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thishasntbeeneasy t1_javq23l wrote

My snowblower got trashed. Some oil is leaking out. The starter cord ripped off but it has a plug in option thankfully. A shear pin... sheared. I'm guessing if I bring it in for repairs I won't see it until August though.

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reddittheguy t1_jaw0r3f wrote

The small engine trap!

Always fail when you're using them, but if you can't fix it yourself then you're doomed to the long wait list effectively leaving you without the tool you depend on when you need it the most.

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DaveLDog t1_jaw1snq wrote

Which is why one should learn how to do their own maintenance and repairs. Snowblowers are very easy to work on, but if you keep ignoring annual maintenance that will eventually bite you in the ass.

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reddittheguy t1_jaw3c5z wrote

I don't disagree with this in general. I am able to maintain most of my small engines with the assistance of youtube videos or some experience. Emphasis on most.

But not everyone has the time, or the tools and it's not really reasonable to expect everyone in a population to do this.

For example, would you expect someone who stores their snowblower in a shed and does not have a garage to service their failed snowblower in the middle of winter? You know, that time of year where its cold as fuck and dark at 430? This is the real world, not a dick waving contest about who is man enough to service some tool that they only care about what it does, not how it works.

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Puzzleheaded-Row-511 t1_jawpgjq wrote

I'll go ahead and disagree. If you own tools, you should know how to maintain them. If you can't do major repairs, that's fine but know how to keep them running and store them properly. No need to pay hundreds more over time than you paid for the tool in the first place.

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reddittheguy t1_jax27w1 wrote

Sure, that sounds perfectly reasonable, but I am not sure what point you're arguing against. Knowing how to service and repair something is one thing but availability or circumstance is another. I can change my cars motor oil no problem most of the year but jacking up my car on my driveway in February sucks and I wouldn't fault someone for outsourcing that task to a service garage.

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Puzzleheaded-Row-511 t1_jax2iuj wrote

I guess. Personally I'd never trust any garage with my stuff. You do what you need to buddy!

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DaveLDog t1_jaw3oy7 wrote

That's why you do maintenance in the warm months, so your not doing repairs in the winter, not hard to figure out, even for a dick.

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reddittheguy t1_jawk6nv wrote

It's also not hard to figure out that even with proper maintenance a machine with several moving parts is still susceptible to failure. I owned a Subaru in the 80s, so believe me, I'm an expert on this one.

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New_Restaurant_6093 t1_jaye9j7 wrote

Keep in mind it’s a simple machine but I’ve seen some educated people loose fingers to snowblowers. Don’t write them off if you don’t know that you are doing.

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ZacPetkanas t1_jawymy4 wrote

> but if you can't fix it yourself then you're doomed to the long wait list

This seems like a good opportunity for a side-gig for the mechanically inclined. Although most of the small-engine places tend to have shelves, drawers, and cubbies filled with the odd gasket, spring, or other part. Maybe that's the real issue with wait times?

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Ambitious_Ask_1569 t1_jax0son wrote

In five years they will probably ban gas lawnmowers and snowblowers. Vermont and a few states have already come for gas blowers. Its only a matter of time.

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