Snowblower Shear Bolt Replacement (Bonus: A different kind of snowblower!)

The auger on this snowblower stopped spinning.  While this problem could be due to a bad gear box, it's most likely just a broken shear bolt.  Believe it or not, a broken shear bolt on a snowblower auger is actually a good thing!  These bolts are designed to break when you hit something hard, that way you don't break something much more expensive and difficult to replace like the gear box.  They are intentionally designed to be the weakest point.  Here is a video showing you how to diagnose a broken shearbolt and then quickly replace them with a hammer, a punch (a screwdriver will do in a pinch), and the appropriate size of wrench.

If you use a snowblower, eventually you will break an auger shear bolt (also called shear pins).  Its not a matter of if, but when.  Make sure you have spares on hand.  Don't be tempted to use a normal bolt, it is to strong and you may break something more expensive next time!  Here are the shearpins and the punch you will need:

If you keep breaking shearbolts, adjust the height of your snowblower auger to raise it further from the ground by adjusting the skid plates on the side of the auger housing.

And now a bonus video: A totally different kind of snowblower!

That's right, a back pack leafblower is the fastest, easiest way to clear a light snow.  It's not going to be effective on deep snow, but for an inch or less, it's great!  If you own a home and don't have a backpack blower, well, quite frankly, you should!  They are so much more powerful than a hand held leafblower that it cuts the time for me to clear the leaves in the fall by more than half.  I've found so many other uses for it as well.  I recommend the model I have, a Husqvarna 350 BT, but there are many other great options available from Stihl, Echo, and Shidaiwa.

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