Snow Blower Impeller Repair

There is a flower bed near my driveway that is edged with bricks. While blowing snow, I accidentally ingested a brick with my snow blower. Snow blowers, tillers, and similar equipment are supposed to use a shear pin in the drivetrain. In these situations, the pin is supposed to break, preventing self-destruction. Often, the pin breaks and the owner replaces it with a regular bolt. My blower came to me second-hand and must be missing the shear pin. I have removed the rubber strips from the blades and you can see the damage to the impeller.

The center blades of the impeller throw snow up the discharge chute. One blade was ripped off and ejected through the chute into the snow. Luckily, I was able to find it before the spring thaw. I had to weld the side wings back onto the blade.

Using a vise and body hammer, I repaired the bent impeller blades. I hammered sharp bends back into gentle curves. My blower is ready for the next storm (but I still need to get a proper shear pin).

If you are in the market for a snow blower, I recommend a two stage unit. Wet and heavy snow is always plugging the discharge chute of my single stage model.