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OP
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Skooterj

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
749
Location
Indiana
How far from finished we’re you?

That *****. Do you have a heated garage to make the repair in?
I was about a quarter done. My drive is 20x80 and I live out in farmland. My garage is not heated, and I tried to fix a broken pull cord once long ago and failed miserably. I just dragged out the 100 foot extension cord to electric start it when it died. Once I burned through all the old gas and refilled the tank with fresh, I kept it running till I was done, about 90 more minutes.
 

DAustin

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
Messages
5,157
It's still snowing and blowing here. I'm going to see what tomorrow looks like before I try to do mine. The schools are closed so I don't have to rush out and do the walks.
 
OP
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Skooterj

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
749
Location
Indiana
Bah...
If it was me the cord would have been 10ft too short or pulled out of socket by the time I got to the snow blower.
My 100 foot cord reached fine. Was just a pain. Blower pull starts super easy once warm. Usually use the electric start once by the garage, then let it heat up. If it ever dies after that, one pull and it fires right up. But not today when I was battling a foot of snow and 4 foot drifts. Not that they have barely plowed my road anyway. Staying home till Sunday.
 

mikedodge

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2017
Messages
2,770
At least the snow blew to one area. Here that doesn't happen and it's consistently that deep.
 

FredWanaker

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Messages
1,470
Location
NorCal
gotta buy starting fluid to help that ptttttttttt ptttttttttttttt ptttttttttl pttttttttttttttl break from happening.
 

Dogmeat

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
181
Location
S. Mich.
Quit yer whining and get a good NYLON rope and install the damn thing....although, from your words,
it duzzn't sound like you're very "mechanically inclined"....I mean, after all, changing out a pull rope
is veddy simple...o' course i have a fully heated/air cond/stereo/pool table/fridge/20' long pit and
complete tools to do damn near anything....I'm 73, and still love tinkering around.....pics of my "work
area" attached...some of us really have it rough!!
 

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FMB4

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2017
Messages
2,926
Shoveling snow is a leading cause of heart attack for my demographic
This is a fact. Heart 'specialists' say that you should not shovel snow if you are over 55 (?). So people please use caution when shoveling snow, or performing other strenuous activities, while exposed to low temps.
 

RPH

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
4,190
Location
Michigan Thumb
Amazing the dedication people have to living in the north. One winter and I’d be gone.
Winter ain’t so bad. Keep in mind that those creepy crawlers that I see complained about in the south have a hard time cutting it in a hard winter. When we have warm winters I get insects that I don’t recall seeing here before. Cold one and there gone. It has its benefits. Go camping in the forest in the winter. You would see the magic of Mother Nature in her full glory.
 

laser3kw

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2012
Messages
7,276
Location
northen IL
( engine quits - grabs rode and yanks - *snap*)
Son - of - a - BITC.....! :tantrum2:
I been there - I feel for you
I just dragged out the 100 foot extension cord to electric start it when it died.
Done that too....
Heart 'specialists' say that you should not shovel snow if you are over 55 (?).
I'm showing this to my wife. She's not 55 yet :oops:(y)
 

CraigStu

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Messages
4,023
Location
Blacksburg, Va
I am 73 and used the snow blower a week or 2 ago. I took quite a few breaks. Didn't even go back to the garage on some of them. I just stood there and looked around at the beautiful scenery for 3-4 minutes.
 

Ron_J

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
Messages
295
Location
Central PA
I was about a quarter done. My drive is 20x80 and I live out in farmland. My garage is not heated, and I tried to fix a broken pull cord once long ago and failed miserably. I just dragged out the 100 foot extension cord to electric start it when it died. Once I burned through all the old gas and refilled the tank with fresh, I kept it running till I was done, about 90 more minutes.
To be fair, working on some of those pull cord assemblies is liken to wrestling a 500lb gorilla. I just had to replace the cord on my son-in-laws blower last week and it was a breeze. The spring and spool was fastened to the housing so it wouldn't come off. I had a mini bike as a kid that as soon as you pulled the cover off, the spring would come unwound. Replacing that cord was a major PITA.
 

Showkey

"MEMBER EMERITUS"
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Messages
8,638
Location
Wausau WI
This is a fact. Heart 'specialists' say that you should not shovel snow if you are over 55 (?). So people please use caution when shoveling snow, or performing other strenuous activities, while exposed to low temps.
Yup………no walking, no running, no biking, no hiking, no skiing, no heavy working on vehicles, no stairs no ladders, no tree trimming, no log splitting …….after 55 your only allowed to sit on the sofa.
Use extreme caution in the shower and always wear a helmet…….its the most dangerous room in the home.


The only solution is “tell your neighbor to plow” your driveway and basketball court.
 
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kelpaso1

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Messages
3,962
Location
New Brunswick
To be fair, working on some of those pull cord assemblies is liken to wrestling a 500lb gorilla. I just had to replace the cord on my son-in-laws blower last week and it was a breeze. The spring and spool was fastened to the housing so it wouldn't come off. I had a mini bike as a kid that as soon as you pulled the cover off, the spring would come unwound. Replacing that cord was a major PITA.
You dont need to take the reel and the spring off when the cord breaks. Simply remove any remaining cord, wind up the reel, stick a screwdriver though one of the slots to hold the reel, put new cord on the reel with a knot on the end, then take the screwdriver out and let the reel wind up the rope. Then put the handle on and tie a knot on the rope. It is very simple if you know what your doing.
 

Yankeefarmer

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
1,174
Location
Connecticut
Quit yer whining and get a good NYLON rope and install the damn thing....although, from your words,
it duzzn't sound like you're very "mechanically inclined"....I mean, after all, changing out a pull rope
is veddy simple...o' course i have a fully heated/air cond/stereo/pool table/fridge/20' long pit and
complete tools to do damn near anything....I'm 73, and still love tinkering around.....pics of my "work
area" attached...some of us really have it rough!!
It must be a real bear getting a snowblower up and down those stairs so you can work on it in your pit! 😎
 

toolmiser

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
1,656
Location
La Crosse, WI
Not trying to be a smart azz, but I never have to restart my blower after I get it running. It's a 15 year old Ariens 8 hp. I'm in Wisconsin. I go into a real low gear when doing the plow ridge or deep snow. I also let off on the propulsion if it's not keeping up. Maybe you feed it a little too much.
 

Mikeske

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 28, 2017
Messages
2,125
Location
Washington State
Amazing the dedication people have to living in the north. One winter and I’d be gone.
It took me my first 20 years of my life and then I got out snow country via the Air Force. First active duty base was Loring AFB, Maine then Korea for a year 4 years in the Philippines and the last year I was in at Nellis AFB, Nv. After 5 years in Nevada I moved to rainy Seattle area and have stayed there ever since. For snow I got a tractor and plow for the week of snow we might get every two to three years.
 

Dogmeat

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
181
Location
S. Mich.
It must be a real bear getting a snowblower up and down those stairs so you can work on it in your pit! 😎
I'm "guessing" that U R kidding....I have used the pit to totally rebuild the front and rear suspension of my '79
Vette, and work on front end of my SHOWCAR '39 Pontiac! The pit is inside of an enclosed 18' x 30' heated/
air cond/stereo/fridge/pool table on casters....which is INSIDE of my 30' x 50' barn.
 

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AldeanFan

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
2,581
Location
Niagara on the Lake
Funny thing for me is that my dad has the opposite problem, his snowblower vibrates so bad the bolts holding the starter on back out and the starter falls off, always at the end of the driveway away from the house, and he has to pull start it after that.
 

theoldwizard1

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43,126
Location
SE MI
My garage is not heated, and I tried to fix a broken pull cord once long ago and failed miserably.
Not that I have done it more than a couple of times, but installing a new cord is not that hard. Start with a good quality replacement. If you have to, go to a small engine repair store and buy the correct size cord.

The trick is remove the rewind assembly, pull the rest of the old cord out and some how LOCK the spool with tension on the rewind spring ! Feed the new cord through the hole and attach it to the take up spool. Unlock the spool. If the cord is too loose, pull it out part way and add another wrap on the spool manually. this tricky because usually is very little clearance between the spool and the housing.
 
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theoldwizard1

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43,126
Location
SE MI
FYI - I have only used my Toro thrower a couple of times this winter. Every start was on the first or second pull.

I have a 50+ yo rototiller with a old B&S 5 HP L head engine. I replaced the points with electronic ignition. Never more than 3 pulls even after sitting for 12 months.
 

haveissues

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
379
Location
Hudson Valley NY
Quit yer whining and get a good NYLON rope and install the damn thing....although, from your words,
it duzzn't sound like you're very "mechanically inclined"....I mean, after all, changing out a pull rope
is veddy simple...o' course i have a fully heated/air cond/stereo/pool table/fridge/20' long pit and
complete tools to do damn near anything....I'm 73, and still love tinkering around.....pics of my "work
area" attached...some of us really have it rough!!
Not sure what your garage with a pit has to do with OP's broken pull starter cord? Maybe you throw the blower on top of the pool table to get it to eye level? Must be hard on the felt.
 

nadogail

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
31,933
Location
Coronado, CA
I don't own a Snow Blower and I don't think anyone one my block does either. My Harbor Freight Chondra has only failed to start once, because the Low Oil Safety Switch was doing it's job.
 
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