the years I have been on Long Island, we never had 40 inches + in my memory. There was a bad blizzard when I was young. But none in recent memory. Going out more than once never worked for me. It always drifted over again.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

I haven't ever really found drift cutters useful in my situation. I did make a set for one of my Ariens blowers but frankly it was a waste of time.


----------



## Mfitz (Dec 18, 2020)

captchas said:


> that's the smart way BUT in those areas that got 40 plus it came down harder over night while everyone was sleeping,
> those cases drift cutters and rocking the machine up and down from the handle bars helps,


I have a giant bruise on my thigh from doing that. 38” here


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

deezlfan said:


> I haven't ever really found drift cutters useful in my situation. I did make a set for one of my Ariens blowers but frankly it was a waste of time.


Au contraire... They are worth their weight (in the precious metal of your choice)!


----------



## FEF3 (Feb 18, 2016)

40' inches would be asking a lot from almost any snow blower even mine ! My 2002 Ariens 1336 PRO. Some times we get more than 24" of snow that would go right over the the bucket, so I cut the top of the bucket off and made a new one 10" taller as well as new side plated to fill the gaps and a repaint. The new height is 30" you can see in picture 2, At the top front edge of the bucket I welded in 1 inch cold rolled steel rod for extra weight and strength, keeps the bucket from twisting and you can sit on it " no bending " This blower has been great over the past 18 years and still runs like new, I maintain it better than most would ! The electric shoot motor has been replaced 4 times, the 4th motor now 8 years old I took it apart soaked it in corrosion x spray, greased gear box to the top and used " *XtraBond 150 RTV Silicone Sealant "* to seal water out the motor, the electrical connector was a problem too, easy fix with " *Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors " *no other problems to date.


----------



## DEWFPO (Oct 18, 2013)

RAOUL225 said:


> You go out more often instead of removing it all in one shot.


Yep, that's the way you do it. As many times as you need. 

DEWFPO


----------



## Audioi (Dec 21, 2020)

I have a HSS1332ATD and jut run it low speed. We had 41 inches this past week, it was fun!


----------



## biggen5963 (Feb 3, 2015)

SnowGuy69 said:


> On Long Island we got about 12 ". No big deal.
> 
> My sister-in-law sent my wife pictures of there 40 ".
> 
> How do you use a snow blower in 40 "? Guess you better have drift cutters. BTW: My Brother-in-law shoveled by hand.


We got about 26”. I just went out twice when it got to be about 12” and then again when it stopped.


----------



## SteveCA (Feb 17, 2021)

I clear it the same way, just a bit slower and a lot more muscle involved rocking the blower back and forth, etc


----------

