• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

All Things Gardener

Gardening?Information Center

  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Get In Touch
  • Gardening News

What Are Snow Blower Shear Pins? 8 Superb Facts About It

February 23, 2022 by Alfu Salam Badar

What are snow blower shear pins
Source: Getty Image

What are snow blower shear pins?

Snowblowers are a must-have during the winter months. They take the hard work out of clearing the snow. One of the most important parts of the snowblower is the shear pins.

This is what Jodie has to say about them.

I was super happy when my husband bought me a snowblower.

Snow has been one of the biggest problems when Winter comes and…

…the tool really helps us clear things out of the way.

Also, away from our stuff. But then, one day, something clogged our snowblower.

My husband and I were so confused about what to do to fix our snowblower.

We ended up bringing our snowblower to the professional to fix.

It was so easy to fix though, we ended up asking why.

He told us then that it was the shear pin that broke.

We only needed to replace it and it was good as new! I really wished to know about this sooner.

It’ll relieve me of the stress I got just because our snowblower suddenly acted up.

Can you imagine what it would mean for you and your family?

Knowing about the tools you have can be a great benefit.

Especially when you have to take care of things by yourself without having to reach out here and there and losing money to do the things you can actually do alone!

Here are some things you should know about these pins. Read this article until the end to know more about it. In this blog, we also have an article about best single stage snow blowers on amazon that you might want to read about it.


What Are Snow Blower Shear Pins

IN THIS ARTICLE:

  • What Are Snow Blower Shear Pins
  • What Is The Purpose Of A Shear Pin?
  • Why are snowblowers equipped with shear pins?
  • Why do shear pins fail to function properly?
  • How to Know if Your Shear Pins are Broken
  • Are bolts capable of being used as shear pins?
  • How can I prevent shear pins from breaking?
  • Where can I get shear pin replacements?
    • NEWREACH 22 pcs Shear Pins + 22 pcs Cotters Pins for Snowblower
    • Genuine OEM Ariens
    • Cub Cadet 738-04124A and 714-04040 (PK20)
    • Shear Pins and Cotter Pins Fit for MTD Snowblower
  • How To Replace a Shear Pin
  • Sum Up
  • Conclusion
What are snow blower shear pins 1
Source: Getty Image
Read Also:Top 14 Reasons to Use Robot Lawn Mower Instead of Traditional Ones

Snow blowers are a great way to clear snow from your driveway and sidewalks. However, they can be a little difficult to use, and the shear pins can break. If you find that your snow blower is not working, it may be time to replace the shear pins.


What Is The Purpose Of A Shear Pin?

They say that great things come in little packages, and shear pins are a perfect illustration of this. Those small little pins that link your auger to the auger shaft may be a pain to repair when they break, but that is precisely what they are supposed to do, as they protect the gears in your auger gear case from more serious harm.


Why are snowblowers equipped with shear pins?

What are snow blower shear pins 2
Source: Getty Image

Two-stage three-stage snow blowers are fitted with four to six shear pins, one for each auger flight attached to the auger shaft. The pins enable the auger gear case to spin the auger shaft and augers, allowing snow to accumulate and be pushed into the impeller.


Why do shear pins fail to function properly?

Additionally, shear pins provide an important safety function: they protect the gears and gearbox. When a foreign item becomes lodged between the housing and the augers, the gears within the gear case begin to bind and wear. The shear pins are intended to break in order for the auger shaft and gears to continue spinning freely without being clogged by an item. If the augers are permanently connected to the shaft, the stuck item will ultimately cause severe damage to the gear case, necessitating replacement.

How to Know if Your Shear Pins are Broken

What are snow blower shear pins 3
Source: Getty Image

If your snow blower feels like it’s pushing snow rather than digesting it, or if snow is accumulating on either side of your auger housing, you’ve probably broken a shear bolt.

The auger shaft continues to spin after the shear bolt breaks, but the auger itself does not. Snow cannot be consumed or flung without the use of a spinning auger. As un-ingested snow accumulates in front of your snow blower, you will encounter additional resistance and your clearing pace will slow.

Halt the engine, remove the key, unhook the spark plug wire, and wait for all moving parts to stop if you suspect a shear bolt has broken. Visually inspect the augers when it’s safe to do so. If you can manually spin the auger along the auger shaft but don’t see the shear pin head or nut, you’ve broken a shear pin.


Are bolts capable of being used as shear pins?

Snow blower shear pins are engineered to break particularly to allow the gear case and auger shaft to continue spinning freely without resistance from the foreign item. While the snow blower will be unable to remove any snow and you will need to repair the damaged shear pins, the gear case will stay intact and operate correctly after the replacement pins are installed.

When repairing damaged shear pins, always use original equipment replacement parts. Never use a normal bolt since this might result in harm or damage to the snow blower.


How can I prevent shear pins from breaking?

What are snow blower shear pins 4
Source: Getty Image

To prevent breaking shear pins when clearing snow, do a check of the area for big foreign objects and remove them out of your way before starting your snow blower. Always have a couple of backup shear pins available in case one breaks. This will help reduce the downtime on your snow blower to a minimum.


Where can I get shear pin replacements?

While breaking a shear pin is inconvenient, it is far simpler to repair than an entire auger gearbox. Don’t fret if you need to replace one; you’ve simply averted a more expensive repair.

To make your shopping easy, we’ve compiled the best choice of shear pins on Amazon. You can simply click on the ones you’d like to buy. Here are our recommendations.

NEWREACH 22 pcs Shear Pins + 22 pcs Cotters Pins for Snowblower

Newreach 22 pcs shear pins + 22 pcs cotters pins for snowblower, replace 738-04124a & 714-04040 shear pin kits, compatible with mtd craftsman cub cadet troy-bilt snowblowers
NEWREACH 22 pcs Shear Pins + 22 pcs Cotters Pins for Snowblower, Replace 738-04124A & 714-04040 Shear Pin Kits, Compatible with MTD Craftsman Cub Cadet Troy-Bilt Snowblowers
Buy on Amazon

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Genuine OEM Ariens

Genuine oem ariens 5/16" professional snow blower shear bolts 3-pack 51001500
Genuine OEM Ariens 5/16" Professional Snow Blower Shear Bolts 3-Pack 51001500
Buy on Amazon

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Cub Cadet 738-04124A and 714-04040 (PK20)

Cub cadet 738-04124a and 714-04040 ( pk20 ) shear pins and cotter pins
Cub Cadet 738-04124A and 714-04040 ( PK20 ) Shear Pins and Cotter Pins
Buy on Amazon

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Shear Pins and Cotter Pins Fit for MTD Snowblower

Shear pins and cotter pins fit for mtd snowblower – shear pins 10pcs and cotter pins 10pcs fit for cub cadet troy bilt storm 2410 2660 & craftsman 24" 26″ snow thrower, replace 738-04124a 714-04040
Shear Pins and Cotter Pins Fit for MTD Snowblower – Shear Pins 10pcs and Cotter Pins 10pcs Fit for Cub Cadet Troy Bilt Storm 2410 2660 & Craftsman 24" 26″ Snow Thrower, Replace 738-04124A 714-04040
Buy on Amazon
Read Also:Greenworks Cordless Electric Lawn Mower: 5 Superb Features, Brand Review 2022

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.


How To Replace a Shear Pin

  • Replacing a shear pin is simple and takes just a few seconds.
  • Never insert your hands into the auger housing until the snowblower engine has been turned off safely. Locate the bolts by observing their intersections with the auger shaft.
  • To release the bolt, use wrenches. Ascertain that they are the correct size for the shear pin. Hold the nut in place on one side while turning the bolt counter-clockwise with another wrench until it is loose enough to turn with your fingers.
  • Eliminate the bolt. If the shear pin is entirely damaged, just remove it from both sides of the auger and replace it with a new one.
  • Replace the shear bolt. Assemble the holes and tighten the nut.
  • There are three standard shear bolt sizes, and it’s critical to select the correct one for your snowblower to ensure proper fit and operation.
  • Brass 1/4″ shear bolts are often seen on entry-level snowblowers.
  • 5/16″ black shear bolts are recommended for bigger mid-grade snowblowers.
  • The most durable shear bolts are silver 5/16″ and are used on professional-grade snowblowers.
  • It’s a prudent investment to have a few spare shear bolts on available in case anything goes wrong during snow blowing, particularly during a snowfall. Bear in mind that the reason you have a snowblower is to avoid shoveling.
  • Not only will shear bolts save you a potentially risky trip to the hardware shop, but they’ll be replaced in a matter of seconds and you’ll be back to blowing in minutes.

Sum Up

All in all,

The pin could be as basic as a metal rod put into a channel bored through two moving parts, which locks them in place as long as the pin is intact.

It can also be a plain metal rod placed through a hub and axle; the rod’s diameter, alloy, and tempering are all carefully selected to allow the pin to shear only when the predetermined threshold force is exceeded. A shock split pin (cotter pin in American use) can also be used as a shear pin.

Conclusion

How’s it?

We hope, with this article you get to know more about your snowblower.

If you have any questions about the snowblower, let us know in the comment box below.

We’d reach out to you as soon as possible!


  • You may like: Are Single Stage Snow Blowers Worth It? 8 Fascinating Reasons Why It’s Worth To Have
  • This article may be interesting: Can I Use A Snowblower On Gravel? 3 Superb Facts About It That You Should Know

Our Latest Post:

  • From Seed to Sprout: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a New Lawn (2023)May 26, 2023
  • Best Soil for Aloe Vera Plant Indoors: 4 Tips to Choose the Right MixSeptember 27, 2022
  • 7 Hacks for Tulip Gardening (2022)September 27, 2022

<last
Karcher K5 Electric Pressure Washer Brand Best Review on Amazon!
Next>
3 Best Rated Front Tine Tiller on Amazon! Worth To Buy!

Filed Under: Gardening Tools Tagged With: garden tool, Snow Blower, What Are Snow Blower Shear Pins

Primary Sidebar

Most Searched Topic

The Best Neem Oil For Plants You Should Have Now! (2022)

Best Self-Watering Planters on Amazon (2022)

3 Best Wood Chipper For Small Farm on Amazon You Need To Know!

Watch The Community
Does this post violate any norms, rules, or others that you are aware of?

Please anonymously report it.

Before Footer

Recent Posts

  • From Seed to Sprout: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a New Lawn (2023) May 26, 2023
  • Best Soil for Aloe Vera Plant Indoors: 4 Tips to Choose the Right Mix September 27, 2022
  • 7 Hacks for Tulip Gardening (2022) September 27, 2022

AllThingsGardener.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.

We may earn a small commission from purchases made through product links in this article at no extra cost to you. But no, we won’t let that sway our opinions. We only recommend products we personally use now, have used in the past, or would use if there was a need.

Most Searched Topic

The Best Plant Stand Rack on Amazon (2022)

3 Best Hydroponic Towers Worth To Buy on Amazon

3 Best Storage Sheds on Amazon For Your Back Yard

Footer

Company

About Us
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Our Team

Legal

Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Editorial Policy
Cookies Settings

Features

Gardening News
Gardening Tools
Trending Plants
Shop

Part of

protiga group
protiga group

All Things Gardener © 2023
340 S Lemon Ave Walnut CA 91789 | 1-323-307-2312

x
x