need snow blower technique tips from my northern friends

You might try coating the chute and internals with this.

Dupont Teflon Snow and Ice Repellant

I use spray silicone as per Peegoo’s tip a few years ago on the former forum. Works great and probably half the price of other products on the market.

i checked on the teflon, it's unavailable from amazon. i have some silicon spray, that might work? we're expecting more snow wednesday nite/thursday the amount is still not forecasted but they hint that it might be significant.

this was about 3" i guess... there was about 4" to 5" on the grass but we had a period of time yesterday that it stopped snowing and the pavement/concrete pretty much melted off but not the grass. then it began snowing again about dark and we got a couple/three.

what do you guys do, start in the middle and blow toward the edges? kinda the opposite of mowing grass? i saw that if i started on the edges and worked my way in i was just covering up what i'd just cleared.

i can't imagine clearing a deep snow... i guess you have to get out during the snow and get it before it gets too deep? i don't know how deep mine will work.

it's kinda alien for me... we rarely have enough snow to worry about... and since i'm retired, i don't have to go anywhere... my wife has a 94 year old mother that lives 50 miles away. and although there are live-in caretakers, if something happens, she has to get out and go, so i keep the drive clean. better than the county does the roads!

I usually start at the edge of the driveway that is on the side the wind is coming from so it doesn’t get blown back into my face. ie northerly wind start on north edge of driveway.

I’m proud to say I’ve never operated a snow-blower.

the reality is that even using sprays, there are certain types of slush that a small blower will not work on. If you have the energy you should plow several times before the snow gets too deep. Snow blowers are very useful but not the absolute solution. Here in NJ we always have adults looking to make some money by shoveling. In my neighborhood the same guys are used by several neighbors and seem to do a good job. Cost vary of course but so shovel 50 feet of walkway and the end of the driveway so you can get your car out goes anywhere from 25 to fifty.

In addition to hosing down the impeller(s), intake chute, and output chute with silicone aerosol, there's one other important thing to do: put the machine outside for at least 30 minutes before you use it.

The reason is if it's stored in a warm area and you take it out and crank it up and go, the metal parts that handle the snow will melt the snow and that will form ice, clogging up the machine. So put it outside and let it cool off before use.

I discovered this back in the 80s when I was big into mountain biking in the snow. The gear cassette, chain, and derailleur would ice up and the chain would jam and slip. I tried all kinds of lubricants and although some worked better than others, the best thing to do was put the bike outside for 30 minutes to cool off prior to the ride. No more ice forming on the chain, etc.

i see, kinda like mowing. the taller and thicker the grass the smaller the bite. i get it... thanks!

Grizbear-NJ-NJ speaks the truth. For a double or triple wide driveway, starting in the middle and working out is fast. you don't have to change the chute. If it's windy, depending on wind direction, starting in the middle might not be an option. Throw with the wind on those days.

The partial bite option is effective for deeper snow.

I have a nightmare driveway to snowblow. It's long, has a huge turn around area (side entry garage) where I can only blow the snow in one direction. Plus there's a secondary entrance for a circle drive section. We're at the end of a cul-de-sac and the two entrances plus sidewalk form a 40' x 20' area that needs to be cleared with only the "island" inside the circle drive to blow into.

Your snowblower almost certainly has an interlock between the drive clutch and the auger clutch. You can use that to keep the auger going while you adjust the chute. I use that like crazy doing my big turnaround area. I clear that in an "L" changing the chute direction when I make the turn to keep blowing in the same direction.

Are we talking about a silicone spray like this?

WD-40 - 300012 Specialist Silicone Lubricant with SMART STRAW SPRAYS 2 WAYS 11 OZ [6-Pack] www.amazon.com/dp/B00631GRPW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_VSDRZ5C6M0AJ28QR5AX7

That’s six 11oz cans for $29.49.

How much does one use, and how fast does a can get finished?

So buying 6 cans would be ridiculous. I’ll have to swing by Home Depot, I plan to try it this year.

Peegoo gives good advice. Doubly so on taking smaller bites (the extra space in the front of the blower lets it churn and break up a bit) and keeping the blower cool.

Are you letting the snow sit until late morning or early afternoon? If the sun hits it for a while, it will compress down. I usually was hitting it as soon as I could after landing, in part because of work schedules - there wasn't a lot of wiggle room.

One tip- if it jams up with ice, don't think it can't hurt you just because you turn it off to clear the jam.

Happened to a friend of mine. He reached in to remove the ice jam, and there was enough compression left in the engine that the auger rotated itself about 1/4 turn when the ice was knocked loose.. Caught his fingers. He had heavy gloves on, so he didn't lose any fingers, but he had a real sore bunch of fingers for a while.