Snowblower Problem Question ?

moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was turning. so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's razor choice.

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. Until the second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht
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Jeez. Now I have to keep a mirror in my garage to make sure both augers are turning.

I wonder if Ariens carries one as an accessory.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Aha! That is what happened to my old one! I spotted the remnants of a roll pin and assumed some idiot had used one in place of a shear pin. Instead it was an idiot of an engineer or designer. I junked it as there was no way to get at it short of dismantling the machine so I couild get a drift punch and hammer on it.

Machine was too small for my use anyhow, replaced with a 10hp.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.

Happend to me on a new 10hp. First time it was used it was a knock down drag-out fight to blow any snow at all until I examined it. From the looks of the hole there had never been a shear pin in it,

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Common bolt will "work" but it takes more force than a real roll pin does to shear it. If Ariens puts a rollpin in there then something will break before it shears.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any nor mal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front . Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't ha ve to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It 's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be run ning full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistan t is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of cou rse if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's runn ing full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between realit y and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push th e throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kil l the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the sn owblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire d oesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews yo u into hamburger.

Reply to
dennisgauge

I meant the *mirror* as an accessory to make sure both sides of the auger are turning.

Anybody else hear a "whoosh"?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

ormal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the fro nt. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be r unning full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF T HE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assist ant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of c ourse if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's ru nning full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

ity and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

ng you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

the throttle lever to OFF.

he throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately k ill the engine.

e throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank th e spark plug wire and the engine will die.

e throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

you into hamburger.

While I love all the suggestions in case things go terribly wrong, I'm going to postulate that your statement "Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front" may not be accurate. I guess it depends on your definition of "normal".

I'm not home right now, but I really don't think that I could hold down the auger handle and be able to see into the front of the auger housing. I'm almost 100% sure that I couldn't reach far enough to be able to see the impeller through the front. Maybe through the chute, but not through the front of the machine. I'll try tonoght, but I doubt I'll be able to see much.

Now, I am below the "average" height of US males, but - even if you equate "average" with "normal" - I don't think the extra few inches would help.

Heck, I had to modify my blower to be able to reach the chute deflector from behind the machine. Note the extension handle on the deflector. I just added it for this year's blowing season and I love it.

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The hooks are for carrying a shovel and snow brush down the block to the elderly lady's house who's driveway and car I keep clear.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.

Let me guess - you bought it at Home Despot? Or Costco?

Reply to
clare

person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be running full-bore.

have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower...

running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

Not brfore he gets hurt - possibly before a limb is amutated or SERIOUS harm is done.

and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

throttle lever to OFF.

throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill the engine.

throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the spark plug wire and the engine will die.

throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

into hamburger.

Reply to
clare

don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly su cked in > and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's running full-bor e, it will shear a pin long before > your assistant gets hurt.

Found on numerous websites and stolen without permission...

"The Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that with 1000 amputations and 5000 hospital emergency room treated injuries per year related to snowblower accidents; the snowblower ranks as the fourth leading cause of finger amputations each year.

In most of these accidents improper handling of snowblowers is the main cause for such injuries. Hospital staff indicates that patients report injuries after they attempt to clear the auger or discharge chute manually with their hand. As the individual attempted to clear the obstruction, their hands and fingers many times get caught up in the rotating blade of the snowblower with severe tissue damage resulting. Even in cases where an individual?s fingers or hands are not completely severed due to the original injury; physicians treating such wounds explain that quite commonly there is such serious damage that it is simply not possible to repair or re-attach the injured parts."

I'm thinking that shear pins don't shear quite as easily as you claim they will.

When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I'm 6'5 with a long reach, and I can't stretch far enough to see around mine. But if I slip a glove over the handle it will hold down the lever keeping the auger running. (and when I was young and stupid I would stand in front of it and kick the ice and snow that the plow had left behind into it.)

Most likely a shear pin. Could have happened if it was started while there was ice in the impeller. A few times I've had to throw a tarp over mine with a trouble-light under it to warm it up and thaw it out. (I better stock up on more bulbs while I still can, doubt if a cfl would work.)

Reply to
Mark Storkamp

Well yeah, if you shove your arm in there like an idiot with the engine going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

At an idle, you can stall the engine of a most homeowner-grade snowblowers with the toe of your boot.

Reply to
dennisgauge

are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to t urn when not under load.

Nope, Amazon. I assembled it following he step by step instructions. Wasn't the only thing that the manufacturer's quality control missed. From the missing shear pin, to a drive chain not put on sprocket, to no mention of having to reverse the wheels to get them to drive (that one was traced to shipping the wrong manual with it)...etc, etc. Many e-mails and phone calls back and forth that basically came down to "we don't give a crap".

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

ormal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the fro nt. chute and see the impeller.

That wouild be one looonnnggg stretch for a normal person. An Orangutan micht beable to do it. Added to that, it wouild accomplish nothing as, unless it has snow on it, it will turn normally just from the friction. Needs a load before it stops turning.

Same problem, it it isn't trying to blow snow you would see it turning.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Hadn't thought of trying that.

I cobbled together a "hood" from foil faced insulation board and duct tape. It sets over the the front end with an electric heater pointed right in at the auger and housing. Even that takes considerable time to get it thawed out.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

oing full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

with the toe of your boot.

In the "here, hold my beer and watch this" category.

Only a total fool would try that.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

oing full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

s with the toe of your boot.

What kind of "homeowner-grade snowblowers" are you talking about? Most snowblowers these days don't have an "idle speed" and/or "engine going full bore" when discussing the auger. Some very old units with throttles had "idle speeds" and "engine going full bore" but these days the engine is either running or not and the auger is either turning or not, depending on whether the lever is depressed.

BTW...I checked your "Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front" and I have to ask: How tall are you?

As I said earlier, I'm a few inches shy of the average (normal?) height of US male, but I'm so far from being able to even see the augers, nevermind the impeller, by looking into the front of the machine that I can't imagine anyone other than perhaps someone of Manute Bol's stature being able to do it.

Let me know the next time you plan to stick your boot in the auger to stall the machine. I'll load up 911 on my cell phone and be ready to hit send...maybe.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

o " and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt. "

Which of course is nuts. You don't have to shove your whole arm in to get seriously injured. But you would have to have a significant portion of some part of your body in the machine to cause a shear pin to break. Small branches, for example, routinely get snapped and spit out without breaking the pin. Is say a wrist that much tougher that it's going to shear the pin without injury? And by the time the shear pin did break, I'd say the odds are you would already be seriously injured. The shear pin is there to save the machine from damage if it picks up something solid that jams the mechanism. Yeah, it MIGHT prevent a total amputation and turn it into just a serious injury, but it sure isn't going to prevent you from getting seriously hurt. The serious accident stats cited prove that.

s with the toe of your boot.

Reply to
trader4

going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

ers with the toe of your boot.

I don't know about most snowblowers but I have definitely seen new ones that have a throttle control. I haven't seen one that doesn't, but I haven't done extensive looking either. It sure seems like a feature I'd prefer to have.

Agree. If I need to check the auger, the most I can do is let go of the handle and run around to try to get a glimpse before it stops.

He also claimed the shear pin will prevent someone getting injured at full throttle...... That's even crazier....

Reply to
trader4

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