Brand New Snow blower does not shift gears?

There is not a snow-blower on the face of the earth that "shifts" through the gears with the engine off! You're confusing standard car transmissions with snow-blower variable speed transmission.

Remove the back cover between the rear wheels and you'll wonder what makes it work at all.

Start it up and answer your own question.

Check the linkages on the rod/lever that actuates the gear change - sometimes they'll get bent during shipping, which can impact the ease-of-shifting. You may have missed a zip-tie or tape or something that's blocking the actuating mechanism as well.

I have had several older craftsman snow blowers, and most would shift whether they were on or off - on mine the shifter pulls the transmission wheel off the platen, and then it would drop it back down at the next gear - its not a gear mechanism so much as it is a friction wheel. If the linkage gets messed up, sometimes the shifter won't raise the wheel properly, or enough.

If everything looks good, try starting it, then shifting it after moving the snowblower a little bit in the gear its in - maybe it needs a little bit of 'persuasion' to loosen things up.

Many snowblowers won't shift gears when off or else it will be very difficult to, try starting it than shifting, if it still won't shift than you may have a problem.

because of the fact the engine is warmed up, the technique is slightly diverse than beginning a chilly engine. make advantageous the 'quit' change isn't in the quit place. close the choke best the gasoline bulb till at last you notice gasoline placed the throttle on complete Pull the starter rope as much as 5 cases. Engine could desire to initiate, then without postpone quit. whilst engine stops, placed choke on 'Run' proceed pulling cringe rope till engine starts. 5. If the unit would not initiate in the 1st 5 pulls, flow the choke lever to the Open/Run place and proceed pulling the starter rope. The engine could desire to initiate interior of three-5 pulls.