We all try to save money. It’s the same with snowblower maintenance. I take good care of my 26-year-old Toro 521 snowblower. Occasionally, I have to replace an auger belt between maintenance sessions. It’s not too hard, and snow starts getting thrown properly with a new belt.
This week, the ultimate happened. Right after replacing the auger belt, part of the cowling that protects the engine and belt assemblies from rocks and moisture on the ground, had rotted away, hung down, and was caught in the snow. Now bent, the snow blower started acting like a dirt plow farmers use before sowing seed. One side where the cowling fastens had just plain old rotted away.
So, we have no more snowblower, until it gets repaired. This will undoubtedly include welding the cowling where it rotted away. While my dealer has the snowblower, they might as well perform a maintenance as well, even if were 6 weeks away from the end of the snow season.
So for today’s storm, it is shovel time.
But here’s the punch line. Before the cowling broke, I was picking up the extra belt and asked about purchasing a new snowblower.
“Your snowblower isn’t that old.”, the owner of the shop said.
“As long as the engine and body are intact, why not get it repaired?”, she went on.
Octopus Grabbus' Log 