Snowblower Maintenance for Canadian Winters: Fixing Briggs & Stratton Dual-Stage

"Hey, everybody! Don Stewart, UAG member here with ECHO Means Business. Today, I want to talk to you about fixing a snowblower. Although it's a super nice day outside, it's that time of the season when you start thinking about your equipment for the upcoming season. For me, here in Canada, that means snow.

A lot of snow blowers sit outside or idle for long periods with gas in them, which isn't good for the carburetors. So, we're going to go through a snowblower I have here, do a quick carburetor clean, and get it going.

Alright, everyone, here we go. This is a Briggs and Stratton dual-stage snowblower. It's called dual-stage because it has the auger to intake snow and another one at the back to shoot it out and up. This one belonged to a friend who left it outside all the time. They didn't use it much due to a smaller driveway, preferring to shovel. We'll tear into the carb right away.

The fuel on/off switch is still on, indicating gas has been sitting in the carb for a while. Let's clean it out and see what we find.

Every snowblower is different in terms of disassembly. For this one, we need to remove two flathead screws on top. Be careful with the choke – it can be finicky due to the back muffler cover.

Once inside, we have access to the carb and the prime bulb connection to the gas. Let's pull it off and take a closer look.

We need to remove two more screws on the front cover, and then two bolts to get the carb off. This snowblower has an air filter, which is not common, but it's a good idea to turn off the gas before disconnecting the fuel line.

Disconnect the throttle cable and the spring below it. Remove the fuel line, and we're ready to take a closer look at the carburetor.

Now, let's pull out the carburetor. Gas may leak out, so be prepared. Surprisingly, the gas looks clean. We'll clean the carb and the fuel line with carb cleaner and compressed air.

After cleaning, reassemble the snowblower. Turn on the gas, reconnect the fuel line, and start it up. And there you have it – a quick and easy fix for a snowblower that wouldn't start.

For more videos like this from fellow UAG members, check out ECHO Means Business.com. You can also find us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. See you next time!"