How to Start a Snow Blower: Step-by-Step From the Manuals

Starting a gas snow blower is a short run of controls, but the order matters, and so does whether the engine is cold. This guide lines up the starting steps printed in three real owner manuals: a Toro Power Clear 518 single-stage, an Ariens Deluxe two-stage and a Honda HS1336i with electric start and auto choke. Where they differ, the difference tells you what to look up in yours. Everything here comes from those manuals, not from our own use.

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How do you start a snow blower? The short answer

Short answer To start a typical gas snow blower, disengage every control, open the fuel valve if there is one, insert the key, press the primer and set the choke only when the engine is cold, then pull the recoil handle or press the electric start button. Once the engine runs, ease the choke off as it warms. The Toro, Ariens and Honda manuals cited here all follow that shape, with model-specific counts and limits.

The details are where machines differ. Toro tells owners of the Power Clear 518 to push the primer two times; the Ariens Deluxe manual says to press the primer bulb three times on a cold engine; the Honda HS1336i has an auto choke system and no primer step at all. Treat the numbers below as examples tied to those exact models, and look for the equivalent line in your own manual before the first storm.

• Before anything else: Ariens says to disengage all controls before starting the engine; MTD says to disengage all control levers.
• Cold engine only: primer and choke are for a cold start. Toro: do not use the primer or the choke if the engine has been running and is hot.
• Starter limits: both Toro and Ariens cap the electric starter at 10 tries in 5-second-on, 5-second-off intervals.
• After it fires: move the choke off gradually as the engine warms.

What to check before you pull the cord

A start that fails is often a preparation problem. The Ariens Deluxe manual asks owners to check the fuel, check engine oil level and add oil if needed, check the clutch levers and know how to stop in an emergency before operating. It also asks for fresh unleaded fuel with an octane rating of at least 87 and a maximum ethanol content of 10%, and it rules out E85 blends. Oil type and capacity are covered in our separate maintenance basics guide, and the wider pre-season list lives in the November winter preparation checklist.

Two further points come straight from the manuals. Ariens says to always allow the unit and engine to adjust to outdoor temperature before clearing snow, and both Ariens and Toro say not to run the engine indoors except when starting it and moving the machine in or out of the building, with the outside doors open because exhaust fumes are dangerous. The CPSC adds that people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after leaving an engine running in an enclosed space, and it says to add fuel outdoors before starting, never to a running or hot engine.

• Fuel: fresh unleaded, at least 87 octane, no more than 10% ethanol for the Ariens Deluxe engines; your manual may say otherwise.
• Oil: at the correct level on the dipstick; Toro ships the 518 with no oil in the engine and a bottle to add before the first start.
• Controls: auger and drive levers released, shift lever in neutral where fitted.
• Location: outdoors or with doors open, never left running in a closed garage.

Recoil start, step by step

The pulling technique deserves attention. Ariens describes pulling the rope out slowly until it pulls harder, then pulling firmly and quickly, and letting the handle rewind slowly rather than snapping back. The MTD manual explains why: rapid retraction of the starter cord, called kickback, will pull hand and arm toward the engine faster than you can let go. Toro adds a cold-weather note: if the recoil starter does not operate properly, it may be frozen, so thaw it before trying again.

Electric start and auto-choke machines

Many two-stage machines add a 120-volt electric starter that plugs into a household outlet. On the Ariens Deluxe, you connect the power cord to the starter first and then to a grounded 3-wire outlet, using a cord that is UL listed or CSA certified, rated for at least 13 amps and labeled for outdoor use. After the engine starts, Ariens says to disconnect the cord from the outlet and then from the starter. Toro specifies a UL-listed, 16-gauge outdoor extension cord no longer than 50 feet for the electric-start 518.

Starter duty limits are explicit. Toro and Ariens both say to run the electric starter no more than 10 times at intervals of 5 seconds on and 5 seconds off. Toro then asks you to wait at least 40 minutes to let the starter cool before a second series, and to take the machine to an authorized service dealer if that second series fails.

The Honda HS1336i works differently. You turn the fuel valve on, set the main shift lever to neutral and turn the key to START, releasing it when the engine fires. If it does not start within 5 seconds of cranking, Honda says to wait about 10 seconds before trying again, and the starter will not crank while the auger clutch switch or drive clutch lever is operated, an engine start interlock. Because the auto choke can be upset by ice, Honda says that after 5 failed attempts you push and release the manual start lever once and try again.

• Cord first: connect to the machine, then the outlet; reverse the order after starting (Ariens).
• Cord rating: follow your manual: Ariens names 13 amps minimum, Toro names 16-gauge and 50 feet maximum.
• Rest the starter: 10 tries of 5 seconds on, 5 seconds off; Toro asks for 40 minutes of cooling before more.
• Auto choke: Honda HS1336i: if 5 attempts fail, use the manual start lever as the manual describes.

When it will not start: what the troubleshooting tables say

Flooding is the trap most worth knowing about. Toro warns that excessive priming may flood the engine and prevent it from starting, and the Ariens remedy for a flooded cylinder is to turn the choke off and try again. If the machine still will not start after the steps in your manual, the owner-versus-dealer split in our maintenance guide is a good place to decide what is yours to fix.

After it starts: warm-up and safe habits

Honda says to check that engine speed stabilizes after starting, then move the throttle gradually and warm the engine to normal operating temperature. Ariens and Toro both ask you to ease the choke off progressively as the engine warms. Only then engage the auger and drive, aim the chute away from people and cars, and start clearing.

If the chute or auger clogs at any point, shut the engine off, wait for every moving part to stop and clear the snow with the clean-out tool, never your hands. The Toro, Ariens and MTD manuals all print that same sequence, and the CPSC says most snow thrower injuries happen when people clear the chute or auger. Honda says the same in different words: stop the engine, remove the key and use the snow clearing bar or a wooden stick. More on this in our snow blower safety essentials.

If you are still choosing a machine, starting system is one of the practical differences to check alongside width; our 24 to 26 inch two-stage comparison, 28-inch-and-wider comparison and battery vs gas comparison list what each listing documents.

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