Looking at the before/after, I think it's throwing less far after the modification. In that last attempt to clear the road and "dominate the neighbors" most of the snow only made it about 20 feet.
I was hoping to get some wet snow to test on but we had an odd winter last year. Where those flaps really shine is with the wet and slushy snow. They really prevent clogging from occurring. Added distance is a bonus! Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear come on to Illinois I'll let you test it on some wet snow we got 12 in last night . My auger broke and I have a 300-ft driveway. Should give you a nice test lol
I have a 20 year old Craftsman 9 hp 29” and it’s a beast in the snow. My neighbors are astonished at the way it cuts throw deep snow. I spray silicon on the inside of the chute and on the augers before I use it and run it at full throttle !!! Tractor Supply has a graphite spray also that works great also on the augers and chute.
Nice video. I did something similar to my used snow blower about 5 years ago. I went to Tractor supply and bought a small piece of 3/8" thick rubber matting used for horse stalls and I used self tapping screws to fasten screws to each impeller. In New England with 24" of snow, I've NEVER had any clogs
You better off using ceramic wax that they have for cars plenty of videos on this. Last a couple years you waxed the whole unit where it's metal. Nothing sticks to it no clogging works fantastic.. But if you have a Toro snowblower their system is unbelievable I don't think of ever seen Toro snowblowers clog that much or ever. We're talking about the two stage 824, 828. With that really cool technology that sends the snow back out the impeller breaks it up again. Pretty amazing.. But again the ceramic stuff works fantastic. There's a reason why that impeller is the way it is and has the gap that it has. It could cause problems down the road wearing things out I don't think it's worth it at all.. You may get lucky it may work for a while but it won't work for everybody's.. It's a lot hotter to replace belts, gears and things. ;)
I did mine similar as you around 2012 and not an issue. I always have people ask about my blower! My blower will damn near pump water! Lol. Best part of an impeller kit other than throwing snow further is they don't clog up in the wettest of snow!
Thanks A LOT for sharing Paul! It truly is an awesome modification! I get people asking about mine too. I also have a dip in my sidewalk that fill with water as the snow melts. I plow right through it and the blower will shoot water right out! AMAZING! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I took a chevy 283 and mounted it on a snow blower stand got a 48 inch blower I move so much snow it looks as if there is a snow storm at my house. Even that wet heavy snow plow junk from the plow truck. Not a problem at all , I even put a set of long tube headers on it with small mufflers it sounds so cool, I keep on saying Come on Old man winter give me your best...
I installed wipers to my snow thrower's impeller blades (3) in about 2017 and has been working great....existing blade to cylinder bore clearance was about 3/8" plus....after wipers were installed wiper clearance to inside the cylinder bore was zero actually touching....the impeller seemed to spin very easily by hand. I sprayed WD40 liberally on the wipers and the cylinder's bore and started the engine....the tight fit worked great with no break in or seating period. The idea that a little friction from wipers will stress the belts is not a problem in my mind....the massive snow and ice cycling thru the impeller is going to stress the belts way way way more than a little friction from the wipers. My wipers move with virtually with no friction. That's my take on wipers...I hope it gives you some added perspective....great shop videos...Thank you :)
@@GarageGear My snow thrower is a Troy-Built 28" Track Drive with 9.5HP and I use it for a 400ft gravel driveway with a very slight slope and some flat area also. Most all my friends were skeptical about me adding wipers to the impeller blades saying I will have lots of trouble with rocks getting caught and jammed in the impeller area. Just the opposite has happened...the wipers give rocks less places to fit into to get jammed. I have sheared one pin in the auger since 2006 and that was before the wipers. I don't understand why manufacturers don"t install wipers at factory. Thanks again
i have a snowblower that has the screws just like yours and i pushed it right against the housing and after installing all 3 of them i turned the snowblower on and let the screws chew the rubber and it works perfectly fine with 0 gab, it actually smokes(well smell like burnt rubber) a little bit but after the snow hits it will settle in and be fine
Here's a heads-up. Keep in mind that this mod puts a larger load on the impeller drive belt. This COULD cause some slippage and rapid wear if the belt tension is not properly maintained. Make sure your auger engagement lever has plenty of tension during operation.
last year i installed this mod on my snow blower and it worked wonderfully. Today i went to clear the snow and the impeller and auger would not turn, i leave the snow blower running for a while and out of no where it would work but as soon as i hit wet snow it would stop working. Anyone know what do i should look into in order to fix this issue? i'm an old man with back problems and i can't shovel that much snow.
My second biggest frustration with my 2-stager was the constant clogging with wet snow. Especially trying to clear back the city snowplows contribution to my driveway (no across the street neighbors so why they don't push it all that way....?). It threw just fine, just clogged up. Sold it to a neighbor and got a single stage which is fine. I'll share this video with him and help him make the mod. Thankyou.
-- Thumbs up. Late by 3 years to the party. Husqvarna ST224, 212cc. I'm on the fence putting a kit on this, worried about the strain. We get some heavy stuff up here on Lake Michigan, just slowing down, especially for plow snow seems to do the trick.
Hey mark! Did an updated video on this. This should put your mind at ease. HOW TO MAKE YOUR SNOWBLOWER UNSTOPPABLE WITH AN IMPELLER KIT czcams.com/video/r_-B3hnLCQc/video.html
I’ve done this to my older Craftsman, and afterwards decided to keep it a few more years versus buying a new one. If done right, it’s a great life-hack!!
Garage Gear It totally did!! While I was at it, I replaced both belts and the scrapper blade as well. My 24” Craftsman is 12 years old and now throws better than new. I sound like a infomercial 😂
Great video! I own a older version of this machine but I think the motor is still a 208cc. I put a impeller kit on it last year and didnt get any snow, I was crushed! This year should be different and cant wait to pummel the neighbors with snow.
I've got a power smart snow blower as well but mine is bigger with more options. Mine is 30 inches wide has a headlight 3 forward speeds and 2 reverse. I bought it at home depot 7 years ago for $ 900 It steers fine and the only problem I had was the belt for the impeller was cheap from the factory and after 2 years I had to replace it . I put a better belt on and it throws snow 50 to 60 feet in decent conditions. If we get deep snow I try to clear the snow when it is fresh and in increments of 6 inches throughout the day . They work better when the snow isn't too terribly deep . I have used it in 20 inches before by only taking half passes. Here in southern Michigan we only seem to need it 2 times a year but when we do use it we usually have a decent snow storm. If you wax the inside of the blower the snow won't stick you can do the same to your mower deck . I've painted them with plow slick as well it's a paint used on farm plows to prevent the soil from sticking to them it works great . I wax ours every year along with our mower decks .
Nice job, great video...Thank's! This modification works Champion! Snow does get tossed further, but the charm is in the way the machine handles wet/heavy/slush closer to the street. Before the mod, my rig would go a foot or two then clog. After the mod...no problem whatsoever, difference like night and day! Maybe not necessary to dump snow on neighbor...when you get up at 4am before work to clean your driveway, the paddle-growl will "dump" on neighbors sleep!
Your absolutely right Tony! The real winner here is the machine can dig better through heavy wet snow and not clog! Thanks for checking out my channel!
The throwing in both cases was just a plume of dust. You can not tell much of where the snow goes. That is why I prefer my 30 year old snapper big frame 10/30 machines. Maybe it is the chute design or whatever, but if I keep the head down a little the snow comes out in a stream even 30 feet it contained within a small area. That is much more useful when trying to control where it goes. I have an impeller kit installed.
I've done this mod to about a half dozen snow blowers in my neighborhood and have changed my method a little each time. (Still cutting rubber pads from the same truck sized mud flap I got off the side of the road many years ago.) I stopped drilling holes in the metal impeller and using bolts and nuts a long time ago. Now I just fit the rubber to the impeller blade, drill one 1/4" dia. hole in it and attach it to the impeller blade with a 1" dia. fender washer and a 5/16" regular self-tapping screw. Never had one come off because the force is pressing the rubber against the blade and not pulling it away. Another little trick was to chamfer the leading edge of the rubber a little on a belt sander to ease the seating in and help prevent it from initially catching on any uneven edges while it wears in. I use a little silicone spray for initial startup, and that's it. GL
DUDE!! Brilliant, thank you! Very detailed, I am glad you mentioned that your has worked perfect for 7 years because I was going to use the self tapping screws. I surprise that you not selling the kit!
“Pro” Tip #1 Leave the long length of rubber for your non dominant hand to hold while using the knife to cut the rubber. “Pro” Tip #2 Use a silver Sharpie when trying to show marks on black metal. As for how well it worked. You may have thrown ice chunks further but the wide angle camera shot clearly shows most of the snow only going about the same distance as without the rubber flaps.
I noticed the stray bits going just as far on the first run as well. I don’t see any benefit to this modification. If the snow builds up inside of where the blades are it will only build up so much. I wouldn’t want to have the rubber flaps put undue wear on the bearings either. It would void the warranty.
Every video I've watched so far is in an area with barely any snow down. We got 35 cm the past three days and the plows, plus drifting, made it all nearly 3 feet high. The plows compact it denser too at the end of your driveway. IDK how that would work here.
I think it actually works best at the end of the driveway! Never clogs up with that impeller kit! It’s works great! If you give it a shot let me know how it works for you!
Let me thank you for not blocking the approach to the mailbox 📬 for your Letter Carrier. Even not knowing anything else about you, you are a superior human being, sir!
I always try to clear the area in front of my mailbox. But I think the plow drives have a beef with you guys. The drift in front of my driveway will only give me a bit of an issue. The one in front of the mailbox seems to be made of permafrost. I actually broke part of the first auger trying to clear it out last year (which is why I'm here watching snowblower videos).
i wonder if you notched the rubber paddles where the chute bolts hit if that would increase the performance a little more....then you could put the rubber almost touching the impeller wall AND clear the bolt heads...just thinking like you ...great video as always
Good tip with carving out some notches! Believe it or not they actually made their own grooves after a few short uses. Pretty cool! Great minds think alike! 👍
I was almost ready to jump on Amazon's Buy Now button for this machine but realized inflation, demand and/or greed has hit this sticker price too. Maybe it will be cheaper than $700 in June. Good detailed video bud.
Great 2-stage mod, but I would space it out or use a Dremel grinding wheel or take it to the bench grinder and cut a notch in that washer so it doesn't overlap.
I feel like with the rubber flaps it spread out to much .. kinds feel like the loose snow would be a more of a issue than help .. fine bloing snow is the worst when the wind is blowing .. I will leave mine as is I dont need any more than the 40 feet I already get but cool idea and do see a good use for slush and mixed snow
Thanks for the great video. I installed the impeller kit on my snowblower but only managed to get 1/4' of an inch of paddle to overhang edge without it hitting any parts inside. Is this going to even be enough to help ?
TBH, the best mod I ever did was change the impeller pulley on my old one. When from a 9" to a 6" giving me about a 30% overdrive. I thought about the impeller mod, but I just didn't need it anymore. At first I thought the overdrive might cause the blower to plug more, but the opposite was true. Plus, my old blower already had about an 1/8" gap stock. When I got my new blower (years ago now, lol), I noticed it had about a 3/4" in gap, so, again, I thought about the impeller mod. Now, as a background, when I'm done blowing, I brush it off, brush out the inside of the housing, run it to clear it out, then put it in an unheated garage with the front up on 2x4's. I do not put it away spotless. The smaller impeller one wouldn't freeze up every time from that, but often enough that I would have to check the impeller to see if it was frozen before starting it. With the larger gap, my new one has not frozen yet. So I tolerate the disadvantages of the larger gap, which is chiefly that in very low amounts of snow, it hardly throws it at all. You need enough snow to fill the machine for it to throw max distance, which, at my current place, can reach the neighbors lot, lol.
@@GarageGear No, I think it was only a few dollars at a farm store. I got lucky. That old Ariens was built in such a way that the stock pulley bolted, with 3 bolts, onto the bracket that went on the blower shaft. So, all I had to do was buy a generic farm pulley, make sure to drill the 3 bolt holes in it so that it was centered when bolted on, and I was all set. I also did modify the "safety" brake so that it would still work, kinda, but those brakes, especially those early versions, didn't really do much. Some brands, Husqvarna is one, sell "overdrive kits" for some of their blowers, but they increase the size of the engine pulley so that it does not affect the brake, which is on the blower pulley. I believe the Airens SHO's use an "overdrive" also, but I don't think you can get that as a kit, and those blowers also use a stronger impeller and larger engines with the speed increase. It worked great, but it did have one down side. It threw snow far, but it through rocks *really* far. I learned to not run the deflector wide open anymore, I always had it deflected down at least the slightest bit. That was another thing I noticed with my newer large impeller gap blower that I bought after that one. It would not throw rocks or ice chunks as far because they would slide off the end of the paddle and bounce around before popping out. It made a racket, but it usually didn't send it flying. Although ice it would sometimes because an ice chunk can be really light sometimes.
Overdriving the impeller sounds good in theory but what about the consequences if any? The impeller isn't balanced and probably isn't a concern with its intended design rotation speed (and this is made worse by adding rubber and hardware). Increasing the rpm of the impeller beyond its design may cause excessive wear to bushings/bearings. Failure of a bad weld on a blade could let go. Just be mindful and careful.
@@tcap7917 well, they are no more balanced than a lawn mower blade. They are not very high speed. That is something someone should always consider. In the case of those old flat head engines, they typically run around 3,600 rpm. Based on that, I estimate I increased the impeller speed from 1,200 rpms to 1,800 rpms, not exactly setting the world on fire, but enough to make a large difference when using it. Keep in mind also, this was an older Ariens when they still used ball bearings on the impeller and auger shafts which will handle higher rpms much better than bushings. These people that do modern engine swaps on old blowers and notice the performance increase, some don't realize that partly comes from the fact that some of these newer OHV small engines turn about 4,100 rpms instead of the 3,600 rpm engine they replaced. Speaking of balance and broken impellers, I had a friend with an old Gilson and one of the blades was broken off their 4 blade impeller. He had the impeller replaced, but the machine failed in the driveling a few years later. He regretted replacing the impeller, but I asked, "didn't it vibrate like crazy?" He indicated it didn't vibrate enough to bother him, which surprised me.
Like mostly that it will clear wet snow. I dont think the distance matters, point is to get the snow blown away from your driveway...CAUTION if a problem occurs mod done may void warranty...
very nice video. i just ordered the 2nd link for the rubber. just read the specs. its .5 thick. i dont thick that should make a difference. been wanting to do this for a while. this is probably the most detailed video and added the links helps a lot. i had purchased a mud flap but thought it was too soft for this purpose.
Another thing to do is spray silicone inside the housing after you put your rubbers on the impeller blades so the rubber slides easier and breaks in without burning rubber!
This is why I CZcams. Someday the safety police will flag this type of content and we'll reminisce and bore young kids with tales of the golden days of yore
Eh, my Airens 24" Platinium SHO was only twice as expensive (Paid $1100) buying during the summer from a local dealer, and it'll throw 18 inches of compacted ice and snow 55 feet, plus I can trust it season after season. This looks pretty solid for $500 and some mods... but I think for a long term investment anyone would be better off buying an Airens first, they last.
I have a one year old 24" Toro 824 QXE that doesn't throw snow as much as I like, and clogs too many times. It is a 250 CC, SINGLE STAGE with a "paddle center rotor" which already has factory installed rubber paddles. These pads have about a 1/2 inch gap from the the housing. CAN I REPLACE THEM LONGER PADS TO DECREASE THE GAP?
@@GarageGear You should try fixing something more like my Craftsman 5/20 tread blower, that thing is freaking anemic! It throws the snow something like 10 or 15 feet!
How do you like the blower I had a craftsman blower from sears it gave me problems since day one I finally finished it off today with five shots from my Glock give me a review on the blower thank you my friend
Yup I had brand new Craftsman that gave me hell from day 1. Got rid of that piece of junk for an Ariens. Locally made and glad I switched. Never again!
I’ve been wanting to do this to my 28” Ariens for several years and my question is why use 1.5” bolts when it seems like 1” or perhaps 3/4” would be long enough?
I love the enthusiasm, but I think you're going to have a hard time convincing the neighbors that your snow in their driveway is a good thing. For social reasons, I think the engineers intentionally limited how far snowblowers can blow snow. As for clogging, I've never had any issues if I go slow and give the blower time to clear if I notice it's under a strain. Nice video BTW. You're great at explaining the process.
@@GarageGear No way. The neighbors are already suspicious of my unmodified TroyBilt 2410. It throws snow about 25 to 30 feet, and if I have it pointed the right way, it can reach their side of the street. If I modify the blower, I'm going to cover their sidewalk for sure. It looks like a lot of fun, though.
@@groussac come on man… those are rookie numbers gotta pump them up…lolll but seriously it’s not about just distance it’s about not clogging with that wet slushy crap that the plow truck always seems to bring
Nice video! Why not just groove the flaps to allow clearance over those bolt heads? It looked like you would still get considerable contact between the bolts.
Why did you use such long bolts? Wouldn't shorter just to meet the depth be better? Wouldn't longer lend it to accumulate icing as I see in there without this mod?
Good question! When I ordered this unit I was unsure of how deep the impellers would be so I ordered some slightly longer bolts. I suppose I could have ordered a variety pack of bolts now that I think about it. I have longer bolts on my Ariens too, no worries whatsoever about icing! I guess if you leave the unit outside all the time perhaps that could be an issue. I wouldn’t over think it. It’s never even been a thought for me lol! Thanks for watching!
Quarter inch self tappers have quarter 20 threads so nuts can be used installed and tightened just like a regular nut and bolt set up and used with washers underneath too.
But then again you're lucky enough to have a impact driver to get those nuts and bolts nice and tight when other people like myself only have manual wrenches and I also think that I would use the lock nuts just for even more security so that it never comes off 😉
You really don't need an impact driver if you use a fender washer under the head of the bolt or self-tapping screw, because you really don't want to squeeze the rubber too tight under a bolt head as it will possibly fail by pulling through. If you use self-tapping screws, you don't need a washer on the back side either.
For some, the most objectionable problem with gas Snow blowers is the noise, and it sounds like those rubber blades add a lot of noise, at lease until they've worn down to some clearance. It'd be nice if you took sound measurements before and after. However, I'm thinking cordless is the way to go with much less hassle and significantly quieter.
I’d be interested in testing one of those cordless/ battery snowblowers to see how they handle a few feet of our lake effect snow. Perhaps that’s a video idea for next year. The flaps did quiet down as they broke in. Thanks for checking out my channel!
My neighbor across the street did this and is always joking he's gonna blow his snow into my driveway! It definitely throws a lot further but in my situation where my driveways next to my house I don't need to throw it that far, unless i can get it to throw over my garage lol
That would be pretty cool throwing it over your garage lol! Really the main benefit is that the blower never clogs with this mod! Heavy wet snow always comes straight out! Thanks for watching Mike!
I just bought that exact same snowblower from Walmart ($380 with free shipping) Replacing 20 year old craftsman, and waiting for the next snowfall to finally see how it does. Biggest issue I see so far is the chute direction binds up.. Might do some tinkering to see if I can make that work better.. It looks like you did the same thing I did and put some grease on the chute base to see if that helped.. but no, it still hangs up. (Gear teeth poorly mesh and to much play in the design) Other thing I noticed was the sticker on the auger cover shows 40" (101cm) throw? Seems like a typo in a very visible location.. lol And the other issue is the motor documentation is almost non-existent. BUT... Hoping it works well.. Could not even come close to the price, and if it works as yours does, it's well work the qwerks.
Hey John, yes the chute is still kind of an issue. I’m going to try loosening the spring but under the chute control gear to see if that helps. It’s a great 24” blower other than that.
I bought a snowblower that had a broken trigger from Lowe's for less than the list price all I did was ask if there was a discount... I think you could have told your viewers to do that instead of dismissing it and plugging Home Depot and Toro!
After looking at new snowblowers, I noticed alot of them have a good 1/4" or more gap between the impeller blades and the housing? WTF? I still can't believe they don't install the rubbers of the blades right at the factory?! Don't make sense.
I love these snowblower videos. I wanna crush beers with this guy and have a snow blower war with him from his neighbors driveway. Ladies and gentlemen how many females are watching snowblower modification videos on CZcams? Zero! But I love the enthusiam
Hey Andrew that would be an awesome snowblower battle! A cross-street crossfire would be very cool! Lol! According to my CZcams analytics, about 10% of my subscribers are women! So I try to be respectful to everyone! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
Only thing I noticed that might affect performance is the tire shape. These tires are round, whereas the expensive ones are flat and wide. I wonder if that will affect traction?
Not sure about dominating the neighbor, but I've owned my house almost 9 years now. Every winter we have been shoveling the driveway and parking the cars close to the road so they don't get stuck. Not going to lie, when it's 3 feet of snow I did feel sad seeing the neighbor with a snowblower while I was out there shoveling in the freezing cold for hours. I hope this snowblower works good and lasts a long time.
Some snowblowers have track systems like you see on a tank. Those are generally better for gravel driveways. I think those are what you’re referring to. Thanks for watching!
@@j887276 hey Matthew, I think you’ll be more than happy when you get hit with a lot of snow and you’re clearing your driveway quickly! Thanks for watching my friend!
@@GarageGear I have no doubt that anyone who watched this video could do exactly what you did. You layed it out nicely where anyone would be able to figure it out. In a day and age where many cant add oil to their own car, how to videos make a big difference in many peoples live.
@@timbuckohfive2751 thanks again Tim! Lately I’ve gotten a lot of negative comments for some reason or another! Appreciate the positivity! Goes a long way! YOU ROCK!
I have an older Craftsman 16hp 2007 and live in Northern alberta Canada. We get at times lots of snow but not the wet heavy stuff, its dry and wind driven and packed. I have the Briggs and Stratton motor with the house plug in electric start and much to my surprise ( I leave it out side at 40 below) it starts with no more than 2 pulls every year no BS. This will be the first time I will have to change the belts and friction disc. This blower shoots snow and dog shit (that you can't find for obvious reasons) like bullets and I have to be careful on the angle of the discharge chute, no complaints there. Well, sears had a sale on these that SUMMER and I purchased it and when I was loading it into my truck.....on the next loading dock there was some first nations people who were loading a fridge and looked at me and said....... " HEY PARTNER, YOU KNOW SOMETHING WE DONT KNOW" Now this was in July, we laughed so hard i near fell off the loading dock. Anyway great videos keep em coming........ PARTNER!
My thoughts exactly here in Colorado or houses are a little bit closer together might be an issue trying to not get rid of all your snow to ur neighbors
I don't see any significant difference between BEFORE and AFTER and this is probably due to the fact you are using DRY snow instead of WET SLUSHY snow where this propeller modiffication is most efficient. Your snow blower is also not that great because it is having some hard time biting threw those 6 small snow blocks but you don't seem to have mutch snow in your area so it is OK... for your area. I live in canada (Quebec) where it is not unusual to get 1 foot of snow (with areas having 2 to 3 feet) in only 1 average snow storm and i usually get a 7+ feet high pile of snow in front of my house every winter so i bougth a good snow blower that can shoot snow high and far... but it is not working well with slush that fortunately happen only once every winter or two. My snow blower is a Ariens 926DLE (9 HP, 26 inches wide, equipped with a differential on the wheels to make it turn easily and that can be blocked to avoid the wheels slipping on icy surfaces). With the kind of dry, cold and powder snow we usually get in my area I rarely see snow buildup between the propeller and the wall (1/4 inch max) so i guess the shooting performance is not affected but it is a totally different story with slushy snow. Of course, on snow blowers that have a half inch gap, the propeller performance will be bad even with unslushy snow. czcams.com/video/QFFveNz7h9Q/video.html This snow blower is a Ariens 926LE (identical to mine but without a differential) and if you check carefully how it shoot the snow, you will see the flow of snow is slowing occasionnally and in the average, it is not shooting that far. This is because the propeller belt is slipping and then need to be tighten or replaced. Because of this, the snow is not shooted as far as it normally does compare with mine. czcams.com/video/WmZKOjtaSs0/video.html In this other video, you have exactly the same snow blower (Ariens 926LE) but it has 2 modifications that improve its propelling performance. 1- Impeller paddles... like you are showing in your video but this will improve performance mainly with slushy snow only. 2- Double belt driving the propeller so the 2 belts do not slip anymore (unlike the 1 belt system in the previous video) and this is mainly what will help shooting the dry snow farer. It seems to shoot farer than my unmodified snow blower but it's hard to tell because the angle of view is not great, there seems to have a little wind and of course, the snow is perfect for shooting far. To satisfy your curiosity, this well done video shows how to make the modification: czcams.com/video/m-PQISVTk_I/video.html 3- Drive slip Baffle kit. This 3rd modification is only to prevent melting snow from falling on the driving belt and make it slip. More details on this other video: czcams.com/video/vmZXEHb-3Ew/video.html
@@GarageGear I have already done that with my snowblower, but I just welded an extension of steel on. Your method is much easier and simpler, but I did what I had to do.
Another thorough "how to" video from JB. Seven years doing a perfect job is impressive. For the less capable or poorly-equipped handymen out there, I wonder why snowblower manufacturers or enterprising mechanics don't provide kits tailored for the machines. Many things to consider, including different impeller designs, templates for the impeller holes, and the rubber blades and hardware. A big question is how will this modification affect the life of any given brand and type of blower and the manufacturer's product liability insurance. Even bigger question is what liability rests on the owner (using a kit or making one him/herself) if the mod and/or the machine itself breaks apart and causes bodily injury or property damage. Sh!t happens! Any knowledge of such, JB?
Hey SEL! Done this procedure on dozens of snowblowers over the years.. No issues to report whatsoever! If anything were to happen I’ll be the first to shoot a video on it! I’ve actually seen some kits out there now but still think it’s easier to make your own given the differences in many models! You ROCK bud!
@@GarageGear Thanks to you and Jim McG for the replies. Followed your winter prep routine to the letter and had a chance to use the machine during December 16/17 snowstorm in Northern New Jersey. Did it it two passes 4" and 4". Handled the light and fluffy stuff and the frozen concrete stuff that the dang snowplows throw on my driveway to a depth of at least 10". Slow and steady is the winning technique on the latter. No clogs whatsoever. I will rig the impeller flaps before next season - no garage. Keep up the great work!
They really do have a lot of similarities to an MTD blower! Probably just gets different badging on the tail end of the conveyer belt lol! Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear This definitely does seem to be a cheaper blower made with cheaper parts and more plastics than your run of the mill MTD/Troy Bilt. But hey if it works. It's mean to be disposable within a few years for most folks who won't maintain it worth a crap.
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists you’re right bud! We live in a throw away society! I personally like to get my moneys worth out of things and keep them for as long as possible!
The for your 212 CC powersmart setup video I got the damn thing and the directions Sucked I had no idea where the cables went and a few other things until I seen your video. We are getting snow now I live in Northern NY 1/12/2021 I am hoping to use it as the lady next door hired me to do hers too....
“Pro” Tip #1 Leave the long length of rubber for your non dominant hand to hold while using the knife to cut the rubber. “Pro” Tip #2 Use a silver Sharpie when trying to show marks on black metal.
It really doesn't make it throw any further. Rpm is rpm. .. the biggest difference has to do with the texture of the snow. It's the slushie wet stuff that you'll see the Huge improvement. Next video , show it throwing the slush along the curb. I've done this conversion many times. Every persons I've done this for is so happy. Important note..... This will clog only if you don't clear it's throat before stoping the impeller. So if you need to stop.. backup the machine from the snow before stopping the auger. Letbitvrun for a couple of seconds then stop the impeller.....This only really happens when it's very slushie like at the end of you driveway after the plows have come by. And if you do use self tapping screws...be sure you use a washer under the head because the rubber will bulge around the head and you won't get your bit head back on it.
Hello from Harrisburg Pennsylvania 🇺🇸 I have a new Ariens Professional 32” RapidTrak Snowblower will this work on my snowblower also do you have a Amazon link ?
All the links are down below in the video description. This modification will work on just about any snowblower! I did this to my Ariens about 8 years ago and it’s worked great ever since! Thanks for watching!
The only time I open the chute wide open is if there's ZERO wind, otherwise it blows back when I shoot it into the wind. I wonder if there's much of a difference in distance when the chute is open just above 90 degrees off of the driveway - then this would be more useful. How long does it take for the flaps to wear down so they no longer make that awful noise? Lots of happy neighbors at 6 AM I bet.
I open the chute all the way to launch the snow. If it’s windy I’ll bring it down! No one likes snow in the face lol! The rubber flaps will wear in after about 2-3 uses. Not long. Thanks for checking out my channel!
I've hit peak quarantine, watching snow blower mods on the youtube.
Lol! Just wait until you start filming videos of you snowblowing! 😂 Thanks for watching!!!
Its must do af far as mods go
@ matt34003434
So true...I live in LA 😂
I too have been watching snow blower videos. lol
@@jeffbrent no judgements held here lol!
Next time squirt 2 colors of food coloring in the snow. One color for each test. Then you could really see the change.
Good idea! Thanks for watching!
Next time throw my nabors dog in it 2 for one
@@ericheyes5558 his luck it would break the shear bolts.
Looking at the before/after, I think it's throwing less far after the modification. In that last attempt to clear the road and "dominate the neighbors" most of the snow only made it about 20 feet.
I was hoping to get some wet snow to test on but we had an odd winter last year. Where those flaps really shine is with the wet and slushy snow. They really prevent clogging from occurring. Added distance is a bonus! Thanks for watching!
The mods to stop snow buildup not throw snow 70 feet
@@GarageGear come on to Illinois I'll let you test it on some wet snow we got 12 in last night . My auger broke and I have a 300-ft driveway. Should give you a nice test lol
@@GarageGear Snow storm in Boston last night would have been perfect
@@shaggyk82 I’m in Buffalo and it seems this storm just missed us. Thanks for watching!
I have a 20 year old Craftsman 9 hp 29” and it’s a beast in the snow. My neighbors are astonished at the way it cuts throw deep snow. I spray silicon on the inside of the chute and on the augers before I use it and run it at full throttle !!! Tractor Supply has a graphite spray also that works great also on the augers and chute.
I’d be interested in trying out that spray! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear I've heard cooking spray even works if applied before each use.
@@AlexR_44 yep that works too!
Nice video. I did something similar to my used snow blower about 5 years ago. I went to Tractor supply and bought a small piece of 3/8" thick rubber matting used for horse stalls and I used self tapping screws to fasten screws to each impeller. In New England with 24" of snow, I've NEVER had any clogs
It truly does work very well! Especially in wet snow. Thanks for watching!
You better off using ceramic wax that they have for cars plenty of videos on this. Last a couple years you waxed the whole unit where it's metal. Nothing sticks to it no clogging works fantastic..
But if you have a Toro snowblower their system is unbelievable I don't think of ever seen Toro snowblowers clog that much or ever. We're talking about the two stage 824, 828. With that really cool technology that sends the snow back out the impeller breaks it up again. Pretty amazing..
But again the ceramic stuff works fantastic.
There's a reason why that impeller is the way it is and has the gap that it has. It could cause problems down the road wearing things out I don't think it's worth it at all..
You may get lucky it may work for a while but it won't work for everybody's.. It's a lot hotter to replace belts, gears and things.
;)
I did mine similar as you around 2012 and not an issue. I always have people ask about my blower! My blower will damn near pump water! Lol. Best part of an impeller kit other than throwing snow further is they don't clog up in the wettest of snow!
Thanks A LOT for sharing Paul! It truly is an awesome modification! I get people asking about mine too. I also have a dip in my sidewalk that fill with water as the snow melts. I plow right through it and the blower will shoot water right out! AMAZING! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I took a chevy 283 and mounted it on a snow blower stand got a 48 inch blower I move so much snow it looks as if there is a snow storm at my house. Even that wet heavy snow plow junk from the plow truck. Not a problem at all , I even put a set of long tube headers on it with small mufflers it sounds so cool, I keep on saying Come on Old man winter give me your best...
That’s awesome my friend! Winter doesn’t stand a chance lol! Thanks for sharing!
Throw it to the neighbors driveway. lol.. I have a neighbor in MIND !!!!
Go get ‘em!!! Have fun! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I installed wipers to my snow thrower's impeller blades (3) in about 2017 and has been working great....existing blade to cylinder bore clearance was about 3/8" plus....after wipers were installed wiper clearance to inside the cylinder bore was zero actually touching....the impeller seemed to spin very easily by hand. I sprayed WD40 liberally on the wipers and the cylinder's bore and started the engine....the tight fit worked great with no break in or seating period. The idea that a little friction from wipers will stress the belts is not a problem in my mind....the massive snow and ice cycling thru the impeller is going to stress the belts way way way more than a little friction from the wipers. My wipers move with virtually with no friction. That's my take on wipers...I hope it gives you some added perspective....great shop videos...Thank you :)
Thanks for sharing and adding that information about the wiper friction! Thanks for watching Lee!
@@GarageGear My snow thrower is a Troy-Built 28" Track Drive with 9.5HP and I use it for a 400ft gravel driveway with a very slight slope and some flat area also. Most all my friends were skeptical about me adding wipers to the impeller blades saying I will have lots of trouble with rocks getting caught and jammed in the impeller area. Just the opposite has happened...the wipers give rocks less places to fit into to get jammed. I have sheared one pin in the auger since 2006 and that was before the wipers. I don't understand why manufacturers don"t install wipers at factory. Thanks again
@@leewindham7996 not sure why either but I’d bet it would be a great marketing tool for them if they did.
i have a snowblower that has the screws just like yours and i pushed it right against the housing and after installing all 3 of them i turned the snowblower on and let the screws chew the rubber and it works perfectly fine with 0 gab, it actually smokes(well smell like burnt rubber) a little bit but after the snow hits it will settle in and be fine
Thank you for sharing this!👍
Here's a heads-up. Keep in mind that this mod puts a larger load on the impeller drive belt. This COULD cause some slippage and rapid wear if the belt tension is not properly maintained. Make sure your auger engagement lever has plenty of tension during operation.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing!
Ok calm down ..rember I'm your nabor ..
I just spray turtle wax inside mine it doesen't clog lol
last year i installed this mod on my snow blower and it worked wonderfully. Today i went to clear the snow and the impeller and auger would not turn, i leave the snow blower running for a while and out of no where it would work but as soon as i hit wet snow it would stop working. Anyone know what do i should look into in order to fix this issue? i'm an old man with back problems and i can't shovel that much snow.
@@firstplt : Belt slipping from the increased load?
My second biggest frustration with my 2-stager was the constant clogging with wet snow. Especially trying to clear back the city snowplows contribution to my driveway (no across the street neighbors so why they don't push it all that way....?). It threw just fine, just clogged up. Sold it to a neighbor and got a single stage which is fine. I'll share this video with him and help him make the mod. Thankyou.
That heavy wet street snow is no joke for snowblowers! Thanks for sharing the video! I appreciate it! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Ive reached the point in my adult life where i find snowblower videos completely fascinating! lol seriously, thats a cool mod.
Haha and I’ve reached the point where I tinker with them in the middle of winter for fun lol! Thanks for watching!
-- Thumbs up. Late by 3 years to the party. Husqvarna ST224, 212cc. I'm on the fence putting a kit on this, worried about the strain. We get some heavy stuff up here on Lake Michigan, just slowing down, especially for plow snow seems to do the trick.
Hey mark! Did an updated video on this. This should put your mind at ease. HOW TO MAKE YOUR SNOWBLOWER UNSTOPPABLE WITH AN IMPELLER KIT
czcams.com/video/r_-B3hnLCQc/video.html
I’ve done this to my older Craftsman, and afterwards decided to keep it a few more years versus buying a new one. If done right, it’s a great life-hack!!
Gettin Ready it is a great life hack! This hack can make an old machine throw way better than a new one!
Garage Gear It totally did!! While I was at it, I replaced both belts and the scrapper blade as well. My 24” Craftsman is 12 years old and now throws better than new.
I sound like a infomercial 😂
Gettin Ready I’ll consult you for future commercials lol
Great video! I own a older version of this machine but I think the motor is still a 208cc. I put a impeller kit on it last year and didnt get any snow, I was crushed! This year should be different and cant wait to pummel the neighbors with snow.
Sorry just saw this now! You’ll get em this year! Blow ‘me away!!!
Getting no snow is the best possible scenario. Better things to do than snowblowing.
I've got a power smart snow blower as well but mine is bigger with more options. Mine is 30 inches wide has a headlight 3 forward speeds and 2 reverse. I bought it at home depot 7 years ago for $ 900 It steers fine and the only problem I had was the belt for the impeller was cheap from the factory and after 2 years I had to replace it . I put a better belt on and it throws snow 50 to 60 feet in decent conditions. If we get deep snow I try to clear the snow when it is fresh and in increments of 6 inches throughout the day . They work better when the snow isn't too terribly deep . I have used it in 20 inches before by only taking half passes. Here in southern Michigan we only seem to need it 2 times a year but when we do use it we usually have a decent snow storm. If you wax the inside of the blower the snow won't stick you can do the same to your mower deck . I've painted them with plow slick as well it's a paint used on farm plows to prevent the soil from sticking to them it works great . I wax ours every year along with our mower decks .
All good tips here! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!
I made my own kit years ago, it definetly works
Thanks for sharing Stacy!
I don’t think it makes enough of a difference to do that mod
It does when your going through heavy wet snow. It never clogs up or boys down. Give it a shot! Thanks for watching!
Nice job, great video...Thank's! This modification works Champion! Snow does get tossed further, but the charm is in the way the machine handles wet/heavy/slush closer to the street. Before the mod, my rig would go a foot or two then clog. After the mod...no problem whatsoever, difference like night and day! Maybe not necessary to dump snow on neighbor...when you get up at 4am before work to clean your driveway, the paddle-growl will "dump" on neighbors sleep!
Your absolutely right Tony! The real winner here is the machine can dig better through heavy wet snow and not clog! Thanks for checking out my channel!
The throwing in both cases was just a plume of dust. You can not tell much of where the snow goes. That is why I prefer my 30 year old snapper big frame 10/30 machines. Maybe it is the chute design or whatever, but if I keep the head down a little the snow comes out in a stream even 30 feet it contained within a small area. That is much more useful when trying to control where it goes. I have an impeller kit installed.
Older machines with an impeller kit work great! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I've done this mod to about a half dozen snow blowers in my neighborhood and have changed my method a little each time. (Still cutting rubber pads from the same truck sized mud flap I got off the side of the road many years ago.) I stopped drilling holes in the metal impeller and using bolts and nuts a long time ago. Now I just fit the rubber to the impeller blade, drill one 1/4" dia. hole in it and attach it to the impeller blade with a 1" dia. fender washer and a 5/16" regular self-tapping screw. Never had one come off because the force is pressing the rubber against the blade and not pulling it away. Another little trick was to chamfer the leading edge of the rubber a little on a belt sander to ease the seating in and help prevent it from initially catching on any uneven edges while it wears in. I use a little silicone spray for initial startup, and that's it. GL
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this mtc!
This is the second education I’ve got today. I can not wait to try the impeller kit. Make a snow blowing mother.
You won’t be disappointed! Thanks for watching chuck!
DUDE!!
Brilliant, thank you!
Very detailed, I am glad you mentioned that your has worked perfect for 7 years because I was going to use the self tapping screws.
I surprise that you not selling the kit!
Mebaku Black DUDE! Glad you found this helpful lol! Keep an eye out I may just do that soon! Thanks for watching!
I bought a Powersmart MOWER on amazon it kicks serious ass with power and a nice clean cut. It out performs any snapper! Snow Blower Olympics, anyone?
I’m tempted to give one of their mowers a shot. Thanks for the info. I’d be down for the snowblower Olympics lol! Thanks for watching David!
“Pro” Tip #1 Leave the long length of rubber for your non dominant hand to hold while using the knife to cut the rubber.
“Pro” Tip #2 Use a silver Sharpie when trying to show marks on black metal.
As for how well it worked. You may have thrown ice chunks further but the wide angle camera shot clearly shows most of the snow only going about the same distance as without the rubber flaps.
I noticed the stray bits going just as far on the first run as well. I don’t see any benefit to this modification. If the snow builds up inside of where the blades are it will only build up so much. I wouldn’t want to have the rubber flaps put undue wear on the bearings either. It would void the warranty.
Thanks for watching
Every video I've watched so far is in an area with barely any snow down. We got 35 cm the past three days and the plows, plus drifting, made it all nearly 3 feet high. The plows compact it denser too at the end of your driveway. IDK how that would work here.
I think it actually works best at the end of the driveway! Never clogs up with that impeller kit! It’s works great! If you give it a shot let me know how it works for you!
Let me thank you for not blocking the approach to the mailbox 📬 for your Letter Carrier. Even not knowing anything else about you, you are a superior human being, sir!
I look out for the them! You ROCK just me!
I always try to clear the area in front of my mailbox. But I think the plow drives have a beef with you guys. The drift in front of my driveway will only give me a bit of an issue. The one in front of the mailbox seems to be made of permafrost. I actually broke part of the first auger trying to clear it out last year (which is why I'm here watching snowblower videos).
Fyi, Silver Mettallic sharpies show up great on black rubber. Also a tri-point drill bit cut a perfect hole in rubber.
Thanks for sharing!
One suggestion for your impeller installation. Notch the impeller blades for the bolt heads inside the chute for closer tolerance.
Good tip! Thanks for sharing
Super job Did this to my 3x28 cub, had to grind a lip off on the inside the chute base that inhibited the paddles, works great snow or slush
Love hearing this positive feedback! Thanks for watching osi!
Wipe on car ceramic paint sealer on all parts that come in contact with snow including the shute , snow and ice will not stick for the whole season
Good tip! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I'd guess manufacturers leave a gap for rocks, branches, and frozen chunks, and the impeller is one piece to avoid projectile parts.
I think you’re right! Thanks for watching!
I did this for the first time in about 1996 with a semi truck mud flap it will stop build up and shoot plugging for sure
It’s a big help in heavy wet snow! Thanks for watching!
i wonder if you notched the rubber paddles where the chute bolts hit if that would increase the performance a little more....then you could put the rubber almost touching the impeller wall AND clear the bolt heads...just thinking like you ...great video as always
Good tip with carving out some notches! Believe it or not they actually made their own grooves after a few short uses. Pretty cool! Great minds think alike! 👍
It will self cut , so you can out the rubber all the way to the housing and in a little bit it will cut itself . You'll feel the vibration go away
I have the same snow blower i purchased last year. mine did not do well with heavy wet snow.. I will try installing this on my blower next summer
You won’t be disappointed! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I was almost ready to jump on Amazon's Buy Now button for this machine but realized inflation, demand and/or greed has hit this sticker price too. Maybe it will be cheaper than $700 in June. Good detailed video bud.
Thanks a lot Wayne! I caught a deal on mine once February rolled around. Keep an eye on it. Thanks for your positive feedback my friend! 👍
Buying cheap, IMHO, is the most expensive. Buy a Honda!
Great 2-stage mod, but I would space it out or use a Dremel grinding wheel or take it to the bench grinder and cut a notch in that washer so it doesn't overlap.
Not a bad tip Dan! This mod works awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I feel like with the rubber flaps it spread out to much .. kinds feel like the loose snow would be a more of a issue than help .. fine bloing snow is the worst when the wind is blowing .. I will leave mine as is I dont need any more than the 40 feet I already get but cool idea and do see a good use for slush and mixed snow
It’s absolutely awesome in wet snow! Especially at the end of the driveway! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Thanks for the great video. I installed the impeller kit on my snowblower but only managed to get 1/4' of an inch of paddle to overhang edge without it hitting any parts inside. Is this going to even be enough to help ?
That sounds like it will be perfect! 👍
TBH, the best mod I ever did was change the impeller pulley on my old one. When from a 9" to a 6" giving me about a 30% overdrive.
I thought about the impeller mod, but I just didn't need it anymore. At first I thought the overdrive might cause the blower to plug more, but the opposite was true.
Plus, my old blower already had about an 1/8" gap stock.
When I got my new blower (years ago now, lol), I noticed it had about a 3/4" in gap, so, again, I thought about the impeller mod.
Now, as a background, when I'm done blowing, I brush it off, brush out the inside of the housing, run it to clear it out, then put it in an unheated garage with the front up on 2x4's. I do not put it away spotless.
The smaller impeller one wouldn't freeze up every time from that, but often enough that I would have to check the impeller to see if it was frozen before starting it.
With the larger gap, my new one has not frozen yet. So I tolerate the disadvantages of the larger gap, which is chiefly that in very low amounts of snow, it hardly throws it at all. You need enough snow to fill the machine for it to throw max distance, which, at my current place, can reach the neighbors lot, lol.
Sounds like that new pulley really worked out for you and can really chuck it! Was the pulley expensive or hard to find?
@@GarageGear No, I think it was only a few dollars at a farm store.
I got lucky. That old Ariens was built in such a way that the stock pulley bolted, with 3 bolts, onto the bracket that went on the blower shaft. So, all I had to do was buy a generic farm pulley, make sure to drill the 3 bolt holes in it so that it was centered when bolted on, and I was all set.
I also did modify the "safety" brake so that it would still work, kinda, but those brakes, especially those early versions, didn't really do much.
Some brands, Husqvarna is one, sell "overdrive kits" for some of their blowers, but they increase the size of the engine pulley so that it does not affect the brake, which is on the blower pulley.
I believe the Airens SHO's use an "overdrive" also, but I don't think you can get that as a kit, and those blowers also use a stronger impeller and larger engines with the speed increase.
It worked great, but it did have one down side. It threw snow far, but it through rocks *really* far. I learned to not run the deflector wide open anymore, I always had it deflected down at least the slightest bit.
That was another thing I noticed with my newer large impeller gap blower that I bought after that one. It would not throw rocks or ice chunks as far because they would slide off the end of the paddle and bounce around before popping out. It made a racket, but it usually didn't send it flying. Although ice it would sometimes because an ice chunk can be really light sometimes.
Overdriving the impeller sounds good in theory but what about the consequences if any? The impeller isn't balanced and probably isn't a concern with its intended design rotation speed (and this is made worse by adding rubber and hardware). Increasing the rpm of the impeller beyond its design may cause excessive wear to bushings/bearings. Failure of a bad weld on a blade could let go. Just be mindful and careful.
@@tcap7917 thanks for sharing this information! It is important to be mindful of what could happen!
@@tcap7917 well, they are no more balanced than a lawn mower blade. They are not very high speed. That is something someone should always consider. In the case of those old flat head engines, they typically run around 3,600 rpm. Based on that, I estimate I increased the impeller speed from 1,200 rpms to 1,800 rpms, not exactly setting the world on fire, but enough to make a large difference when using it.
Keep in mind also, this was an older Ariens when they still used ball bearings on the impeller and auger shafts which will handle higher rpms much better than bushings.
These people that do modern engine swaps on old blowers and notice the performance increase, some don't realize that partly comes from the fact that some of these newer OHV small engines turn about 4,100 rpms instead of the 3,600 rpm engine they replaced.
Speaking of balance and broken impellers, I had a friend with an old Gilson and one of the blades was broken off their 4 blade impeller. He had the impeller replaced, but the machine failed in the driveling a few years later. He regretted replacing the impeller, but I asked, "didn't it vibrate like crazy?" He indicated it didn't vibrate enough to bother him, which surprised me.
Like mostly that it will clear wet snow. I dont think the distance matters, point is to get the snow blown away from your driveway...CAUTION if a problem occurs mod done may void warranty...
Thanks for watching!
Just ordered the parts up and cant wait to do this mod. Thank you
You got it Scott! Enjoy putting it in your neighbors yard lol! Thanks for watching
very nice video. i just ordered the 2nd link for the rubber. just read the specs. its .5 thick. i dont thick that should make a difference. been wanting to do this for a while. this is probably the most detailed video and added the links helps a lot. i had purchased a mud flap but thought it was too soft for this purpose.
You’ll be just fine with that rubber! Glad you found this video helpful! Let me know how it works for you once it’s installed!
@@GarageGear Will do. Watching another video on putting a pvc edge on the bottom of the snow blower. trying to figure out why.
Another thing to do is spray silicone inside the housing after you put your rubbers on the impeller blades so the rubber slides easier and breaks in without burning rubber!
Thanks for sharing David!
This is why I CZcams. Someday the safety police will flag this type of content and we'll reminisce and bore young kids with tales of the golden days of yore
Kids today don’t know how to have fun lol! Thanks for watching femanvate!
Apply spray on wipe off car wax on all contact areas for super slip. surfaces.
Thanks for sharing!
Eh, my Airens 24" Platinium SHO was only twice as expensive (Paid $1100) buying during the summer from a local dealer, and it'll throw 18 inches of compacted ice and snow 55 feet, plus I can trust it season after season. This looks pretty solid for $500 and some mods... but I think for a long term investment anyone would be better off buying an Airens first, they last.
Ariens does make a sturdy machine! I got one sitting in the background! Well built! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I have a one year old 24" Toro 824 QXE that doesn't throw snow as much as I like, and clogs too many times. It is a 250 CC, SINGLE STAGE with a "paddle center rotor" which already has factory installed rubber paddles. These pads have about a 1/2 inch gap from the the housing.
CAN I REPLACE THEM LONGER PADS TO DECREASE THE GAP?
Yes I would say so!
A perfect example of fixing something that was not broken!
Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear You should try fixing something more like my Craftsman 5/20 tread blower, that thing is freaking anemic!
It throws the snow something like 10 or 15 feet!
@@archangel20031 I’ll see what I can! Perhaps I can grab one on Craigslist for cheap! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Great! I just bought this exact snowblower. I like your Flapper kit idea. Great video too!
Great! Now you can get out there and dominate the neighbors!!! Enjoy your new snowblower! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Why not set the tolerance for those flaps tighter to housing and just notch out the flaps for those bolt heads?
You could do that! Thanks for sharing
Ive seen a few videos like this. Your is the best.
Thanks John! Appreciate the positive feedback!
My stock powersmart does that without that and has Ben a bad ass machine had for two years now zero issues
Glad it’s working well for ya! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Use EOD after snowplow goes by. (End of Driveway). My street never gets plowed. My truck Big Dirty gets into FX4 and makes the trail...
When I filmed this we got very little snow so the timing was a little tough. Thanks for checking out my channel!
I dont know if you mentionned it but you coult also spread anti stick spray inside the snow blower too.
Yep you can do that too. Thanks for checking out my channel!
I think it's pretty cool to see the only online review of that Powersmart snowblower.
Thanks for the positive comment Andy! Appreciate it! Thanks for checking out my channel!
you should have placed the rubber touching the housing, then cut the rubber to clear the bolts
Thanks for sharing
Zip three self tappers with washers in to each and done
Another good method! Thanks for checking out my channel!!!!!!
This video is exactly what CZcams is supposed to be about
Haha right on Tyler! Thanks for watching!
How do you like the blower I had a craftsman blower from sears it gave me problems since day one I finally finished it off today with five shots from my Glock give me a review on the blower thank you my friend
Yup I had brand new Craftsman that gave me hell from day 1. Got rid of that piece of junk for an Ariens. Locally made and glad I switched. Never again!
The snowblower works great. Runs and throws just fine! Pumps that stuff right across the street! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I’ve been wanting to do this to my 28” Ariens for several years and my question is why use 1.5” bolts when it seems like 1” or perhaps 3/4” would be long enough?
I used the self tapping screws. I have 4 seasons on them and they are all still there.
I just happened to order those. You could go smaller if need be. 👍
Yep those work well too!
i have a similar powersmart, i would like to add LED light to it. Hopefully you can also add one and do a video on it
I’ll see what I can do about that! Might have to do some research beforehand. 👍
I love the enthusiasm, but I think you're going to have a hard time convincing the neighbors that your snow in their driveway is a good thing. For social reasons, I think the engineers intentionally limited how far snowblowers can blow snow. As for clogging, I've never had any issues if I go slow and give the blower time to clear if I notice it's under a strain. Nice video BTW. You're great at explaining the process.
Thanks a lot for all the kind words Pierre! I appreciate it! My neighbors tolerate me as best they can lol! Putting an impeller kit on your blower?
@@GarageGear No way. The neighbors are already suspicious of my unmodified TroyBilt 2410. It throws snow about 25 to 30 feet, and if I have it pointed the right way, it can reach their side of the street. If I modify the blower, I'm going to cover their sidewalk for sure. It looks like a lot of fun, though.
@@groussac if you go for it let me know! It’s a sight to see!
@@groussac come on man… those are rookie numbers gotta pump them up…lolll but seriously it’s not about just distance it’s about not clogging with that wet slushy crap that the plow truck always seems to bring
Nice video! Why not just groove the flaps to allow clearance over those bolt heads? It looked like you would still get considerable contact between the bolts.
Not a bad idea! Everything is worn in properly at this point. Throws like a beast! Thanks for watching Matt!
Impressive, I may need to add a kit to mine.
I’ve got another video coming out on this this weekend MTTT! Stay tuned! 👍
Why did you use such long bolts? Wouldn't shorter just to meet the depth be better? Wouldn't longer lend it to accumulate icing as I see in there without this mod?
Good question! When I ordered this unit I was unsure of how deep the impellers would be so I ordered some slightly longer bolts. I suppose I could have ordered a variety pack of bolts now that I think about it. I have longer bolts on my Ariens too, no worries whatsoever about icing! I guess if you leave the unit outside all the time perhaps that could be an issue. I wouldn’t over think it. It’s never even been a thought for me lol! Thanks for watching!
I will be doing this but cutting notches in the pads for those bolts
Good idea! Keep me posted on your results! Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear hey dude I just got it done works fantastic just clipped a small notch for those bolts and the rubber fits nice and flush
@@nachospopthe3rd564 that’s awesome nacho! Now go toss all that snow over to your neighbors house! Lol! Have fun plowing! 👍
@@GarageGear high five dude ! Best instructions ever
@@nachospopthe3rd564 you ROCK nacho!
Quarter inch self tappers have quarter 20 threads so nuts can be used installed and tightened just like a regular nut and bolt set up and used with washers underneath too.
Great tip. Thanks for watching!
Handy hint: Why not grease the shroud that the shoot sits on while you have it off?
Good tip! Thanks for sharing!
But then again you're lucky enough to have a impact driver to get those nuts and bolts nice and tight when other people like myself only have manual wrenches and I also think that I would use the lock nuts just for even more security so that it never comes off 😉
Yep I ended up using lock nuts on another model! The impact driver definitely helps!
You really don't need an impact driver if you use a fender washer under the head of the bolt or self-tapping screw, because you really don't want to squeeze the rubber too tight under a bolt head as it will possibly fail by pulling through. If you use self-tapping screws, you don't need a washer on the back side either.
For some, the most objectionable problem with gas Snow blowers is the noise, and it sounds like those rubber blades add a lot of noise, at lease until they've worn down to some clearance. It'd be nice if you took sound measurements before and after. However, I'm thinking cordless is the way to go with much less hassle and significantly quieter.
I’d be interested in testing one of those cordless/ battery snowblowers to see how they handle a few feet of our lake effect snow. Perhaps that’s a video idea for next year. The flaps did quiet down as they broke in. Thanks for checking out my channel!
My gas blower is "cordless" and it works just great for me. ;-)
When the snow turns to slush my yardman clogs up or barely throws it out the shute, this mod might help this issue. thanks.
This will definitely help you out here! It prevents clogging. Mine hasn’t clogged in 9 years since I put it on! Thanks for watching!
My neighbor across the street did this and is always joking he's gonna blow his snow into my driveway! It definitely throws a lot further but in my situation where my driveways next to my house I don't need to throw it that far, unless i can get it to throw over my garage lol
That would be pretty cool throwing it over your garage lol! Really the main benefit is that the blower never clogs with this mod! Heavy wet snow always comes straight out! Thanks for watching Mike!
I just bought that exact same snowblower from Walmart ($380 with free shipping) Replacing 20 year old craftsman, and waiting for the next snowfall to finally see how it does.
Biggest issue I see so far is the chute direction binds up.. Might do some tinkering to see if I can make that work better.. It looks like you did the same thing I did and put some grease on the chute base to see if that helped.. but no, it still hangs up. (Gear teeth poorly mesh and to much play in the design)
Other thing I noticed was the sticker on the auger cover shows 40" (101cm) throw? Seems like a typo in a very visible location.. lol
And the other issue is the motor documentation is almost non-existent.
BUT... Hoping it works well.. Could not even come close to the price, and if it works as yours does, it's well work the qwerks.
Hey John, yes the chute is still kind of an issue. I’m going to try loosening the spring but under the chute control gear to see if that helps. It’s a great 24” blower other than that.
I bought a snowblower that had a broken trigger from Lowe's for less than the list price all I did was ask if there was a discount... I think you could have told your viewers to do that instead of dismissing it and plugging Home Depot and Toro!
Thanks for watching!
looks great👍👍👍👍 maybe make can color red the snow with red food die! looks like long island ny! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hey Tim, I did think of this same idea after I filmed this video. Next time around! I’m actually in Buffalo, NY! Thanks for watching! 👍
@@GarageGear you get alot of snow!! 👍 On Long island we have been getting more than we use to get ❄️❄️❄️❄️
After looking at new snowblowers, I noticed alot of them have a good 1/4" or more gap between the impeller blades and the housing? WTF? I still can't believe they don't install the rubbers of the blades right at the factory?! Don't make sense.
I don’t get it either David! Close up the gap and the snow goes that much further! Thanks for watching!
I love these snowblower videos. I wanna crush beers with this guy and have a snow blower war with him from his neighbors driveway.
Ladies and gentlemen how many females are watching snowblower modification videos on CZcams? Zero! But I love the enthusiam
Hey Andrew that would be an awesome snowblower battle! A cross-street crossfire would be very cool! Lol!
According to my CZcams analytics, about 10% of my subscribers are women! So I try to be respectful to everyone! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
Only thing I noticed that might affect performance is the tire shape. These tires are round, whereas the expensive ones are flat and wide. I wonder if that will affect traction?
Not sure about dominating the neighbor, but I've owned my house almost 9 years now. Every winter we have been shoveling the driveway and parking the cars close to the road so they don't get stuck. Not going to lie, when it's 3 feet of snow I did feel sad seeing the neighbor with a snowblower while I was out there shoveling in the freezing cold for hours. I hope this snowblower works good and lasts a long time.
Some snowblowers have track systems like you see on a tank. Those are generally better for gravel driveways. I think those are what you’re referring to. Thanks for watching!
@@j887276 hey Matthew, I think you’ll be more than happy when you get hit with a lot of snow and you’re clearing your driveway quickly! Thanks for watching my friend!
FYI you can add thread locker to the self tapping screws and they will never come off.
Great tip 👍thanks for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear Great job.
@@timbuckohfive2751 thanks a lot Tim! Appreciate it!
@@GarageGear I have no doubt that anyone who watched this video could do exactly what you did. You layed it out nicely where anyone would be able to figure it out. In a day and age where many cant add oil to their own car, how to videos make a big difference in many peoples live.
@@timbuckohfive2751 thanks again Tim! Lately I’ve gotten a lot of negative comments for some reason or another! Appreciate the positivity! Goes a long way! YOU ROCK!
Awesome, my neighbor keeps asking me why he has so much more snow on his lawn compared to mine!
Hahaha awesome rilydog! Thanks for watching!
I have an older Craftsman 16hp 2007 and live in Northern alberta Canada. We get at times lots of snow but not the wet heavy stuff, its dry and wind driven and packed. I have the Briggs and Stratton motor with the house plug in electric start and much to my surprise ( I leave it out side at 40 below) it starts with no more than 2 pulls every year no BS.
This will be the first time I will have to change the belts and friction disc. This blower shoots snow and dog shit (that you can't find for obvious reasons) like bullets and I have to be careful on the angle of the discharge chute, no complaints there.
Well, sears had a sale on these that SUMMER and I purchased it and when I was loading it into my truck.....on the next loading dock there was some first nations people who were loading a fridge and looked at me and said....... " HEY PARTNER, YOU KNOW SOMETHING WE DONT KNOW"
Now this was in July, we laughed so hard i near fell off the loading dock.
Anyway great videos keep em coming........ PARTNER!
My thoughts exactly here in Colorado or houses are a little bit closer together might be an issue trying to not get rid of all your snow to ur neighbors
With a 4 fin/wing impeller could you get away with adding the rubber to 2 of the fins? One on each side?
Yes you could do that and it would work well! Thanks for watching !
I don't see any significant difference between BEFORE and AFTER and this is probably due to the fact you are using DRY snow instead of WET SLUSHY snow where this propeller modiffication is most efficient. Your snow blower is also not that great because it is having some hard time biting threw those 6 small snow blocks but you don't seem to have mutch snow in your area so it is OK... for your area.
I live in canada (Quebec) where it is not unusual to get 1 foot of snow (with areas having 2 to 3 feet) in only 1 average snow storm and i usually get a 7+ feet high pile of snow in front of my house every winter so i bougth a good snow blower that can shoot snow high and far... but it is not working well with slush that fortunately happen only once every winter or two.
My snow blower is a Ariens 926DLE (9 HP, 26 inches wide, equipped with a differential on the wheels to make it turn easily and that can be blocked to avoid the wheels slipping on icy surfaces). With the kind of dry, cold and powder snow we usually get in my area I rarely see snow buildup between the propeller and the wall (1/4 inch max) so i guess the shooting performance is not affected but it is a totally different story with slushy snow. Of course, on snow blowers that have a half inch gap, the propeller performance will be bad even with unslushy snow.
czcams.com/video/QFFveNz7h9Q/video.html
This snow blower is a Ariens 926LE (identical to mine but without a differential) and if you check carefully how it shoot the snow, you will see the flow of snow is slowing occasionnally and in the average, it is not shooting that far. This is because the propeller belt is slipping and then need to be tighten or replaced. Because of this, the snow is not shooted as far as it normally does compare with mine.
czcams.com/video/WmZKOjtaSs0/video.html
In this other video, you have exactly the same snow blower (Ariens 926LE) but it has 2 modifications that improve its propelling performance.
1- Impeller paddles... like you are showing in your video but this will improve performance mainly with slushy snow only.
2- Double belt driving the propeller so the 2 belts do not slip anymore (unlike the 1 belt system in the previous video) and this is mainly what will help shooting the dry snow farer. It seems to shoot farer than my unmodified snow blower but it's hard to tell because the angle of view is not great, there seems to have a little wind and of course, the snow is perfect for shooting far.
To satisfy your curiosity, this well done video shows how to make the modification: czcams.com/video/m-PQISVTk_I/video.html
3- Drive slip Baffle kit. This 3rd modification is only to prevent melting snow from falling on the driving belt and make it slip. More details on this other video:
czcams.com/video/vmZXEHb-3Ew/video.html
Thanks for watching!
@@GarageGear lol you probably didn’t even read all that he said because, he wrote an essay.
@@johnnyrocket6588 🤫
I did this to my Snowblower 4 years ago, it threw snow 45 feet across the road onto that sidewalk
Haha super powered! Love it! Thanks for watching!
Great video!!! Editing magic!!
Thanks a lot Johnny! Gonna try this modification?
@@GarageGear I have already done that with my snowblower, but I just welded an extension of steel on. Your method is much easier and simpler, but I did what I had to do.
@@johnnyrocket6588 awesome! Bet yours works like a charm! Probably throws like a rocket!!!
Fleet Farm or Tractor Supply usually has rubber baler belt for sale by the foot in different widths.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Another thorough "how to" video from JB. Seven years doing a perfect job is impressive. For the less capable or poorly-equipped handymen out there, I wonder why snowblower manufacturers or enterprising mechanics don't provide kits tailored for the machines. Many things to consider, including different impeller designs, templates for the impeller holes, and the rubber blades and hardware. A big question is how will this modification affect the life of any given brand and type of blower and the manufacturer's product liability insurance. Even bigger question is what liability rests on the owner (using a kit or making one him/herself) if the mod and/or the machine itself breaks apart and causes bodily injury or property damage. Sh!t happens!
Any knowledge of such, JB?
People sell them on Amazon.
Hey SEL! Done this procedure on dozens of snowblowers over the years.. No issues to report whatsoever! If anything were to happen I’ll be the first to shoot a video on it! I’ve actually seen some kits out there now but still think it’s easier to make your own given the differences in many models! You ROCK bud!
@@GarageGear Thanks to you and Jim McG for the replies. Followed your winter prep routine to the letter and had a chance to use the machine during December 16/17 snowstorm in Northern New Jersey. Did it it two passes 4" and 4". Handled the light and fluffy stuff and the frozen concrete stuff that the dang snowplows throw on my driveway to a depth of at least 10". Slow and steady is the winning technique on the latter. No clogs whatsoever.
I will rig the impeller flaps before next season - no garage.
Keep up the great work!
@@SELondonUSA Glad that blower worked like a champ for ya! Wait until you put that impeller Kit on. You’ll wonder why you didn’t put it on sooner.
Thanks for the videos. Great tips! Something to make your marking on dark material more effective, silver metallic color Sharpies. I love them!
Yeah thought about that after I filmed this! That would have been a big help! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Basically an MTD/Troy Bilt. Looks identical. Probably manufactured in the same place in China.
They really do have a lot of similarities to an MTD blower! Probably just gets different badging on the tail end of the conveyer belt lol! Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear This definitely does seem to be a cheaper blower made with cheaper parts and more plastics than your run of the mill MTD/Troy Bilt. But hey if it works. It's mean to be disposable within a few years for most folks who won't maintain it worth a crap.
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists you’re right bud! We live in a throw away society! I personally like to get my moneys worth out of things and keep them for as long as possible!
The for your 212 CC powersmart setup video I got the damn thing and the directions Sucked I had no idea where the cables went and a few other things until I seen your video. We are getting snow now I live in Northern NY 1/12/2021 I am hoping to use it as the lady next door hired me to do hers too....
It’s a great machine for its size! You won’t be disappointed! Thanks for watching!!! Glad the video came in handy too!
@@GarageGear I subbed too bro
@@coldbloodedking6517 👍 plenty more content coming your way!
That's the one that I have J.B. I will be doing a Tim the Tool Man Taylor on it here very soon.
Excellent! Sounds great my friend! Have fun! Thanks for checking out my channel!
“Pro” Tip #1 Leave the long length of rubber for your non dominant hand to hold while using the knife to cut the rubber.
“Pro” Tip #2 Use a silver Sharpie when trying to show marks on black metal.
God tips here! I actually checked before filming to see if I had a silver marker but none to be found. Thanks for checking out my channel!
It really doesn't make it throw any further. Rpm is rpm. .. the biggest difference has to do with the texture of the snow. It's the slushie wet stuff that you'll see the Huge improvement. Next video , show it throwing the slush along the curb. I've done this conversion many times. Every persons I've done this for is so happy. Important note..... This will clog only if you don't clear it's throat before stoping the impeller. So if you need to stop.. backup the machine from the snow before stopping the auger. Letbitvrun for a couple of seconds then stop the impeller.....This only really happens when it's very slushie like at the end of you driveway after the plows have come by. And if you do use self tapping screws...be sure you use a washer under the head because the rubber will bulge around the head and you won't get your bit head back on it.
Thanks for checking out my channel!
Hello from Harrisburg Pennsylvania 🇺🇸 I have a new Ariens Professional 32” RapidTrak Snowblower will this work on my snowblower also do you have a Amazon link ?
If I were you I would keep that snow blower stock. If it ain't broke don't fit it.
All the links are down below in the video description. This modification will work on just about any snowblower! I did this to my Ariens about 8 years ago and it’s worked great ever since! Thanks for watching!
I’m assuming modifying your snowblower in this manner, may void your warranty ?
Possibly? Is your blower still under warranty?
The only time I open the chute wide open is if there's ZERO wind, otherwise it blows back when I shoot it into the wind. I wonder if there's much of a difference in distance when the chute is open just above 90 degrees off of the driveway - then this would be more useful. How long does it take for the flaps to wear down so they no longer make that awful noise? Lots of happy neighbors at 6 AM I bet.
I open the chute all the way to launch the snow. If it’s windy I’ll bring it down! No one likes snow in the face lol! The rubber flaps will wear in after about 2-3 uses. Not long. Thanks for checking out my channel!
Blowing snow at 6am is very inconsiderate, why would anyone be happy about that?
This is a great video! I have a craftsman that can use this mod! That and a new tire since one went flat this weekend.
Thanks for the positive feedback FSX! Go for it! You won’t be disappointed! Thanks for watching!
Next cermacoat the inside, so the snow doesn't stick in the auger and impeller areas.
Great tip thanks for sharing!
good throw for a small engine 212cc OHV is much better than flat head motor
Kjell-Richard Løvdal this snowblower impressed me every step of the way!