# Snow Blower Corrosion at Big Box Stores



## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

As I was walking into my local Big Box Store this morning, I saw this.















I could not believe my eyes. Here are brand new blowers, sitting in sidewalk salt, just rusting away. I thought, wait till the people on *SBF* see this!

Just another reason I'm glad I work with my local Ariens dealer


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Ironically, that's probably sidewalk salt sitting directly on that cheap metal.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that will buff right out.


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

You would not see that around here today. Only because they sold out.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Well, lawsuits from people slipping are more damaging than a little corrosion, I suppose


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

HillnGullyRider said:


> Well, lawsuits from people slipping are more damaging than a little corrosion, I suppose


Good point, but still sad to see that.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Really? You guys are complaining about this? I guess you all missed this one from before:










http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/36970-snowblower-abuse.html

Just kidding, yea good reasons not to buy from these people. Suppose maybe you can use it as a bargaining tool and get them at a discount.


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

Shryp said:


> Really? You guys are complaining about this? I guess you all missed this one from before:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Need to find a happy medium between sitting in ice, and sitting salt. LOL


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## caddydaddy (Dec 10, 2014)

liftoff1967 said:


> Need to find a happy medium between sitting in ice, and sitting salt. LOL


I did! I bought mine in August!


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

caddydaddy said:


> I did! I bought mine in August!


During a monsoon?


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The bad thing about that salt is it will rinse right off and look like a new machine and already have corrosion starting in unseen places like seams between the parts if it finds any chips or paint missing. 
And the buyer will never know.


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

Never find a Honda 2 stage sitting out by the road like that. WAY too valuable. WAY too good. WAY too loved.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

I guess I should be taken to court for vehicle abuse since mine are more fully brined that that machine in the original post. I agree it's not what you want to see as showroom condition but having a outdoor display, safe sidewalks invariable weather leads to this. Regardless it will see much more in it's first storm if it has to deal with salty urban EOD slush. As long as there are buyers for this supply channel they will sell OPE the same way they sell swing sets and wheelbarrows.


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## whimsey (Oct 16, 2014)

liftoff1967 said:


> Need to find a happy medium between sitting in ice, and sitting salt. LOL


Bought mine still in the box inside the store in October. Very little to assemble on the Troy-Bilt's. Now it resides in a heated garage after being cleaned off of snow and slush after each use .

Whimsey


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

whimsey said:


> Bought mine still in the box inside the store in October. Very little to assemble on the Troy-Bilt's. Now it resides in a heated garage after being cleaned off of snow and slush after each use .
> 
> Whimsey


I do the same thing. This way they last a good long time


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## c3po (Mar 21, 2014)

I remember back during the winter of 1999-2000 there was a lawn mower repair place that was selling Try Built Snow blowers. They had quite a few of these in there small showroom and I had my eye on the biggest model they had, probably a 13 Horsepower Engine that was probably 32 inches wide. I told the guy I would come back the following week to get the machine. While I was out of town they had a 20 inch snow storm, so I come back and there's rust marks on the inside of the machine.

The guy is like, it will be $1800.00 for the snow blower, I ask him about the rust marks, seems they used the machine to clear a bunch of the side walks in the area, seems they had the job of clearing snow from certain places in the town. I told him " I am not giving you $1800.00 for this machine." He says, " We had a deal here." I told him, " We had a deal on a brand new unused snow blower." I walked out and during the fall I stopped by a place that sold Honda snow blowers and bought one right of the showroom floor.

In retrospect, I am glad the Troy Built got used in the snow storm because it got me to buying a Honda instead that has a OHV engine versus what I think on the Try Built was the L Head Tecumseh. The place where I bought my Honda snow blower is still in business whereas the place that tired to sell me the Try Built snow blower closed up in 2003.


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## Ray 1962 10ML60 (Oct 14, 2011)

A great example of why I told my buddy who was buying one at Home Depot recently to get it in the box and assemble it himself. No chance it would be chained up in front of the store for the last month.


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

Ever see the kids the home depot has assembling lawnmowers, snowblowers grills, etc? High school kids more interested in texting their girlfriend, or planning the night with their buddies. If I get it from HD I take it home in the box.


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## caddydaddy (Dec 10, 2014)

FairfieldCT said:


> Ever see the kids the home depot has assembling lawnmowers, snowblowers grills, etc? High school kids more interested in texting their girlfriend, or planning the night with their buddies. If I get it from HD I take it home in the box.


The guy that assembled mine at Home Depot was older than I am. I guess I lucked out!


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## podevil (Sep 13, 2014)

The local HD where I bought my Ariens uses a large local lawn and garden equipment company to assemble their snow blowers and mowers. Probably because of the problems they have had in the past with poor assembly. I was told that HD was switching over to this, because of all the problems they were having. Good move on their part.


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## Bror Jace (Jan 13, 2015)

I ordered my Ariens from Home Depot in October of 2011. It was manufactured a few months earlier in the summer. No chance it sat outside somewhere in the salt, snow and ice. 

Dad got a similar 28 Deluxe in 2006. The pulleys off the output shaft were not properly aligned and the machine did not perform well. It was so bad, that after just a handful of hours, the belts were already showing considerable wear.


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