Neighborhood Recycling at the Curb

[MineralMan]

Some may remember that I recently posted about buying a new snowblower to replace my balky 11-year-old one. It's here, set up and running just fine. All shiny and new. So this morning, I pulled the old one out, put some gas in the tank and started it. It started right up, like it always has. I aired up the tire with the slow leak, made sure the impeller and front rotating blades were turning and ran it down to the curb.

I put a sign on it that said FREE! RUNS! NEEDS TLC, and went back to get the owner's manual, which I put in a gallon ziploc bag. By the time I got back down to the curb, one of my neighbors from a few houses up the street was standing there. After a brief conversation, which included a rundown of its problems, he said he'd like to take it. So, I started it back up and walked behind it up the street to his driveway. It didn't skip a beat.

"No guarantee," I told him. "Don't bring it back if it gives you problems." He laughed and said he'd fix it up for the coming winter. He also said that he couldn't afford to buy one, and that it took too much time to clear his driveway after every snowfall. He was as pleased with his OK-running old snowblower as I am with my brand new one.

Why didn't I sell it to someone? Because I don't want to see it again, and the person who bought it would surely come around on some -20 degree day when it wouldn't start for him. This way, I won't have to deal with someone's disappointment. It's running now and everything works on it. "No guarantee."

Anyhow, I like recycling stuff I've used for years that is still working. I don't want a snowblower that I have to fiddle with before I can use it. Someone else may not mind.

11 years ago, I paid $500 for that old one. I haven't spent a cent on it since, so it cost me less than $50 per year to own. That's about the cost of one snow removal job by one of the many hard-working guys who do that for a living. I paid $500 for the brand new one, too, which I'm counting on to last for 10 years or so. By then, I'll be 80 years old, and will say, "Screw it" to snow removal, I guarantee.

Neighborhood recycling is good. I'm happy. My neighbor is happy. It's all good.

[w0nderer]

1. in order of preference

Neighbor cycling (what you did)
Free cycling (because it's more likely to get somewhere where someone will appreciate it)
curb cycling

either way good news that some working stuff (mostly) gets more use

are you using Alkylate fuel or normal gas?
(uk site faq http://www.aspenfuel.co.uk/clean-facts/questions-and-answers/ )
http://en.aspen.se/

there are other manufacturers than aspen (swedish i believe)

it's a more expensive but tends to clean out both carb and engine and plug ("burn" it clean)
that's from 2 winter seasons servicing chainsaws, snow blowers and brush cutters (for power line clearing crews)
for the local store, owner swore by alkylate

sometimes a coughing/not starting engine we just emptied the tank, filled with alkylate, cleaned airfilter, and started it
it'd cough to start with and run smoother and smoother over the next 30 minutes

after that it'd start instantly and run smoothly, although we usually had to tune the idle a bit to the new fuel and all we had to do was a wipe down after that

he called it the micro tune up and charged 20 minutes (what it took) plus a gallon of fuel (and we'd open a gallon pour in a full tank and you'd get the rest of the gallon with you home)

i like it because it works in my gas stove and has a longer shelf life
keeps my 30 year old briggs stratton running fine too

[MineralMan]

2. I use regular gas, stabilized with Stabil.

Really, the problem with that snowblower is probably a dirty carburetor and engine wear. It's lost some power and sometimes starts hard. I could have fixed it, but it would still be 11 years old. The auger and impeller bearings are worn, too, and it wasn't throwing the snow as far or dealing with heavier snow as well as when it was new.

Really, I just don't feel like working on it, so I passed it along to someone who probably will work on it to get it running and working better. I figure a $50/year cost is pretty damned good, so why not invest in a new one that will be less work to use and will do the job faster and better.

Most snowblowers don't even have an air filter, by the way. Not much dirt and dust during the season. Just a screen and cover to keep the chunks out. Mine gets an oil change and new spark plug each season, and gets run dry at the end of winter. I tighten everything up before the next season and check it all over. That has worked very nicely for 11 years. I may use the thing for a total of 10 hours each year, but it gets run hard constantly in that time.

[w0nderer]

3. :-)

was just wondering if you tried the alkylat

but yep see your point

and i know about the airfilter however in translation (my boss in that store, called it all including the screen 'air filters')
it got called an airfilter

enjoy the new and shiny

[MineralMan]

4. I just looked, and it doesn't appear that alkylate fuel

is readily available in the US. I can get gasoline without any ethanol in it locally, but I don't bother, really. The Stabil keeps the 10% ethanol fuel from causing any problems, even if you forget to run the tank empty at the end of the season.