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Snowblower not throwing far

3K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Cubby_Cadet007 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

I bought my snowblower 2 years ago and it was this model Briggs & Stratton 208 cc https://www.homedepot.com/p/Briggs-Stratton-24-in-208cc-Dual-Stage-Electric-Start-Gas-Snowthrower-1696614/300434289

This is the manual: https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/df/dfb0ce84-91e8-43ed-9823-f8679e9ccaa0.pdf

The auger and impeller seems to be spinning ok when I engaged the auger control however it seems like it's not throwing the snow as far as the previous years. I've adjusted the auger traction cable and it seems like it didn't make any difference.

I've inspected the shear bolts on both the auger and the impeller and they're all seems to be OK.

One other thing that I noticed, I feel like the auger/impeller doesn't spin as fast as before when I engage the auger control.

Should I be checking on the belt on a 2 years old snowblower?

Any other suggestions that I can check?

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
Hello and good morning xmg1,


The first thing you need to check is whether you have broken a shear pin on the cross augers.

1st. you pull the spark plug wire off the spark plug.

2nd try to rotate the cross augers one at a time to see if it will rotate. If one does rotate with the drive system engaged you have a broken shear pin.

You have to line up the holes in the cross auger and the shaft to enable you to drive out the old shear pin remnants and push in the new one. Most of them are grade 5 bolts and use nylock bolts to secure them. You may get lucky and the pin remnants may just fall out.
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If the shear pins are still intact you can move on to the drive belt. remove the V belt cover and wrap your hand around the V belt and if it is damaged or worn it will not be smooth and you may have rubber dust in your hand. If you see rubber dust the belt is bad and you need to replace it.

Its better to replace both belts at the same time and good insurance.
 
#3 ·
Yes. Check the belts since even a tiny amount slippage will lead to lower impeller speed and less throwing distance. Another thing you can do is to check the clearance between the impeller paddles and the enclosure. Manufactuters often have too much clearance between the impeller paddles and the enclosure and this means poor throwing ability especially if it is wet heavy snow. You should have less than 1/4 inch of clearance. If you have too much space your impeller will have a hard time clearing out the heavy wet snow. I put a homemade baler belt impeller kit on my 22 inch MTD plus a Predator 212cc and a 3 inch top pulley to increase impeller speed and my blower throws snow over 40 feet now.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the suggestions guys... I will check the belt.

What kind of inspection should I be checking when looking at the belt? leonz mentioned that I should check if the belt is smooth? Any other check?

I did a google search for belt replacement but I can't seems to find which one will fit this model.. Does anyone have any luck finding it?
 
#5 ·
There should not be any problem with an auger belt after 2 years. They usually wear on the sides so that they are narrower than stock. The belt is too thin when you have exhausted all the adjustment (in the cable on your model) and the belt still slips and fails to blow snow adequately. If the belt is cracked then replacement would be a good idea.

To check if the belt is adjusted then put a tie wrap around the handle with the auger clutch lever locked down. Remove the belt cover and press in on the belt run from impeller pulley to engine pulley until the idler (belt tensioning pulley) just starts to move and measure the belt deflection. It should be about half an inch or a bit less. If more than a half inch then adjust the auger cable as described in the manual in increments until a half inch is achieved. The tie wrap allows the quick release of clutch handle to adjust the cable.

When you have the adjustment right, remove the tie wrap to release the auger clutch and leave the belt cover off. Start the engine and run the auger clutch and release it to see if the augers and impeller stop. If they don't stop then loosen the auger adjustment just a little. Auger belt does need occasional annual check and adjustment.

Good luck.
 
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#6 ·
Thank you very much all for the suggestions. I did some adjustment to the auger belt to make it tighter and it looks like it's working perfect now. I'm not sure why it came so loose from the manufacture.

I'm also thinking about adding an impeller kit on it to throw the snow even further. I live in Canada and it seems like most of these kits are sold on the US side (mostly ebay). Does anyone know where can I purchase this kit in Canada (specifically in Ontario)?
 
#7 ·
Thank you very much all for the suggestions. I did some adjustment to the auger belt to make it tighter and it looks like it's working perfect now. I'm not sure why it came so loose from the manufacture.

I'm also thinking about adding an impeller kit on it to throw the snow even further. I live in Canada and it seems like most of these kits are sold on the US side (mostly ebay). Does anyone know where can I purchase this kit in Canada (specifically in Ontario)?

Make you own? Any 4-5-6 mm rubber mud flap or similar, 5 or 6 mm stainless steel bolts with washers, a good drill bit and Bob's your uncle. Did it on mine -super simple and really upped the trow distance.
 
#8 ·
You should order from eBay these impeller kits. One seller that comes up and ships to Canada is Maja5. Do a search on eBay with " snowblower impeller upgrade".
I ordered from him this past spring, installed it and tested the new and VERY MUCH improved throwing performance with heavy wet snow, heavy abundant slush and also water that pools in my driveway and it was "miraculous". I went that way because I had had it with my 7 year old blower and was ready to throw in the towel and buy a big expensive new snowblower.

We just had a snow storm a week ago and was again very pleased with the Olympian distance my "impeller upgrade kitted" blower was achieving. I would end by saying that these upgrade kits make snowblowing great again
 
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