MTD Went off to snowblower heaven...

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May 27, 2019
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Holland, NY
My 20+ year old MTD 8/24 snowblower swallowed as good sized rock a few days ago. The snowplow kindly left it in my driveway, buried in the snow. Sadly, the shear pins did not snap, and the auger gear housing shattered. I was trying to get "just one more winter" out of the old girl, but I wasn't so lucky. Pricing the gearbox castings, I don't want to bother fixing it, as it's pretty rusted out, but the flathead Briggs motor runs fine. The recoil rope broke 10 years ago, but the electric starter fires it up instantly. I'm sure there are usable parts, as the drive forward and reverse work fine. Tires are excellent and hold air.

Anyone near Buffalo NY interested in a project? Message me here, and let me know. Free to a good home. I'm located in Holland NY, about 35 miles south of the city.

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Sad. Anything new you buy probably wont be as well built. I was surprised to see the local Sno Joe store, like a winter themed store that also sells outdoor equipment, stocks refurbished Troy bilts. They had a tracked 28" for 550.
 
I have an MTD/ Montgomery Wards blower that must be 30-40 years old and it throws snow very, very well. Sorry for your loss. I'll pour one out for the homies tonight.
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I just gave my 26" MTD Yardmachines withe the Tecumseh flathead. to the local delivery guy a year ago.

Very sad to see a good tool go. My eyes watered up a bit.

Mine ran good too - for 27 years.

Same spark plug!

The twice as expensive Industrial Toro I have now is not as nice of a tool,
Its hard to handle, long in the snout and is 100 lbs heavier!
though the china OHC engine starts easier in zero degree weather, and has good putt-putt torque.

The Industrial Simplicity P2128 420cc 2 stage are awesome.
I should have got THAT one !
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Hope it finds a home!

One of my happiest moments was giving away my Toro SS 2 cycle blower and moving to a climate where they don't sell them. Now a portable air conditioner would be appreciated.
 
Just to correct the original poster, the snow blower pictured has a Tecumseh engine, not a Briggs.

For whatever reason, those Tecumseh engines were great in the cold weather. I've had a few and they always started in 1 or 2 pulls, even in extreme cold.
 
I gave my 20 year old MTD 8/26 to a neighbor at the beginning of the season. The 8 HP Kohler Snow King still runs well, although there is the occasional misfire. One time this machine ingested a brick and actually ejected it from the impeller without breaking a shear pin. I hate to admit it, but the only maintenance I ever did on this machine was oil and spark plug changes. Maybe I'll borrow it back in the Spring to lube it up.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
8 hp Tecumseh Sno King ?
Yes - I stand corrected. Never post before finishing that first cup of coffee.
 
MTD made some good stuff back then, maybe not Ariens quality but not bad. I bough my 5/22 in the fall of 95 and it still works great for a 5hp. I did add a Toro SS 3 years ago to do those pesky little snows we get around here anymore.
 
Oh that sucks! I don't live far from you on Davis/Rt240. I've sucked up rocks many times that the state plow trucks drag from upstream somewhere. I've broken shear pins or just stalled the machine luckily. That's the thing with shear pins. You gotta pull and lube them from time to time, or just replace them if they look rusty.

MTD's were still pretty junky and flimsy 20yrs ago, but at least they had decent belts and a decent amount of rubber on the friction disk compared to today.

I've got a 20yr/old Yardman 7hp/24" that I bought new and still use as my backup machine. It's got an OHV Tecumseh on it that starts and runs like a top. Problem is, it's a dual counter rotating shaft setup where the crank drives the auger and the cam pulley drives the wheels. I had a heck of a time with a recent wheel drive belt replacement. The parts manual that came with the machine gave the wrong part number for the belt!! Thank goodness I could still read the p/n on the original belt.

My main machine is an Ariens Snowtek 28", 208cc I bought from Homes depot 5yrs ago or so. I highly recommend these if you want a lower cost new machine.
 
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I have a 15 year old MTD Yard Machines with a 5HP Tecumseh SnoKing that still looks/runs great. However, it only gets used a few times a year in VA.

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JTK, I'll bet you know Gary Maybach, at his small engine repair shop. He is a good mechanic, and even a better person. If you're familiar with his band, Good Question Band, I'm lead vocal. Hope to see you out some time.
 
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