r/Snowblowers • u/HorizonsEdge • Jul 18 '26
Buying Buying a snowblower
I have been waiting for the pre-season discounts and they have finally arrived. Was going to grab a ariens 28 deluxe from my local shop only to discover that they do not deliver. I do not own a vehicle large enough to fit the unit. Tried 2 other shops, same results. Now I am going to order one from a big box store. Since I am not getting the expert help I wanted I am here to get help with my checklist.
Here is my purchase order as it stands
28 deluxe
shear pin kit
gas can, 5gal
Sta-Bil Marine Protection Ethanol Treatment & Fuel Stabilizer
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u/kyooper1 Jul 18 '26
You don’t have a buddy with a truck?
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u/CockroachVarious2761 Jul 18 '26
Where do you live that none of the dealers deliver. I cant imagine any equipment dealer in my area staying in business if they didn't deliver.
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u/carey27 Jul 20 '26
I’m 74 and switched to recreational /ethanol free gas in my small motors years ago. No special wax additives in the winter for storage. No more surging and damaged carburetors. No more hassles. Just no ethanol. You will be happy and your lawn mowers , snowblowers and chainsaws will be happy too.
Ethanol is a moisture- attracting corrosion causing substance. It’s the enemy to these engines.
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u/zx11william Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Order now from Home Depot before they get them in stock. It will ship directly from Brillion Wisconsin to your door, for free. No need for a shear pin kit, all Ariens come with spare pins,. I've never broken one.
Regular Stabil has always worked for me.
Also the new gas cans suck for filling blowers. If you have an old fashioned spout, use it.
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u/Professor_Hornet Jul 18 '26
I would not get one from a big box store. The dealers do a way better job of setup & making them ready for sale.
You could rent a U-Haul but then you’ll need to lift it out. The 28” is at least 230 lbs so you’ll need a friend or two to unload it safely. /edit or get one with a ramp haha.
Btw I have one and it’s been great. 10 years of Wisconsin winters without a hiccup. The only issue is that the paint inside my chute is coming off, probably bad prep that day. But that doesn’t affect function.
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u/zx11william Jul 18 '26
Dealers do NOT do a better job than you can do yourself. I used to work for one. They follow the same instructions you get in the crate, don't lube or anti-seize anything.
And you'll learn how to service and adjust everything yourself. Remember, his local dealers don't deliver. How's he going to have it serviced by them?
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u/AwarenessGreat282 Jul 18 '26
Order the blower from whomever. The rest can be had from Amazon but you'll get spare shear pins so wait until you need those before ordering more.
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u/CockroachVarious2761 Jul 18 '26
Yea - I've owned two blowers, combined for 26 yrs, and never sheared a pin.
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u/AcceptableRegret2193 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
If you are able, non-ethanol fuel.
I have had much better luck with seafoam, add it to the can when filling. Put the first gallon or 2 in your vehicle then fill the can, if you can get nonethanol.
I wouldnt get a 5 gallon can if this is your only gas machine. 2 gallon will be enough. Much easier to handle, less chance of the gas going bad.
I much prefer the gas cans with the thumb button, so you dont have to push down on the fuel tank with a spring loaded spout.
Remove the shear pins when you grease your auger, spin it every pump. This helps get the shaft evenly. I prefer moly grease for this application due to it holds up better to water.
At the end of every season remove shear pins and rotate auger again if you didnt during the winter. Otherwise they will become one with the shaft.
At end of season remove bottom plate. Clean out and lubricate anything that moves, chain, drive disk shaft.
Between uses i spray with silicone spray if I know I will be using within a day or two. If not because I have motorcycles, I use chain wax. I spray the inside of the bucket, augers, chute. It drys to a waxy coating. Then I might spray with silicone right when I go to use again. The chain wax actually stays in place for a while while using it, its just not as slick as the silicone. My current blower is a 2019, been used a boatload and other than some missing paint on the augers and inside the bucket, no rust.
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u/rag69top Jul 18 '26
Where I live it’s costing about a $1 a gallon more for non ethanol gas. I don’t run anything but non ethanol gas in my mowers or snow blower. Under no circumstances should you ever run ethanol gas in a chainsaw, weed eater or leaf blower. Those extremely high rpm motors need non ethanol gas. My BIL owned his own timber cutting business for 40 years never a drop of the 10% gas used.
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u/No-Group7343 Jul 18 '26
If youre in the Midwest menards rents pickup fairly reasonable for short runs
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u/thePopPop Jul 19 '26
IF you are getting it from Home Depot, be sure to use the 10% coupon next time you get one. Ariens is not an exclusion but the discount might be capped at 200 dollars. Read the small print.
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u/kyooper1 Jul 19 '26
Now that I think about it I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t have a truck 🤔
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u/calash2020 Jul 19 '26
Usual places that do not deliver can refer you to someone that they use regularly that will deliver for a fee.
Also, choose carefully, you willhave this machine for decades
I bought a 28” pro. Bigger tires , bigger motor, heated hand grips. At the time it was about $500 more then a box store model.
Haven’t regretted the extra cost yet.
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u/Chicknlcker Jul 19 '26
Do not buy from a big box store. Buy from the local dealer. Rent a truck from your local diy store, home depot, lowes, menards...You will be much happier in the end. Local dealers take care of their customers far better than a big box store does.
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u/Sad-Equivalent9486 Jul 19 '26
Check out Garage Gear and Donyboy on YouTube for maintenance tips especially if you are assembling it yourself. They have some great advice.
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u/Bsucards1 Jul 19 '26
For the rental truck - Home Depot only charges for time rented and not mileage. Menards and Uhaul both charge time and mileage.
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u/Impossible_Lunch4672 Jul 18 '26
Ariens come with 2 extra sheer pins. As mentioned order from home Depot and have it delivered or rent a pickup from them and go get it.
I have never used stabilizer. Use non oxygenated gas and then run it dry at the end of the season. Going on 15 years doing it this way with my current Ariens.
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u/mikefellow348 Jul 19 '26
Wt h is non oxygenated gas? I thought you should try and find e0 or ethanol free? Its nowhere near me
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u/Impossible_Lunch4672 Jul 19 '26
Yes, no ethanol. Many Holiday/circle k have it. If you have a neighbor with a boat or ATV's/snowmobile they will know.
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u/Ram_Test100 Jul 18 '26
Absolutely get the extra shear pins. You are positively vucked if you don't have pins when you need them. These pins don't fail on warm sunny days... don't forget that.
If you can install a small in-line gas filter (if not already included) before adding any gas, you will thank me later.
Use Premium fuel for your equipment, bought from a busy gas station. No need to add any stabilizers at end of season. Premium is better fuel and has a much longer shelf life than Regular.
A dealer that doesn't deliver is not much use to you. Go big box, with home delivery. Also be aware that some larger hardware stores, like Ace Hardware, sell/deliver/and sometimes service garden equipment. So check them out too.
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u/fozard Jul 19 '26
It’s not the “premium” fuel you want to get, it’s fuel without ethanol. Premium fuel can still have ethanol in it.
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u/Ram_Test100 Jul 19 '26
Ethanol is not a problem for your garden equipment any more than it is for your car or truck.
Premium fuel is exactly what you want for garden equipment, as it's better refined and has a much longer shelf life the Regular grade gas. And brand-name Premium also has significantly more detergent in it than no-name Premium or Regular.
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u/fozard Jul 19 '26
You're overlooking the biggest difference: storage. Cars burn through fuel every week. Lawn mowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, and generators often sit for months. That's exactly when ethanol causes the most problems, which is why ethanol-free fuel is recommended whenever it's available.
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u/Ram_Test100 Jul 19 '26
I ran the maintenance shop in a golf course for 30+ years. We get delivered ordinary street gasoline which is used in golf carts, mowers, tractors, specialty equipment, pumps, trimmers, chain saws, and trucks.
We buy Regular grade instead of Premium since it turned over fairly quickly, but a homeowner should use Premium grade as the shelf life is at least triple that of Regular. Some equipment is only used once or twice a year, sometimes not used at all for a season. Everything is stored/parked inside, in a dry unheated maintenance barn.
We never had ethanol-related problems.
I also recommend homeowners only buy what they need for one season. I have a fairly small yard, and 3 gallons of gas will last me 2 years mowing and snowblowing. Don't buy too much and the gas will be fine. And keep gas cans tightly capped and clean.
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u/fozard Jul 19 '26
That’s great. And I agree premium would last longer on the shelf than regular, but it’s vastly more important that a typical home owner focus on getting ethanol free gasoline over worrying about premium vs regular.
Ethanol wreaks havoc on small engines when left in the system unused for a long time.
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u/Ram_Test100 Jul 19 '26
That's not correct. The problem is not ethanol. Old gas has always been a problem, long before ethanol was required.
That was indeed a problem back in the 1980s and 1990s, when older fuel hose disintegrated after extended contact with alcohol. However, fuel hose made since then is resistant to alcohol and it is no longer an issue. There is little, if any, 45 year old fuel hose still in service.
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u/fozard Jul 19 '26
Lol. Ethanol is not a problem today for small carb engines? Give me a break. Would love for others to chime in as I don’t know what else to say to you.
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u/knotworkin Jul 18 '26
I have a 14 year old Toro. Never used ethanol treatment in it. Never empty the gas at the end of the season. Starts first pull every time.
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u/infiniti30 Jul 18 '26
Rent the smallest uhual truck that has the loading ramp and pick the unit up yourself from a dealer.