Snowblower Services

Snowblower Maintenance

Apart from careful use, the longevity of a snowblower depends mainly on proper storage & maintenance. If well cared for, yours can last a lifetime.

Naturally, frequency of maintenance will vary with type and amount of use. Your snowblower will need an oil change annually at minimum. Keeping your oil and filters clean will do wonders for the longevity of your equipment, and remember that any small engine not equipped with an oil filter needs its oil replaced with every 25 hours of operation.

In addition to the usual small motor maintenance, snowblowers have numerous parts with limited life span. In particular, belts, paddles and the scraper bar must be periodically replaced.

Single-Stage Machines

With the single-stage machines, the telltale sign of needed service is snow being left behind; these machines are designed to leave a clean finish. Your snowblower’s paddles will wear differently depending on the amount of snow, and frequent use with little snow will wear the paddles faster due to constant contact with the concrete. Most machines have a hole in the paddle as a wear indicator; when wear reaches that point you replace the paddles, always as a full set. 

Paddle service on most Toro snowblowers runs around $90–$100 here at Arn’s. For the typical homeowner, this kind of maintenance will be required every 3–4 seasons, while commercial operators tend to need paddle service at least once every year. 

In addition to paddle wear, concrete conditions can also affect the life of your scraper bar, a plastic strip that runs along the back of the snowblower. Newer, smoother concrete will engender even wear and longer life for this part, while on rougher concrete your mileage will definitely vary. Again, the telltale sign is a pattern of snow left behind, or if the machine is kicking snow out the back at your feet instead of throwing it. Bottom line, the machine will tell you when it needs service.

Two-Stage Machines 

Caveats about the larger two-stage machines: they obviously take much more space to store in the off season; and, since they have more moving parts, over time their total cost of ownership is higher. Also be aware that the auger-equipped machines that are so effective with deep, drifting snow are not designed to leave a clean finish on pavement. It’s normal for them to leave about 1/8” of snow behind.

Some larger units have an inspection plate on the underside that in regular service should be taken off to access a grease nipple and some chains for lubrication.

Off-Season Care

We recommend you not leave fuel in your snowblower off-season; this can wear out the fuel line and gum up the carburetor. Drain the fuel and run the machine dry before you put it into well-sheltered storage.

Your operating manual will give you specifics; try and be one of the exceptional folks who actually reads it! You’ll do well to maintain a written log of your usage in order to keep your maintenance on schedule.