# Fuel Efficiency



## scastro901 (Oct 5, 2014)

Snow blowers really don't have a rating for F.E. because I guess it completely depends on the depth and type of snow along with the speed you use on the drive (or if you even use the drive). I understand that the engine tries to maintain consistent RPM and that the gas load can vary greatly depending on the loads put on the engine with all those variables I mentioned.

That being said, I have a brand new Craftsman 24-in. 208cc Dual-Stage Snowblower (model 88173) and I only got 3 clearings plus a dry test run out of a full tank (0.5 gallons).

The 3 clearings were 5", 8" and another 6" of snow. None were very wet heavy snow, but none were light and powdery.

My driveway volume is about a 5 car capacity (900 square feet including a stoop walkway).

The dry test run was maybe 5 minutes. On all 3 clearings I did let the snowblower idle a little while doing other tasks like some shoveling touch ups or cleaning my car off. Maybe 15 minutes idling total on all 3 clearings. All 3 clearing sessions were probably approximately 30-40 minutes of engine run (even with the idling). Finally, I did favor the slowest drive speeds (speed 1) the majority of the time because the snow wasn't light and powdery.

So I'm not really sure if I'm getting normal fuel efficiency or if it's not that good. Like I said it's brand new and runs great! No carburetor issues, no smoke, assuming the carb has no buildup since it's brand new. Just wondering if I should be concerned with only getting 3 clearings from that full tank.

Thanks in advance!


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

scastro901 said:


> So I'm not really sure if I'm getting normal fuel efficiency or if it's not that good. Like I said it's brand new and runs great! No carburetor issues, no smoke, assuming the carb has no buildup since it's brand new. Just wondering if I should be concerned with only getting 3 clearings from that full tank.


 
As I don't have experience running your engine size, I do know the engines of today being OHV and with smaller jet orifices have better gas economy.
1/2 gallon is a small quantity especially American gallon size. You have to keep in mind that with a new engine and blower unit, everything is still tight even more so for the engine so it can get better.
My 358cc Tecumseh and 30" blower last 1 1/2 hr with a regular 6" snow but with a full gallon Imperial and those engines are not the most economical being a flat head design.


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## caddydaddy (Dec 10, 2014)

I also have a 208cc that is new. So far, I've put 10 hours on it with the heavy snow we've had here in Connecticut. I've only used about 2.5 gallons of gas. Not too bad in my opinion!


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## HJames (Oct 28, 2013)

I used a little less than 2 tanks(.5 gallon tanks) with my 212cc engine last week clearing the 20-24" dump last week. I went out twice for a total of 5 hours. At today's gas prices I was able to run my blower for 5 hours at a cost of $2.04, I'd say it's rather fuel efficient.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Honestly, I never even considered it. Just put some gas in it when it runs out.


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## scastro901 (Oct 5, 2014)

So 3 clearings on 0.5 gallons is nothing to worry about and I'm fine?


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## HJames (Oct 28, 2013)

I would say it's normal.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> Honestly, I never even considered it. Just put some gas in it when it runs out.


That or switch machines, like the Pony Express.


Pete


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

Like Normex said you are still breaking in the engine.

After about 5 hours of total run time change the oil and put in a synthetic 5w-30.

Then see how you do.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

My old 8HP Tecumseh powered BearCat drank gas (as it turns out). I'd have to take a gas can out to the work area with me to fill it up every 45 minutes or so. I didn't think anything of it at the time; I've long been accustomed to running small engines longer than their fuel tanks' capacity.

Then I got an old, used-up Yamaha YS-828. It would run for hours on a tank.

Now I have a Honda 928TA. It positively sips fuel. I think I could run it run all day on a tankful. I've already run it for 2+ hours and it wasn't even down to 3/4 full. I honestly think a tank of gas would outlast my endurance to operate the machine. Admittedly these were not monster snowfalls, but still it amazes me how little it uses. And the Tecumseh never cared about snow depth - it just guzzled away. 

So, for me, 3 different experiences with fuel consumption. All 3 are/were similar sized machines, all 3 have tanks of roughly similar size. It's plain to me that newer engines use much less fuel than the golden oldies.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

If it is really an issue it shouldn't be too difficult to mount a much large tank to the handlebars. You might need to add weight to the bucket to counterbalance it though.


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## AriensSnowman (Dec 9, 2014)

My Ariens 30" Platinum SHO does not have good fuel efficiency, which is additionally hindered by the exceptionally small 3.3 quart tank. I am lucky to get 2 hours max out of a tank, usually only 90 minutes. I have added an MSR fuel container because I would run out of gas at the worse times. Granted my machine is new and it should improve after breaking in, but I have a real issue with how ridiculously small the tank is.


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## time2time (Jan 8, 2015)

*+1 that newer machines are much more efficient*

I am more of a casual snow blower user than some of the snow belt folks here, so I am not that concerned about fuel consumption (even though my Toros do seem to run pretty well without guzzling).

I have a Honda generator (like the rest of the lemmings, bought after Sandy for "The Next Time"). The Honda EU2000 is a small gen, but really nice, and runs very clean and efficient. Full load rating is for 4 hours on a tank of fuel (just under 1 gal US), and 1/4 load has a run time rating of 9.6 hours. If the gen is used judiciously, I think a 5 gallon can of gas can last me a long, long time. 

Fuel usage was an important part of my selection of a gen (as opposed to not really caring with my blower), because in an emergency, I cannot assume that gas will be readily available. 

I am amused by all the people that went out after the Superstorm and bought huge monster gens, thinking that they will be able run all kinds of stuff (and be the envy of their neighbors). During the next extended power outage, how many will quickly burn up their half full 5 gallon can of gas and discover the hard way that you can't "simply siphon some out of the car:"

Sorry to wander off-topic a bit, but I did want to agree that newer engines of any given HP (compared to a decades-old engine of the same HP rating) really do represent a quantum leap forward on so many aspects of efficiency.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

My Tecumseh H-70 was a quart/half gallon capacity (?) and my replacement Briggs 342 CC. is almost 1 gallon. I could do maybe 2 clearings with the Tecumseh where I can do maybe a clearing and a half with the Briggs. But I always start a storm with a full tank so it really doesn't matter to me. 

But during the storm on February 2, 2015, I did all of my property, some of my northern neighbors front apron area, my southern neighbors driveway and than two more front walks south of him. I think she was just about ready to run out. I was very satisfied with what I cleared on one tank. 

But here is what I have to clear. 



I am right at my left side garage. The driveway is about 11' wide plus about 4' of grass and 100' down to the street. My front apron along with my northern neighbors is just about 40' wide. It is a real SOAB to clear. I try to throw to my neighbors northern side (fence) because the plows go from south to north where snow can be feathered out between the next two neighbors properties. Just a real pain. 

I have permission to throw over the fence. If I throw to the south from the garage down to the house, snow has to go at least 40'. 



From the right garage door down to the cellar door is about 38'. The back yard parking area is about 25' X 25'. To my southern neighbors line off of the driveway, I have about 13' of grass area. That gets filled pretty quickly even with pushing the snow right to the property line. So eventually all of the rest of the snow has to go up to the backyard fence area. There is a slight upgrade to the backyard where some difficulty is added. I leave about 10' of cleared grass area in the backyard area to make way for future storms So roughly a 40' X 40' area is cleared.

If you add up all of my property between front sidewalks and the driveway, it would be about 230' running feet. 

I'd rather have much more power and be using more fuel then to be using the old weaker Tecumseh and using less fuel. But maybe I would think differently if I had a simple property to clear, but I dought it.  

My advice to my fellow older Ariens owners........ REPOWER with MORE POWER. You will be amazed.


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## 1894 (Dec 16, 2014)

AriensSnowman said:


> My Ariens 30" Platinum SHO does not have good fuel efficiency, which is additionally hindered by the exceptionally small 3.3 quart tank. I am lucky to get 2 hours max out of a tank, usually only 90 minutes. I have added an MSR fuel container because I would run out of gas at the worse times. Granted my machine is new and it should improve after breaking in, but I have a real issue with how ridiculously small the tank is.


 Yep , I get between 90 - 120 minutes out of mine as well. Granted it was working fairly hard the last time I used it


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

The thing with the older Tecumseh's was the 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon tanks were interchangeable. They had the same mounts so if you had the smaller tank you could double the size easily.


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