PTO Snow Blower Angle of Attack

[ruko]

My PTO snow blower apparently rides up on the snow even though it weighs 650 lbs. This happens if I try to go a little faster. I have the skids adjusted at minimum height. Is it wise to angle the blower such that it would get a better bite? I think just a few degrees would be all that's needed. Right now it is exactly horizontal with the ground. I've read changing the angle may cause problems with the universal joints by shortening their life.

 

[seville009]

You should be able to adjust your top link so that the blower angles down enough to not float

 

[Amvcane]

Have seen this before. Can you post a pic of how the 3pt arms are connected to the blower, and where the toplink is connected to the tractor.
Here is a lengthy link that should also help.

Woodmaxx Snowblower Shear Bolts?

I just got a SB84 for my DK50 tractor, and the shear bolts which came with it for the PTO to the gearbox are snapping like twigs. The manual says they are grade 2, with I would expect to break very easily. What grade are you guys with the same blower using? Grade 5? Grade 7? I was blowing...

www.tractorbynet.com

Andrew.

 

[hube2]

I don't know how your tractor works, but mine does not have a way to make sure that the blower is on the ground at all times. What I mean by this is that if I put the (3PH) blower down and then if I back up over and area that is lower the blower will not automatically drop to the new level, it hangs in the air. I must lower the blower to the new level. This basically means that I need to keep on hand on the 3PH level and keep lowering it while I'm backing up because I am going over uneven ground. At first I thought the same thing, how can this 600+# blower be riding up on the snow, but then I realized is was not riding up, it just wasn't dropping when it needed to.

Not saying this is your issue, but it could be.

It could be that you have some pretty densely pack snow that the skid shows are riding over, if this is the case then changing the angle of the blower probably won't help much unless you angle it enough to make the leading edge of the skid shoe bite into the snow.

I do get some pretty densely packed show drifts here and this also causes the issue. The only thing I can really do in this case is go over it again or use my bucket to back drag it and break it up. Usually my rear tires and chains break it up enough on the first pass so I can get it all on the second.

 

[coldsteelva]

3-points don't have a float position generally. I know that there are a couple of 3D-printed locking tabs that folks have made to hold the 3-point lever down to force terrain following. You can probably do this manually in advance by holding the down lever and manually pushing down the lift arms (not the stabilizers) to their lowest position before heading off into the snow. The blower will elevate at the hinge point of the stabilizers without issue, but it is important that the lift arms are returned to the full down any time you have to lift the blower off the surface to reposition. Also, if you hold the lever down after the implement is down, the lift arms will continue to lower (slowly) to their full down position.

 

[PILOON]

Personally I like grade 5's as they break 'clean' while softer mostly stretch and tear making them hard to drive out.
In fact grade 5 is often the recommended shear bolt by some manufacturers.

 

[hube2]

3-points don't have a float position generally. I know that there are a couple of 3D-printed locking tabs that folks have made to hold the 3-point lever down to force terrain following.

Yeah, I have one of those someone here made for me, but I did not get it on before the weather turned cold, completely forgot, and now it is too cold for the 2 sided tape to stick.... I have it taped to the page in my maintenance book to I remember to take care of it in the spring when I change the oil.

 

[SuperiorLakeEffect]

My PTO snow blower apparently rides up on the snow even though it weighs 650 lbs. This happens if I try to go a little faster. I have the skids adjusted at minimum height. Is it wise to angle the blower such that it would get a better bite? I think just a few degrees would be all that's needed. Right now it is exactly horizontal with the ground. I've read changing the angle may cause problems with the universal joints by shortening their life.

As others have said, adjust the top link and the angle makes all the difference in the world. Your blower manual should have spec for acceptable driveline angle so as not to put undue wear on the u-joints.

Also take a look at the cutting blade on the bottom of the blower- sometimes there's a little bit of adjustment on them to make it stick out more and get a bit more bite.

My experience has been that just a few degrees in angle is all it takes.

 

[Cycledude]

If you pay attention you can pretty easily hear and feel extra vibration if the universal joints are getting over stressed from to much angle on them

 

[Jims1025R]

As said, adjust the top link. On a level hard surface, and the blower skids on the surface, you'll probably want the auger 1.5" to 2" off the surface, and the cutting edge 3/4" - 1" off the surface. You don't want the auger scraping the surface if you find a dip.

Once that's adjusted, raise the blower to the top of the 3 point lift travel. Chock the wheels, shut the engine off, and put the keys in your pocket. Block the blower at least somewhat up, so you can safely work around it, and it won't land on your toes if someone moves the lever (it could also settle over time). 'Engine's not running right? Okay, spin the auger or fan or driveshaft by hand. Are the U joints (or anything else) clunking while you do that? Any binding? Enough driveshaft extension left? If good, remove the blocking, assure everything is clear, and lower the 3 point. Probably you don't need to start the tractor to do this. Lower slowly, and get a sense of where the lever is when the blower skids touch the surface. Leave the lever there for now. 'Engine still off? Okay, spin the auger/fan/driveshaft by hand again, check for clunking/binding again. check to see that there is still some driveshaft telescope shorter range available.

If all of that worked, your U joints will be fine. If the blower lowered as the 3 point lever was lowered engine off, that's your float. If you want to be really thorough, drive the tractor to a place where the blower overhangs low ground, and repeat as above. Ideally, nothing binds or cluncks when the blower is all the way down. You shouldn't need to blow with the blower all the way down, but if something is binding, it's worth being aware.

Snowblower angle is somewhat trial and error. Once you get it right, measure the length of the top link, and write it on the snowblower for set up next season!