Electric Chute Rotator for 3 Pt Mounted Snowblower

UpTheCreekDick · Nov 25, 2005

Searching for ideas to build a 12v Chute Rotator for my Tractor Mounted Snowblower. I don't have auxilary hydraulic's on my 1720 Ford Tractor so I'll have to go with Electric drive. I have seen them mounted on small tractor blowers and BobCat as them on their blowers(very expensive). If anyone has done one of these projects, I'd sure like to hear from you.

DocHeb · Nov 25, 2005

Von "I sold my Zamboni to get a Unimog, and now that's gone too" Kittleberger used an electric window motor from an automobile, documented in the thread: Converted my snowblower chute to electric! photos .

Roger2561 · Nov 25, 2005

I have a front mount 5 foot Erkine snowblower on my JD 4500 and use 2 - 12 volt linear actuators that operate the rotation of the shoot and the up and down of the upper flap. Having remote hydraulics, I will soon switch form the electrics to hydraulics. Roger

pekabu · Nov 25, 2005

I have a Skid Steer blower from hanson. It uses a small 1000 winch with Power in and out. I have seen them for $99 at VIP.

PILOON · Nov 26, 2005

I have a 5' blower mounted on the 3PT of my Mit180D which I converted to electric .

Was lucky and found an electric wheelchair drive motor.
Being geared down for torque at low speed it was ideal.
I fitted a sprocket to the shaft and wrapped a matching chain around the snow shute with a screw to tension the chain.

Spead is just right and enough torque to break loose from ice.
Paid $50. for motor and $12. for a suiutable sproket.

You might consider the import electric winches sold on EBay for ATV,s at about $50 or so as they would provide correct speed and suitable torque.
Mounted in a verticle fashion and rewinding the cable a la 'capistan' method would work very well.
Also they even have the forward/reverse switch already provided.

Up my way, Cosco stocks them for $59.00(cdn)

UpTheCreekDick · Nov 26, 2005

Thanks Piloon. You wouldn't happen to have any pic's of your conversion. I thought about a winch w/a belt drive tensioner, still brain storming and open to suggestions. Thanks...

PILOON · Nov 26, 2005

Maybe I could furthur explain the winch re-winding.

What you'd wish to do is sort of wind the cable around the drum like the snowblower hand crank is done.

They generally have the center clamped with perhaps 5-8 turns going one way from the center clamp area and then a similar no of turns going the othrt way.

Purpose is that when one side pulls the other unwinds, ready to reverse the direction.

Then you'd take the lengths of cable and wind about one full turn around the shute in different directions.
Again the idea being that when on side is pulled (unwound) by the winch the other is winding on some reserve to repeat the process.

All in all you probably don't need more than 5-6 ft of cable to do the job.

I'd simply mount the winch vertically to the backside of the blower mainframe in such a manner that the cables run reasonably straight.
Closer to the shute the better.

Those little ATV winches are rated for 1500-2000 lbs so for sure they will do the job.
They provide a 3/16 aviation type cable, but I'd change that over to a 1/8" as it is easier to work with and besides 1/8" SS aircraft cable has a rating of 2000 psi.

If the winch proves to be a bit slow but you could always add a sleeve to the center of the drum to increase the ratio.
If I recal the center is about 1/2" so that could be sleeved up to even 2". Anything would work for a sleeve. Even wood or plastic tubing. You could split in half to install as the wrapped cable would hold it firmly in place.

I'll load a pic of my installation (wheelchair motor) along with a suggested mounting for a winch drive.

Hope that helps.

ronjhall · Dec 1, 2005

"I sold my Zamboni to get a Unimog, and now that's gone too" 
Look like he is going to have to change his tile "Now With 2 Unimog's". /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Click Here

PILOON · Dec 3, 2005

Better late than never.

Wheelchair motor installation on snow blower shute.
The motor body (right) is covered with a 6" length of 4" PVC pipe (painted red) and held in place with tye-wrop.
Reason was to provide a 'rain hat' for the motor's protection.

bluecon1 · Dec 7, 2005

I mounted a cheap winch in conjunction with my manual chute crank. It works well and hasn't given me grief. It took a little trial and error but I'm happy with it. I like the idea of an actuator for the top of the chute.......it never ends

bluecon1 · Dec 7, 2005

And this one

PILOON · Dec 7, 2005

bluecon1
That is basically what I suggested in my earlier post, only I would have eliminated the manual crank and cabled directly from the shute to the winch making the system more direct and probably with a better response. Fore sure there would be less slop in the system.
In your installation I would place the winch approximately in the middle of the brand name stencil sticker on top of the blower body.
To help the cable wind evenly you could install 2 'roller fairleads', say, 3/8" bolts about 4-5" in front of the winch. They would be about 2 1/2" long and would have say 1 3/4" pieces of 1/2" pipe to act as rollers. The bolts would have nuts on both sides of the blower body to lock them firmly in the upright position.

Otherwise you were on my 'wavelength' using the ATV winch as power source.

In as much as the price of those ATV winches make them very affordable we have gotta figure out a way to make them drive a long threaded rod to actuate the shute diverter.

On the other hand, those old satelite dishes (the 12' ones) all had a linear actuator that runs on 12 or 24 VDC. That would be ideal as they even have a 'ball joint at one end.
Problem is they are about 2' long and would have to be cut and modified.
I have one and plan to use it to make a dumping trailor as they open from 24" to near 40" with plenty of torque.

A search on EBay for 'linear actuator' will find the exact unit that you want, but generally somewhat pricy. You would only need about 6" of travel.
A linear acuator is very much like an electric powered turnbuckle, and ideal for the shute deflector.

Good thinking and good luck.

bluecon1 · Dec 8, 2005

Agreed Piloon, I did make things probably more complicated than needed, the only benefit I have here is that if the winch quits for whatever reason, I can put it to "freewheel" and operate it manually with the stock crank. My system does allow for more slack than I would prefer. Aux. hydraulics would be sweet, but I have no other use for them other than on my blower.

PILOON · Dec 8, 2005

bluecon1
Just for the heck of it I did a search on EBay 'linear actuator' and came up eith a high torque actuator, 12 volts, with a 7" travel limit at $39.00.
That would be ideal to control the snow shute deflector.
To get the 7" the overall length was , I believe, 17" however that should not pose a problem- it would just mean that a new attach point would be needed at 17" with the actuator extended and the shute wide open.
Most shutes would allow for 17".

While aux hydraulics might be sweet, they would cost tons more than our electric setups, besides it is a whole lot easier to route a couple of # 12 guage wires than to install and route the plumbing for hydraulics.

I had the option in as I have aux hyd power at rear of my tractor with quick connectors.
Better still I have 2 spare new valves and a half dz cylinders in my precious stock.
Also have good steel supply and a 230 amp welder but I still opted for the electric shute control after weighing all the implications and price was not the main concern.
I don't regret my choice.

drmiller100 · Dec 10, 2005

that winch idea sure is a good one.
two wraps of the cable around the chute and a spring loaded tensioner are another idea.

rambler · Jan 10, 2006

( I mounted a cheap winch in conjunction with my manual chute crank. It works well and hasn't given me grief. It took a little trial and error but I'm happy with it. I like the idea of an actuator for the top of the chute.......it never ends )

My hand crank broke off when the cattle used it for scratching a few years ago. Wanted to automate it anyhow.

So, I read his thread & see the neat pics 6 hours _after_ the Cumins semis quit selling in town. Walked past the $50 electric winches & thought neat, but what would I use then for?

Sigh.

---->Paul

Bedlam · Jan 10, 2006

All these ideas are great. I used the wiper motor from a Geo metro to spin my screw for the chute deflector. It works great. But you have to make sure the motor is isolated from making a ground contact. I used a rubber innertube for insulation on mine. I dint figure on the shaft also having to be kept from making ground, I used a short piece of stif plastic tube to make the connection and drilled a whole through it for a nail for a pin .
I wasnt too pleased with my work, but it works slick as can be. and no slop.
On the deflector part, I used a linear actuator. that also works slick. I was so cheap that the one I had was 120 volts, so I removed the motor and used the fan blower motor form the Metro to power that, it works fine also.
Someone recomended the power window motors. I think that a great idea. as the grounding isnt a problem.And it sure is easier to just use a trailer plug to hook it to the tractor.
Used two double pole switches to run it. Ill try to post a couple of pics soon.
AL

Bedlam · Jan 10, 2006

Here is the shute rotation motor

Bedlam · Jan 10, 2006

and the rotation motor

Pks · Jan 20, 2006

Why the concern for grounding the casing of the wiper motor to the blower/tractor?

Electric Chute Rotator for 3 Pt Mounted Snowblower

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