I Hate My Snowblower

I really rarely use the word ‘hate’ – but even Jesus would have pointed at my my snow blower and made it wither. I finally splurged and got me a decent snow blower at the after season sale in the Spring of 2007. It worked great except that it couldn’t blow snow. At first I assumed the snow was:

a) too thick, so I’d shovel
b) too heavy, so I’d shovel
c) too wet, so I’d shovel

Finally, I did some poking around and found out that the cord that goes from the handle to the motor was too long and wasn’t putting the engine in gear all the way, bending the pull bar worked! WOW! I could blow snow… for about three rows, and then the pull bar snapped.

I took it to Ace Hardware, who promised to replace the pull bar and redo the metal cable at the right length (something you can’t do yourself) and have it back to me in six days.

Anyone remember how much snow we got last year? RECORD SNOW. And they kept my snow blower until Spring, and I shoveled all winter.

Not that I MIND shoveling, I’ve done it for years. I just hate shoveling when I OWN a snow blower that I laid out $300 for!

I get it back as the flowers are blooming.

I’ve gotten to use it three times this winter – even though the snow has been only ONE INCH – I’ve been blowin’ with joy!

Then tonight, we get the first real snowfall that is several inches and wet and heavy and the pull cord snaps in two as I’m starting it and the half still connected to the blower snaps back inside the engine. After removing 24 screws I can see I will need to strip all the way to the engine to get the cord back out. I AM NOT TAKING IT TO ACE! I will destroy it before I take it to another neighborhood hardware store!

Thanks for reading my pity party. It is much appreciated. All I ask is that you feel sorry for me.

Thanks. Well, I gotta go shovel.


UPDATE: Well, I took it all apart and guess what? (don’t laugh, please) The part where the string/rope goes in is NOT POSSIBLE to open. Duh. They make the most vulnerable part of the machine impossible to get into and repair. (Conspiracy w/ Ace Hardware maybe?) BUT, with a few paper clips I was able to feed the end back through the hole, rethread the handle and after placing countless screws back on (with a few left over!) I FIXED THE SNOW BLOWER! With Paper Clips, and it didn’t even take six months! BOY, did I enjoy blowing snow tonight knowing I almost had to shovel and go turn in my machine somewhere to be fixed.

No need to pity me any more, be proud of me! I actually fixed something mechanical! That is truly amazing.

5 Comments:

  1. Just think, sweetie. You are building muscle…for Yosemite. Oh, and character too. Thanks for shoveling…you are my and Luke’s hero, babe.

  2. Oh my gosh- that is so funny! I apologize for laughing so hard- I’m sure it was not funny at the time or even right now but I could just picture this happening and being written into a TV sit-com or worked into a sermon message as an illustration on –hmmmm something important I’m sure!

  3. I’ve always wanted to use a snow blower. I think I’ve seen one once. It’s snowing/sleeting here in Austin, TX right now, yet I don’t think I’ll need to shovel tomorrow. Who knows, I’ll probably be able to wear shorts.

  4. Super job man! Maybe that’s where the store messed up – they were out of paper clips!!

  5. Wow, Karl. Fixing it with paper clips. You are a real MacGyver!

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