Braber Agriease pto snowblower quality

[Builder]

All very good points. However, after looking at the basic mechanics of snow blowers, I concluded it's not rocket science and if something broke or was not made of heavy enough material, it would not take much to fix or upgrade the unit.

I agree with you, something like a tractor would scare me. But something with so few moving parts did not concern me. I have a good friend who has worked at the local New Holland dealer for many years. He came out and helped me get it off the pallet, tighten bolts and fill the gear box. He said this unit is every bit as stout as the ones they sell at the dealership. He also said the unit is actually a little heavier than the 72" unit they sell.

Again, thanks for the comments, all very good points.

Builder, you have a great Christmas.

Good luck with it and thanks. You have a Merry Christmas, too.

 

[Scaper]

Dickday, I'm also considering the Braber Agriease I have been speaking with their folks for about a month now. Did you ask them where the units are built? I got the feeling they were made in western Canada. If you have any update on that please post it. I can't seem to touch one local for under $2.300. I would also like to know if you have had much use on the machine. Does it feel balanced or is there any bad vibrations. If you would like I will give you my # I would love to talk about the unit with you. What are your thoughts?
Scaper

 

[dickday]

Contact me at dickday0@gmail.com. I'd be happy to discuss this with you.

 

[JohninCT]

Well... I figured I have wasted more money on things over the years and decided to buy one and see what it's like.

Here is the review I posted on Northern Tool's website...

"I normally do not have the time, or inclination, to write product reviews. I am so impressed, on so many levels, with this product, the manufacturer and Northern Tool, that I felt I should let others know about my buying experience.

I must admit, I was very skeptical of a 72" snow blower that sells for about half of comparable units. I did research on Braber Equipment and had some questions for them before buying the Agriease blower. The customer support folks at Northern Tool were great about putting me in touch with the right person at Braber. He was able to answer my questions about quality, pricing and parts availability. I felt so comfortable with his replies that I immediately placed one on order.

Mine arrived considerably sooner than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. As with any 700lb item that is shipped, there is always the chance of freight damage and my new snow blower did have some minor damage. The Northern Tool customer service reps were very responsive and gave me instructions on how to handle it. The folks at Braber had a part ready to ship immediately, so I could not have asked for it to be resolved any faster.

Upon arrival, I honestly expected to see a snow blower that resembled a high-school metal shop project. What I received was a well-constructed piece of equipment that will still be working long after I am gone The fit and finish is the same as what I see on other brands sitting on implement dealer lots.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a solid snow blower at an incredible price, do not hesitate to buy the Agriease."

I'm guessing that you have used the Braber blower by now. Can you provide an update on how it's working out?

 

[dickday]

Your posting is timely

Yes, I have used it and it works great!

Our lane is all gravel (mud rock) so I don't have the luxury of allowing the skids to slide along the lane. Otherwise I would be throwing rocks out the chute. So the very first time I used it, I had to constantly raise and lower the blower to keep it as close as possible to the ground without actually touching. It worked but I left a lot of snow on the lane.

I thought I would adjust the skids to their highest setting to get the auger about an inch closer to the ground. But, I discovered that the actual blower has it's own set of welded-on skids with a bolted on pair sitting below them.

I removed the adjustable skids and waited until the next time to see how it worked. I didn't have to wait very long. The 35mph winds that next day gave me ample opportunity to test the blower without the second set of skids. THAT made all of the difference in the world.

I am going to mount a set of wheels (using the bolt holes left by the set of removable skids) that will keep the blower just above the ground allowing me to let the blower float.

My only complaint would be that the blower is so quiet, the first time we engaged the pto I thought it was broken because it didn't make a sound

HTH

 

[JohninCT]

That's good to hear. I was contemplating getting one of these blowers for my tractor before this winter. With 24+ inches of snow this last storm I really wish I had it now. The little quad/ATV plow I usually use is useless and the tractor loader is OK but results in huge snow piles everywhere. I had to pull out the ancient John Deere walk behind blower to come to the rescue.

Regarding the quality of the machine, now that you've used it some does it seem like was a good purchase decision? How about the manual chute and deflector adjustment. Is it satisfactory? I don't want to spend a ton of $$ on a 3 point blower or getting another walk behind with another engine to maintain. Having a good tractor as the power plant already I think that maybe this Braber blower is a good compromise of $$ vs functionality for my uses. Would you still recommend this unit?

 

[dickday]

The only issue I would have with buying a Braber from Northern today is the cost of freight. See what freight is, add that to the blower cost, and see if that makes it less competitive that local vendors.

When I bought mine, the freight was $341 to Nebraska. Today, the freight on that same blower is nearly $800.

The freight cost aside, I would would buy again knowing how well it works. This machine will be running long after my estate sale

HTH

 

[dickday]

I did not totally clear all of our lane. I left part of it still covered so I could do a modification to the blower and test it.

Our lane is all mud-rock, so letting the blower float along it, like you would do with a hard surface road, is not an option.

I have read many posts from some who say that mounting wheels on the sides of the box will not work. Most said that the wheels would "ride up" on the snow. I never actually read where the poster had tried this, but they were speculating that wheels on a 3pt blower would not work.

So... I checked the internet and found 10" pneumatic tires with steel wheels with the correct load rating were about $35 each. Using a grade-8 bolt as a short axle, I will mount the wheels towards the back of the box on each side.

I ran to my local TSC store and found some with steel rims, the correct rating AND... they were $9.99! I could not believe my eyes. Then, when I checked out, I found they were on sale for HALF PRICE! So, my two wheels/tires cost me a total of TEN bucks.

I will test to see how much the tire squats under the weight of the blower and then position the bolt holes so that the tires are about 1.5" below the skid.

Thoughts? Anyone using wheels on a 3pt? Any bets?

Thanks

 

[cmhyland]

How did the wheels work out? How far does this unit throw the snow? Also, what hp is your tractor?

 

[dickday]

The wheels work great. Here is a link to a video...

YouTube - Braber Agriease pto snowblower w/wheels

As the video shows, it throws it a good 40 or 50 feet. My tractor is just a 40HP New Holland Boomer and it works great. The manufacturer suggests that using an under-sized tractor on a blower is much better than using one with too much horse power. This blower is rated at 40 and that's what I have. When I engage the pto, the engine hardly notices the load. I think this tractor could handle a larger blower with ease.

Hope this helps.