Drag blade for rear-mount snowblower

rbargeron · Nov 1, 2006

My 7 foot snowblower does a good job in most situations except backing up to a garage door or a parked car - it always leaves a little pile of snow in the middle area. Here's a solution I'm experimenting with. It's a SnoWay lexan blade with steel frame, mounted on aluminum arms and with a fast-crank winch for dropping and raising. No snow to test it yet. The idea got brewing last winter (see This thread) After putting it together last week, I found someone else has something very similar over in the Tool Cat forum. (Link here) His is fancier - has hydraulic operation. I would think many tractor-mounted snowblowers would benefit from having a drag blade for cleanup. Of course there's always a shovel, but what fun is that?

goaliedad · Nov 1, 2006

I have the same problem with my front mount blower- when I stop in front of the garage door, I have a pile of snow. Since I have a back blade I just grab it and pull it out. Your idea looks like it would work very well- let us know.

kennyd · Nov 1, 2006

Check out this post in the ToolCat forum:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/toolcat/87240-snowblowing.html#post974129

jimmy1 · Nov 2, 2006

Neat idea. Will it impede intake blowing deep snow banks?

rbargeron · Nov 2, 2006

Good question - I've been asking it myself. There is about 18" opening height now, and based on our normal snowfall amounts here that's been more than enough. There are two backup plans if the opening isn't high enough - one is the drag blade can be removed quickly (2 pins and a snap hook) - the other is an alternate design that uses two arms on each end and lifts the drag blade up above the blower housing. The 4-arm version takes full advantage of the see-thru blade - but the 2-arm version is simpler and more compact. Figured I'd try using the 2-arm version for a few storms and see how it works.

Opti-Mist · Nov 4, 2006

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not just turn around and pull it back with the loader bucket cutting lip?

rbargeron · Nov 4, 2006

This thing is about efficiency. I do snow removal in my neighborhood and there are 6 places with garage doors, 4 are double-width. Dropping the blade and pulling the leftover snow forward to blow in the next pass is much quicker than turning around and going back in. There is a dandy video that shows this at Pronovost's Website

Jerome · Nov 5, 2006

the only problem I see is on a gravel Drive . I like the powder cover I was thinking of using an old inertube to do the same thing.

rbargeron · Nov 5, 2006

yes - skid shoes would be a good idea, and a piece of sheet metal held on by a bungee makes a good powder cover. The Pronovost PXP is a nice piece of work, but the list price is over $11k(U.S.) It's way over the top for the annual snowfall in MA. Maybe it's justified up north where it snows a lot more. Pronovost has a lighter duty line - Puma - but there are no drag blade models offered.

JJT · Nov 5, 2006

When I do my neighbors drive they deal with that little pile of snow, (I don't charge them for the snow removal). At my house I'll back drag it using the FEL before I blow out the drive, or I'll open the garage doors and rotate the chute and drive in with the blower going.

rbargeron · Nov 6, 2006

I don't charge anyone either - planning to make it up with volume

rbargeron · Feb 16, 2007

Well it didn't snow here in December or January so the modification of the snowblower has continued. The drag blade moves up out of the way now and operation is hydraulic. Also added a linkage to turn the chute. We finally got some snow to test it on - it works!
Here are pics showing the blade on the blower, and the neat job it does in front of garage doors.

rbargeron · Feb 16, 2007

Here are some more pictures of the project. This blower is 35 years old at least (see pics at the top of this thread taken in November)- but we took advantage of the warm days in January and sandblasted & painted it - looks new now. The drag blade linkage was fun to figure out - did it in AutoCad, using dimensions from cylinders I got cheap on eBay. The control valve (also eBay) has a float spool so the blade can follow the ground independent of the blower. Linkage arms are 3/8" x 2" steel. Using a single cylinder and a crank tube keeps the blade level with the blower. It's strong enough to lift the blower with the blade - but it's best to lift the blower with the 3ph, and let the blade just float. The chute turner is like the ones on Farm King blowers - a curved swing arm with cable wrapped around the chute - simple and effective. Cost-wise, I'm in this whole project for less than 10% of a new blower with this feature. (I'm considering my time as play time)
It can snow all it wants to now.

rbargeron · Feb 17, 2007

In answer to a PM question on the hydraulics - I plumbed it with hoses and fittings from Discount Hydraulic Hose. The tractor has a 13gpm pump - I wanted a control valve with large (3/4") in-and-out ports so the power-beyond system to the 3ph would be free-flowing. On eBay I found a Cross BA 2-spool loader valve with power-beyond sleeve and a float detent on one spool. The control valve's inlet and power-beyond hoses connect in place of the FEL hoses (when the loader is removed) or can connect to include the loader when its mounted. The cylinders are piped with 1/4" hoses and fittings which dissipate some of the hydraulic energy - makes blade and chute motion less abrupt. (Thanks to Mad_Referee for confirming this would work) One last feature, the linkage is designed so with cylinders at full stroke there is no force on it. This is so the huge hydraulic forces don't tear it apart.
And, no, none of this is patented.

Ductape · Feb 17, 2007

Now that is slick ! Since you are not so far away from me..... i have a great proposition for you. As winter peters out, i'm going to bring my little 48" blower down to you and have you make identical mods to my ole blower. I'm willing to pay you TWICE what you make in a seasons' snow removal. That should about cover it.... yes??!!

Seriously..... nice job !

rbargeron · Feb 17, 2007

Uh, let's see - that's two custom-made ash coffee tables, two motorcycle paint jobs, several bottles of Lemon Cella liquer, four tins of chocolate rum balls, six dozen oatmeal cookies, and two bottles of single malt scotch.

dylan · Feb 22, 2007

rbargeron
Your project turned out really well. It looks very professional.

I like the clearance you get when the blade is down. It really gets the blower up and out of the way. Did you consider side plates to keep the snow in when back dragging. Nothing worse than going back for that little trail of snow.

Good job.
dylan

BTDT · Feb 22, 2007

Very nice. Looks like a fun project, probably voided your warranty on the snowblower with those modifications though.

rbargeron · Feb 23, 2007

dylan said:
rbargeron
Your project turned out really well. It looks very professional.

I like the clearance you get when the blade is down. It really gets the blower up and out of the way. Did you consider side plates to keep the snow in when back dragging. Nothing worse than going back for that little trail of snow.

Good job.
dylan

Thanks, Dylan - Side Plates?? Leave it to somebody who has built his own drag blade to think of side plates ! On my rig, they could reach forward outside the arms. Did you add side plates to yours? Any pics? Great idea - I'm on it !!

I was thinking a good thing about your ToolCat's front mount is you can turn your front wheels sharp and move the drag snow to the side into the next pass - handy.

rbargeron · Feb 24, 2007

BTDT said:
Very nice. Looks like a fun project, probably voided your warranty on the snowblower with those modifications though.

Hello Michael - your comment got me interested in checking the actual history of this machine (I gotta get a life).
So far I've found out it was made by Avco New Idea, (not Agco), Rotary Snow Plow, model 516A, manufactured sometime in the '70s. They didn't call it a snowblower - prefering to call it a rotary snow plow, like the railroad units of the time. This model was the "baby" of the lineup - the others were 8 ft and 9 ft with twin augers. The gearbox looks like it would handle 150 hp. Everything is so strong they could have given a 50-year warranty without much exposure.
All this snowblower stuff must look a little silly from Texas

p.s. coin-operated air is $0.75 in Vermont - residue of Howard Dean?

Drag blade for rear-mount snowblower

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