If you expect a good amount of snow this winter, you may have already purchased a Husqvarna snow blower or thrower. Between single- and two-stage machines, these have the power to bust through even the biggest snow banks on your property.
Snow blowers and throwers will take care of you during the worst storms of the winter, but only if you take care of them in turn. Maintenance isn't just critical to the health and longevity of your snow removal equipment – a blower or thrower in good condition clears more snow than one in disrepair. So which parts of your blower or thrower should you keep an eye on, and what can you do to keep them in tip-top shape?
"If it has an engine, it needs oil."
Oil
It's a near ironclad rule: If it has an engine, it needs oil. The engines in your snow removal machines work hard to slice up and move the powder from your property, and all those moving parts need lubrication to prevent damage.
Before the first snowstorm of the year, you should change the oil in your blower or thrower. Oil left over from last winter has most likely decayed and can't provide the engine with the lubrication it needs. Since oil naturally breaks down from use, keep track of how long you're using your machine – after eight hours, check the level and refill if necessary. After 50 hours, you should cycle the entire system with new oil.
One of the only parts of your snow removal equipment that's actually supposed to break, these small pins are designed to act like fail safes to protect the machine from catastrophic damage – if too much torque is applied to the augur, the shear pins snap or pop out of their housings.
Shear pins
Taking care of your engine is all well and good, but if you don't have a way to force snow through the machine, you're out of luck. This is why it's crucial to inspect the shear pins that connect the augur to the gear case of your thrower or blower.
Check if the pins on your thrower or blower are missing or damaged. If so, it's time for a replacement – just make sure you get parts from the original equipment manufacturer. If you purchased machines like a Husqvarna ST111 or Husqvarna ST327P, make sure your new shear pins are from Husqvarna, too.
"Don't try to clear snow on overused shoes – it could damage the housing."
Skid shoes and scraper bar
The engine turns the augur, and the augur chews the snow, but it's the skid shoes and scraper bar that feed the white stuff into the machine. Located in front and side of your snow thrower or blower, skid shoes allow your heavy machine to glide along the ground, and the scraper bar picks up impacted snow and ice and feeds it into the augur.
Because these two pieces are always in contact with the ground, they can wear down quickly. Some skid shoes are reversible, but don't try to clear snow on overused shoes – it could damage the housing of the machine. When your scraper bar is so worn down that it can't pick up snow anymore, it's time for a new one.
Spark plug
If you have trouble starting your snow removal machine in the dead of winter, it might not have anything to do with your fuel, oil or engine. It might just be the tiny piece of equipment that kickstarts the entire process: the spark plug.
Replace your spark plug once every season, even if your machine functions fine. Carbon will build up on the outside of the plug, and this can reduce the performance of your snow blower or thrower over time.