# "Snow Stories" - Winter 2013/2014.



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

First measurable snow of the season in Western NY! 
One inch on the ground..not enough for the snowblower! 
oh well..there will be more soon enough!

Anyone throwing snow yet?

Scot


----------



## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

I'm doing the Nor' Easter dance down here in PA. Cummon baby...


----------



## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

Just dustings here nothing needing moving yet... Hope to see snow Tuesday-Wednesday though... well not really I have to be out driving in that weather!


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

some snow flurys yesterday and adusting about a week ago. maybe the guys north of me or on the west coast got enough snow to give the blower a workout


----------



## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

Blew snow for 4 hours last Sunday and am about to go out and do a little cleanup from what accumulated this week.


----------



## JSB33 (Jan 11, 2013)

The only snow that was getting blown around in my part of North east Ohio was done by my leaf blower. I was out doing the back yard, dealing with the leaves for what I hope is the last time. Everything turned white in the 2 hours I was out there. By the time I was done it stopped snowing. 
I think others in the area got a lot more snow, ours was gone by the afternoon.


----------



## SnowRemovalFan (Oct 12, 2013)

Here they are saying maybe a dusting tonight, and then transitioning over to rain tomorrow...maybe 2" of that. Then transitioning back to snow Wed. night. Might not even have to break out the broom.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i just looked out my front door and its snowing! the leaf blower might get a workout in the morning


----------



## Buttchet (Mar 5, 2013)

Just got in from blowing the drive way fort he first time this year. Maybe only a little over an inch out there but I had the itch and had to fire up the blower... Ahhhh. New chute on the Bolens worked great even with just a little snow.


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Got Snow Fall Alert here Alerts: Metro Montréal - Laval - The Weather Network


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

4pm Tuesday, and the snow has started here in Rochester, NY!
they are saying 6" to 12" for us in the next 24 hours!
Not a lot, but its "snowblower worthy"! 

We will remain firmly on the "snow side" of this event..
I have family near Binghamton, NY..they will be in the "mix of snow/ice/rain" zone,
then the coast is "all rain"..










Scot

Scot


----------



## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm in the Mix zone on that map. Hopeing for all snow though I hate ice. I had my single stage out earlier to clean up 2 inches of snow for fun since Im not sure if it will turn to all rain and wash it all away before we get more. Still a nice thing about my single stage its good from 1 to almost 12 inches.


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Wednesday morning..
just got in from clearing 6" of *very* wet and heavy snow!
my '71 Ariens really struggles in the wet snow..I had to go in 1st gear the whole time, but going "slow and steady" got the job done..

I bought a clarence impeller kit 2 years ago and still havent installed it!
next summer, for sure!  it would have really helped today.

Scot


----------



## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

I recently picked up a mint 7 year old Ariens 926DLE & just used it this a.m. for the 1st time. Our area got 8-9" of the wet, heavy snow & this blower handled it with ease. It threw it a good 25'-30' without a hitch. Couldn't be more pleased my choice. 
Maybe your 71 Ariens is a bit "tired" after all these years?


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Got 6" of very wet and heavy snow today, the new D28+ took it with ease.


----------



## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

All we got is rain /wind here. Thank god I still 5 day's worth of fall cleanup's


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Runner50 said:


> Maybe your 71 Ariens is a bit "tired" after all these years?


yeah..I would say its a bit "tired"..but only the engine!
the snowblower itself is a tank, and is working flawlessly..but the original 42 year old Tecumseh engine is showing its age..

I might eventually look into a replacement Tecumseh or Briggs (USA-made only) sometime in the future..but its not a high priority. Todays sub-par throwing was just about the snow..90% of the time the snowblower works great!

Scot


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

sscotsman said:


> yeah..I would say its a bit "tired"..but only the engine!
> the snowblower itself is a tank, and is working flawlessly..but the original 42 year old Tecumseh engine is showing its age..
> 
> I might eventually look into a replacement Tecumseh or Briggs (USA-made only) sometime in the future..but its not a high priority. Todays sub-par throwing was just about the snow..90% of the time the snowblower works great!
> ...


Scot
Hopefully that impeller kit will help that. It seemed to make a real big difference in mine especially with the wet slushy snow along with the more powerful engine. Let everyone know how much snow you get and I hope your family doesn't have any problems getting home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Thanksgiving
Mark


----------



## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

sscotsman said:


> yeah..I would say its a bit "tired"..but only the engine!
> the snowblower itself is a tank, and is working flawlessly..but the original 42 year old Tecumseh engine is showing its age..
> 
> I might eventually look into a replacement Tecumseh or Briggs (USA-made only) sometime in the future..but its not a high priority. Todays sub-par throwing was just about the snow..90% of the time the snowblower works great!
> ...


 
Yeah, the engine is what I was referring to. I've looked at plenty of vintage Ariens on Craigs List & it's obvious they're built like tanks. I almost went that route myself, until the one I bought popped up. Glad I waited.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

another dusting of snow today and kinda cool out, 21f


----------



## powerwrench (Aug 29, 2013)

got 9'' of snow twice in a row here in luringtun MI.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i'm glad we didn't get a couple of nine inch snowfalls on the east coast of michigan


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

Runner50 said:


> Yeah, the engine is what I was referring to. I've looked at plenty of vintage Ariens on Craigs List & it's obvious they're built like tanks. I almost went that route myself, until the one I bought popped up. Glad I waited.


I have a vintage machine too a Gilson made Montgomery Ward 8/26 with a Briggs 8hp. We still haven't recieved any snow but this engine is 41 years old since it was made 08/14/1972. The thing otherwise is built like a tank. Very thick steel and I fixed 3 stress cracks on the handle and 1 on the chute. The engine is real weak however and puffs some smoke


----------



## Snow Job (Jan 22, 2013)

Up here in central Manitoba, we received about 6" of snow. More on the way. Installed a 1 gallon tank on my vintage Ariens.


----------



## Snow Job (Jan 22, 2013)

GustoGuy said:


> I have a vintage machine too a Gilson made Montgomery Ward 8/26 with a Briggs 8hp. We still haven't recieved any snow but this engine is 41 years old since it was made 08/14/1972. The thing otherwise is built like a tank. Very thick steel and I fixed 3 stress cracks on the handle and 1 on the chute. The engine is real weak however and puffs some smoke


Sounds like your Briggs needs a engine rebuild.


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Snow Job said:


> Sounds like your Briggs needs a engine rebuild.


I was thinking the same thing. Valve job and new valve guides/seals might perk this right up.


----------



## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

GustoGuy said:


> I have a vintage machine too a Gilson made Montgomery Ward 8/26 with a Briggs 8hp. We still haven't recieved any snow but this engine is 41 years old since it was made 08/14/1972. The thing otherwise is built like a tank. Very thick steel and I fixed 3 stress cracks on the handle and 1 on the chute. The engine is real weak however and puffs some smoke


The thing I like about the Pro series model I bought is it's also built like a tank. And after seeing how easily it handled the 9" of wet snow the other day, I'm confident will handle anything Mother Nature throws our way. American made, (all of it) modern & extremely heavy duty. It doesn't get any better than that.


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

db9938 said:


> I was thinking the same thing. Valve job and new valve guides/seals might perk this right up.


That is the problem "might" It is easy to remove the valves however the only way to remove the valve guides are to take it into a machine shop. I would be looking at about $100.00 or so just to replace both valve guides and a new set of valves. The rest is fairly easy just get a spring compressor and drop the valve in and hook the retainer up and run it through it's paces mearsuring the clearence with a feeler guage and setting the clearence by grinding the valve. Since new valves tend to be long you usually need to grind some off and then reinstall and measure clearence. Get some lapping compound and lap the valves to the seats and clean up with brake cleaner. However since it is an aluminum bore the rings escpecially the bottom oil ring and or cyinder bore could be slightly worn and that could mean $150.00+ if you do it yourself and you would still have an old flat head engine. 
Old style 2 piece flo-jet carburetors sell for $50.00 or more on ebay and sell the gasoline tank and recoil too so I would most likely be better off parting the engine out and selling the parts and replacing it rather than wasting my time an effort and money on rebuilding an obsolete engine.


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

True, and I understand there is a point of diminishing returns. And you may have reached that point. I was only trying to offer suggestions of what and where I might begin with the scenario that you described.


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

db9938 said:


> True, and I understand there is a point of diminishing returns. And you may have reached that point. I was only trying to offer suggestions of what and where I might begin with the scenario that you described.


True, I am not too impressed with the old flat head engines. I had one for 16 years on my MTD 5/22 with a Tecumseh that was hard to start. I replaced it with a HF Predator 212cc and it always starts in 1 to 2 pulls and runs great and tosses snow 40 to 50 feet. I gave the old engine away for free. I am thinking about parting this engine out. I sort of wished I would have done it right away before I put any money into it. The body of the snow blower is fine and I think the HF Predator will work good on this. I will need to drill holes to mount it because the 8hp Briggs has a larger bolt pattern on it then the Predator which was the same as the 5hp Tecumseh.


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

And at $100 a copy, you may be able to recoup 1/4 of that in scraping the old engine.


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

db9938 said:


> And at $100 a copy, you may be able to recoup 1/4 of that in scraping the old engine.


I bought a gas tank for it and sealed it too. $35 to $50. I could sell the carburetor $35 to $50.00 and the recoil shroud $20.00 since it works ok plus it has a magnetron ignition in it too and they are $50.00 brand new so about $20 for a working used one.


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Metro Montréal - Laval
12:52 PM EST Saturday 14 December 2013
*Winter storm warning for* 
Metro Montréal - Laval continued

15 to 30 cm of snow is expected beginning this evening in these regions. This snow will be accompanied by generalized blowing snow. Adjust your travel plans and check road conditions and weather forecasts before leaving.

Together, an Arctic air mass over the province of Quebec and the
moderate winds are causing extreme wind chill values in the
Manicouagan.

Later on, a low pressure system from the Southern United States will
intensify as it moves to lie over New England Sunday morning.
Snow associated with this system will affect Southern Quebec
beginning this evening. Accumulations of 15 to 30 cm will affect all
areas south of a line linking Mont-Laurier to Quebec City.
The northeasterly winds will intensify as this system approaches and
will significantly reduce visibilities in blowing snow. The lower St. Lawrence and the Gaspé Peninsula will see the effects of this system
beginning on Sunday morning, and road conditions will deteriorate
around midday. Monitor future forecasts as warnings could be extended
to other regions of Central and Eastern Quebec.


The first major storm of the year , now the beast[Orange Crusher ] will have its first true test.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

its still snowing here. i was heading to mom's but had to stop at home depot for some rock salt. all i can say is they haven't done a good job of clearing the streets of snow, i called mom and told her to stay in and that i would be over in the morning. there is between 5 - 6 inches on the ground now, there was just over two inches when i left out at noon


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)




----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

its not a blizzard but we are getting some snow her in s.e. michigan


----------



## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

RattlerGUNZ said:


> Metro Montréal - Laval
> 12:52 PM EST Saturday 14 December 2013
> *Winter storm warning for*
> 
> The first major storm of the year , now the beast[Orange Crusher ] will have its first true test.


Orange Crusher.  I love the handle gunz, very cool.
I think I'll call mine Lucille.


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Just started snowing here at 9 30 pm EST.




























This is from the last 2 snow fall I got.


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Metro Montréal - Laval
8:55 PM EST Saturday 21 December 2013
*Winter storm warning for* 
Metro Montréal - Laval continued

Total amounts of 15 to 30 centimetres of snow and ice pellets are
expected over all these areas. Also, 15 to 40 millimetres of freezing
rain is expected over Montérégie and in the Eastern Townships tonight
and Sunday. Winds will develop tonight and will cause blowing snow
near the St. Lawrence River.

A developing low pressure system over the midwestern states will
bring snow, ice pellets and freezing rain tonight and Sunday over the
province of Quebec.

Freezing rain is already affecting several areas near the U.S. border
and will persist over Montérégie and the Eastern Townships throughout
the weekend. Significant amounts of freezing precipitation are
expected, and road conditions will be hazardous. Tree branches could
break due to ice accumulation. Power outages are possible. Freezing
rain could also affect the greater Montréal area.

Significant amounts of snow and ice pellets are also expected.
Snow and ice pellets will be heavy tonight and Sunday. This snow will
be accompanied by strong northeast winds near the St. Lawrence River.
This will strongly reduce visibilities in blowing snow.
These conditions will spread toward Eastern Quebec during the day
Sunday.

People in affected areas should consider delaying or even canceling
their travel plans. Road conditions may deteriorate rapidly.


----------



## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

Looks like someone's gonna be busy!


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

all we've gotten for the last three days is rain. as much as its been raining if this were snow a good portion of the state would be shut down


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

I ran out to Ace's, in jeans and a t-shirt.... We are going to pay for this weather.


----------



## RattlerGUNZ (Nov 3, 2013)

Blue Hill said:


> Looks like someone's gonna be busy!


Yeah 4 hours straight of removing snow.  This week first oil change,already have Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic bottle.


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Phase 1 complete. cleared 9" of new snow from the driveway. +12 degrees F and windy. The only good thing about the cold is that it makes the snow very light and fluffy! easy to clear..Will probably do an exact repeat 24 hours from now..the snow is still falling heavily.









Scot


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

part of the storm that hit michigan is over your way now scott. yesterday the snow was very light weigh but by the time i got in from henry's the seven inches that fell over nite was quit abit heavier. even though i havent put the armor skids on i used the 521R, it seems to throw snow farther than the 521E or maybe the adjustable carb on the 521R is better tuned than the non adjustable carb on the 521E


----------



## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Been snowing here all day they are calling 10-15''.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

69ariens said:


> Been snowing here all day they are calling 10-15''.


 it started snowing here new years day just after ringing in the new year and stopped snowing around two this afternoon. your all day snow doesn't surprise me but if its the same snow system we had it will take a couple days to get 15" out of it unless you've got some lake effect mixed in


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Looks like it's all over here..16" of snow total. 
probably half of that was from the storm, and the other half compliments of Lake Ontario..
the sun is coming out! but about +4 degrees!
going out to clean the rest of the snow off the driveway..
Scot


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

We got a solid 4" yesterday, and now they are calling for 4"-8" on Sunday. 

Not as much as some of you folks, but more than we have seen in a while.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

db9938 said:


> We got a solid 4" yesterday, and now they are calling for 4"-8" on Sunday.
> 
> Not as much as some of you folks, but more than we have seen in a while.


 well if thats not enough then head north and stop on by sunday. they are saying we are getting a foot of snow


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Uh, well yeah, you see, I have a late Christmas thing to attend to with my brothers family, that's finally in town..... Wouldn't want to disappoint the nephews and niece....


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

db9938 said:


> Uh, well yeah, you see, I have a late Christmas thing to attend to with my brothers family, that's finally in town..... Wouldn't want to disappoint the nephews and niece....


 i understand but the offer is still open


----------



## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Wheel fell off the 2450 in the back of my truck. Came home after I was done plowing and all geared up to use the 69 when... I whent to start her up saw that the key was missing Looks like my 2 yr old had his way with it. Lucky a local dealer had one in stock.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i keep a spare key for the snowblower on my key ring


----------



## Ryan (Dec 13, 2013)

Well today in Colorado we got our first big substantial snow fall along the front range of Denver. 6+ inches in most areas. I was wide awake at 8:30 AM and my frame of mind went into something that us men do from time to time, sometimes when we see a pretty gal, sometimes when we see a very nice piece of equipment we want to play with (on the gal's too!) sometimes when we get some nice tools, heck you know what I mean. First stop? the closest of the 7 church buildings I help maintain. Just so happens to be the one I go to as well, the newest, with all the latest gadgets and tools, including my favorite snow blower, the 2008/2009ish Ariens Deluxe 30. About 7 inches of the white stuff at this building, and the Deluxe 30 handled it without breaking a sweat. I LOVE this machine. But it was not all fun and games. I hit a rock pile that has large sized river rock in it right next to the sidewalk and I did snap off one of the sheer bolts. Thankfully ACE Hardware was nearby and within 30-45 min I was back up and running, but if I would have checked the owners manual bag that was in the shed where the blower is stored, I would have seen 3 of them in that bag already. Ah well. 

Next up? Older building about 6 miles away that has one of those dreaded "Murray" built John Deere TRS-27s. Now, don't get me wrong, I really like these TRS27s, they are very nice and practical and do a VERY good job when set up right and tuned up. This one in particular had been hard to start, and wasn't going to start for me today. I pretty much knew what the issue was. The primer hose had rotted and broke off of the nipple going into the carb. Very easy fix, just take off the 4 screws holding the plate for that area and use a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the broken off hose and put the existing hose onto the nipple, re-attach plate, and fire her up. No worries. Though I need to spend some time on this machine when the weather is warmer, drain the old oil out, and put in fresh 5W30, as I suspect one of the building mechanics put in 10W30 or SAE30 due to how hard I have to pull the starter cord. I also need to see if I can tweak the carb settings a bit if possible and get the running speed up as it is only at about 3/4 throttle running speed right now with the throttle lever fully engaged. Definitely doesn't throw the snow as far as it should. I also need to see about how the light kit is supposed to be wired as I only see one wire going into the light housing and the light does not work. 

Next building is about 3 miles away. This building has 2 blowers. One is one of the TRS27s, (Murray built) that needs a carb rebuild as well as the auger gear rebuilt, it tends to skip from time to time and make some chunking noises. The other is a 3 year old Honda something that has tracks instead of wheels. So I get a choice of what to use. The Honda is nice.. new.. modern.. good engine.. but I realized after using it for the first time 2 years ago that I hate it. BIG TIME. I HATE those tracks. They are impossible to steer. I also despise how when it is in neutral and the engine is off, I still can't move the thing. The tracks won't roll. It DOES throw the snow very nicely and very far. But here is why I hate the thing. Honda designed this thing for short people. Just like they do with all their vehicles. I am too tall to comfortably use the thing, and I hate how far I have to reach to turn the chute. What a PITA. Just using this thing for 5 min is enough to throw my back out and cause severe pain. So I elect to use the John Deere, despite it's problems. It still gets the job done and no back problems = Happy RyGuy. 

So it has been an interesting day for me.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i headed out about two this afternoon to blow the snow thats been falling since sometime last nite. the driveways and walkways that i clear snow from didn't look too bad so i got the 2450E out. it wasn't very cold, about 30* but as the snow got deeper it also got heavier. once i was done with the walkways and driveways i cleaned the 2450E off and put it back in the garage and took the 521E out. it started on the second pull ( i guess it helps if the key is on  ) and was warmed up and ready to work by the time i got in the front of the house. wet and sluhy snow was in the street. second gear kept the impeller full so the little guy could do the job. the more i use the 521 the more i like it!! now ii have eight homeowners that can get in and out of their driveways and park on the street if need.be. i cleaned the 521E off and put it back in the garage with a space heater in front of the drum to melt the snow


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Well, it's been raining here. 

Earlier, met up with my brothers family at a bowling alley, to have a family get together/Christmas gift exchange with the kids. Altogether, there were 8 kids ranging in ages from 11 years to 7 months. Paper was everywhere, nacho cheese smeared on everyone, and the smiles were from ear to ear. 

Good times.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i went out again this evening and blew snow again. it was deeper and heavier than this afternoon. i had to use first and second gear to keep the auger from over filling and pushing snow but even in 3rd gear it never plugged up it just didn't throw snow as far. its still about 30* but the deep freeze is arriving tomorrow


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i got home from henry's about 3:15 and called up my buddy jr. he came by and picked up the 521R cause his big john deere wasn't blowing snow. i took the 521E and cleared snow for and hour and a half re-cleaning everything i had done last nite. the wind is at 16mpg, gusting to 30mph with a temp of -2. not very good snowblowing weather


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Well, I did not get to go outside and play today. All we got was a dusting after the rain. 

It's -4F, with barely anything on the ground. A far cry from what they were calling for.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i wasn't feeling good so i didn't go visit henry today. about noon time i headed over to mom's and put my battery charger on her car, she doesn't drive much and someone thought it would be a good idea to jump start their car off moms car. while i was there i grabbed the 3650 out of the garage and did some clean up work and also made the street more passable


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Well, finally got to go back to school Wednesday. Everything was going as reasonably well, as could be expected, until 3rd bell. The PA squawked, and they evacuated one of the 5 buildings, for a water leak. Apparently the sprinkler line in the building across from mine, froze and blew. 

Not much of an interruption to us though. That was until 7th bell. 

I was in the middle of class, and heard the sound of an industrial powered air line leak, followed by the sound of the largest bath tub faucet, coming from my closet. I ran over and opened the door, just to see the largest walk in shower I've seen. 

So, we evacuated outside as the fire alarm is buzzing. I open my fire door, and laid desks over to direct the water outside. 

What a way to start back....


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i went out to blow the snow about a half hour ago. i moved the gas cans and a bag of salt out of the way then pulled the 521E out so i could get to the 2450E. three primes and one pull vola it was running! by the time i got the gas cans and salt back in the garage a snow squall came through so i put the 521 and 2450 back in the garage. now the sun is back out so i'm heading back out to blow some snow


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

2 - 5 inches of snow i went and blew my snow and four neighbors. there is a heat wave going on, its 23f out there


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

after getting home from henry's 2" - 5" of snow was waiting to be blown. i use the 2450E, it sounds like its time to change the spark plug but its too cold


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i've got about 3" of snow on the ground right now, if this keeps up there should be plenty of snow storys posted later today form members in s.e. michigan


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

there is about 7" of very wet heavy snow on the ground. i moved the van out of the driveway then got the toro 521. three primes and two pulls and it was running and throwing snow as well as ever. i have one area about twenty five feet long and six feet wide where i have no choice but to throw snow then re-throw snow and by the time i got to it the 521 wouldn't move through it. needing chains i went and got the toro 826, this was the first time i have used the 826 since i got it but i'm glad i did. the chains gave me the traction to finish the propertys i normally do and some before it started raining. the 826 is a fantasic machine but the controls are going to take some time to get use to


----------



## JerryD (Jan 19, 2014)

I awoke to a nice 8" snowfall this morning. I waited until 10:00am for it to stop snowing before I fired up the 832 Toro. My next door neighbor started on his driveway about the same time I did, but he was having constant issues with his new Troybuilt. My old 1971 Toro performed flawlessly on my 350' driveway. When I was done with my driveway, I started on my neighbors drive. Once the neighbor's drive was complete, we dug into the Troybuilt. It turns out, the inside of the carb was falling apart, the float fell apart and the needle was laying in the bowl, hence the major fuel dump he was experiencing. We were able to pick up the parts at the local small engine shop and get the Troybuilt ready for the next snowfall. This Troybuilt was new this season. I feel good about my "Relic".


----------



## powerwrench (Aug 29, 2013)

4'' of wet heavy snow this morning. pulled out the ole girl choke on two prime pulls one good pull and she started right up with no problem.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

the roads wer much better today so i ventured over to mom's with my 521E. all that wet heavy snow has turned to hard packed snow and ice. the 521 fired up after three primes, full choke, and one pull but i didn't get any snowblowing done with it cause the belt gave up the ghost. my nephew was already warming up the 3650E and went to work after i told him about my belt issue


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i got home form henry's about 3:00 and went right to the garage to get the loading ramps for my friend jonas, once we loaded them on his truck i went back and got the toro 521E with the new belts running so i could blow the six+ inches we had. the new auger belt made a big difference in the throwing ability of the machine but i wanted to get things done a little faster so i i parked the 521 for the 826. two passes down the sidewalk and five propertys were clear of snow in no time. i did the main part of the neighbors driveways with the 826 and cleared the street also. for the walkways up to the front porch and some cleanup work i used the 521, its easier to control ( to me ) than the 826. once i was done snowblowing i shoveled the snow from my front porch and stairs then parked the van and got everthing back in the garage i had to take out to get the snowblowers out. right now i have the space heater in front of the 826 and i'm heading out shortly to move the heater in front of the 521


----------



## Koenig041 (Dec 18, 2013)

Nika,Nika,Nika what a p.i.t.a. We live in northwest NJ in the higher elevations. Its not uncommon for us at the top of the hill to have snow and the folks in the valley to have rain. Today we had 5 inches of snow, then frozen rain, then just rain. I knew we were not going to lose power because both of our generators were prepped and running well. The generator shelter was in place and ready to house the genny. Now if I had done none of this, we would have lost power at like 5AM. The layer of ice on top of the snow is so thick that my 6 year old daughter barely breaks through. This morning I installed a DIY impeller kit on the 2005 troybilt 1030. My 8 year old son operates this machine. I use the Toro 1132. My son takes off down the drive with the 1030. All I hear is the popping and cracking of ice. This machine used to clog with heavy snow prior to a new auger belt. The impeller kit and new auger belt worked great. Not a single clog in the chute. It warmed up to like 37 degrees while we were clearing the snow. Under the snow on the driveway was slush and standing water. The Toro did a nice job removing the plowed hard pack at the end of the driveway and in front of the mail boxes. The Toro does not throw as far as the Troy Bilt but removes a higher volume, faster and with less effort. If this snow would have been lighter we would have been done in an hour and a half. With this crap, it took just under 3 hours. You gotta love winter.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

Koenig041 said:


> Nika,Nika,Nika what a p.i.t.a. We live in northwest NJ in the higher elevations. Its not uncommon for us at the top of the hill to have snow and the folks in the valley to have rain. Today we had 5 inches of snow, then frozen rain, then just rain. I knew we were not going to lose power because both of our generators were prepped and running well. The generator shelter was in place and ready to house the genny. Now if I had done none of this, we would have lost power at like 5AM. The layer of ice on top of the snow is so thick that my 6 year old daughter barely breaks through. This morning I installed a DIY impeller kit on the 2005 troybilt 1030. My 8 year old son operates this machine. I use the Toro 1132. My son takes off down the drive with the 1030. All I hear is the popping and cracking of ice. This machine used to clog with heavy snow prior to a new auger belt. The impeller kit and new auger belt worked great. Not a single clog in the chute. It warmed up to like 37 degrees while we were clearing the snow. Under the snow on the driveway was slush and standing water. The Toro did a nice job removing the plowed hard pack at the end of the driveway and in front of the mail boxes. The Toro does not throw as far as the Troy Bilt but removes a higher volume, faster and with less effort. If this snow would have been lighter we would have been done in an hour and a half. With this crap, it took just under 3 hours. You gotta love winter.


 do you plan on putting an impeller kit on the toro


----------



## Koenig041 (Dec 18, 2013)

I did put a DIY impeller kit on it. It was working great until a design flaw had two of the three pieces of rubber come off. In my haste I did not put a washer around the screw. Rubber tore off around the screws. Screws still in impeller. But they worked great until that happened. Here's a video with it.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

we got about 5" of snow over nite. i didn't have time to deal with it before going to work so i was lookig foward to blowing some snow later today. once home from henry's i noticed my walkway and driveway had been cleared of snow


----------



## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Awoke to a coating of ice, and day of melting.


----------



## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

I'm hoping this 3 inches today is "it" for a while.

8 days ago(2-10-14), I was floating in a pool in Marathon Key at 7pm, staring up at the moon.

I got back last Wednesday, spent 20 minutes with the plow and 2 hours with the blower. Snow moved in early AM thursday(2-13)
Thursday until about 2pm we got 10 inches of snow. Again, 20 minutes with the plow, 2 hours with the blower.
By Friday Morning, we got another foot. 20 minutes with the plow, 3 hours with the blower.

I clear my area, two of my neighbors and the mailboxes.

My area includes a dog run for my snow dog.

We got 3 inches this morning...I just trample that down. lol

There is a big storm brewing up the coast next tues/Wed, it's modeled to move out to sea, but every other storm in the past few months is headed NW...if so we're in for another whopper. I can hope it goes out to sea.

Every 2-3 years I get these 20+ inch snows, so my Compact 24 needs a bigger engine. Even at the slowest speed, I had to stop frequently enough when the snow was over the bucket. I am really asking more of this machine than what it was designed to do. I'd also like to have bigger wheel. It was a champ and I got it done, it just took a lot longer than it could have with a bigger motor. I can't go bigger on the bucket, so I'm guessing I'll get a platinum 24 in the off season and sell this one.

If you're interested, here's some pics. Most of them are of my dog enjoying the snow 

http://thewellrats.com/malbor2/storm14/storm14.html


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

nice pic's mal


----------



## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

detdrbuzzard said:


> nice pic's mal


Thanks...can you tell I love my doggy? lol.

He's pretty high energy and he LOVES barreling through the snow.

For him, my entire house area is now canyons...he'll occasionally venture up top, but it's too much work.

The snow sure is pretty and I'm not particularly fond of the rain that's supposed to hit on Friday. Mostly because little of this snow will be melted and it's going to turn it all pretty ugly pretty fast and cause the sumps to start pumping.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

looking to it seemed like there as just over an inch of snow on the ground but once outside it was more like 4 - 6" of snow. i got the toro 521E and cleared snow for myself and the usual neighbors then headed to mom's to do the same. once done i chatted with mom. she gave me some peach cobbler to take home, i put it in the van then got the 521 loaded on the hitch rack. from there i went over to my brothers, he has a toro 2450E but recently had heart surgery. while unloading the 521 i noticed one of his neighbors watching and by the time i had it running there was my brothers neighbor with his ( i'm guessing, it looked like one i saw at roy's shop a few weeks ago ) 927 craftsman. i guess he wanted to show me what a real two stage snowblower was. while he had a bigger bucket and almost twice the power his craftsman was no match for my toro, he was still going at it went i left my brothers house


----------



## mikey517 (Feb 20, 2014)

Hey Mal,
I'm in Highland Lakes... can't quite place your area, but it seems like we dodged a hit with Titan so far....


----------



## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

mikey517 said:


> Hey Mal,
> I'm in Highland Lakes... can't quite place your area, but it seems like we dodged a hit with Titan so far....


Heh, I'm in HL as well. West side of the main lake.

We're getting zero snow from this storm.

From 10-15+
to 8-12
to 2-4
and finally to c-2

I Just looked at the Radar, we're not getting anything. Tonight anyway.

I was looking forward to more snow. One last chance to use the plow and the blower...and having a day off work would have been nice.


----------



## mikey517 (Feb 20, 2014)

Mal said:


> Heh, I'm in HL as well. West side of the main lake.
> 
> We're getting zero snow from this storm.
> 
> ...


I'm on the East side of the Big Lake across from the club house. Think big red sailboat!

Can't say I'm sorry about no snow, but from what I've heard, we'll have a few more chances in March.

Six months ago I started "living the Medicare Dream", so work don't figure in, but scrounging firewood has taken most of my time this February.


----------



## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

mikey517 said:


> I'm on the East side of the Big Lake across from the club house. Think big red sailboat!
> 
> Can't say I'm sorry about no snow, but from what I've heard, we'll have a few more chances in March.
> 
> Six months ago I started "living the Medicare Dream", so work don't figure in, but scrounging firewood has taken most of my time this February.


Ah, you've got one of those places that has such a great view of the lake. Unfortunately I've got a few trees between me and the water, but it's still pretty nice.

I've been following the storm threads Accuweather forums, and they run threads for the model potentials way out there and it doesn't seem like there is much in the pipeline, so I think we're done. If we're not going to get a big dump, I want the 18 inches of ice block that's everywhere to go away.

As for scrounging firewood, I didn't have a furnace until 2012 and burned 6-8 cords in the winter. I added on to the house in 2012 including a furnace. I burned 3 cords last year but I'm already 4 cords in for this winter and we're not even close to being done! I typically try to put up 2-3 cords of my own and buy the rest. There are number of monster oaks up on the neighbors property that came down during Sandy and he and I have to figure out how to get them from 150 off the road on a ridge. I've got big ropes, heavy duty pulleys and a truck. It's going to be interesting.

I had hoped to start working on those oaks in March...unless this ice block melts soon, that's not going to happen. 

If you need to buy some wood, my friend Tom Kattner of Kattner landscaping on 23 still had some not long ago. He's not cheap, but it's not a ripoff either.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i got home from henry's as usual just after three. there was 4" - 7" of heavy snow. i parked the van on thewrong side of the street and got the 521E out the garage. it was doing a great job when all of a sudden the drive control rod came loose. i tightened up the nut and continued blowing snow. i was about 80% done when the 521 started squealing then nothing, no foward or reverse. getting it back in the yard wasn't so hard. next up was the 2450E, it fires up on the second pull. once warmed up it was time for some action including eod and sluch work, all moved by my favorite single stage snowblower


----------



## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

we`ve been hit time and time again these last 3 weeks.. banks are about 3 feet tall.. so when there are drifts... well you get the idea lol i have long (15 or 18in.. about drift cutters and they arent long enough for the banks the plow leaves.. the way the wind comes in I have no real option than blow `up`the street.. so to speak... that side is about 6-8 feet high of a wall ... and more is on the way in the next 48 hours


----------



## Mr Fixit (Nov 19, 2013)

Send us pictures of your drifts Marty. Sounds like a record winter. My front yard is nearly clear in Canada.


----------



## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

record winter.. i think its fairly typical.. though you got me curious digging up snowfall records for an entire winter.. hmm.. and sure if you wanna see pics ill gladly oblige  stay tuned


----------



## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

ok so.. pics were taken just a couple weeks ago.. will post shortly.. also found out we had more than 3 meters snow since 2014 lol add whatever we got late 2013 since it started staying on the ground in December...


----------



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

*Summary*

While we didn't receive the amounts of snow we've had in recent winters, we had lots of small events, perhaps 80" for the season. The kids had either 3 or 4 snow days. We did endure some extremely cold periods where it would not go above freezing for 8 or 10 days. (I've got some serious heating bills to prove that). This halted the melting we're accustomed to seeing and the piles of snow we're getting bigger and bigger. Thank goodness I have a snow blower and can allocate to empty areas where all the neighbors use a plow service and they ran out of places to jam the snow 

It was a different pattern this year -- we had many snow events but nothing you could brag to your friends about. Our biggest snow this year was 14" of ultra light powder. It's very unusual for us to have a big snow and temps far below freezing yielding light powder like that. It doesn't happen often. Our snows are typically heavy and wet, 30F is the norm. I have felt the 921030 could probably use a bit more power in the heavy stuff. The 254cc engine seemed a little light to me. Real nice machine otherwise. I'm most impressed with the entry-level PathPro I bought. Outstanding ability to throw snow, smooth running and nothing seemed to slow it down. It appears to have a significantly better reserve than my old Suzuki-powered Toros. This machine is a steal at $400.

I ended up buying a 921036 from Speedway two weeks ago. I'd like to have a bit more power than the 254cc engine on the Deluxe 28". It's not unusual for us to see 20"+ snowfalls of heavy snow. I sold the 921030 last weekend. Now I'll have to wait 8 months before putting the B&S engine to the test


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

uberT said:


> I sold the 921030 last weekend.


Time to update your signature


----------



## pwm (Jun 12, 2014)

*Pics from Manitoba*

Here are some photos I took last March of my house. We're in Headingley MB, which is 5 km outside the Winnipeg city limit. Semi-rural area with large lots. Being on the prairies, the winters are long and brutal. It stays below freezing from November till March, so the snow that falls in November is still there until spring. It just keeps piling up.


----------



## pwm (Jun 12, 2014)

*Another photo*

Here's another interesting photo. We have an energy efficient gas furnace. The exhaust pipe exits the side of the house, and it drips condensation all winter. It freezes into columns, and then extends over the course of the winter into the formation you see here:


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

right now I'm not even looking forward to putting the Goldwing in hibernation but i do have the single stage toro's and the 826 ready to go. the 521E just needs belts. i plan on getting the diffy kit and new belts on the powershift


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

A new winter is nearly upon us..I will start a new thread! 

Scot


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Im going to close this thread, since the winter of 2013/2014 is now in the history books..see the new current thread for 2014/2015 here:

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...on/25065-snow-stories-winter-2014-2015-a.html

Scot


----------

