3pt Snowblower - Vertical alignment

[Jay4200]

I've been working on getting my 6' Econor 3pt snowblower set up - never used one before. Does vertical alignment matter at all? That is, I can tilt the blower throughout the 3-4" range offerred by my top link, but it doesn't look like operation will be affected at all. At full top link extension, the blower is just about straight up and down (going by the blower's rear plate). I can tilt the blower back toward the tractor 10 degrees or so by shortening the top link, but the blower's scraping blade always hits the ground first (it's toward the rear of the machine) and the auger's height off of the ground doesn't change very much. It seems that the blower would work similarly in any of the positions. Can I just randomly pick a spot to leave the top link, or are there subtle performance changes?

JayC

 

[Ford tractor]

Usually dead level would be a good starting place. Then try a bit up or a bit down to see how yours performs.

 

[porky69]

Angle will depend on the surface you are blowing. If concrete/asphalt/ any solid surface then it won't hurt to have the blade hit the ground first (no rocks to pick up and you will get a nice clean surface) however if you are doing a gravel driveway then you will want the blade off of the ground slightly so you don't blow all of you gravel away.

How close the auger gets to the ground is kind of irrelevant as its main purposes are to break up the snow if packed hard and to move the snow from the outside edges of the blower to the fan (allows for a wide blower with a reasonable sized fan.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I've been working on getting my 6' Econor 3pt snowblower set up - never used one before. Does vertical alignment matter at all? That is, I can tilt the blower throughout the 3-4" range offerred by my top link, but it doesn't look like operation will be affected at all. At full top link extension, the blower is just about straight up and down (going by the blower's rear plate). I can tilt the blower back toward the tractor 10 degrees or so by shortening the top link, but the blower's scraping blade always hits the ground first (it's toward the rear of the machine) and the auger's height off of the ground doesn't change very much. It seems that the blower would work similarly in any of the positions. Can I just randomly pick a spot to leave the top link, or are there subtle performance changes?

JayC

If I am reading you correctly, it sounds like you are ok.

Actually, you haven't mentioned skid shoes.?? The skid shoes can help avoid the scraper blade of hitting the ground. Do you have them.??....Are they adjusted properly.??

It sounds like you can tilt the blower back and that's a good thing.

I think once you find the sweet spot your top-link can stay the same. I don't really see that you could change the performance of the blower with the top-link. Once again, the skid plates are the adjustments that matter most. I would get the unit close to plum and level and go with that.

 

[escavader]

On my gravel driveways ,i have the top link as short as possible to keep the blower from digging in.Once the drive is good and frozen,ill level it up.
ALAN

 

[Jay4200]

On my gravel driveways ,i have the top link as short as possible to keep the blower from digging in.Once the drive is good and frozen,ill level it up.
ALAN

That sounds good - my driveways are gravel (1100' of them). To get the machine perfectly vertical, I just about have my top link maxed out. Tilted back a bit is preferable for both top link and also accessing my chute/flapper controls.

And yes, I do have skids installed.

JayC

 

[rswyan]

When tilting any PTO-driven attachment with a toplink, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on driveshaft angles ..... jus' sayin' ......

 

[ScottyChip]

I find that if I have toplink adjusted alot and the angle is too severe then I can hear and feel a difference in the operation of the blower. A clunking sound out of the shaft.

 

[Robert F.]

I would think that the height off the ground would be adjusted by the skid plates, at least that is the way my JD front mount blower is adjusted regarding ground clearance. All blowers that I have seen, both 3pt and front mount are always square to the ground. It is also important to maintain the same angles of the drive shaft universal joints. When you tilt the machine forward or backward, the joint angles, at tractor and at blower, are not the same and will knock. They must be the same angle. Once the angle of the joints match, the operation will smooth right out, unless of course one or both joints are defective.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Try this Shorten the top link and try and push the snow a few feet with no PTO engaged. You will see how the unit bites.

I have ashort link until the lane freezes up. THen I can scrape it doen with a longer top link.