# My 7 horse 910965



## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Thought I'd start a more specific thread for all the questions and comments I'm sure to have about this new-to-me, early 70's 910965.

It has a 7 hp Tecumseh engine. Either someone replaced the stock 5 hp or there was a little known option for a 7 horse on this model. I can find no evidence of the latter theory, other than this unit.

Not the best pictures, but here is the beast after blowing my driveway. It worked every bit as well as I'd hoped from a 100 dollar, 50 year old snowblower. The throw was not as good as it was yesterday when I tested it and bought it, but the dry snow has warmed up 20 degrees too. Plus I forgot to spray the chute with Pam or something of the like before I started. But it was good enough. The only place it labored at all was at the end of the drive where the plow had thrown a hip deep layer of snow that had been settling for 3 days and then warming up since yesterday. But it got through with a little jiggling, and without chains.

Twice it died for no reason at all, but started right back up using the cord. At the very end after my driveway was clear it seemed like it wanted the choke to be on a little bit, so there may be carb work in my future but it made it all that way without choke and it was rebuilt last year so we'll see what happens next time it snows.

The throttle cable did slip a bit so that might need to be replaced. But hey, it would have cost $50 bucks at least for someone to plow me so if I get it cleared one more time without breakdown I will already have broken even. The one thing I will do soon is look at that friction disc because it was even harder to shift today. Does that get worse in higher humidity? But it still shifted so no complaints


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

So, explain me the impeller kit I keep reading about. From what I've seen they actually go on the auger, is that right? The PO said he looked at installing that kind of kit and there is actually no space for it on this 910995 chute. I haven't measured it myself but he seemed more mechanically inclined than I am so I took his word for it.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That's a 10000 series and you'll get many years out of it.

The hard shifting lever is probably in need of lubing the friction slid shaft. While your under there, check out the friction disc as well, as well as other internal parts conditions.

If your not privy to service position, drain the gas and tilt it forward, giving you access to the access panel and internal workings. On those models, I suspend to my shop rafters by cable for support.

While your at it, change the oil, using a Full Synthetic 5W30, and I also use 2 oz. of Stabil, as well as 2 oz. of SeaFoam in each of my 5 gallon gas cans when I fil them.

Never had an issue in all my years with any equipment doing it this way.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Its called an impeller mod, and requires you to drill the ends of each impeller blade, and bolt on a piece of belting material, or reinforced truck mud flap, or something similar, in order to give you a tighter clearance between the impeller blade and the impeller housing. I have 2 10000 series, as well as other machines, and never found the need to put any on, but a lot of people here do it.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

noblower said:


> So, explain me the impeller kit I keep reading about. From what I've seen they actually go on the auger, is that right? The PO said he looked at installing that kind of kit and there is actually no space for it on this 910995 chute. I haven't measured it myself but he seemed more mechanically inclined than I am so I took his word for it.


IN MY OPINION: Do not pester yourself with that modification.
It was designed for newer, weaker Ariens and from my experience is totally unnecessary on my 7 horse that looks just like yours.
You have a fine example of that vintage. Would you drive a '65 Mustang around and fret about what you could do to 'improve' it? Enjoy!


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Here is a couple photos one of mine I did a complete nuts and bolt restore on a few years back ...


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

oneacer said:


> Here is a couple photos one of mine I did a complete nuts and bolt restore on a few years back ...
> 
> View attachment 172948
> View attachment 172949
> View attachment 172950


Beautiful, but too nice looking to use.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Oh I don't have any immediate plans for the mod, I was just curious if I was misunderstanding it because an auger is not an impeller and the mod I've seen puts the paddles on the auger (I thought). 

I can foresee circumstances where I'd like longer throw than I had today, but there could be other more easily fixable reasons for that.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

IMHO that machine is in great condition, and has probably been stored indoors most of it's life, which is a good thing. Great deal for $100.00.

I would guess it is an early 70's vintage and you can decode the Tec. engine #'s located on the engine tag or imprinted on top of the fan shroud to find out the exact date the engine was manufacture. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the original engine.

The previous owner might have meant that the impeller gap to the shroud was so small it wasn't worth doing a impeller kit mod? The mod can make a huge difference on machines with a gap greater than 1/4 inches, but most of these machines have a miniscule gap. These machines do not throw the snow as far as some of the newer machines (mainly because of the chute design), but should throw average density snow 20 to 30 feet. The impeller mod is an easy upgrade and should really help with wet slushy conditions, . 

As others have recommended, change the oil, check auger gear box oil level, lube friction disc shaft, gears, chain, grease auger shafts (zerks), axles shafts (hopefully wheels are not rusted on), lightly oil or lube the gear selector, chute mechanism etc, inflate tires to around 10 PSI, inspect drive belt for cracking, wear or stretching (this can hurt performance).
It's hard to tell from photos, but you may want to inspect the gas line and muffler, and replace if required.

Here are some manuals, if you don't already have them. Good luck and great find, keep us posted on how you make out and if you have any questions or comments about your legendary tank.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

Ziggy65 said:


> IMHO that machine is in great condition, and has probably been stored indoors most of it's life, which is a good thing. Great deal for $100.00.
> 
> I would guess it is an early 70's vintage and you can decode the Tec. engine #'s located on the engine tag or imprinted on top of the fan shroud to find out the exact date the engine was manufacture. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the original engine.
> 
> ...


Hunnert bucks?! Lucky he found it first. I'd bought that before this Honda hs622 I bought a couple days ago. Mainly because his bucket would hook right up to what I have now seamlessly.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

Ziggy65 said:


> IMHO that machine is in great condition, and has probably been stored indoors most of it's life, which is a good thing. Great deal for $100.00.
> 
> I would guess it is an early 70's vintage and you can decode the Tec. engine #'s located on the engine tag or imprinted on top of the fan shroud to find out the exact date the engine was manufacture. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the original engine.
> 
> ...


I didn't have the old manual or the blower manual. Thanks much!
If only the Honda side of this site were more forthcoming, eh?🤭


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Those are great, clean searchable copies that Ziggy posted above. If you have some of the grungy old versions that are floating around, check those Ziggy copies out!

I searched all over for the engine #s last night but found nothing. I will keep looking.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Do I need a specific grease for the hex shaft? Manual calls for Ariens moly lithium


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I use a chain and cable lube ... I spray it on a rag and wipe it in ... whatever you do, do not get any lube on the friction disc or drive plate.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Underneath the carb heater box, there is sometimes a tag on the fan shroud. Also on the top of the fan shroud just above the 7 HP sticker there should be #'s stamped into the metal.

Lithium grease or low temp snowmobile grease, apply a very light coating.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Shoulda done this before I changed the oil and filled the gas tank...

But a drop of oil on the shift handle pivot on the handlebar freed it up considerably...now its only sticky- but VERY sticky- between neutral and reverse.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Drain the gas tank completely or if you have a fuel shut off valve which it appears you do, close it and drain tank to less than half full or stretch a sandwich baggie or heavy cling wrap over tank fill hole and put cap on.
Don't worry about draining the oil, just check oil level before you start the engine.

Put machine in service position with a block of wood or something under front of auger housing so machine is stable and won't tip over. Or as  Oneacer recommended suspend from rafters with a rope to stabilize machine.

Lube friction disc shaft and operate gear selector from R to 4th several times and see if the shift rod or any linkages are binding.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> Underneath the carb heater box, there is sometimes a tag on the fan shroud.


There it is. H70 130158A

Not sure if that helps tell me if its the original or not, but at least it confirms that someone didn't just slap a 7 hp sticker on a 5 hp engine...


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

There should be a serial # as well, such as 1270D -- which decodes to 270th day of 1971

Looking at Scott's Ariens site, it appears that based on your machine's 910965 model # your machine is a 1971-1972 that originally came with a 5 HP engine.

See model # list towards bottom of attached page



The Ariens 1960's and 1970's Sno-Thro info site.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Right, that's what I've been saying. But it has a 7 hp, one way or another. I don't know about Ariens but I know other companies occasionally throw oddballs out there or did custom orders. And it seems like they put out some info on hp in the early days that is contradictory or just wrong. It doesn't really matter how the 7 got on there. Its there, and I'm very glad its not a 5.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

I cleaned and greased the hex shaft which had some thick sticky grease on it but I still can't get it into neutral or reverse easily. Actually can't get it there at all when its tipped up, although I was able to use reverse when it was running, with considerable effort. I can feel the lever hit a hard stop when the friction wheel gets to this position shown (forward is left, reverse is right. So whats going on? Since the drive wheel is covered in the pic you can see it but the friction wheel is still a hair left of center and therefore on the forward drive side

I have a feeling maybe its a clutch issue...the PO said you have to "feather it" to get in reverse. I can't see anything on the shift side that would cause such a hard stop


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

OK I got it into reverse...but yeah, you have to squeeze and partly release the clutch just right to get it into and out of reverse and neutral going either direction. This might be one of those things that I could fix, and could break other stuff trying to fix so maybe I'll just leave it be for now.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Check out this tread from Classiccat, he is a real guru when it comes to rehabbing old Toro's and Ariens and does a great job documenting the repairs.

Especially see post #8, he was having a different issue with the selector, but it could be your issue is with the same mechanism of the clutch actuator.

Maybe even an adjustment of the clutch rod will help?









Ariens 910965 (aka 524 Sno-Thro)


This somehow ended-up in the truck when I went out for firewood this am ... It's a little rough around the edges but definite potential. In a weird twist, it's the same guy that sold my my Allis Chalmers Tracker-7... who just so happens to own a tree service. Hopefully the blood-splatter...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> Check out this tread from Classiccat, he is a real guru when it comes to rehabbing old Toro's and Ariens and does a great job documenting the repairs.
> 
> Especially see post #8, he was having a different issue with the selector, but it could be your issue is with the same mechanism of the clutch actuator.
> 
> ...



I thought I had it. After posting I went back and cleaned the hex shaft again because whatever filth is inside that friction wheel had made my lithium grease turn black already. So I recleaned and regreased and suddenly it went smoothly all the way from R to 4. Until I closed up the belly and put it back on its wheels. Now I have to release the clutch a bit to get it to go in and out of N and R, but it is much smoother overall than before. 

You may be onto something with that link. My housing is a bit worn there too where that stud comes up thru the deck, so I'll look at that closer later.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Check the Hole where the Lower Rod goes through the side of the chassis. Sometimes it gets "Ovaled" and Miss-Aligns Things.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Arggg, I hate carburetors. It definitely has troubles once its thoroughly warmed up. After blowing fine for 10-15 minutes it will just die. It will start back up right away but after that it needs choke to run well but it will still die out . Fortunately I can get most of my driveway done in those 10-15 minutes. I have little desire to rebuild the carb in my unheated garage in winter.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Well for a $100.00 - 50 year old machine, it is going to need some love

Did you install a new name brand spark plug and gap it to .030?

Did you drain the old fuel from tank and replace with fresh fuel (less than 30 days old)

Is the gas tank clean and free of debris?

The clear plastic gas line looks old, and it tends to break down from ethanol fuel, I would replace it with a rubber fuel line.

There are many you tube videos and threads on the site on how to clean the carb both in place and removed from the machine. Also new Chinese carbs are available on line for $10 -20.00, but I would try cleaning the original carb first.

IMHO a machine that will only run for 5 or 10 minutes is not only frustrating but pretty well useless for snow blowing.

I would take the time to thoroughly get the fuel system up to snuff, before the next big snow event. Hopefully that will take care of the issue, if not, then it could be an electrical (spark) issue, but I am thinking fuel issue.

Good luck, let us know how things go.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

The tank is clean and supposedly the previous owner replaced the fuel lines, spark plug, added the shutoff and rebuilt the carb just last year. But if it was poorly stored it could have gotten all gummed up again. Also it had (supposedly) fresh gas and I added more when I got it home, along with a little sea foam. I will put these things on the priority list but if it runs 15 minutes my driveway is done! (but its unlikely to get better on its own)


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

noblower said:


> OK I got it into reverse...but yeah, you have to squeeze and partly release the clutch just right to get it into and out of reverse and neutral going either direction. This might be one of those things that I could fix, and could break other stuff trying to fix so maybe I'll just leave it be for now.


This is exactly the issue I had with mine. It is a difficult fix (when doing it for the 1st time) - but if yours actually does eventually shift when you apply the lever "just right", I'd continue to use it that way. 

What is happening is the claw on the (unseen) end of the sliding fork (which is to the right of your friction disc in the picture above) is running into a tab that is called simply "neutral catch" as you shift. That claw/neutral catch setup is what allows the machine to be free wheeled in neutral (you can release the clutch lever and the machine will not roll away under power). The catch "catches" that claw when truly in neutral, which holds the disc bracket (and therefore the friction wheel) away from the drive plate.

Here's a link to why this occurs, and the horrible no good trial and error repairs/adjustments I went through to ultimately fix it. My issue ultimately wound up being a very bad bearing that is housed inside the sliding fork - which caused a lot of slop/play with the sliding fork and disc bracket, which prevented me from ever being able to truly shift into neutral, or to shift from reverse/1st and back easily.

Neutral catch adjustment/sliding fork bearing replacement


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Eeek, thanks. yeah even when I am in neutral the wheels usually want to keep moving. I usually have to lock the clutch to stop it. Definitely a job for the summer, and not something I want to tackle in my unheated winter garage.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Holy crap...I pulled the spark plug and I've never seen such a thing...it was caked with a thick and I mean THICK gray-brown-black crust, some on the electrode sides but practically the whole cone shaped space around the inner insulator was filled with it. Never.seen.anything.like.it. 

I looked in the chamber and there is a pile of chunks in there too. Tried to grab a big chunk with tweezers but it broke, so I will see what I can do with a vacuum later on. Hard to believe this had the head gasket replaced last year unless there's something seriously wrong with the engine...

I don't really have time for pulling it apart so hopefully I can get it clean enough with a small hose attached to my vacuum that will fit in there and suck it all out.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

noblower said:


> Eeek, thanks. yeah even when I am in neutral the wheels usually want to keep moving. I usually have to lock the clutch to stop it. Definitely a job for the summer, and not something I want to tackle in my unheated winter garage.


Yep...a sign that you're not really in neutral. That claw thing is probably sitting right up against the neutral catch tab on either side depending on whether you're shifting from reverse or from a forward gear.

Easy way to know for certain is to remove the bottom cover plate to the tractor, and look at the friction disc. If your gear lever is in neutral, but the friction disc is up against the drive plate - you ain't in neutral from a how it's designed to work aspect. It should also be more difficult to push around - but when when you pull on the clutch lever (not shifting)), it then frees up and rolls easy.

I've owned two 10,000 series - and worked on two others - all 4 had this issue to varying degrees. 3 I could shift "by feel" into neutral as designed - the 4th, I had to do the work in that thread I linked to fix. 

As you mentioned, you can get into a "true neutral" by feel when pulling the clutch lever - a telltale sing you're in neutral also is the clutch lever will sort of dangle loose (with your hand, you can take your fingers and sort of bounce the lever up/down because there isn't tension on the lever/clutch arm/etc) - but if you're not truly in neutral, there will be tension on the lever - the reason it tries to keep moving is the disc is against the drive wheel, but very very close to dead center on the drive plate. 

Think of it as still being in "half 1st gear or half reverse".


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

All of that was on and inside the spark plug body. I plucked and sucked more out of the compression chamber. Ran fine in idle for almost 15 minutes but then started up its old tricks about 5 minutes into snowblowing. I drained all the gas and replenished with fuel mixed with sta-bil and sea foam so hopefully at least it won't get worse before I can find time and warm space to fix it right.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

noblower said:


> All of that was on and inside the spark plug body. I plucked and sucked more out of the compression chamber. Ran fine in idle for almost 15 minutes but then started up its old tricks about 5 minutes into snowblowing. I drained all the gas and replenished with fuel mixed with sta-bil and sea foam so hopefully at least it won't get worse before I can find time and warm space to fix it right.
> 
> View attachment 173447


How about a picture of the inside of the fuel cap sitting next to the sparkplug? Just a hunch.....


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I assume you replaced the old plug with a new one gapped to .030". What did the new plug look like after running 15 or 20 minutes this time?

What did the inside of the tank look like, any debris or gunk?

Do you have a strong spark on the plug? May need points cleaned or replaced?

Looks like next step is a thorough carb cleaning. Hope that helps and will get you through the winter. 

You may need to remove the head, clean the combustion chamber, check and lap the valves and set the valve clearances.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

The gas tanks is spotless and so is the cap. I did replace and gap the plug, but haven't checked it again or visually checked the spark but I will. It must have good spark to start so well and run well for 15 minutes. I have not looked at points. Thats the only other thing I'm likely to get done before spring, rebuilding the carb (which I think is the issue because it needs half choke to run) will take a back seat to rebuilding my cub cadet clutch which take a back seat to getting a new engine in my van which will have to wait until I find the money! Everything in its due time!


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

LOL! I nearly fell off my chair laughing at Taryl's buck teeth (fake) and closed right eye. He does an excellent job showing how to adjust valves with hilarity.


Ziggy65 said:


> You may need to remove the head, clean the combustion chamber, check and lap the valves and set the valve clearances.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

arggg...was hoping I could limp through the next 2 months because I don't have time, room or a fully heated garage to pull the carb and head. I've been grateful for no snow the last few weeks but snow came and now it won't start. 

Got good spark and plenty of gas to the plug. Oil too...even after I changed the oil it turned dark again quickly (though I changed it cool, so probably not all of the oil drained) and now when I crank it and try to start it then pull the plug, its got black oil on it as well as gas. Seems like it shouldn't be getting that much oil, but what do I know...not a lot.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Well I got her started for a few seconds with starting fluid but thats all. Looks like a carb rebuild is my only option, unless you know if any of the cheap replacement carbs out there are worth my valuable time and money


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

OK, ordered a rebuild kit but if I'm lucky maybe I won't need it. Before I take this carb off, can someone answer a question about the governor? I don't think I've had a governor before. When I start it up, that governor moves rearward toward the handle. I'm not sure if its supposed to do that or not, but the backward movement happens to coincide with the engine dying out. Is that expected behavior?


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

noblower said:


> OK, ordered a rebuild kit but if I'm lucky maybe I won't need it. Before I take this carb off, can someone answer a question about the governor? I don't think I've had a governor before. When I start it up, that governor moves rearward toward the handle. I'm not sure if its supposed to do that or not, but the backward movement happens to coincide with the engine dying out. Is that expected behavior?


See the attached video...if your engine is recovering under loads (applying more throttle automatically), the governor is working. This should look just like your 910965's governor setup I believe.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

Since it won't run for more than a couple seconds, the only load it gets is being started. As soon as it fire up, the governor arm moves rearward and it dies. I don't think its dying because of the arm, but I want to check with people who know what they're doing (I hope!) to make sure.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

*Things I should have asked BEFORE we got 30 inches of wet snow in 36 hours.*

1) are tire chains worthwhile for this machine? (see thread title for machine, if yer confuded)

2) what are some tips from you veteran snowblowers for simple, preferably free things to do that will maximizing throw, and don't involve praying for fluffy dry snow?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

1) I have XTrac snow tires on my units, .... I never run chains and no need for them ... I suppose if someone had a gravel driveway, that they compacted and drove over, which left an ice-skating rink, then maybe that might constitute a need for chains running over the ice ... like the ice road truckers ...

2) Maximize through by keeping the auger belt(s) tensioned properly, making sure auger and impeller bearings/bushings are in good condition, lubed and spinning freely. Make sure the gearcase is properly lubed and in good condition. Most importantly, make sure the augers, impeller chute and bucket are free of rust, as rust is never a slick slippery surface. Properly painted and waxed, or at least spray the painted surfaces with a silicone or similar slick slippery coating. On some machines, such as many of the Cub Cadets I encountered, there are a pretty wide gap between the housing and the bucket, you might benefit from what they call an impeller mod, where you attach a type of material such as a small pad of baling belt or truck mudflap, etc., and screw/bolt it to the impeller fins to close that gap.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

noblower said:


> *Things I should have asked BEFORE we got 30 inches of wet snow in 36 hours.*
> 
> 1) are tire chains worthwhile for this machine? (see thread title for machine, if yer confuded)
> 
> 2) what are some tips from you veteran snowblowers for simple, preferably free things to do that will maximizing throw, and don't involve praying for fluffy dry snow?


Opinions vary on this, but I have found that chains can be useful if you driveway is sloped, and you don't see much bare pavement throughout the season. The X-Tracs are good, but in some conditions, I think chains are better. Myself, even with the old "lawn tires" that some gripe about, I have found over 50 years or so that the majority of the time, they were just fine, and chains took care of the rest. My blower now has X-Tracs, but not enough time in bad conditions to make a call . . . In any case, if have the conditions, chains _or_ other tires are an option (and don't buy the "chains will shake the machine apart" nonsense! Many years, and no issues! If on a snowy surface, they dig in, and you don't get any bounce at all!)

IMHO . . .


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

" If on a snowy surface, they dig in, and you don't get any bounce at all "

Many years ago, when I was much younger, I did try the lawn tires with chains on my driveway. It most certainly bounced the machine to death as well as me, as you are clearing in front of you, showing your pavement, thus jerky bouncing along. That bouncing on any machine, in my opinion, is not good for bushings, etc. ... I have XTrac snow tires on all my machines and they perform flawlessly and no jerky bouncing on the driveway.

I stand by my previous statement .... 

" I suppose if someone had a gravel driveway, that they compacted and drove over, which left an ice-skating rink, then maybe that might constitute a need for chains running over the ice ... like the ice road truckers ... "


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

I have polar-trac tires. They were brand new when I bought the unit 2 years ago and haven't seen much use.

The vibration or just general wrist stress is already sufficient to aggravate my wrist and hand arthritis, at least during such a wet and heavy snow event, so maybe I'll pass on the chains for now. OTOH part of that was having to wrestle it around when chains might have helped so it may be a wash


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Polar trac tires are of the Snow Hog design, which were a vast improvement over chains... most company's now have moved over to the XTrac design for their new blowers..... way better grip and travel with no bounce at all ...

Snow Hog Design ...










XTrac design ...


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## Benzeno (12 mo ago)

Nice old machine... I've got pretty much the same model, with tbe 7 horse motor. Lots of great info and people willing to help on here!


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Oneacer said:


> " If on a snowy surface, they dig in, and you don't get any bounce at all "
> 
> Many years ago, when I was much younger, I did try the lawn tires with chains on my driveway. It most certainly bounced the machine to death as well as me, as you are clearing in front of you, showing your pavement, thus jerky bouncing along. That bouncing on any machine, in my opinion, is not good for bushings, etc. ... I have XTrac snow tires on all my machines and they perform flawlessly and no jerky bouncing on the driveway.
> 
> ...


Apparently you you have never lived in a heavy snow area where "clearing to pavement" is not possible for a large part of the year . . .


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Apparently not .... here in CT, regardless of the amount of snow, when I snow blow, it's always down to the pavement and the sun takes care of any residual amount ..... I am always tracking on pavement when I snow blow.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

I don't think I will see pavement again for a while lol...

But the throw was immensely better today because it wasn't as wet. As for the chains, the main time it occurred to me that they might be handy is when I churned a bit farther into deep snow than I probably should have, which was almost unavoidable given the conditions, and then tried to back out and didn't have the best traction. In reverse. But I never got stuck for long.

I also probably could improve my technique, because despite my advanced middle age and snow experience I have never had a snowblower before. I'm learning that sometimes its better not to bite off more than it can chew, and take narrow slices rather than full width bites.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Oneacer said:


> Apparently not .... here in CT, regardless of the amount of snow, when I snow blow, it's always down to the pavement and the sun takes care of any residual amount ..... I am always tracking on pavement when I snow blow.


Here in upper Michigan, we routinely see 300+ inches, and temps peaking in the teens for long periods, so the sun basically does nothing except let you see the mess, and there is typically 1/2 to 1 inch of hard packed snow on driveways. (And it's hard enough to stop a blower dead if you try to get the blower to scrape it). Same reason I have zero issues with steel skids . . . you can't scuff pavement you don't touch, and since they are not on pavement, turning is easy! Heck, even the county plows (very large road graders with wing blades) rarely produce bare pavement - they would have to bear down so hard that they would destroy the road trying!


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## Auger1 (Dec 4, 2020)

After plowing my yard with the old 10K series Ariens 24" blower with the HF 212cc on it along with the auger mod. I have new found respect for those old machines watching mine blow snow like a Big Dawg today.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Those 10000 series are among the backbone of my fleet. I have 2 and they always perform flawlessly. I even like not having the safety features, but just have to be extra alert to what you're doing as you operate these, as should be the case running any blower.


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## noblower (Dec 29, 2020)

"safety features" are the bane of intelligent adults everywhere


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