My Snowblower Modifications

[SLM1294]

I recently found a good price on a used snowblower in good shape so I couldn't resist picking it up. I then made the following modifications to make it easier to use and wanted to share them here:

I added two stands to make it easier to remove from the tractor and store. These were made to clamp on and just used some pipe and scrap metal. I used a hairpin to hold the pipe in place. The attached picture shows them when they are fully raised while the unit is attached to the tractor.

I then added a hydraulic cylinder to adjust the chute deflector. I made some brackets out of scrap metal and bolted them to the chute. The cylinder is a 2 X 6.

I then wanted to add system to rotate the chute and I did a lot of reading on this board but couldn't find any setups that fit my situation. I ended up designing a system using a hydraulic cylinder that controlled a chain that would then rotate a pulley. A cable was then fed around the pulley and then around the chute. The system works well but the real test will be to see how robust it is when packed with snow.

 

[Tig]

Nice work. Let it snow!

 

[WilliamBos]

Nice work. Let it snow!

maybe in January..... Where in Ontario you from??

Nice Job on the blower!! Our Buhler has an optional kit, just not sure how it would work. A cylinder maybe??

 

[JDeerekid]

very nice fabrication. Now You just need a cab.

 

[kennyd]

That is superb fabrication! Very well thought out

 

[Tig]

Hey Will
I'm just moving from Ottawa to Prince Edward County.
I put hydraulics on my Buhler last year. The rotation is very simple to do.
Here is a link to the thread.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Really nice fab work on your rotator setup....Makes alot of sense. My dad tried many variations on cylinder & cable setups, because we always had spare cylinders kicking around, but ultimately he scrapped every one of them and went with a chain around the chute base (where you got your cable) around a sprocket on hydraulic motor...Simple & Effective.
Like you said, the true test is when they freeze up solid or pack with ice & snow.

 

[Ductape]

Theres no way this can possibly work !

 

[6sunset6]

I think he has each end of the chain attached to the end of the cylinder. So the cylinder moves the chain and the chain then turns the pulley down by the cable. I thought how can this work as well when I first saw it. Look hard at the first picture

 

[Steve_Miller]

My god man, you got more monies worth of hydraulics on your tractor than my tractor is worth. Nice setup, I've always grappled with the idea of chute rotation and can never come up with something simple and easy and end up showered in snow every winter.

Steve

 

[teg]

I think he has each end of the chain attached to the end of the cylinder. So the cylinder moves the chain and the chain then turns the pulley down by the cable. I thought how can this work as well when I first saw it. Look hard at the first picture

I think it's the last photo... blown up below... It could still slide on the pull half. Let us know how it works out this year.

 

[PILOON]

I still think that an ATV electric winch mounted vertically with the winch cable wrapped around the shute and returned to the winch drum would be the simplest cost effective rotator.
Lots of torque and just about the correct speed! (and come complete with reverser switch)

I personally have been using an electric wheel chair drive motor in that sort of configuration for the last 4 years without any problems. (that was before those small 'affordable' winches became available.)

 

[4shorts]

From a machining point of view it's very well done. It took a lot of thought and time to do that. I don't know if it's a practical design. It's only as strong as it's weakest link which is the cable. I've seen power window motors used for this type of application and worked very well. Also seen power window motors used to lift plows on ATV's around my area. I think your going to have cable issues and possibly corrosion issues with it but I could be wrong.

 

[Bedlam]

Hey Steve Miller do you have a pic of your blower? I have seen some cheap simple ones on here. One ,like mine uses a 12 volt wiper motor or window motor, the other one uses a cheap HF winch and some cable around it.
My deflector is electric from a hospital bed. works fine. there are options if you post a pic I'm sure you'll get some ideas.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Steve Miller:
Do these help? Dealer got most of the parts at Princess Auto.

Lloyd

 

[4shorts]

Good gawd Lloyd that looks some complicated. I could string a tennis racket easier than re-threading that system!

 

[Lloyd_E]

It's really very simple: one loop and a pass. One fixed end for the cylinder...
The dealer did it so I didn't have to figure it out. I can take the cylinder off
and apply to my rake or back blade with a few mods... next spring.

+16 today and rain... I hear NY and Ottawa/Montreal are taking a beating.
I will be touching up the paint and grease/oiling everything in preparation for the snow in a couple of months ahem - weeks!

Lloyd

 

[4shorts]

It's really very simple: one loop and a pass. One fixed end for the cylinder...
The dealer did it so I didn't have to figure it out. I can take the cylinder off
and apply to my rake or back blade with a few mods... next spring.

+16 today and rain... I hear NY and Ottawa/Montreal are taking a beating.
I will be touching up the paint and grease/oiling everything in preparation for the snow in a couple of months ahem - weeks!

Lloyd

I heard that on the news today as well. It's coming our way soon. I'm all ready as well. I adapted my trucks plow to the tractor and I'm ready to roll. Bring it on

 

[dnafziger]

wow, thats a pretty cool setup. What ever happened to the old hand crank system.

 

[herringchoker]

Steve Miller:
Do these help? Dealer got most of the parts at Princess Auto.

Lloyd

Lloyd...That setup works really well. I rigged up something similar on my old blower (that I'm still using) 16 or 17 years ago. The only caution I have is to make sure there is no ice at the base of the chute to prevent it from rotating when you pull the lever. (Snow melts, water runs down into the sleeve at the base of the chute and re-freezes, preventing the chute from rotating.) It happened once to me and the bar that the cable pulleys are mounted on bent like a pretzel. (I never did get it fully straightened - see pic. ) Standard procedure ever since is to give the chute a good shake before starting out to break up any ice and make sure it's not frozen up.