Twin Cities Snow Blower Repair Shops On 5-8 Week Backlog Due To Rainy Fall

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – We haven't even had our first major snowfall of the season, but a business that relies on it is already in over their heads.

Many snow blower repair shops are already backed up for months. The problem: They still have lawn mowers to repair.

Customers coming into Cedar Small Engines in South Minneapolis are being added to a long list.

"We've not ever been this busy," Derrick Wood, the sales manager at Cedar Small Engines explained.

Wood says they're back logged 5 to 8 weeks in snow blower repairs.

"Because it never stopped raining this summer, we kind of segued right from lawn to snow," said Wood. "We stopped taking lawnmowers a week and a half ago because we're so packed in on snow blowers right now."

This is not a one shop problem. Just north of the city, Robbinsdale Marine is having a similar backlog.

"We've probably gotten 300 of them in, we're down to about 200 right now, so we are running about 5-6 weeks out in service," Mark Toomey, the owner of Robbinsdale Marine said.

Toomey says snow blowers can have a long life if you maintain them.

"Use a non-oxygenated fuel, so there's no ethanol in it, make sure you use a good stabilizer, and at the end of season, make sure you run the system completely empty," Toomey explained. "That's the best thing you can do."

With this backlog, there's a chance owners won't have their blowers back in working order until Christmas.

"Hopefully they have a good shovel," Toomey said.

With the warmer temperatures this weekend, these shops recommend you test your snow blowers now if you already haven't already.