Quick verdict
Ten alloy steel shear pins with ten cotter pins that replace MTD part 738-04124A and 938-04124A, the pin that joins the auger to its shaft on Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and Yard Machines snow blowers. Shear pins are designed to snap when the auger hits ice or a newspaper, saving the gearbox, and a machine without spares is finished for the storm. Ten pairs is several seasons of insurance. Never substitute a hardened bolt.
Strengths
- Ten pairs of pins and cotters, years of spares
- Replaces the common MTD 738-04124A pin
- Alloy steel sized to shear at the right load
- Installs in a minute with pliers
- Corrosion resistant for a season in slush
Weaknesses
- Only for machines using this pin size; check your part number
- Easy to lose cotter pins in snow; keep spares in the machine
- Generic pins; a few owners report slight diameter variance
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Part That Saves the Machine
A snow blower auger that hits ice or a frozen newspaper would strip its gearbox if the pin joining it to the shaft did not snap first. That pin is the shear pin, and it is designed to break. Gabrella’s pack is ten alloy steel pins and ten cotter pins that replace MTD part 738-04124A and 938-04124A, the pin used on most Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and Yard Machines blowers.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how shear pins function in two-stage snow blowers generally. We have not used these pins ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
How It Works
The pin passes through the auger tube and the drive shaft. Under normal load it transmits power. When the auger jams, torque spikes and the pin shears in two, the auger side stops turning and the gearbox survives. One pin is a few dollars; a gearbox is a few hundred.
Replacing One
Stop the engine and pull the key. Clear the jam with the clearing tool, never a hand. Rotate the auger until the holes line up, push a new pin through, bend the cotter through its end and go back to work. A minute with a pair of pliers, which is why spares live in the machine, taped to the handle or in a bag in the chute.
Never a Bolt
Every season someone replaces a shear pin with a grade 8 bolt because it is what they had. The bolt does not shear, the next jam strips the auger gearbox and the machine is scrap. Buy pins.
Fit
Check the part number in the manual or on the old pin. These match the MTD 738-04124A family; other makers use different sizes. Ten pairs is years of spares for a home machine, and the cotters are easy to drop in snow, so the extras are welcome.
Who Should Buy It
- Every owner of an MTD-built two-stage blower.
- Anyone who has finished a storm with a dead auger.
- People who clear gravel drives and shear pins often.
Common Owner Complaints
Pins a hair tight or loose in some augers. Compare with the old pin; a tight pin taps in with a mallet.
Prevention
Pins shear less often on a clear drive. Walk the route before the first storm and move hoses, doormats, newspaper boxes and dog toys that will be invisible under snow. Set the skid shoes a little higher on gravel so the auger does not pick up stones, and go slower in heavy wet snow, which loads the auger far more than powder.
Alternatives to Consider
OEM MTD pins at a higher price per pin. Ariens and Toro use their own pin sizes. A cheap set of pliers kept with the machine completes the kit.
Verdict
Ten shear pins for the price of a coffee is the cheapest insurance a snow blower owner can buy. Check the part number, tape two to the handle and never reach for a bolt.
Full specifications
Gabrella 10 Pairs Snowblower Shear Pins and Cotter Pins, Replaces 738-04124A and 938-04124A FAQs
On purpose. When the auger jams on ice, a frozen newspaper or a rock, the pin snaps so the auger stops and the gearbox is not destroyed. Breaking is the pin doing its job.
Switch off, pull the key, line up the hole in the auger with the hole in the shaft, push the pin through and bend the cotter through its end. A minute with pliers.
Never. A hardened bolt will not shear, and the next jam strips the auger gearbox, which costs more than the machine is worth.
If your manual or old pin reads 738-04124A or 938-04124A, yes. Other brands use different diameters and lengths.
