With Snow in the Forecast....

I've doing so many other projects, I've been putting off the garage for too long. This weekend, I was suppose to be at work tonight from 5 until whenever I go home tomorrow morning. The work was postponed until January, and I am home today.

On my list not to include anything my wife or kids might come up with:

• Change oil and spark plug for snowblower.
• Go get a new pair of waterproof work gloves to run the snowblower.
  • My old pair disappeared a couple years ago, and I've tried to use various cheap gloves that either have gotten soaked or fallen apart.
• Get a battery for my wife's keyset to her car. She constantly uses mine.
• Put away a bunch of stuff in the driveway to make way for the snowblower.

Pretty simple agenda.

My agenda ended up including the following:

• A trip to the Apple Store in Providence to replace my daughter's failing phone. Free thankfully.
• A brief food shopping to get my mother-n-law a sandwich and a coffee.
• Stop at the rehab she's at to drop her stuff off.
• Back out to an 13/16th spark plug socket as I only seem to have 5/8th.
• Dinner
• Finally spark plug changed and oil changed.
• Snowblower will not shift.

In all of this, I discovered that my snowblower will not shift. After changing the oil, I watched some Youtube videos to see what could be wrong. Found a video on the first try. Pulled the bottom panel to look to see if the shaft had rust on it preventing the shifter from engaging different gear speeds. Sure enough there is rust on it, but no where as simple as the video to get to the spot. I'll need my son to help along with a way to jack the tires off the group.

Finally finished up at 8:30pm.

Through all of this, the wood stove continued to go like a champ. I loaded up mid morning which burned until dinner. Just before I hit bed I loaded it with two packages. That will last overnight and give me enough embers to get going again in the am.

Oh and yes it's still sort of snowing but no real accumulation.


Jason from RI

 

Well, I am 20 miles north of you but way, way ahead regarding the snowblower: I have not even looked at it yet! So not a single problem with that thing at all, whatsoever. Although to get it out of the garage, I am going to have to move the larger A/C compressor I was going to install this fall (yeah, right) that is still sitting in the front of the garage.

That said, it is a Honda and while they are just about bullet- proof regarding the running gear (hydraulic drive, tracks) they eat shear pins like popcorn, at least in my gravel driveway. I have put auxially skids on the blower housing to jack the entire front end up and I think it has to go up another 1/2" or so; better to leave 1" of snow all over the ground than 1/2" of snow and a lot of shear pin heads all over the same place. And because the shear 'pins' are really nuts and bolts, it takes some time and tools to change them.

But it looks like this 'snowstorm' is a bust with only a couple of inches of snow, and it will hit 40F in a couple of days so I should be able to slid past blowing any snow for this one.

Brian

 

So a light day?
I feel like that’s how every day goes. There’s no way my parents were as busy as I am. Glad to know it’s not just me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

So far it looks like we got 4 or 5 inches. And I'm ready for it, bring it on!

 

Looks like we have about an inch to an inch and a half from what I can tell. Temps were suppose to bounce between below freezing to just above. Which should make for great shoveling. Before I can do that I'll be taking my daughter, you know the one that had to replace her phone yesterday, food shopping. Every Sunday she has to go no later than 7:30. Even with this little snow, my wife will not want to go. Which I don't mind. Today's high will be 39.

The wife said more on Tuesday, but my weather app shows rain for us. Oh well welcome to winter on the south shore of Rhode Island.


Jason in RI

 

We ended up with about 6", powder except the last few feet from the road. Road salt slushy that didn't snowblow well. The snow should be here for a while.

 

BDF What brand of snow blower do you have? I have a Craftsman with track drive. I have had it for quite a few years and I really do like the track drive. Makes going across the lawn almost easy?

 

OFFTOPIC

Honda 928, and in Honda- speak that means 9 Hp and 28".

Not to get off on a big thing but these things are supposed to be the cat's pajamas of snow blowers, and in looking it over, test running and using it (but not blowing snow) it seems great. Hydrostatic drive, infinite forward / reverse speeds (to a max. of course) just by sliding a lever forward or backward. The chassis, handles and basic platform are fixed but the blower itself pivots and locks in different points; that is what sets the height of the snow 'clear' depth from about 1 1/2" of snow left to actually grinding the augers into the ground (for ice and frozen ice clumps cutting). But then, once in use, the machine falls down pretty badly; the handles are built for someone 4 1/2 feet tall and a foot too short for me (and I raised them 2", the max. that they can be raised), the machine is a BEAR to turn as the tread drive axle is locked, and the front always seems to be leaving several inches of snow or cutting into the ground because any undulations in the flatness of the ground make the cutting edge and augers higher or lower than the track pad. I have modified the machine quite a bit, raising the handles, retro- fitting side skids onto the front bucket, removing the max. speed interlock so it will move reasonably fast, especially in reverse but it is still a beast to man- handle. I think it would be much, much better on a paved or concrete driveway but on a gravel driveway, and across the back yard (to the wood storage), it is a grueling work- out to use.

And of course, to be fair, I have to point out that it is an absolutely typical Honda outdoor power machine, which means it is the easiest starting, quietest, smoothest and most well- made snowblower I have ever seen. The thing is a jewel, with that perfect balance of toughness and staggering overkill, such as machines like Simpson's are.

I would LOVE to try on a Husqvarna R322T with a mowing and snow blowing attachment but they are just too much money, not well supported in the US and basically an unknown item.

Brian

 

Got about 5" too. Nice and dry snow. Now the guessers say we're gonna get 8"-12" Tuesday, with rain at the end... ... then a solid freeze up...

 

I like the snow, but not the rain at the end. There is nothing worse. Like shoveling cement,and the whole mess will set up like cement.

 

Do you have the older model or the new one? Been happy with mine so far. Bought the new model 2 years ago.. They had to replace the HST at the dealer before pickup due to issues with the brand new xmissions locking up when warm. Tracks, electric start. Just needed to stock up on shear pins..

 

Ayup...

 

Well as they say over to Maine, "it's hard tellin, not knowin" how much snow we'll get.

 

How do you like the tracks? I wondered whether you can power each side independently to help steer it?

 

... sssriiight mistah man...

 

I got older 724 Honda with tracks. . thing is a beast 3 feet of snow just goes through it... it is wiser to go before 3 feet as unit intake is only 2 feet high but when town plow drive shut it going to be deep.. easily throws it 30 feet! unfortunately garage is over 40.. so 30 plus is no exaggeration as it end up at last bay door

 

I like them. Basically you use the lever to power the blower forward and backward. You squeeze the brake like handle on either side to disable that track so the opposite side continues to drive into the turn (IIRC as I haven't yet run it this year). I use it on the driveway and then clear a path across the grass around the house (hilly). Works just fine. When going over rough ground you have to be quick with your left thumb to change the angle of attack to avoid digging into the ground or letting snow run underneath.

 

Well, I suppose this is as good a place and time as any to repost this video on FHC. Would happily trade in the Honda on one of these.

 

Me too. What a rig...

 

I want one for my work, we have an 11 acre site.