Rear Snow Blower - Hydraulic or Manual Rotator?

Through the knowledge I've gained through these forums, I'm going to go with a rear snow blower - looks like the right fit for my situation.

Now the choice: stick with a manual crank for rotating the chute or spend a few hundred for a hydraulic rotator (I already have the rear hydraulic available)? I do have an open platform so keeping the snow off me is important.

having never run snow blower in my life I have no real sense of how often one is moving the chute and how easy it is. I have about 800' of driveway with one curve and it does a large circle in front of my house. I frequently have some wind blowing.

Suggestions?

For those with a hydraulic chute rotator - do you often use it? Would you go back to manual?

If your only talking a couple hundred extra bucks........you bet. I love the hydraulic rotator. It is great to be able to change the chute while on the move. I even have a hydraulic chute deflector. one thing to think about is if you only have one extra SCV to hook up to and you want to add a plow with a hydraulic angle you will have to get creative like getting a divert-er.

They're nice, no arguing that, but if you have an open station tractor with a traditional back up snowblower, then I don't think there's a huge advantage, the crank is right there anyway. A hydraulic chute deflector might be more useful if you only have one remote.

Depending on how your yard is made you could move the shoot quite a bit. I have a few areas in my yard where I have to blow and turn at the same time.

Wind and snow blower. You are going to to want to get a cab. NO matter how you point the chute it will go down your neck and blow in your face. I know. I got a soft cab and it works great.

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Originally Posted by 6sunset6

Wind and snow blower. You are going to to want to get a cab. NO matter how you point the chute it will go down your neck and blow in your face. I know. I got a soft cab and it works great.

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So true! Most of the year, my tractor is an open station, but when the snow blower goes on, so does the winter cab. I've run enough walk-behind blowers to know what Frosty the Snowman feels like.:snowman: I don't like it.:yuck: Any kind of cab is a good one.

As far as rotators go, My blower still has the manual crank on it, but I've added an electric rotator (Too cheap to get hydraulic!:greedy:;)) to it so I don't have to stick my arm out the back window anymore. Love being able to control things from inside of the cab in relative warmth. If you have the means to get and use hydraulic, I'd go for it.

Joe

Made one from a car window motor.

chute rotater on a B2789U - YouTube

I used open station for about 5 years before I bought a cab tractor. I had hydraulic deflector and rotator on the tractor and wouldn't have wanted manual. The best improvement I made to the open station was mounting Plexiglas on the roll bar with four u-bolts. It blocked most of the snow that wanted to blow back.

Yeah, I'll probably get snow all over. But if didn't do that for a couple of seasons, I'd never be able to truly enjoy a cab - would I? I like the plexiglas idea - may try that.

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Originally Posted by PandDLong

Yeah, I'll probably get snow all over. But if didn't do that for a couple of seasons, I'd never be able to truly enjoy a cab - would I? I like the plexiglas idea - may try that.

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if you don't have one, buy a snowmobile helmet. Works very well. A cheap one is all you need.