The first real snowfall is the worst time to find out your blower has a problem. Everyone needs parts and service the same week, and the laneway still has to be open by morning. Half an hour now heads off most of it.
Here's the check I'd run on any three-point or front-mount blower before it goes back on the tractor, whether that's a Kubota BX, an LX, or any other compact tractor.
Shear bolts: carry spares, and the right ones
Shear bolts are designed to break so your gearbox doesn't. Buy a few spares now and keep them on the tractor with a wrench that fits. Replace them only with the grade your manual specifies. A harder bolt from the hardware bin won't shear when it should, and the next rock you pick up goes straight into the gearbox.
Slip clutch: make sure it still slips
If your driveline has a friction slip clutch instead of a shear bolt, it can rust solid over the summer. A seized clutch protects nothing. Your manual has the procedure to check it. Do it before the season, not after something breaks.
Gearbox and driveline
Check the gearbox oil level and top it up with the grade the manual lists. Grease the PTO shaft U-joints, then pull the shaft halves apart, clean them and grease them. They should slide freely. Then grease every fitting on the blower itself. Look over the shields while you're at it.
Auger, fan and chute
With the tractor off and the key out, turn the auger by hand and look for bent flighting or anything wrapped around the shaft. Make sure the chute turns through its full range and the deflector moves freely. If they're hydraulic, check the hoses for cracks and the couplers for leaks. Cold turns a small weep into a real leak.
Chains and bearings
If your blower has drive chains, check the tension and adjust it the way your manual describes, then give the chains a light coat of oil. With the tractor off and the key out, turn the auger and fan by hand. Feel and listen for a rough or noisy bearing, or any play in a shaft. A bearing is an easy fix in October and a hard one in a storm.
Skid shoes and cutting edge
On pavement you can run close to the surface. On gravel, raise the skid shoes enough that the blower rides above the stones. Otherwise you're throwing your driveway onto the lawn and the blower takes the beating. Check the cutting edge, and flip or replace it if it's worn thin.
The tractor side
The blower is only half the job. Load-test the battery, since a battery loses a lot of its cranking power in the cold. Check the block heater cord, switch to winter-blend diesel, and check tire pressure and chains if you run them. Make sure the lights and the cab defrost work. Ballast matters too: your manual lists what the tractor needs to carry that blower safely.
Walk the laneway
Before the snow flies, walk the route. Stake the edges, pick up rocks, and note anything the blower will find before you do: a culvert end, a garden border, a landscape light. Ten minutes now saves a shear bolt at six in the morning.
Every blower is a little different, so use this as a checklist and treat your operator's manual as the final word on specs and intervals.