October 6

How to Start a Snowblower

The arrival of the winter months signals extra work to do, especially when it snows too much in your area.

After all, as a responsible homeowner, you can’t just let it sit there and block your driveway.

Dealing with snow takes more work than grass, which only needs to be mowed and trimmed with a weed eater every few weeks.

Using a snowblower is a great way to get snow out of your way so that you can go about your everyday routine.

Snow is simply more to handle, but with a snowblower, you can get the job done faster.

If you have never done this before, then you might need assistance at first.

For those who don’t know how to start a snowblower, we will go over how to do it on your own so that you can do it right the first time and be done that much faster.

Prepping It Up

Before we get into the steps you have to take to start your snowblower, we wanted to talk a bit about the issues with starting it when it is cold.

Many people keep their winter equipment and tools in an outdoor shed or garage, which, more often than not, is not heated.

Like us and many others, you probably are the same. In that case, you would want to bring the snowblower inside when the snow starts falling.

A snowblower is an engine-powered machine, so the cold can make it much harder to start and will take a bigger toll on the engine.

To make it much easier for the engine to start up, it is a good idea to get the machine out of the cold before you need to use it.

This will help you out a lot, especially in the coldest months of the year.

Once you've done that, you will then need to familiarize yourself with the parts of the snowblower you might need to use to start it up.

The Choke

If you have stored your machine in a warm area, then you will not need to use this.

However, if you forgot to take it out of the shed or garage to warm up, then you will want to use it to help start the cold engine.

The choke closes the air supply off that would go to the carburetor and makes the fuel mixture richer.

This will help give the engine a boost when you start it up. Still, you want to make sure that you turn it off and open the air supply again once the machine is running.

Fuel Shut-Off Valve

Normally, when you are only storing your snowblower during the warmer months, you don’t need to use this. This means that it will be turned off and in the correct position.

However, you will need to engage it when you are starting and using the snowblower. So, turn it to the On position when you need fuel.

Also, you will need to engage it when you are draining the oil. You can turn it on when you are draining the oil and turn it off when you are done.

Run Switch

To engage the engine, you will need to turn on the Run switch. This will allow you to start the engine once it is engaged.

When you are finished moving the snow, you will need to turn the switch off. This will stop the machine from starting up again on accident.

how to start a snowblower

How to Start a Snowblower

Now that you know what you need to do before starting the snowblower, let's get to the steps to take to start it.

Step 1: Check the Fuel

First, you want to make sure that your fuel tank is full.

You don’t want to run on an empty tank, so fill it up if you need to so that you can use the snowblower for as long as you need to.

If you see that the tank needs some more fuel, make sure to get some and fill your tank.

Step 2: Put it in Neutral

You don’t want there to be any movement when you start the engine, so you need to put the engine in neutral.

This will stop any accidents from occurring and ensure that the engine doesn’t make the machine move before you want it to.

Step 3: The Choke

As mentioned, the choke can help you with a cold start, but it is also used for any time you need the snowblower.

If you need to do a cold start, set the choke to Full mode.

If you have recently used the snowblower, then you can put the choke on the Warm setting or around halfway to the full mode.

Step 4: Increase the Throttle

The throttle doesn't usually have a regular low to high setting structure. Instead, it features a picture or a turtle and a rabbit to symbolize the slow and fast setting.

You will want to move the throttle setting from the Turtle to the Rabbit. This will put the throttle at its highest setting so that you can start the snowblower.

Step 5: Flip the Fuel Switch

The snowblower has a fuel shut-off valve that must be turned off when it is not in use to keep any fuel from leaking.

However, when you are ready to use the snowblower, you will need to flip this switch to the On position.

This isn’t always in the same place on every model, so you might have to look over the machine to find where it is located. It is often a red switch, though, so look for that.

Step 6: Turn the Ignition

The ignition should be turned on, which is simply a switch that you push.

The setting might say something different on each model, but turn the switch to On, Run, or High to turn on the ignition.

Step 7: Put in the Key

Not every snowblower works the same way, and this might not be applicable to your model.

However, if there is a key that comes with your snowblower, then you will need it to be in the keyhole for you to be able to start the engine.

This works as a safety feature so that the snowblower can’t be turned off accidentally.

This also works as a way to turn off the machine if you need to do so right away. Just take out the key, and the snowblower will stop immediately.

Step 8: Push the Primer

The primer is a bulb-shaped button that you press to circulate fuel throughout the engine.

This should be pressed for a cold start, so the engine gets plenty of circulating fuel to help it start better even in the cold.

If you are doing a warm start instead of a cold one, then you will not need to do this.

Also, if the temperature is very low, under 15 degrees, then you will want to press the button a few more times to help through the engine.

If its warmer than that, then two times is sufficient.

Step 9: Start the Engine

Once you have all these steps done, you will need to use one of the following methods to actually turn the engine on.

Each model is different, and snowblowers come with a variety of methods, so use the one that applies to your specific model.

Pull the Cord

If your snowblower comes with a starter cord, then you will need to pull it to start the engine.

To do this, you will need to pull the cord out until you start to feel some resistance.

Then, you will want to pull the cord hard and fast in an upward direction.

Plug in the Cord

If your snowblower has an electric starter, then you will have to plug in the cord to start the engine. Just find an outlet, and plug it in.

Then, you can start the machine by pressing the ignition button. You can unplug the cord once the motor is running.

Press Start

Some electric snowblowers are simple and have just a start button on the machine that starts the engine automatically.

If yours has this, then you simply need to press the button.

Turn Off the Choke

Now that you have the engine on, you want to turn off the choke.

Let it run for a minute before you do so. This will allow the engine to warm up before you use it so that you no longer need to have it on.

Conclusion

Starting a snowblower can feel like a whole ritual with many steps involved when you first begin using it.

However, these will become second nature the more you use it.

If you needed to know how to start a snowblower, you have all the knowledge and steps to do it correctly.

And, now that you know what to do, you can start your snowblower and get started on moving the snow on your driveway or yard to clear the way.

If you get a different model after a few years, you can check back here to find out how to start your new model.


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