Visual Inspection
To start preparing your plow for the winter, the first thing you should do is make a visual inspection. If there are any clear signs of damage that could potentially interrupt the normal use of your plow, get it fixed before the season starts.

Trip Springs & Eye Bolts
Next, tighten the trip springs and adjust the eye bolts. Without proper adjustment, the moldboard (blade) could be damaged during use. Refer to your owner’s manual to get your plow’s specific tightening instructions.

Lubrication, Cutting Edge & Runners
In order to keep a smooth cut, make sure to grease moving parts (such as the pivot and cotter pins) and check the cutting edge. If the cutting edge is worn past 4 inches, get it replaced, as further use can damage the moldboard. Also, inspect the runners and ensure that they are cutting at ½ inch above the ground when ready to plow. If they are wearing through, get them replaced immediately. Continue to check the wear and tear of the edges and runners throughout the season.

Power Unit Maintenance
To ensure that your plow maintains good power angling, monitor all of the hoses, couplers, and rams. Make sure that there is no damage; such as rust, leaks, or cuts. Failure with the hydraulic system will result in the plow being completely dysfunctional. Before the season starts, make checking your hydraulic fluid a habit. Specific fluid levels and instructions for your pump/power unit can be found in the owner’s manual, as every plow is different.

Electrical
Your plow’s electrical system should also be reviewed before use. Replace or repair any melted, damaged, or corroded wiring, harnesses, and connectors. Dielectric grease can be added to any electrical connections to help prevent corrosion. Loose wires can be very hazardous, so make sure all wires are safe, secure, and away from any hot engine parts.

Review Owner’s Manual
If you have questions or any other concerns with the upkeep of your snow plow, refer to your owner’s manual, as there will be more detailed instructions for troubleshooting your specific plow model.

Checklist
? Visual inspection
? Tighten trip springs
? Adjust eyebolts
? Grease moving parts
? Check cutting edge and runners/shoes
? Monitor hoses, couplers, and rams
? Check for rust, leaks, and cuts in hydraulic

? Change oil/hydraulic fluid
? Inspect wiring and electrical parts/add dielectric grease
? Secure all wires
? Read owner’s manual

Walk-Behind Salt Spreader

Walk-behind spreaders are exactly what you’d think—you walk behind them. They are very simplistic and easy to maintain; they are much more basic and smaller versus larger tailgate, under-tailgate or hopper salt spreaders. But with any salt spreader, whether it’s a walk-behind or tailgate, a good visual inspection should be the first step in ensuring its functionality. If there is any obvious damage to an essential part, that should be fixed right away. Cosmetic damage isn’t necessarily as important, unless the hopper is becoming corroded (due to improper cleaning, salt build up, old age, etc.), which can cause your hopper to develop holes. Wash your walk-behind spreader with water and dry before the season even starts. Continue to wash and dry during the season every so often to ensure that your will not have any buildup of salt—buildup of salt can cause major damage, and eventually make your spreader unusable. Cleaning is very important at all stages of the maintenance process, and is especially important if you also use your salt spreader for fertilizer. After the spreader is cleaned, make sure all the moving parts move the way they are supposed to. Moving parts should be cleaned and greased from time to time. There are no electric parts on a walk behind spreader so you don’t need to worry about damaging any wiring or electrical connections during maintenance. As long as you take the proper steps to keep it functioning well, you should have no problems with this type of spreader.

Tailgate, Under-Tailgate and Hopper Salt Spreaders

If you do heavy-duty salt spreading, these spreaders are your best friend in the wintertime. A tailgate spreader gets mounted on to the bed of a truck and plugged into its electrical system. An under-tailgate spreader is mounted underneath the tailgate of a dump body truck and is either powered with hydraulic fluid or electricity. Hopper salt spreaders are mounted into the bed of a truck and hooked into the vehicle’s electrical system. When mounting or removing any kind of spreader, be cautious not to damage your vehicle. Make sure all the harnesses are secure before taking it anywhere. Like the walk-behind spreader, a visual inspection should be made, moving parts should be greased, and a regular cleaning with water should be done. The same precautions you would take for the walk-behind spreader should be taken with these types of spreader, but because these spreaders are much more complex, you must handle it with more caution and importance. Between uses, the salt should be cleaned out so it doesn’t fuse together and cause issues for the next use. Make sure all electrical connections are out of the way of any salt, snow, water, or any substance that could damage the connections. Check all the tensions of belts, chains, and conveyors before, and multiple times throughout the season—be careful not to over-tighten! When storing the spreader, use dielectric grease on all the electrical connections to help prevent corrosion damage. Every spreader is different, so refer to the operating manual for specific details on further maintenance.

The winter season can be rough, but if you do the proper maintenance, you’ll be ready for it!

Checking Local Dealers

Giving one of your local parts dealers a call can never hurt when you’re searching for a part! Sometimes, places like these will still have the item in their inventory ready to be sold, even after the manufacturer stopped making it. It’s pointless for the local dealer to throw away something just because the part is no longer available—someone like you might still need it! This happens on many occasions where dealers hold onto the part it until it runs out. If the part you are looking for happens to be a miscellaneous hardware item, such as a nut or bolt, a local hardware store probably carries it. The local dealer might also have used parts available.

Browsing Online

When browsing online, you have access to hundreds of different vendors from all across the globe, which may be supplying the exact part you’re looking for! The chances of finding your part on the internet are a lot more likely than finding it locally. Online trading sites like eBay or Craigslist are great resources to search what you’re looking for. Even a quick search on your favorite search engine can help you find a website that is selling the part you need. When you order online, it’ll get shipped directly to you. It is common for online parts retailers to list availability for discontinued parts online without knowing that the part is discontinued. Because most manufacturers don’t inform their dealers that parts have been discontinued, the only way for the dealer to know is to manually check. It is a good idea to contact the online retailer to see if the part is available before placing an order and assuming that they have the part in stock.

Fabrication

If you have tried checking your local dealers and have already looked online but are still having no luck, you could always have a new part fabricated. A local machine shop is the best place to try to have your item re-created. Creativity in this area is key!

If the part is nowhere to be found and it’s unable to be fabricated, selling your equipment or trading it in for something new might be your last resort. Hopefully you’ll never be in that situation, but sometimes it happens. Look at the bright side: If you have to make an investment in new equipment, it’ll (most likely) be more up to date, so it’ll save you a search for a discontinued part in the future. Happy part hunting!

Preparing Your Mower:

Tuning up your lawn mower should be number one on your list of things to do before the new season starts. You should start by changing your oil. Make sure your oil is designed for lawn mowers and not automobiles. You can dispose of old oil at a local mechanic shop, usually for free. (Click to change your mower’s oil.) If you have a gas powered mower, you should also drain old gasoline and leave the tank empty or add a fuel stabilizer. Old gas can really mess up your engine if it sits too long. Next, replace your air filter, especially if your mower has been sitting around in storage or it just hasn’t been replaced in a long time. Dust can collect and problems could arise with the way your lawn mower functions. Your lawnmower’s spark plugs should also be replaced at least once a year. Make sure that you get the correct spark plug though, because it does matter. (Click to replace your mower’s spark plug and air filter.) If your lawn mower’s belts look worn, cracked, or damaged in any way, they need to be replaced. There is no way to repair a damaged belt. Sharpening your lawn mower’s blades is probably one of the most necessary steps to preparing your lawn mower, because this is what actually cuts the grass. Without sharp blades, there is no point in even preparing your mower. If you mow while your blades are dull or dirty, the grass is more likely to tear then cut. When grass tears, the grass dies, and this causes brown spots. It is important to check your blades every couple of months to make sure they aren’t dull. While you sharpen your blades, you can clean them as well. (Click to clean your mower’s blades and click to sharpen your mower’s blades.) After you’re done with preparing your mower for the new season, it’s a good idea just to clean and lubricate the moving parts. You can spray your mower’s motor with degreaser, let it sit, and then clean it off with water. You can lubricate the motor, wheels, etc. with oil or grease. Now that your mower is prepared, you can begin to get your lawn prepared.

Preparing Your Lawn:

As fall moves closer, our thoughts move to raking leaves. As much as we dread doing it, it needs to be done. Not only does raking your yard move the dead leaves out of the way, but also it helps control thatch. Thatch is the layer between the green vegetation and soil. It is made up of partially decomposed material and is considered excessive when it is over a half of an inch thick. Deep raking can prevent thatch build-up. Also, aerating your lawn can remove unwanted thatch. Aerating is the process of punching many tiny holes into the ground to allow water, oxygen, and other nutrients to enter the soil and root layer. It is preferred to aerate in the fall because it will help stop the spread of unwanted seeds. Aerators can usually be rented from a local lawn care/hardware store. They can also be purchased but professional machines can be expensive.

Aeration can also help repair a compacted lawn. A compacted lawn is exactly what it sounds like — compacted. The soil is so squashed together that the nutrients can’t reach the roots. You can tell a lawn is compacted when the ground feels hard, you can’t easily put a shovel into it, and/or weeds are very present. Areas of high foot or vehicle traffic are usually very prone to compaction.

Fall is also a good time to fertilize. When the grass is still actively growing, large amounts of fertilizer can damage it. Fertilizing frozen soil, wet grass, frost covered grass, or snow dusted grass can cause grass death and could cause mold damage. October or November (or a couple weeks before the ground freezes) is preferred because this is when the grass slows its growth and becomes more dormant for the winter, but has not yet completely stopped growing. Grasses in the Northeast region of the United States recover from the spring and summer heat during the fall. Before fall even starts, around the late summer months, a light round of fertilizer should help when the fall round of fertilizer is laid down. Grass needs to be able to grow back after winter and providing the correct nutrients at the correct times during summer and fall is essential. Fall is a time of preparation, and if you prepare correctly, your grass should flourish after the snow melts in the spring.

Fighting off weeds in the spring time is always a hassle, so applying herbicide at the right time in the fall can make your life a lot easier. Just as it is preferred to put down fertilizer in the fall, it is the same for herbicide. Building up your lawn’s weed immunity in the fall will help is so when the grass starts growing after winter, less unwanted weeds grow. Each herbicide is different, so it just depends on what kind you buy. Some of them have timing restrictions, so when you’re shopping, keep that in mind.

The last major thing you could do to prepare for the new season is overseed. Overseeding is when you plant more grass over current grass; whether the current grass is still living or is a bare, brown spot. Grass, just like any other living thing, doesn’t live forever. After about five or six years, the growth reduces and can eventually come to a halt. Overseeding not only repairs your grass, but it helps to protect it from diseases and even more death. So, if it looks like it’s time for you to overseed your grass, or just patch up a brown spot, fall is the perfect time—more specifically early fall, around September. Overseeding a whole lawn is a time-consuming task, but luckily, it only needs to be done every five to six years. If you’re ready to do your whole lawn, it’s best to ask a lawn care professional for some help. If you’re just repairing a brown spot, buy enough seed to cover the area evenly, cover in peat moss/compost/fertilizer, and water daily until sprouts begin to show. Doing this in late spring and early fall will allow the grass to grow easier, instead of being hit by harsh heat and sun that the summer brings. Along with the proper steps of fertilizing, overseeding during the fall will help your grass become healthy after winter is over.

Get the best out of your lawn this fall, so that in the winter you can sit back and relax. After the snow melts, you’ll be able to watch your hard work blossom into a healthy green lawn!

Now that we know what OEM and aftermarket mean, here are a few things to think about before purchasing parts:

Design & Quality

OEM parts were specifically designed for your machine and are usually an exact replacement part. These parts are guaranteed to be made to the exact specifications that were used when the machine was first built, whether your machine is a year old or thirty years old! The quality of an OEM product will be similar to or exactly the same as the product already on your machine. Aftermarket parts are often re-engineered parts. Because of this, the quality is often not the same. This means that the durability or the design may not exactly meet OEM standards. But don’t give up on aftermarket parts yet – we’ve found that some aftermarket parts actually come from the same manufacturers who are making parts for the OEM’s – meaning that the aftermarket part is identical to the OEM. But generally, the OEM will provide the best quality parts.

Price & Availability

Aftermarket products save you money. Here’s why – consider the supply chain of an OEM part: the manufacturer of a part sells it to an OEM. The OEM sells it either to a dealer or a distributor. The distributor sells it to a dealer, and then the dealer sells it to you. Every step in the chain creates a delay in product availability and an increase in price, because everyone has to make a profit on the part. Now consider the supply chain of an aftermarket part: the manufacturer sells it to the aftermarket supplier. The supplier sells it to a dealer, and the dealer sells it to you. Less middle-man means less cost, which saves you money! The aftermarket suppliers also carry a majority of the inventory, so product is available more quickly. But not every OEM part has an aftermarket product available – aftermarket suppliers usually carry only commonly replaced parts for each OEM.

Warranty

Replacing a defective product is never a fun task, but it happens to all of us at some point. The moment you buy an OEM product, the clock starts ticking. OEM’s typically have a short warranty period – somewhere between 30 to 90 days. Different products carry different warranty periods, but you’ll find that most aftermarket suppliers offer very generous warranty periods – sometimes up to a year after purchase!

In the lawn care world, it is a generally known fact that OEM products rule. Because aftermarket suppliers only sell general maintenance and “wear” parts, the amount of OEM products is much greater. As many places do sell both, the one you’re most likely to find more of is the OEM products. Here’s a recap of the advantages and disadvantages:

Conclusion

To sum it all up, OEM products are better quality, but aftermarket products are cheaper and they get the same job done. Now that you understand the difference between OEM and aftermarket products, you can be a wise parts shopper.

We’ll start with electrically powered trimmers. This type of trimmer has an extension cord that connects to a power outlet. They are practical for you to purchase if the area you are trimming is smaller, as it can become a hassle to haul around an extension cord while trimming your lawn. On the positive side, though, you don’t need to worry about spilling (or purchasing) gasoline. Electric trimmers are the cheapest of the trimmer family, but remain somewhat impractical due to the extension cord and lack of power compared to the other family members. Make sure before purchasing an electric powered trimmer that you are willing to have your trimmer plugged into an outlet while doing yard work.

Next is the battery powered trimmer. This type of trimmer needs to be recharged frequently, therefore making it quite tedious if you’re trying to trim a large area. Battery powered trimmers are the least powerful of the trimmer family but the technology has gradually improved over recent years. These trimmers aren’t ideal in wet weather, as they tend to short-out occasionally when water interferes with the battery. They are very mobile and lightweight, though; they maintain a good range in motion, there is minimal vibration, and they have zero harmful emissions that release in the air. If you have a small to average sized lawn, don’t want to be hassled with fuel, and are willing to throw down about a hundred bucks, a battery powered trimmer may be what you should look into.

The third type is the gasoline powered trimmer. Among large lawn owners and lawn care professionals, this type of trimmer (in most cases) is the first choice. They are powerful and can handle large amounts of trimming. Some of the downfalls include the messiness of refilling the gasoline and keeping a separate gas can for mixing gas and oil (on two-stroke units). You’ll also be tolerating vibrations and noise, along with the overall weight, initial expense of the unit, and continuing cost of fuel to keep it running. In addition, the carbon footprint for these trimmers is much larger than their “green” alternatives. Because these units require maintenance and tune-ups, it’s easier to find replacement parts and attachments. Most gas powered trimmers run on a set ratio of gasoline and oil, although newer trimmers are being produced that don’t require the mixing of oil with fuel. These trimmers remain the ideal option for people with a large amount of trimming area. Before you go out and spend money on a gas powered trimmer, make sure you really need it for yourself, because if not, you just put a bad dent in your wallet and the environment.

Last, and certainly not least, the gasless powered trimmer, also known as Core Power. Core power technology has been around for years but has just been recently been incorporated into outdoor power equipment. A Core Power trimmer has just as much power as a two-cylinder gas powered trimmer, minus the loud noise and need to refuel. Core Power is just starting to make its mark in the trimmer world and their product line is improving rapidly. Core trimmers are cordless and only require about an hour to recharge the Core power cell. This high-tech cell is the life of the trimmer and is the brain behind Core technology. Maintenance is rarely needed with Core powered machines because there simply are not as many components compared to the other trimmer styles. A Core trimmer is there to get the job done as cleanly and easy as possible. Whether your lawn is big or small, Core trimmers are worth the purchase because the power combined with simplicity makes it a simple, enjoyable task. These units are priced equivalent to an entry-level commercial gasoline powered trimmer and provide similar torque, weight and ease of use.

In the end, your trimmer decision is up to you, your lawn, and your wallet. With all the styles to choose from, picking the right one may be difficult. With a little bit of research, finding the right one for you might be easier than you think!

Things to keep in mind before making any adjustments or repairs:

• Make sure your unit is off
• Remove the key
• Make sure all moving parts have stopped
• Disconnect the spark plug wire on gasoline units and keep it away from the spark plug accidental starting of engine

Things to keep in mind when you have a clog in your unit:

• Turn off the engine on a gas machine
• Unplug the motor on an electric model
• Wait for all moving parts to stop
• Use a clearing tool
• Never use hands or feet to clear a clog nor near the auger or the discharge chute

Things to keep in mind when you have to fuel/refuel your unit:

• Add fuel to the tank outdoors before starting a gasoline unit
• Do not add gasoline to a running or hot engine
• Do not leave the machine running in an enclosed area
• Wait until a gas model’s engine is cool before refueling

Things to keep in mind if you have an electric snowblower:

• Use an outdoor extension cord
• Make sure your outlet has a ground-fault-circuit-interrupting protection
• Keep the cord safely away from the spinning auger while working
• Know where your power cord is at all times
• Replace worn or damaged cords

Other basic safety things to keep in mind:

• Do not touch the engine while it is running or soon after it has stopped because the engine may be hot enough to cause a burn.
• Protect yourself from carbon-monoxide poisoning by starting and running gasoline-powered snow blowers outside, rather than in your garage or shed.
• Make sure you stay behind the handles of your unit and keep your body and clothing away from moving parts.

Check out our Power Clear® 621 E Electric Start Snowblower

The muffler is a familiar and simple feature designed to not only decrease the noise level but also to direct hot exhaust gases away from the operator. The muffler is sometimes combined with the spark arrester. The spark arrester’s job is to keep sparks from being ejected by the exhaust. Sparks can occur when carbon deposits in the cylinder break loose and are ignited by the exhaust gases.

A front hand guard is a bar located in the front of the top handle. It is essential to have and must be in place on all chainsaws. It is designed to stop your hand from slipping and coming into contact with a moving, snapped or derailed chain. This guard is often combined with the chain break which is designed to stop a moving chain within a fraction of a second should a kickback occurs.

The rear hand guard and the chain catcher are two features both designed to protect your hand from a broken or jumping chain. The rear hand guard is located on the lower part of the rear handle of the chain saw and the chain catcher is located on the bottom of the saw engine as far forward as it possibly can be.

A throttle trigger lockout prevents accidental opening on the throttle. The throttle trigger is locked in the idling position when the lockout is not engaged by the proper hand grip on the handle. The stop switch should be located so that it can be activated easily by your right thumb without losing your grip of the rear handle.

The vibration damping consists of rubber bushings located between the handle and the saw body or on the engine mountings. This feature considerably reduces the amount of vibration that occurs to the operator’s hands. Excessive vibration to the operator can cause damage to hands and fingers and/or slippage of the unit within the operator’s hands. Wearing the gloves reduces the vibration further.

Again, make sure to know the safety features of your chain saw before operation, as well as, be aware of the environment that you are working in. Too much precaution during operation is better than not being cautious enough.

Check out our Worx Corded Electric 14″ Chainsaw

In snow blowers, saws, trimmers and other small power equipment, it is important to use a gas/oil mixture for improved lubrication. Unlike engines that have separate gas and oil reservoirs, two-cycle engines run on a gas/oil mixture that keeps the engine lubricated at all times. Never use straight gas in a two-cycle engine as straight gas will ruin the engine quickly. Only use high-grade oil intended for use in two-cycle air-cooled engines. A high-grade premium gasoline will burn cleaner in the engines, leaving less carbon buildup in the cylinder, exhaust port and muffler. A fuel grade of 89 octane and higher is recommended.

The ratio varies, but usually falls between 16/1 and 50/1 parts gas to oil. Your owner’s manual will give the correct ratio for your machine. Although gasoline with ethanol is often warned against, gasoline from the pump does contain about 10% ethanol. Using any ethanol-gasoline blend up to E10 should work well for snow blowers and small off-road equipment. You can use gasoline which is blended with a maximum 10% alcohol, but never use E85 or diesel fuels.

Gas/oil mixtures attract moisture and can create acids as time goes by, so it is important not to leave it in your machine longer than 60-90 days. Drain away old fuel and start with fresh fuel any time your equipment has been sitting with non-stabilized fuel for long periods of time.

When using a gas powered lawn mower, be sure to add a gas stabilizer at the end of the season and run the unit for approximately 30 seconds to allow the stabilized fuel to reach the carburetor and run through the fuel lines. This type of product will stabilize and protect gasoline for up to two years, as well as prevent the formation of corrosion and other gumming up problems associated with ethanol-blended gasoline. Adding a stabilizer is affordable, and it protects an engine better than draining the fuel.

Be sure to consult your manual or manufacturer website to be sure you use the correct gasoline, oil, and mixing ratio; and keep up regular maintenance to ensure the best and most reliable performance from your power equipment all year.

When deciding which type of skids to use, consider the type of surface upon which you will be sliding the snow blower. There are three main types of skid shoes to consider: roller skids, steel skids, and poly skids.

The Snowblower Roller-Skid is useful for providing good ground clearance on flat surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. If you have a heavy two-stage snow blower, Roller-Skids may make for easier transportation than the metal or poly models as they give the ability to “roll” on pavement and “skid” on snow. Due to their unique design, the skid will not leave rust marks or scratch surfaces like a metal skid. The Roller-Skid is not designed for gravel or uneven surfaces.

Metal skids, which are usually made of steel, are a good option for all types of driveways, including cement, asphalt, gravel or any other surface. Metal skids can be adjusted for the appropriate surface, lower for flat surfaces such as cement or asphalt, and higher for gravel surfaces. These skids are much more durable than a plastic or poly skid, so they can be used on uneven surfaces. Though affordable, there is a chance of scraping or staining the ground surface with paint or rust.

Skids made from polyurethane are ideal for cement or blacktop driveways, and they are durable and lightweight. Unlike some steel skids, there is no danger of them scraping the ground surface and leaving marks from paint or rust. Poly skids can be used on even or uneven surfaces. On average, poly skids last 2-3 seasons and are slightly more expensive than metal. Many of these poly skids are reversible, unlike the metal versions, which allows for extended use.

Remember to to check your owner’s manual for size suggestions before purchasing skid shoes. You can purchase all three types of skids on our website by using our parts look-up or browsing our online catalog.