Comparison Case/Ingersoll or Deere?

[KBEAT]

Aaron,

The blower will throw the snow a good 30' or so, more than enough to get away from the driveway. I have been amazed by the 16HP engine in the Ingersoll, my Cub Cadet has a 23HP Kohler and I would put the Ingersoll up against it any day. The Vanguard engine is a great engine and the hydraulic drive does not seem to tax the engine at all, especially with the low range on the transmission if you need it.

 

[coobie]

I have a ingersoll 4020 and love it,20 hp onan engine with power steering and 3 pt.600 plus hours it runs like a top and heavy built.My good friend has a JD 425 that is a excellent machine also.I guess I would be more partial towards the deere if you looking the at 2 stage snowblower.IMHO the 2 stage is better than the ingersoll single stage blower.coobie

 

[aczlan]

Well, I took a look at the 345 the other day. Seemed like a decent machine. 1100 hrs on the clock, but looks like it has 500.
My only issue with it is that the single stage snowblower only throws snow 15-20 feet and it seemed to bog down (and I started smelling the belt) when cutting back a packed snowbank.
Looking at the belt it looked somewhat worn, does anyone have any experience with a Deere 42" single stage snowthrower on a 300 series Deere? Will this work better with a new belt?

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

Also another tractor in the mix: 1999 Toro-Wheelhorse 269H with ~350 hours, a 48" 2 stage blower/mower and a soft cab.

Anyone used one of these?

Aaron Z

 

[tsteahr]

Well, I took a look at the 345 the other day. Seemed like a decent machine. 1100 hrs on the clock, but looks like it has 500.
My only issue with it is that the single stage snowblower only throws snow 15-20 feet and it seemed to bog down (and I started smelling the belt) when cutting back a packed snowbank.
Looking at the belt it looked somewhat worn, does anyone have any experience with a Deere 42" single stage snowthrower on a 300 series Deere? Will this work better with a new belt?

Aaron Z

If you were smelling belt I suspect the belt was not tensioned properly and was slipping. That would explain the short throwing distance. There is usually a adjustable belt tensioning mechanism under the tractor as part of the snowblower hitch setup. If the belt tension is set correctly you should be able to bog (and even stall) the engine without slipping the belt. When used correctly, single stage blowers can work very well in all snow conditions. They just need the right feed rate (ground speed) for the particular conditions.

 

[aczlan]

If you were smelling belt I suspect the belt was not tensioned properly and was slipping. That would explain the short throwing distance. There is usually a adjustable belt tensioning mechanism under the tractor as part of the snowblower hitch setup. If the belt tension is set correctly you should be able to bog (and even stall) the engine without slipping the belt. When used correctly, single stage blowers can work very well in all snow conditions. They just need the right feed rate (ground speed) for the particular conditions.

That was my thought, the belt wasnt slipping much, but I could smell just a hint of smoke, so I backed off. I really like Kevlar wrapped belts for snowblowers and that belt looked like it was ready to be replaced (1/16th or 1/8th deep chunks missing from the point of the V), so I may see if I can get them to knock off a little for that.
There is someone in town with another Deere that has the same blower. Perhaps I will see if I can demo it and see how well it throws snow.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

Talked with the manager and it looks like we will be driving an hour or so to a guy who has a couple of newer (2005ish) Deeres with low hours and nice cabs. They only have 48" decks and single stage snowblowers, but they are 2mph faster than the current Cub Cadet.

Aaron Z