Craftsman Snowblower Tune-Up Procedures

General

• Sears lists three criteria for snowblower selection: size of job/driveway, amount of snowfall and type of snow. With many past and present models of Craftsman snowblowers, model-specific manuals offer guidelines for your individual machine. However, there are tune-up recommendations that are common to all machines. A tune-up is a routine maintenance program designed to prevent problems. Sears recommends a three-seasonal maintenance program to keep its Craftsman snowblowers tuned for peak operating condition, including pre-season, operating-season and post-season schedules.

Pre Season

• A pre-season tune-up ensures the readiness of a snowblower to handle the demands of the upcoming winter snow season. For this reason, pre-season tune-ups are the most detailed of the year. Sears Home Services recommends their comprehensive annual check-up, which includes the engine, ignition system, carburetor, fins, air filter, battery, throttle and choke. Owners can perform their own pre-season maintenance by changing the oil, checking all nuts and bolts for tightness, replacing the spark plugs, inflating tires to recommended pressure and filling the tank with fresh gasoline.

Operating Season

• Some owners are diligent about providing pre-season maintenance, but they fail to provide ongoing seasonal maintenance. Sears recommends maintaining the correct oil level in their snowblowers by checking the level before each use and adding more oil, if needed. For new snowblowers, a complete oil change is needed after the first five to eight hours of use. Thereafter, oil changes are needed after every 50 hours of operation. Spark plugs need changing after every 100 operating hours. After each use, you should place your snowblower on a dry surface and run the auger so that excess moisture is shed from the machine.

Post Season

• Attention to post-season tune-ups is important to ensure that your snowblower is adequately stored during the off season. Do not store your machine with gasoline in the reservoir or in the engine. Drain all fuel from the tank and run your machine until all the gasoline is spent from its system. According to Home Hardware, recycling this unused gasoline by putting it in your automobile tank will not hurt your car. Lubricate all manual-recommended points, clean the machine and dry it completely before storing it during warm-season months.