Here are some tips that you should pay attention to when buying a used snow blower.

Bad noises when it is running

You can start it up and if you hear bad noises when it is running, do not buy it. The repair could end up costing you more than just buying a used snow blower. when you hear something like knocking, it could be that the connecting rod is loose on the crankshaft. You may buy it and not notice the knocking if you are not too mechanically inclined, you may use it for a little while, then the engine is going to blow on you and it is not going to be worth repairing.

Badly rusted and corroded parts

It is also important to look at the housing body, if it does not in good shape and it is really rusted, do not buy it. For example, if you look inside its shell, it is just rotted, especially on snow blowers with thinner metal, it does really tend to rot a bit quicker. If it is not rotted at the bottom, but when you grab the top, you can twist it, that means it is just about to fall apart. If the fuel line and clamps are corroded, that means they need to be replaced very soon.

Electric starter

For some people, it is important to have an electric starter on their snow blower. So if you prefer the electric starter, just make sure that one is actually installed on the blower you are looking at buying. It is better to bring yourself a cord to try out the electric starter on the blower. The reason for this is if you did to replace the starter on the blower, it can be pretty expensive, and it can cause between 150 to 200 bucks or more for a brand new starter.

The bushings

Another thing you want to check for is at the end of the auger shaft. You are going to have a bit of play here from the auger to the shaft. Because the augers just slide over the shaft, you need to check the place between the shaft and the bushing and make sure both sides are in good condition. If the play is really excessive, it can cause things to get out of alignment and the augers to be rubbed on it as well.
And you also want to check for excessive play in the wheel bushings as well. Oftentimes, you can check these really quickly just by grabbing the handlebars on the snowblower and moving it up and down. If you hear any clunking or anything like that and if the blower is moving from one side to the other, it could be that the bushings are worn out. You want to make sure that it is not moving because of the front end being on an uneven surface, so when you move it up and down, just pay close attention to see if it moves up and down.

Tires

The tires also matter when you buy a snowblower. If the tires of the snow blower you are looking at have a good grip, you do not need chains on them. And you also want to make sure the tires are not all cracked, if they are cracked a little, it is okay but if they are really split and you can see the tube or air is coming out of them, then you know you need to replace the tires.
By the way, you have to make sure that the wheels are not jammed on the shaft.

Try out the blower in the snow

When you buy a snow blower, it is always better if you can try it out in the winter, so that you can always make sure that the augers turn properly.

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