Broke a shear bolt, time for a new snowblower.

The Tecumseh Snow King engine line from my experience always started up easily. The plug-in motor start was a nice bonus, especially for the larger engines.

Leave it to the internet to make me jealous of another man's trash!

For the first ten or more years I was with hubby, almost all of our appliances and yard equipment were trash picked. And I can just hear my grandma fussing about the things that people were throwing out that she had never even had. And she hadn't needed that stuff that they had to have and were pitching with the paint still shiny! Most of the stuff we picked showed a little more wear than that snow blower.

That's my favorite saying...."If it's freeee, it's for meeee!!!"

Sounds like the idle jet is blocked which is why it is hunting at idle, the governor is catching it before it stalls.

The wire comes from the plastic key slot and is supposed to be connected to a screw below the carb cover. It is designed as a safety feature to prevent accidental starting but can easily be defeated by removing or cutting the wire. The terminal has a slot so you don't need to completely remove the screw. You should be able to reach the screw without removing the cover but you'll probably want to clean the carb anyway to get rid of the surging at low speed. Good luck.

Some old man doing spring cleaning is looking around the yard going "where the heck did I put that snow blower?"

Used to race go carts on dirt started with Briggs and ended up switching to Tecumseh because they took the abuse a lot better we ran them on methanol and revved the heck out of them. Meatball rules 👍

Hunting idle. Needs a carb overhaul, clogged idle circuit.

Good find. Up until about 4 years ago I had almost that exact machine. 5/hp, 22 inch Craftsman electric start. Even all the controls are in the same place. Had it at least a dozen, maybe 15 years. It never failed me. Just kept the oil & carb clean. I think I changed the plug once. Broke a shear pin once. The only issue was if you had a really heavy wet snow, it wouldn't throw it very far at all. Solved that problem by getting an Ariens. That is a beast. Sold the Craftsman for $100 bucks.

With that wire being green I'd think it was a ground wire, but like you showed Matt, the blower worked great. Maybe they got a bigger one or decided to shovel snow.🤔😳😱😂. Not a boring video at all, just goes to show that some things set out in the trash might have value. I hope you and yours are healthy and safe and I look forward to your next episode. Cheers from this old retired coot living in Tennessee where I have no use for a snow blower.❤️👍😷🍻✌️

Most snowblowers I've seen used Tecumseh engines because they started easier in the cold. My dad's first snowblower in 1972 had a Briggs 8 hp. He made a box to go over the engine with a heater in it. Tecumseh made the Snow King engine and I recall the discussions on what would be used on snowblowers when Tecumseh ceased production in 2008. CPC secured the rights and has LCT build the Snow King motors. Snowblowers usually have a fuel shut off on the tank. It was probably owned by an older person who was moving into assisted living or to a warmer climate. Maybe they replaced it with a riding mower with a blower. Not much chance to sell one in the summer.

12:50 Same guy that threw it to the curb is driving by this house and saying "It boggles my mind that people make their home look like a junkyard."

I too just picked up a Green Craftsman 9HP, 29" snowblower off the side of the road, IDENTICAL to the one I already own! The "Feet" are worn out, and the pull cord is super short, but it runs good! with a little TLC and a few $, I could have a good backup, or a machine to sell come closer to Winter time!

Found a Weedeater 22inch push mower at a curb alert last March. It was in a trailer park so I knew it had been garaged outside its whole life.It looked it too but it was all there. Pull on recoil seemed like it was seized. Took it anyway, found a two story mouse house on top of flywheel. Evicted them and shined up edge of flywheel and coil, cleaned the spark plug. Spun it over with a drill to check spark l lit my arm up all the way to my elbow. Oucher, that's plenty. Swapped out old gas for new old gas. Checked oil, had a chunk of crude stuck on stick too thick, thinned it with 3 in 1 oil and it started right up. Ripped and tore up the grass perfectly. Shut it off looked at blade remains and evidence of last owner mowing gravel drive way. Swapped out old brittle bar with new old pre-beat bar. Runs great, rips and strips nice. Good ol' Bwiggs & Struttin for ya! P.S. True story.

the green wire is for the key. its bypassed just like it should be lol

It looks like it’s in good shape whether not you have big farm equipment or just a snowblower or lawnmower we like all those videos

Great score. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

You are turning into Mustie 1.

Get better Meatball!! That is funny as hell you finding a decent snowblower on the way to somewhere else and getting it to run in the parking lot.

Never going certainly not lame. It just goes to show that one man's junk is another man's treasure.

On my old as dirt Noma snowblower with a Tecumseh engine, the modern ethanol gas ate the original fuel hose and the primer bulb, it got all mushy and sticky inside. Had to clean the carb multiple times before I figured it out. Might be worth checking!

I've got mostly the same snowblower, also gotten for free. Circa 1986 Craftsman, 5HP, 22 inch path, but different chute and chute mechanism. I had to give it some carb cleaning to get it to stop stalling in heavy snow and it needs a new chute but it's a trooper!

Hey, if you don't want it, my 79 year old mother could use it! My Grandfather had one EXACTLY Like that one Tecumseh Engine and ALL. Love to take it off your hands! Great little Snow Blower! I'll give it to her for a present! Trust me, she'll love it! :)

Good find, it's hunting, just clean carb and like new

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together 👍

The bulldog made the worth watching the video. I hope he is doing alright and you're right, bulldogs are high maintenance. haha 🤣

Great machine! I've used one for quite a while and it's a fantastic little machine

Never a boring video at Diesel Creek. Hope Meatball is feeling better. That mystery wire has got me stymied also. Did you check to see if the impeller was moving? Anyway good score.

that wire is the key wire to pull the key out engine shuts off, nice find, I have a craftsman looks like this one but is red 13.50 briggs auger teeth on it can cut through ice 27 inch works excellent, nice video.

I fix small engine machines as a side job, and it's AMAZING what people throw out. Perfectly good mowers that need a carburetor cleaned, trimmers with bad gas in the tank, snow blowers with a bad plug. People are lazy and want new stuff. Unfortunately for them, the old stuff is better and lasts longer.

Nice find!! This reminds me that I need to let my snowblower run a little. I like to start all my small engines up a few times a year

Great show, does not always have to be something broken, if the presenter is good the show will be good.

TIM from Canada I have found when you are testing out your snowblower for the first time or at the beginning of the season if you turn your auger so you can see down inside and then turn the auger switch you can see if everything is running if you do not do this you cannot see inside of your snowblower.. if you do this turn your auger you should be able to look down inside to see if your auger is working or if you need to put in a sheer pen something to look at when you were doing this

Nah, any equipment rescue where the machine starts, runs and drives with little effort is not a boring video! Good find!

Great pick! I have one similar that I bought for 60 bucks. The guy gave up on it because of the carb. It had half a tank of water .

Awesome find, you are a magnet for all things worth having that people just throw out lol

And here I sit, fixing to go out and showel snow again today. Could shure use something like this :-)

Good job keeping an eye out! I’ve probably passed by a dozen or more roadside recoveries!

Funnily enough... I get my 6" & 9" mixed up all the time too :)

That was easy. Had a similar larger new old stock/used a few times given to me and it need a prime bulb and carb clean. Nice work.

Ground wire is for the key safety. Sounds like the carb needs rebuilding/replacement with the "hunting" the engine is doing with the variable engine RPM's

I had a toro variant of that some 30 years ago. Those are good machines to have especially then they are free. Good luck with it put it to use this winter.

You need to start playing the lottery my friend Lol

yup i have found great stuff like that... thanks 4 video. be kind.

Like seeing the doggos on the videos. Should do another ball video with the meatball once he gets better. Get well soon meatball

Great find

Can't fix anything, have a office job but love the smell of oil and metal dust and I have a meatball too. ( 5 month old) Just love to watch all your projects

I’m exactly the same, it’s a standing joke in my family that I genuinely can’t go past a skip with out stopping for a rummage, I’d make a rough estimate that I make £3-4000 a year from reselling stuff iv saved the being dumped. Now that is recycling.

In Tucson Az we don't need a snowblower but is MEATBALL OK we do have Bulldogs out here , and yes we do get snow in AZ .

Great find.

Got a tecumseh on my 40 yr old snowblower, still starts first pull, love it.

Love the videos as usual. I just did the same thing with a Toro a few months back. Its hunting, clean the carb should make a difference.

It wasn't boring for me I like it, it wasn't fixing anything but it cool video bring on more.

..always have to try to get 'er fired up...keep safe...

Interesting! I've had at least 3 Briggs and Stratton engines fail to my 1 tecumseh that is still running strong 24 years later. I hope it will be a long-long time before it becomes an issue, but check out Olde English Bulldogges, also known as Levitt bulldogs. They are bred to mimic the extinct bull fighting dogs from the past, and don't have many of the problems of English bulldogs. All bulldogs rock!

Not boring at all, Matt!! 14:04

I was like you on the Briggs and got a $30 10hp tecumseh chipper and that thing is reliable picked up a $10 chinese carb and was a direct fit and ran perfect I did add a shut of valve and run it dry b4 putting it away. as a kid I picked up a real nice vacuum near the curb with my mom driving. worked perfect than later realized maybe the people brought it to the curb to vacuum out there car. Oh well worked for many years.

Carburetor needs cleaning it surges like crazy. The wire is either low oil cutoff or a fuel cutoff switch on the bottom of carb bowl.

Love those electric starters, unlike the pull starts, when the machine is 10 F and you've a bunch of clothes on and your pulling and pulling and starting to get sweaty and your like, "Screw this going back in for some bacon and waffles" ! With electric even if you forgot to put fuel in it from last march, or you forgot the choke and so on.. you just keep crankin that sucka until she starts.. like ": YOU WILL START I HAVE 120 VOLTS SAY SO " !!

High maintenance animal... sounds like my sister's horses...they keep the doctors happy, all over the year!

Those Tecumseh sno king engines were tough as nails.

That blower looks exactly like the one I used to own, and said many times I was going to chain it to my bumper, and take it for a ride 🤔

welldone cant beat the price

Good find. It surges a bit. Donyboy 73 has a fix for that. I believe it maybe the breather hole in the carb. Mine was doing the same thing

Man that's a steal! They must've thought the auger shaft was snapped or something ...

Love the video keep up with the great work

It never fails to amuse me when someone throws stuff out that has, basically, nothing wrong with it and someone else can use it.

Yeah mustie1 is like damn man I missed that one!

Take the jet out of bottom of sediment bulb and clean out real fine holes in jet

I have the same snowblower just not Sears branded. It's been rock solid.

Matt, you have a knack for finding the best deals and they are free or very low cost to you.

Are you dutch? I think "if it's free, it's for me" is part of the national anthem.

i have a 25 year old one just like that with tracks. always had trouble with the carb over the last decade, it would run fine until it was under load, keep that in mind. this last winter put a new ebay carb on that was $12. works awesome again. those chinese carbs are cheaper than a simple rebuild kit so why not. i've done that with my echo trimmer and my riding mower as well.

You're not bs'in me, you stole the damn thing. LOL Luck ass! Hope the dog gets well, hate it when they get sick.

Probably be a good idea to open up the rear cover and clean out the old mouse nests that are no doubt in there. Same for the flywheel cover on the motor. That disc drive mechanism inside will need a spot of lube. A lil’ dabl’ do ya though. Get grease or oil on that disc and she won’t pull right. Might be a chain ready for some lube too. Great find. Wait until the first big snow and advertise it for 300 bucks and stand firm. Bet she sells.

Mustie is looking for his snowblower

Brother you sure come across some awesome deals

5hp tec very good snow engines. does sound like it has some carb issues. carb kits are easy to get for em idle passage is under the welch plug on the side of the carb. I usually pop the plug and toss her into the ultrasonic. most kits come with a new plug. they do tend to pulse a bit if she smooths out under load i wouldn't worry too much. Techumseh made great engines but they do not like over rev. folks want to push them over spec and the rod will depart keep um under 3400 and they will run forever. mystery wire is part of the kill switch system. a lot of times it gets disconnected because folks take the cover off to meddle with the carb or they lose the little kill key

Lucky man!💖😎

I'm guess'n that Green wire hang'n down is a Ground for the 110v. starter system (?). Great Deal Ya got here, I might add.

Dude I picked up one of these exact same blowers at the side of the road last winter. It needed a bit of carb work, then it was good as new.

Duuuuuuuuuude! You KNOW you don't make boring videos.

At the local dump is where you can find the craziest deals. People will pay to throw something away instead of selling or donating

Hope Meatball gets better buddy.. Great video!

I have one like that I have been using since 1993 good machine.

Liked,shared. All my best.

Nice score man. Glad Meatball is on the mend

All you need now is a vw transporter and you'll be like Mustie 1 LOL. Clean it up to look like new and store it till first snow then put her on craigslist to get top dollar $$$!

Nice Greetings from the sinking Germany brother!

Man I can’t believe you got that on the side of the road I would fix the Rough idle and pressure wash it and give it a oil change and put it up on craigslist for $250 I almost forgot and fix the shear bolt

Meatball is all set now? Smooth out the idle, change the oil, replace the missing shear bolt and you're ready for winter.

yeah tecunseh weren't my favourite either I like the plug in start feature we never got that in the uk nice find

Nice, free money if you sell it. Sounds like the idle circuit in the carb is blocked though, hence the surging.

It’s 118 degrees in Arizona today and this guy is working on a snowblower on the back of his truck back east 😂😂 must be nice!

Will let you know when a video is lame, congrats on the find, hope the "Meatball" will be ok Central California watching

Some of the best things in life are free!!! How's meatheat doing, ok?

Nice save, clean that up maybe pressure wash it, little paint touch up and you got yourself a nice little snowblower. Gotta fix that stuttering though, Someone below me said it might be the idle jet so maybe clean the carb out. My snowblower is nearly identical in terms of the engine and tires but mine is a newer Ariens which used the same engine as yours.

The snowblower is surging a little. If you blow out the fuel ports on the carburetor with some carb cleaner and air it will run like new.