[Canadianbrutusowner]

Hello everyone,

hope Im posting in the correct area but I've been using my snowblower on the brutus now for about 2 weeks in heavy snow with minimal issues. I've broken shear pins here and there.. I've replaced the factory broken pins with the Ariens Shear pins which had been working just fine on the auger shear pins but I just replaced the 2nd stage center impeller Shear pin with the ariens pin and after 5-10 seconds of blowing any texture of snow with it, the shear pin breaks right off.. Does anyone know what could cause this? I have a snowfall coming up extremely soon and cant have this happen while trying to service my clients driveways..

Thank you in advance..

 

[KeviNH]

What color are the Ariens pins?

Check out this thread.

What color are the Ariens pins? IIRC, the Polaris part (#312025) are grade 8, yellow steel, 5/16 by 2" but most of the Ariens pins sold as Stens brand are counterfeits from Taiwan, are Grade 2 at best.

 

[Canadianbrutusowner]

Check out this thread.

What color are the Ariens pins? IIRC, the Polaris part (#312025) are grade 8, yellow steel, 5/16 by 2" but most of the Ariens pins sold as Stens brand are counterfeits from Taiwan, are Grade 2 at best.

I have previously checked out that thread and ordered the ariens pins from my ariens dealer. Got 30.. down to 15 now because of the center impeller.. when I put them in the main augers, there is no issues. They snap every once in a while but these snap even after 2 seconds of even touching snow..

 

[KeviNH]

The parts websites list the same model shear bolts for both the augers and center impeller. Several people report success using regular Grade 5 bolts and lock nuts, these have a little more "give" and are less likely to snap immediately from a sudden shock, but will still give way when jammed completely.

Almost have to wonder if the pins breaking are a sign of something else wrong with the impeller? Any sign it's scraping against the housing or loose?

 

[Ketchn]

I switched to the Grade 5 bolts and lock nuts 2 years ago. All was fine. But the shaft that goes thru the impeller fan sheared off inside the augur gear case on the last storm of last winter. The shaft broke at the transition where they machined it from the size going thru the augur to the smaller size inside the gear case. Nearest I can tell using the grade 5 bolts had nothing to do with the shaft shearing off. Just another poor engineered part we have to deal with like the chain and gears on the back of the blower that bobcat has replaced with a belt.

 

[mhm4223]

Brutus snowblower issues

I am having the same issue. I purchased this unit solely for the snowblower attachment and within 10 minutes of a light powder snow of 6 inches the shear pins broke and the unit is out of service. Is this the way it is gong to be moving forward. What a piece of expensive hardware to be unable to perform the simplest of duties that it was specifically designed for. To be continued.

 

[Ketchn]

Some of the first blowers had very weak shear pins as they didn't have the right ones at the factory, maybe you got one of those.
I pop a few each year as I have a crushed rock driveway. I have been using the grade 5 bolts and lock nuts from Lowes as I have no dealers within 200 miles of me.

 

[Oakley 1]

I switched to the Grade 5 bolts and lock nuts 2 years ago. All was fine. But the shaft that goes thru the impeller fan sheared off inside the augur gear case on the last storm of last winter. The shaft broke at the transition where they machined it from the size going thru the augur to the smaller size inside the gear case. Nearest I can tell using the grade 5 bolts had nothing to do with the shaft shearing off. Just another poor engineered part we have to deal with like the chain and gears on the back of the blower that bobcat has replaced with a belt.

Been using my blower for 4-5 yrs and never had issues til this year when the shaft broke at the gear case. I took the old one to a machine shop and for &150 they made me a new one. This was made with non-hardened steel and did great with one storm, clean after use and put in shed. Went out the next day turned it one and the shaft broken again. Tring a piece of spring steel or axle this time to see what happens and if it will take the torque