Snowblowing rules of thumb

[leonz]

I am using my snowblower for the 2nd season on my .8KM road with steep hills at both ends, so here are some of my tips;

1) Check your rear tire pressure, mine should be 14 psi. They looked OK until I raised the snowblower (600Lbs) & I saw the left tire bulging out.
Of course the liquid valve was screwed up so luckily I had a spare & got it pumped up OK. Always have the valve at the top when checking or
you might have liquid calcium all over the place (done that).

2) Have plenty of spare shear bolts & make sure they are the correct grade. The ones I found at Home Depot were too hard so I had to
special order mine from a fastener supply store.

3) Load plenty of fuel in your tractor as it will burn way more fuel per hour snow blowing compared to just driving around, yes I ran out last year.

4) Make sure the max height (for rear PTO) stopper is set properly, I missed this once. I must have pulled the UP lever while the tractor
was idling & looked back later & it was WAY too high!

5) Keep the snowblower level or slightly tipped back otherwise it can "dig in" and start throwing rocks & dirt.

6) Already mentioned but consider marking your road edges, I have found myself way off to the side of my road & was blowing long grass &
rocks.

7) I have a 1000 lb rated floor dolley that I lower my blower onto, makes it real easy to install/remove & I can roll it into my garage for summer
storage.

8) If your tractor has it use the multiple PTO speed selector, in FWD Low I use the PTO 1 setting, in FWD High I use the PTO 2 setting because the
the tractor RPM is much lower.

9) Get some kind of anti-stick spray. My discharge chute does plug up in some conditions, usually when I stop plowing even for a few seconds.
I am going to try "Dupont Snow & Ice Repellent with Teflon" next time. I could not find anything like this in the small town where my property is
located but I see Canadian Tire carries it locally.

10) Don't plow your road just wide enough for your vehicle too fit, in icy conditions you need the extra room or you could end up with some body
damage!

11) I use my rear blade at the start of the season thinking it will push any loose rocks off to the side, I go extra wide & avoid snow blowing those piles
created because that's where the rocks probably are.

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Please don't buy the dupont stuff!!! It is beyond nasty with all the toxic chemicals they use.

If you can purchase "Fluid Film in the aerosol can that will work very well for you.


You can find Fluid Film at W.W.Grainger, NAPA, John Deere, Menards, Car Quest, Advance Auto Parts and Lowes.

 

[check]

Hey, Leonz, thanks for the heads up! I WAS going to head out to Canadian Tire to get some of the Dupont stuff, but now I won’t.

 

[oosik]

Those who have a cabbed tractor and a front mounted blower will never know the true joy of blowing snow.

 

[leonz]

Hey, Leonz, thanks for the heads up! I WAS going to head out to Canadian Tire to get some of the Dupont stuff, but now I won稚.

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Hello check,

I looked at a can of snow go a few weeks ago and I just cringed reading the ingredients and I said I cannot let my friends use this stuff.
I am glad you changed your mind, your lungs will thank you for it.

 

[check]

Those who have a cabbed tractor and a front mounted blower will never know the true joy of blowing snow.

Here here!

 

[oosik]

Good Lord, check. Your cup runneth over. That condition is almost BEYOND joy. THAT one picture makes my neck & shoulders ache - like in the good 'ol days. There is no question about your need for a blower. I'd have to be able to go at warp speed to get my rear blade to curl the snow over that berm.

The nice thing about an open station and 3-point blower. You can again experience a snow storm - long after Mother Natures has gone - ha, ha, ha.

 

[Kubotafan]

Here here!View attachment 595182

Attach a piece of Plexiglass to your roll bar with four u-bolts and it will help to block the snow blowing back on you. Before I had a cab tractor that is what I did with my open station and it made a big difference in the comfort of the job.

 

[aczlan]

Attach a piece of Plexiglass to your roll bar with four u-bolts and it will help to block the snow blowing back on you. Before I had a cab tractor that is what I did with my open station and it made a big difference in the comfort of the job.

Doing that and adding a canopy would probably eliminate 70% of the snow blowing back on you.
If you got a big enough piece of plexiglass that you could bend a couple feet of the sides to a 90 making a U shape, that would probably get rid of almost all of the snow coming back on to you from the snowblower.

Aaron Z

 

[Kubotafan]

Doing that and adding a canopy would probably eliminate 70% of the snow blowing back on you.
If you got a big enough piece of plexiglass that you could bend a couple feet of the sides to a 90 making a U shape, that would probably get rid of almost all of the snow coming back on to you from the snowblower.

Aaron Z

Mine extended out about 6 inches each side of the roll bar. It alone blocked more than 70% of the blow back, and very little snow stuck to it. It was some of the best money I spent on the tractor, and my only regret was not doing it sooner. As you suggest, if it was heated and curved back you could likely have it blocking more. I never had a canopy on mine, and not sure if it would make much difference when blowing snow.

 

[check]

Attach a piece of Plexiglass to your roll bar with four u-bolts and it will help to block the snow blowing back on you. Before I had a cab tractor that is what I did with my open station and it made a big difference in the comfort of the job.

You mean like right across from one side to the other? I would have to cut a hole to access the chute crank.

 

[Kubotafan]

You mean like right across from one side to the other? I would have to cut a hole to access the chute crank.

Yes, mine was from side to side and the height of the roll bay. I had dual remotes on my tractor and could change chute direction and the deflector hydraulically, but a hole could be made to reach the crank for the chute. I had a piece of plywood about 6" wide attached in the top of the roll bar with u-bolts, and mounted rear lights and a rotating orange light, complete with a box for the light switches. There were two wires with male and female plugs going to the battery so it was easy to remove the lights when not needed.

 

[check]

Yes, mine was from side to side and the height of the roll bay. I had dual remotes on my tractor and could change chute direction and the deflector hydraulically, but a hole could be made to reach the crank for the chute. I had a piece of plywood about 6" wide attached in the top of the roll bar with u-bolts, and mounted rear lights and a rotating orange light, complete with a box for the light switches. There were two wires with male and female plugs going to the battery so it was easy to remove the lights when not needed.

OK thanks, Kubotafan. Will have a look at my clearance, because I have to look back when I am blowing, and I usually put my elbow over the back of my seat. Also, I have to check the price of plexiglass around here. It could get very expensive.

 

[check]

By the way, if you do you have significant wind, what I do is just point the chute deflector down as far as I can, so it blows the snow right beside you, but far enough away so it’s not going to fall back onto the road again. That way, the ejected snow has very little time to be caught by the wind.

 

[Kubotafan]

OK thanks, Kubotafan. Will have a look at my clearance, because I have to look back when I am blowing, and I usually put my elbow over the back of my seat. Also, I have to check the price of plexiglass around here. It could get very expensive.

It cost me close to $100.00 for the plexiglass and u-bolts but it was well worth the price (much cheaper than a cab!!!). I also used some rubber gas line over the u-bolt to protect the paint on the roll bar.

 

[check]

It cost me close to $100.00 for the plexiglass and u-bolts but it was well worth the price (much cheaper than a cab!!!). I also used some rubber gas line over the u-bolt to protect the paint on the roll bar.

KK thanks! Will check it out locally.

 

[Jaylegger]

Snow blowing rule #1: Without a cab, snow blowing follows the same rules as pissing into the wind. Rule #2: Rear blowers simulate strychnine poisoning and make you eligible for PTSD compensation.

 

[Scrambler82]

I read most of these postings, a lot are similar and interesting.

When in New England, on the coast, we missed a lot of storms but when we would get snow it was a doosie.
The Walk Behind Snapper Snow Blower would get a work out but she would cut through and worth every penny I paid for her but I always wanted a Tractor with Snow Blower in front.
I got the Tractor but no snow blower, the FEL worked out so well I never thought about paying the extra cash for the Blower and Front Drive System, well I thought about it but never needed to spend the money.

I always found the best idea of keeping less from hitting you, Rue of Thumb - When blowing snow, work with the wind, never blow snow into the wind, that goes off other things too, and when you can't use the wind... keep the chute low (that's works really good most of the time but with wet snow you need as straight a shot as possible).

I now live in SoCal, family, but I see pictures of the Front End Snow Blowers and think I would like to be back in New England blowing snow... NOT !

I don't miss it, but do think of the fun I had moving it.

God Bless all, keep safe when blowing snow, and keep a can of WD-40 around the blower, it is the best thing I found to keep the chute clear and next best is PAM, I like her and keep her close too; PAM and WD works on shovels too or even FEL Buckets.

One last remembrance, "I used to love, yes LOVE, going out after the storm to clear the snow"... especially when the snow was just the right wetness and no wind and the sun was shining. The chute was straight as possible, and the snow would come out if there and blow so high in the air, maybe 15-20 feet, maybe less, (I'm trying to remember here)... ! No matter how high it really went it seemed very high and it was a sight to see that snow with the sun shining through.
Then the Tractor came, clearing snow got faster and I helped a lot more people on the road I lived on, so in the long run, the tractor was a boom for myself and the neighborhood. Probably would have gotten in trouble using the snow blower but that to could have been fun to me.

Thx for reading, have a good day.

 

[chim]

Any time on a tractor is good, but I probably enjoy snow the most. C'mon lets get this hot weather behind us

 

[Soldier415]

Snow blowing rule #1: Without a cab, snow blowing follows the same rules as pissing into the wind. Rule #2: Rear blowers simulate strychnine poisoning and make you eligible for PTSD compensation.

The rear blower doesn't bother me. I sit sideways in the seat so I'm not straining my neck looking directly behind me

 

[Spin88]

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