electric chute rotation for a PTO snowthrower???

[MeanGreen]

Has anyone on this board ever rigged up an electric motor to a manual snowthrower chute? I have a TC24D w/FEL (without an aux rear hyd connection by the way) and I just purchased a NH 716C (60") PTO snowthrower for it. I would like to mount an electric motor next to the chute control arm and use a chain sprocket to turn the arm. I have been looking at motors at Surplus Center (and Ebay), but I am not sure what size (fractional HP) and RPM would be best. I seem to recall someone mentioning wheelchair motors, but they seem way too big and powerful for this application. Any suggestions?

 

[PeterT]

HI, someone on this site used a electric window motor from a pickup I believe. you should be able to find one at a junk yard for a little of nothing, it should be used to going forwards and back. HTH

good luck PeterT

 

[DocHeb]

The post was by Von "I had to sell my Zamboni but I got a cool Unimog instead" Kittelberger: Converted my snowblower chute to electric! photos. He used a window motor from a 1984 Ford.

 

[Soundguy]

Worm drive may be easier/stronger.

I like the power window motor idea...


Soundguy

 

[justforme]

here's a pic of the one i made for my snow blower.

i had the motor so i don't know what it was from.
additionally i had the chain and gears from a winch project that never happened

 

[MeanGreen]

Thanks folks. I search the site and never found that window motor thread. All the examples were very nice, but I think I am going to try to leave the entire chute control arm in place and go the sprocket method. It would be cleaner to just cut it off and attach the motor directly, but with the sprocket method I think I have a backup option. Specifically, if I had a problem (motor freezing up, etc) I could simply drop the chain and still have the manual option in tact. My only problem will be making sure I match the angle of the chute control arm so the chain drive is not on a bind (I am not a metal working pro by any means).

 

[justforme]

that's what i started to do. i didn't like the angle of the cable where it wrapped around the shaft closest to the tractor. the rod was a steel pipe inside a piece of steel. when we first ran it with the motor, it's motion was very grabby and jerky and the bracket would flex. so we scrapped the pipe and the bracket and made a new one. we mounted a stainless shaft in du bushings. the motion is smooth and the amp draw on the motor went down. if it freezes up, i'd thaw it with a small propane torch. if it breaks i can remove the motor and turn the big sprocket by hand.

 

[justforme]

here's another pic

 

[AndyMA]

That setup looks great to me. The only thing I might add is some kind of a cover. Perhaps a cut up plastic piece from a snow saucer mounted on standoff or threaded rod to keep the snow off of the assembly.

Andy

 

[PineRidge]

I'm curious was that cable and jack-shaft used to originally rotate the chute? Ours uses a similar setup, see picture.