Loftness FRONT mounted snowblower.

[Reg]

They don't have one listed on their web site, but I have an "opportunity" to obtain one.
(Cheap and it could be a "PROJECT")
It is JD green, what is left of the paint.
It looks very similar to the 661EMJD model shown in their JD1600 series manual, but it is definitely a FRONT mount.

The model number on the ID plate is 661-D-FS
I am GUESSING that the D is an earlier series than the E of the 661EMJD - my other guess is that the JD at the end of that model number means
John Deere {I'm so BRIGHT sometimes (-: }.
The "M" of the one listed - MIGHT mean manual controls ???
Right now I can't figure what (tractor brand ?) FS might have stood for.

It has a drop down gear box from the rear PTO, shaft runs under the middle of the tractor, in a neat little under belly frame, hydraulic chute control and a hydraulic lift ram for the main front blower body.
This doesn't look like a back yard hack, so I'm asking if anyone else has some experience of these models.
It could have been a Deere modification/conversion from a rear mount ?
Maybe another OEM, e.g. Amerequip for Deere ?
If I get this I might have to take the loader off, in which case I could probably use the loader hydraulics directly.
Supposedly it is 67 inches wide, which doesn't quite jive with Loftness current models - no big deal.

Yes, there would be some details to work out; shaft length, some hanger brackets, etc.
If I can't use my loader hydraulics, I have 4 remotes on the tractor that I would most likely use this on anyway.

I have written to Loftness, still waiting for a reply.
In the mean time - as always any info would be greatly appreciated.
TIA, etc.

 

[rbargeron]

I have not heard of a factory- made Loftness front blower for rear drive - but anything is possible.

Maybe you have a one-of-a kind factory prototype worth big bucks?:thumbsup:

A few questions :
1. Viewed from the front, is the chute offset to the right or left of center?
2. From the front, whick way does the impeller rotate?
3. Viewed from the back of the tractor, which way does the pto shaft turn ?
4. Can you tell if the rear pto box is chain or gear drive? If so how many gear or sprocket shafts does it have? Do both shafts turn the same way?
5. Fom the front, does the auger look like /////I\\\\ with the top coming toward you? How wide is it?
6. Does the front gearbox look like it has always been there? Any extra holes or spacers, shims, etc? Same color as the rest?



I have a home-made prototype that works great but may only be valuable to me.

 

[Reg]

I have not heard of a factory- made Loftness front blower for rear drive - but anything is possible.

Maybe you have a one-of-a kind factory prototype worth big bucks?:thumbsup:

A few questions :
1. Viewed from the front, is the chute offset to the right or left of center?
2. From the front, whick way does the impeller rotate?
3. Viewed from the back of the tractor, which way does the pto shaft turn ?
4. Can you tell if the rear pto box is chain or gear drive? If so how many gear or sprocket shafts does it have? Do both shafts turn the same way?
5. Fom the front, does the auger look like /////I\\\\ with the top coming toward you? How wide is it?
6. Does the front gearbox look like it has always been there? Any extra holes or spacers, shims, etc? Same color as the rest?



I have a home-made prototype that works great but may only be valuable to me.

I can't answer most of these questions.
Bear in mind that when I went to see it there was a LOT of snow on the ground and it was somewhat of an "archeological expedition" to uncover it with snow shovels (-:

The chute appears to be centered.
I am fairly sure that the rotor is ///|\\\ type.
I am told that it is 67 inches wide, close enough to one of the John Deere 1600 661EMJD models.
The gear box... Just going by the outline of the castings I would guess it is gears
and likely 1:1 - so yes, it almost certainly reverses the direction of rotation, but I can't swear to that because there could be another gear (somewhere).
Ummm, just thinking through the reversals thing - I need to draw it out.
Right now I'm thinking that a reversal to a shaft running forwards to a mechanism turned around the other way would work... but the more I try to visualize it the more my brain hurts (-:
Seriously, there is a drawing in the owner's manual for the rear mount JD models that suggests to me that it could be dismantled and reassembled to rotate the output shaft the other way.
It appeared to be be centered, not jogged off to the side like a front shaft coming off a transfer case on a 4WD truck.
The main blower unit was about 50ft away, I didn't ask this specifically, but it is my GUESS that the hook up process is to first back over the under carriage, get that all hooked up, then drive to the front blower unit and connect that, i.e. it is probably NORMAL to have to two parts in two separate places.

I am assured that it WORKED on one of the tractors that the seller currently has, i.e. I don't think I would find it sucking from the chute if/when I finally got it all hooked up.
I kinda/sorta know the seller's wife, only to the extent that I had met her previously and we have a common professional interest.

It could be a one-off, a prototype (though Loftness haven't admitted that, yet), it could just be a very intelligent adaptation of a rear mount and a more/less "standard" rear to front drive set-up, perhaps for or from... I don't know what.
It may well be that rear to front adapter kits were common at one time, there could be reverse rotation provision somewhere in that.

Since then we have had at least another foot of snow, I'm still interested, but don't want to go up there again until I have done a bit more research.

Worst Case ?
I could junk the rear to front mechanism and make it a rear mount unit.
If THAT sucks in at the chute - Ooops, I would just sell it on with a CLEAR statement of "as is" and "didn't work for me".

 

[Reg]

OK, I'm now CONVINCED that the reversal of rotation is appropriate for any rear mount implement adapted to go on the front.
Look at the back of the tractor, the PTO shaft rotates x direction, turn around and look at ANY implement that takes the PTO shaft, it rotates in the opposite direction.
I argue that it is the same shaft turning the same way, so it is just a "point of view" thing.
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I also thought that Maybe, just MAYBE the unit I had looked at might be a mix and match of a Loftness rear blower hooked up to an Erskin rear-to-front drive unit.
Browsing the Erskin site I'm fairly sure that their front mount units are basically the same as their rear mount units - have a high percentage of common parts, etc.

The gear box on the Erskin site looks SO different to the one that I looked at that I can say it doesn't match the Erskin CURRENT gear box - how it would compare to a 15 or 20 years ago unit is another question.

My next search is for the rear-to-front drive manufacturers.
I kinda/Sorta ASSUME that these are bought in, not made by Erskin or Loftness.
Anyone have a manufacturer's name from an Erskin rear-to-front drive box ?

 

[rbargeron]

Reversing the direction SEEMS sensible until you look close. The shaft going forward needs to be about 12" below the pto centerline. That means two 12" diameter gears or three 6"+ gears - either way it's an expensive gearbox. A 2-row roller chain is much cheaper to make. Erskine uses 3 sprockets, one used as a tensioner only and there is no direction change.

If you look at the other end of a turning shaft, its going the other way.

The impellers on Erskine front-mount-rear-drive and on their rear-pull units turn CCW with their chutes mounted to the right. On their rear-mount back-up units the impeller turns CW with chute on the left. (Pics below)

I'm pretty sure Erskine makes their own back-to-front drive setup. The reason I think so is it has so much "family resemblance" to the rest of the blower - thick steel, heavy welds, same fasteners, etc. Actually the whole thing is similarly over-designed. And it has a low-production-quantity look to it. There is no nameplate on the chain box. They may buy them - but from a local machine shop.

Lorenz has a back-to-front kit but it's quite different up front, using a hydraulic cylinder to tilt the blower head up and down.

There was another back-to-front kit years ago (can't think of the brand) It used an exposed chain drive with 3 sprockets that changed direction. It was very light-duty - more for garden tractors.

I've read at TBN that Pronovost makes a kit too - but I didn't find it on their website.

Pic on the left is rear-mount back-up. The other is a front-mount Erskine. The impellers go in different directions.

 

[crazyal]

I would have to guess that since almost all PTOs rotate the same direction that you shouldn't have anything to worry about as far as the impeller turning the wrong direction. Also must blowers I've seen use mostly stock parts so rebuilding one shouldn't be too hard, probably not too expensive either. Does it have a gear box for the PTO and a second gearbox at the impeller? I would think the only issue could be if it came off of a tractor that had a different PTO speed than 540.

 

[PILOON]

I had one of those front rigs.
The rear was 3 sprockets, HD chain long ladder underslung, and short PTO shaft up front.
It used standard Bervac blower (500 RPM).
The rear sprockets caused the reversal to occur so that the blower would be standard rotation..
If gears were used the front would turn backwards.
It was a clever set up, however I wanted rear blower due to my manual transmission gear selection. (first low was too fast for my HP and snow conditions).
You would find that all gears, bearings, sprockets etc will be standard 'off shelf' items from any bearing supply house.
I also felt that driving over the ladder rig to install would be a PIA.
Also I have a front mounted plow for those lesser events.

Sounds like you have a good find.

 

[Reg]

Thanks for the lead on Lorenz.
The one I looked at didn't look much like their current production either, but here is a quote from a .pdf document on their site;
=========================================

Front Mount Snow Blower Kits

With a Lorenz Front Mount Blower Kit, our standard 3-point blowers can be fitted to the front of many newer farm tractors. The kit uses a main rail frame assembly and mount brackets for the front and rear of the tractor. The gearbox has four large spur gears to reverse and transmit the PTO power under the tractor and to the blower in front.
==========================================
So yes, common WHOLE blowers from them plus an optional front to rear kit.
That could be an interesting way to go for the folk who like the idea of front mount, dislike the cost, dislike the idea of turning around to blow backwards, etc.
i.e. try a rear mount, if it is TOO MUCH of a PAIN save up the pennies for the kit after the first season.

 

[Reg]

More searches came up with this thread;
===============
"Did you know you could buy a three point hitch for a small tractor and a front drive pto kit for smaller tractors?

You will be money ahead and will have fewer problems with machinery buying a front mounting kit three point hitch attachment kit from one of these three builders of hitch and the kits for less money.


buckeye tractor company
wwww.bucktraco.com

front hitches for three point implements for tractors to 400 HP they may still make the rear to front PTO kits as well.

others include

Laforge systems Laforge Front 3-Point Systems for smaller tractors and front PTO drive kits for three point hitch attachments used up front on small tractors

MK Martin Farm Equipment from M.K. Martin Enterprise smaller tractors rear to front three point hitch kits and pto adapters to use three point hitch mounted PTO powered attachments up front

Lorenz Manufacturing Home

also builds the front drive and hitch kitswith a gear box and under tractor propeller shaft to send pto power to the front mounted three point hitch mounted attachment."

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