I have a 68" Meteor. It arrived as the last of the snow melted so I have no experience with it/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif. I have been unable to find a website for Walco (the brand) or M. K. Martin (IIRC), the manufacturer.
www.mkmartin.com looks like my website (
www.mlmartin.com) would look if I ever got the time to put up something other than the provider's default page/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
From what I can tell by looking, it appears to be a pretty basic device. The PTO drives a transmission that distributes the power to the auger (open style with 3/16 or 1/4 " flighting) and the fan (four blades).
The auger drive is a heavy chain that has an idler for tensioning but no cover. The spout is quite high and can be turned in a near full circle. I didn't get a hydraulic spout control, but they are available. I'm thinking about using an electric motor to turn the spout, but I haven't spent enough time with the Grainger Catalog to see if it's feasible.
I was assured that the 68" blower would not be too much for my JD 870 and I needed the width to cover the rear track. If the snow gets too deep/heavy for it, I'll just have to slow down or stop until it clears.
Last winter I had too many days beating the stuffing out of my Cub Cadet 147 and its QA-42 blower. Spending six to nine hours snowblowing and repairing the tractor is no fun. I expect that the Meteor/870 combination will allow me to clear everything I need to in a couple of hours.
Matthew