Sure, no problem. Glad you got yours all fixed up. I don't know if the belt stretches or becomes that worn, but for now, adjusting that tension solves the problem. Mine is still running strong. Haven't needed it this 2022-2023 snow season, there hasn't been more than an inch and that's very rare in New York. I also have a newer PowerSmart, like this year's model, I did a video showing the differences between them, in case you were interested in watching.

If you can do it somewhere, er, not frozen, it'll make the job a lot easier.

No problem John!

You're very welcome!

No problem, best of luck!

Thanks Bob!

Thanks very much, glad this was helpful for you!

No problem.

Typo “super” should be “auger” in the text.

Thanks. Made that mistake at first, but I kept the switch and fuel off and had somebody pull the rope a few times so I could see it run not under power, and I quickly saw my mistake and fixed it. Didn't hurt the belt at all since it didn't run that way.

Good to hear.

Great tio hear Dave!

You're welcome.

I did some quick research, and what I found was that PowerSmart is made by Amerisun, Inc. It may have an LCT engine on it, which is mainly found on Ariens. Yeah I'll bet that 68 Toro is a beast!

No problem Tim!

Maybe now there are, but at the time there was ONE video which wasn't terribly clear to begin with.

@@jaykay18 Yours is an MTD style snow blower. MTD bought out most now a days. Power Smart is one one them. So look for any MTD style 22 inch snow blower video. There are some variations in the type of cable is used, but the idea is the same. If you had a two pulley system for the auger then you have to disconnect the auger.

Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the info.

Thanks very much. I never held them up side-by-side because I never replaced the belt. I adjusted the tension and it's been working fine since. I couldn't imagine it would be anything but a stretched belt. So far, I've used the machine once this winter, and it was perfect. Might need to use it a few more times.

@@jaykay18 well mine went and it burnt in half.. so I am in the middle of replacing the belt.. went to Home Depot to get a replacement as that it where I bought this.. and no one there had a clue... it was laughable.. they were trying to send me to some repair place a few miles away.. and guess what.. the cost to have someone replace the belts at this place was almost half of what I paid for this brand new.. I mean really where the heck to these people come from that try to charge you 75 frigging dollars an hour and want at least 3 hours to fix something that with the tools I can do in 15 mins... this is a joke and to be honest.. this is a good snowblower but I will NEVER but any power equipment again from Home Depot.. they are the worst ... It's going to be cheaper for me to go up and buy a socket set for 100 bucks and fix this myself.. the auger and the drive pullies are so close you can't get the belt between them to replace new.. so you have to loosen the side bolts on one side and just kind of bend it and then it opens up enough AT 4:23 you can see those 3 shiny bolts facing forward take those 3 off and you can open it up enough to squeeze the belt between the 2 pullies .. thanks again for great vid... wish me luck... lol

even in the owners manual.. NO BELT SIZE NOT EVEN A PART NUMBER.. it's a joke

@@zsavage1820 It comes as absolutely no surprise that Home Depot knew nothing and could do even less. And yes, these repair places charge that much because people are willing to pay it. It's work that they can't do themselves so they have somebody else do it. And it costs a bundle. That's why I try to do every possible thing I can myself. You can pick up a socket set for about 15 bucks that will do the trick. This doesn't take much in the way of tools. As for actually replacing the belt, you can see that while the prices these repair places charge are astronomical, they're not exactly completely out of line, because of the way everything is built. Serviceability is never thought of, that makes no difference to the manufacturer. I'm a computer technician by trade, and even working on that stuff, service is the last thing on the manufacturer's mind. In fact, the manufacturer doesn't even fix them, they pay service places to fix their machines under warranty.

You're very welcome!

You're welcome.

Great job, glad this helped.

302040011 V-belt 302040026 Synchronous Belt Those are the part numbers I have.

You are correct, that's how it is. Pretty sure it's not supposed to be that way. We've had some hard winters here that this has endured, maybe that did something to it. Besides this problem, which was not a terrible issue, it's been absolutely flawless.

Sure thing!

@@jaykay18 I have the same one and it's worn through 4 belts in 5 years! Now I can't figure out why anymore! PowerSmart customer service is ignoring me

@@shibbbby87 Either they are low quality belts, you're using the heck out of the machine, or something's misaligned. If you take the belt to a good automotive parts store, they should be able to match the belt up with something they have. That may last longer.

@@jaykay18 thanks, PowerSmart/Amerisun sent me three replacement belts. I already moved one of the washers that they assembled in correctly and everything does appear to be lined up so I'm waiting for a repair around to come which may not be until the summer because of all the snow. Thanks

@@shibbbby87 Sure, no problem.

Never thought to flip it forwards! But it's fixed, all it took was tightening the cable for the belt like I showed at 5:13.

@@jaykay18 old comment, but a blower mechanic trick is to, well, shut off the fuel, obviously, but take off the gas cap, then put a rubber glove or something between the gas cap and tank, put the cap back on, this will stop leaks out of the gas cap typically.

@@l337pwnage Thanks for that!

Yes, when the weather gets a bit cooler out and it's time to fire this guy up again, I'll look into a replacement belt to have on hand!

Thanks, I'll check that out.

No snow yet. In the coming weeks I'll be doing a startup video of it for 2019.

I hope you know they're all cheaply made. There's no real better brand than another. Quite honestly, I'm more concerned with the engine, the most expensive part of the unit, and there is no other snowblower you're going to get with a real engine, unless Honda sells them, in which case you'll pay a fortune. It'll run forever, but the rest of it will fall apart. I think the engine on this PowerSmart runs exceptionally well, I've never had any trouble with it, starting or otherwise. I have a generator from Harbor Freight that's going on 5 years old now, and its "Chonda" engine is running just as well as new. Snowblowers vibrate. A LOT. Loose bolts are really a maintenance item, they should be checked once a month while in service but I know, neither you nor I will remember to do it, nor fit it in to our schedule. Allegedly we're getting snow today also. Started as we'd be getting a coating. But because everyone always likes to spend needless money upgrading things that don't need to be, they've upgraded the storm to half a foot now. By evening it'll be nearing a foot. Unfortunately, my snowblower is buried in the back of my garage, not ready to go, as we usually don't have snow this early in the season. After this storm, whatever it may be, I will most certainly rectify the situation, and I might just go over all the bolts on the machine while I'm at it.

Should be very simple. Never had to on mine, but there might be a bolts or two, or a clip or two, fairly simple.

@@jaykay18 I'll check it out. Thanks

@@donblack9884 No problem.

Thanks for the additional info.

Oh yeah, the shear pins are there all right. The camera just didn't get a good shot of them.

Take a close look at 4:36 in the lower-left corner on the shaft where the auger is, you should see what looks like a bolt going through it. That's the shear pin for that side.

Yes there are 4 of them.i have the 27" model.i actually broke one because the auger housing bent inwards from hitting a curb or something.cant see it cant avoid it.thankfully they give you a number of extra ones.and thanks for the vid as my belt has squealed a lil since first use.

The gearbox on mine is completely sealed, there should not be a need to add any unless it were opened up. The manual makes no mention of the type of grease to use, so I don't have a real answer for you, sorry.

@@jaykay18 If you take a closer look there is a small bolt on top of the gear box that you can loosen and unscrew. My manual doesn't say anything either about gear box maintenance. I was told by Amerisun that the gear box takes 4 oz. of lithium grease and should be checked. You can call the same 800 # that is on your snowblower or e-mail them.

@@pag6999 Yes, I'm aware of the small bolt on top. But, if it's not leaking, there should be no need to replace any grease or oil. It's sealed. There really shouldn't be any maintenance that needs to be done to it.

Thanks for the additional info.

See page 16 in the manual, it explains the entire procedure.

First of all, it's not yours. Second of all, you don't know how many times that belt was replaced before you got it. Thirdly, you don't know how much usage my machine has gotten in comparison.

You're right on everything except for the first one. If I buy it with my own $45, then, technically *I* own it.

I once worked with a guy named Kenny. On certain days we came in at the same time, and I happened to notice he had a Florida license plate on his car. So I asked him about it, I said "Kenny, I see you have a Florida license plate on your car. This is NY, and obviously you live here. Isn't that illegal?" Kenny said "Well, technically, it's not." So I said "If you have to say "technically", IT IS." He never said another word.

@@niks_crazy_world hey Nik, I'll bet you still haven't had to replace the belt on that craftsman snowblower!😃

Thanks, others have told me that. I found it was a lot easier to service this way.

Belts are considered consumable items. That means, it is known that they will wear out in time. Chances are, no warranty will cover that. As for waiting for servicing, it wasn't that, rather it's that I'm cheap. I'd rather try and fix it myself and die trying than to have to pay someone else to do a lackluster job. These are serious machines, like cars. If you can't fix a car, you go to a mechanic. For something like this, typically the "lawnmower fix-it shop" in town will service these no problem, it's how they get their winter business.

@@jaykay18 ok thank you for this info.

@@autumn_b905 Sure, no problem.

Mine hasn't been eating oil, still runs like a top.

Yes, I made a video today showing it running.

That's the oil fill port. You're supposed to add oil through there, rather than the dipstick tube.

@@jaykay18 awesome, thanks!

One more question: On the opposite side there is a similar hole but with no cap. What is the purpose ? At first I thought there should be a cap but from looking at pictures it's suppose to be open.

@@al1679 I have no idea.

That's all the info I have. Your best bet is to remove the belts, and do this when it's warm out of course, and bring them to a good auto parts store and they should be able to match up some replacements.

@@jaykay18 thanks for the reply, I did some research and found them, the drive is D&D PowerDrive 735-5M-15 Synchronous Timing Belt, Rubber and the auger is I believe M28 V-Belts 28" Pitch Length , I am Jenny's husband (James) if its ok to leave this up for future reference someone with a 26 in. might find it helpful, we just bought ours this year, it does a really good job. we got it when the auger gears went out in our Craftsman snow blower , bought it to use until I fixed the old one, now we have two

@@jamiewebb6809 Thanks for that info!

Watch the video?

Yes, I had noticed that as well. Thanks.

302040011 V-belt 302040026 Synchronous Belt Those are the part numbers I have.

Thank u 👍

No problem. That's what the book says; I can't guarantee the book is right. The old belt may be marked, and that would be your best indication to be sure.

It says Gates Truflex G 4LXP880. But i ordered the 4lxp885.the order says it will fit.

Excellent, that's 2 potential belts that may work.

It's also nothing I'm going to fix. Belts are cheap, this one has been running for SEVEN years now, I think that's fair for any snowblower.

Most likely you will need to remove the bottom plate. When I put my belt back on, I actually dismounted the entire front of the machine. There are only 6 bolts, it's not really a big deal. But that doesn't need to be done, from what I understand. I hear you can tip the entire machine up onto its "mouth" (where the snow goes in) and work on it vertically like that. For me, it was easier to unbolt the front, which gives you full access to the front of the engine, like the old V8s were. Just pick a nice day, when the sun is out preferably, it will make the job go a lot easier.

@@jaykay18 that’s when I was thinking about doing it.. but my luck I’ll have. Blizzard before that

@@mrkenschmid I think the worst of it has passed us. Here in NY where I am, we had a week where every other day it was a couple more inches. Today finally was warmer, and a lot has melted. Looks to be similar weather for the rest of the week. And we're well due for that.

I'd imagine so. This was recorded in the last storm of 2018. 2019 had almost no snowfall to speak of, so I didn't even fuel it up that year. Now it's 2020, and we're just turning the corner into December.

Exactly the same mechanism on the auger cable. Just take the hook out of the plate and move it.

Glad this helped you!

Just had this one issue, just this once.

Indeed, the belts may not be of good quality. Mine has been working well since I adjusted the belt tension, we just got a huge snowstorm and it performed flawlessly.

@@jaykay18 good to hear. Same here I guess we had the same Storm :-)

@@steveq2211 New York?

@@jaykay18 North Jersey

@@steveq2211 Close enough, got a friend there.

You'll spend a lot more and get a Husqvarna.

@@jaykay18 as of right now the compatible husqvarna model is 50.00 more at Sears. The pulleys in your video appear to be metal. On the same model now the pulleys that push in with the auger handle are plastic. I'm going with a shovel this year because homedepot would only issue an in store credit. Thanks for the video. It was very informative 👍

@@johnwilkinson67 That must be one of the last few Sears stores, they've closed all of the ones here. I've found that a lot of times, the shovel indeed is your best tool. Sometimes we get minor snowfall, maybe only an inch or two, and it's not worth getting the big machine out to clear the snow, the shovel works fine.

Many times when a new auger belt is put on a powersmart snowblower, what happens is the belt is improperly installed, resulting in the belt slipping off or tearing up shortly thereafter installation and use. Powersmart snowblower has an auger brake mechanism situated sort of at the bottom of that big auger pulley wheel that you are trying to loop the belt onto. The new auger belt needs to sit between auger brake and the big auger pulley wheel. Thus the reason why it is said in the manual that you need to push in that small tension pulley, so that the auger brake opens up and you can wiggle the auger belt between there. If you forget this step, then the auger belt is resting "on top" of the auger brake mechanism. It will work temporarily like this, but will eventually either slip off or rub to the point that the new belt burns/tears off prematurely. I'm assuming that is probably what happened based upon what you experienced.

I could only imagine how the quality had gone downhill since I bought this one, I think 5 years ago at this point. While mine isn't that high quality, this was the ONLY time I EVER had ANY issue with it. Otherwise it starts immediately, runs great, and has never had a problem even with snow as high as the front.

While that may be done in the field, the manual for it specifically states to unbolt the auger housing like I did.

@@jaykay18 I was referring to the point (3:01) where you wanted to remove the belly pan. To remove the belly pan just flip in to the front so your blower is sitting on the auger housing.

@@BarryB382 Yeah, I got there halfway, just enough for the pan to come out.

@@jaykay18 Much easier to just put it in the service position in the first place. Also, your auger should stop pretty quickly, the opposite of the belt tensioner is the belt stop, this should stop the auger fairly quickly, not in seconds.

@@jaykay18 Also, you have the cable too tight, the belt tensioner is actually engaged in the last part of your video. You have your machine totally out of adjustment. This is why it is taking the auger longer to stop because your auger belt is still almost engaged because of the mis-adjusted cable. You should have some slack on your belt when adjusted correctly.

Thanks, I could have used your help 5 years ago when I made this video.

You're 3 years too late.

That's a great question that unfortunately I don't know the answer to. I'm sure there's some kind of gizmo out there with a screw or turnbuckle type adjuster, maybe a place like Tractor Supply Company would carry such a thing.

@@jaykay18 had to replace belt. Lesson learn . Propellers were frozen so when I hit auger it kept spinning under the belt. I burned out some of the belt. Got a Kevlar belt instead.

@@sonicboomin That's actually a good thing to look out for, I've never had the thing freeze up like that, it melts down in my garage. I'd be most appreciative if you have a part number for that belt, and where you got it.

Its the exact same size as original. I did the research

@@sonicboomin Thanks very much!

Same goes for just about any company today.

When you buy cheap you get everything cheap, even customer service. Powersmart is cheapest machine you can buy and the worst quality too.

I know the old machines are absolute beasts (I have a 67 Buick Rivera as a weekend car), but this is surprisingly solid for being "new".

This was the only problem I've had with it in probably 5 years now. I know it's cheap, but I wasn't impressed with more expensive ones. I usually prime it till gas starts puking out of the carb, then it fires right up, haven't had any trouble doing that.

I bought this one brand new, and for the most part, it's been trouble free and runs like a champ. This was the most trouble I've had with it.

The best accessibility comes from removing the auger assembly.

Belts can actually be quite loose yet still work. That of course depends on the load placed on what it's driving. In this case, there were no abnormal sounds at all, that belt stayed completely engaged as the machine plowed through anything. In fact it was engaged so well, the engine was slowing down as it went through extremely heavy stuff.

Absolutely!

Came from the factory that way.

Buy a different brand, and find the same thing. They're all made in the same factory in China, the only difference is the name haphazardly slapped on.

@@jaykay18 I have had almost every make and model apart and repaired various issues, Powersmart snow blowers are the worst design and quality.

@@BarryB382 This was the one and only problem I have ever had with the machine. I repaired it, and the next season, it worked flawlessly once again. My friend bought a Craftsman, very similar unit, and paid $50 more.

@@jaykay18 Your friends craftsman blower has a ball bearings on the auger axle (or brass bushings) and a good carb, not a knockoff honda engine and carb. Your auger axle has plastic bushings. Your auger housing is flimsy and easily bent.

@@BarryB382 I have an extraordinarily hard time believing any of that. Same Chonda engine on his, same junk all around. His came with a bottle of oil, mine didn't. For $50, if they threw in a bottle of oil, a better engine, better carb, and better auger axle, it would cost well more than $50 even at wholesale prices. We both bought our snowblowers at the same time. We live a mile apart, so we have almost exact weather conditions and amounts of snow. We have similar size properties. You sound like a disgruntled PowerSmart employee.