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How to properly store your snow blower

Posted at 12:48 PM, Mar 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-09 12:48:01-05

With temperatures forecast to hit near 80 Wednesday afternoon, you likely aren’t thinking about those snow blowers that got a lot of use during the blizzard of 2016.

But Consumer Reports reminded people this week to store those pieces of equipment properly, so they work next winter.

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Here’s what they recommend:

  • Hose down the snow blower. Dirt and road salt from caked snow can damage the machine.
  • Drain the fuel. Even if you’ve used fuel stabilizer, your snow blower will be more likely to start right up next winter if you’ve used this year’s gas.
  • Make some adjustments. Retighten cables if needed and firm up any nuts and bolts that have gotten loose. Inspect your engine’s pull cord by gently pulling it out to check for fraying. Stock up on some extra shear pins, which protect a two-stage snow blower’s engine and transmission by breaking if the auger hits something solid
  • If you have a two-stage model, this is also a good time to adjust the skid shoes that keep the auger box’s lower edge from scraping against the pavement, Consumer Reports says.
  • Check the tires to make sure the tire pressure isn’t low.
  • Keep a log documenting regular maintenance, including oil changes and checking the spark plug.

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