Death Storm, Jan 2026

[prankster]

Did the storm decide to backtrack? It is absolutely ripping from Newport up to Boston right now. Wow.

I don't think so.

I used to live on the coast in Northern Mass.

Winter snow systems would often blow through. But when they hit the Gulf of Maine, they would intensify like crazy.

 

[Kolumbo]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

 

[husky429]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

Bad gas?

 

[auror]

Everyone I know has problems with snow blowers basically every year. More time maintaining them than using them each year. Feels like there should be some disruption in that space.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Bad gas?

 

[uconnfan68]

Everyone I know has problems with snow blowers basically every year. More time maintaining them than using them each year. Feels like there should be some disruption in that space.

My old one, Craftsman 28”, just ran forever. The augers started to fall out when in use because the sides got too flexible after plowing into the crap at the end of the driveway. I never changed the oil in 20 years. Always left gas in it. Never an issue. The new one, a smaller Craftsman, crapped out in year 2, because it didn’t like that gas. Needed a rebuilt carburetor. Now I only use Trufuel and Seafoam. Run it out at the end of the season, put a little Seafoam in, and it’s ok for the next year. Will be looking at electric ones soon, because it needs to run for 15 minutes to warm the transmission fluid enough to move.

 

[Dove]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

Just start it once or twice during the summer and fall. Let it run for 5 minutes.

 

[husky429]

Everyone I know has problems with snow blowers basically every year. More time maintaining them than using them each year. Feels like there should be some disruption in that space.

I know someone who has a 2-stage Ego snowblower. I think that's what it's called--the electric yard tool brand you can get at Lowe's. He SWEARS buy it. No maintenance, quiet, gets his driveway done in time.

I like the idea of the battery-powered law equipment, especially avoiding the maintenance piece. But I'm just not 100% sold on their longevity yet. My old Honda snowblower must have been 30 years old, rusted out before the engine ever died. Am I going to get that with an electric contraption?

They're not cheap either. The one he has was 1700$ or something.

 

[prankster]

I know someone who has a 2-stage Ego snowblower. I think that's what it's called--the electric yard tool brand you can get at Lowe's. He SWEARS buy it. No maintenance, quiet, gets his driveway done in time.

I like the idea of the battery-powered law equipment, especially avoiding the maintenance piece. But I'm just not 100% sold on their longevity yet. My old Honda snowblower must have been 30 years old, rusted out before the engine ever died. Am I going to get that with an electric contraption?

They're not cheap either. The one he has was 1700$ or something.

Ummmm.

Battery operated lawn care stuff is a popular option. I got me some.

But when the weather prophet is simultaneously calling for piles of snow, coupled with widespread power outages....

 

[husky429]

Ummmm.

Battery operated lawn care stuff is a popular option. I got me some.

But when the weather prophet is simultaneously calling for piles of snow, coupled with widespread power outages....

Generator... gas powered one. Lol

 

[Marbles90]

+1 on the battery powered equipment. I have a relatively small driveway and lawn and I went all in on the 80v battery powered stuff 11 years ago - lawn mower, snow blower, leaf blower - each of which cost around $300. I have had zero issues with these with zero maintenance besides changing the blade on my lawn mower a few years ago. I have multiple batteries and can swap them out/recharge if I am doing a big job, like for this storm or when I am doing yard clean up in the fall.

As an added bonus, I also bought a inexpensive inverter so I can use the batteries to power my TV at the tailgates. They also work to power lights if we lose power (but not big things like a fridge).

 

[auror]

Yeah I like my Ego mower, but I haven't felt the value to reviews have been very good for the snowblowers.

 

[NJHusky]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

Never leave gas in a seasonal machine after you’re done using it. Gas goes bad after a few months. Siphon out what y can, turn off the fuel supply and run until it stops. That gets the gas out of the carb and it will start fine with fresh gas.

Good luck with the carb cleaning. I would tryin some high octane gas first maybe y get lucky

 

[NJHusky]

Yeah I like my Ego mower, but I haven't felt the value to reviews have been very good for the snowblowers.

I would be cautious about a battery powered one in a big storm with wet snow. Those big storms are rare but when they hit having a good machine is a godsend. I’ll second 429.. I had a Honda 2 stage track drive when we lived in NJ. That thing was a beast. 2 ft of wet snow was nothing.

Talk about holding value. I sold it after 10:years for close to what i paid for it.

 

[jojipoji]

My green works 80v runs like a champ. I have 6 batteries and it did my driveway and walkway. I have the grass mower also. Def beats having to maintain a gas snow blower

 

[jibsey]

I’m looking at the 10 day forecast and I don’t remember a stretch of prolonged severe cold this long. Years ago we had days where daytime highs were like 8 degrees but Thursday and Friday minus 11? Holy crap.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

My snowblower conked out last year in the last wet heavy snow of the year. Changed the sparkplug but that didn't do it. I had it repaired ($350) this fall because my driveway can't be cleared by hand if there's more than a couple inches of light snow. In my case, the heavy snow somehow caused oil to get in the gas, which fouled the sparkplug but also gummed up the carb. First snow this year, started up, ran for 4 minutes and died. Empty. Added old gas, no go. They really need fairly fresh gas. Running strong now. Had to use it again this morning on the fresh 3.5 inches we got.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I’m looking at the 10 day forecast and I don’t remember a stretch of prolonged severe cold this long. Years ago we had days where daytime highs were like 8 degrees but Thursday and Friday minus 11? Holy crap.

2015 was like this but it went on for 6 weeks. No days above freezing for six weeks.

 

[NJHusky]

My snowblower conked out last year in the last wet heavy snow of the year. Changed the sparkplug but that didn't do it. I had it repaired ($350) this fall because my driveway can't be cleared by hand if there's more than a couple inches of light snow. In my case, the heavy snow somehow caused oil to get in the gas, which fouled the sparkplug but also gummed up the carb. First snow this year, started up, ran for 4 minutes and died. Empty. Added old gas, no go. They really need fairly fresh gas. Running strong now. Had to use it again this morning on the fresh 3.5 inches we got.

Use high octane gas as well.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Use high octane gas as well.

That shouldn't matter, but I did because that's what my car takes anyway.

 

[NJHusky]

That shouldn't matter, but I did because that's what my car takes anyway.

guy at the repair shop mentioned that me years ago...could be BS, but doesn't hurt

 

[HuskyHawk]

guy at the repair shop mentioned that me years ago...could be BS, but doesn't hurt

If you really wanted to be kind to it you can use ethanol free gas, my repair guy did (charged me $20 a can). But most of these engines are designed to run on E10 now. Chainsaws and stuff, not so much, those you need to buy the canned gas.

 

[CTGoonie]

Woke up this morning, went downstairs and noticed immediately it was very cold in the house. My gas furnace stopped working. Nothing wakes you up faster than waking up to something like that when it's freezing outside. House temp was down to 57 degrees. Turned off the thermostat, waited 30 seconds and turned it back on. Heat started slowly coming back on. I have a newer high-efficiency furnace with the two PVC pipes on the outside of the house. I had made sure they were clear after the storm but then remembered the neighbors plowing service came by to do their driveway late last night. Went out and checked and they had covered the bottom pipe with snow. This probably caused the furnace to turn off. Pretty sure the bottom pipe was just the intake so the exhaust with the CO2 was still good. Next big storm I'll need to double check the pipes but just glad there isn't anything wrong with the furnace!

 

[NJHusky]

Woke up this morning, went downstairs and noticed immediately it was very cold in the house. My gas furnace stopped working. Nothing wakes you up faster than waking up to something like that when it's freezing outside. House temp was down to 57 degrees. Turned off the thermostat, waited 30 seconds and turned it back on. Heat started slowly coming back on. I have a newer high-efficiency furnace with the two PVC pipes on the outside of the house. I had made sure they were clear after the storm but then remembered the neighbors plowing service came by to do their driveway late last night. Went out and checked and they had covered the bottom pipe with snow. This probably caused the furnace to turn off. Pretty sure the bottom pipe was just the intake so the exhaust with the CO2 was still good. Next big storm I'll need to double check the pipes but just glad there isn't anything wrong with the furnace!

Good find and a good reminder to everyone

Prob a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector in furnace area too.

 

[GlastonTim]

I started our snowblower on Saturday after not using it for probably 2 years. It ran great. Thought I was good to go. Nope. I shoveled twice today and I am already sore as heck. I'll try putting in fresh gas tomorrow and see what happens. Probably need a new spark plug and clean out the carburator. Next year.

Pour a little gumout in the tank.