advice on electric snowblower chute manipulation

jim_wilson · Mar 3, 2005

Do you have any info on who the mfr. and model # for that actuator you used? Tom posted a link to an Ebay auction for an electric screw jack - I think I maybe need a "screw jack" and not an "actuator" . Looks like the screw jacks I have seen are weather sealed vs. the actuators I have look at are not.

Junkman · Mar 3, 2005

Jim... how about telling us the story of how you scored a snow blower? Some pictures of it would also be nice. What brand is it? Inquiring minds want to know the details. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

KirkMcD · Mar 3, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do you have any info on who the mfr. and model # for that actuator you used? Tom posted a link to an Ebay auction for an electric screw jack - I think I maybe need a "screw jack" and not an "actuator" . Looks like the screw jacks I have seen are weather sealed vs. the actuators I have look at are not. )</font>

It is a linear actuator. There are a couple of styles though.
I got one off of ebay recently for $45. It is made by Linak. It is the LA28 model. You don't need a long one. I think the LA28 is considered to be 6" long. The length given if for how far it will extend, not the total length of the actautor.
The large models for satellite dishes will be to big and you can't cut them down reliably.
The LA28 is also sealed and is waterproof.

jim_wilson · Mar 3, 2005

The blower that I got is a 54" Loftness that was originally made for use on either Jacobsen or Ransomes commercial mowers. It was this guy a few towns away from me who had bought it hoping to make a killing on it because the original price was something like $5000 and he figured he could make money on it selling it for half price. Turns out he couldn't sell it so he was willing to get rid of it for what he paid for it - $750.00.
I figured since a new rear blower is in the 1300 -$1500 range even if I have to do a little work to get this working on the BX it was worth the price. Plus it has electric chute rotation which would have cost me even more money if I bought new. I talked with Loftness and confirmed that the blower would adapt to work on the tractor like I hoped it would. Apparently all of the basic blower units are the same and they just get adapted for each particular application. This unit has a frame coming off the back that mounts to the mower - I already removed that and cut it up to make a 3pt mount for the tractor. There was also a gear reduction unit mounted on the gearbox - this adapts the 2000rpm PTO on the mower down to the 540 rpm that the blower is designed for. I just have to remove that and get the proper type of PTO shaft to install the blower on the BX. Once I get the thing working and on the tractor I will post some more pics but here are a couple showing the blower when I brought it home.

Hopefully I can get this working on the tractor before all the snow goes away /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

jim_wilson · Mar 3, 2005

Here's another one..

jim_wilson · Mar 3, 2005

Excellent - Thanks for the info. I already measured out the travel of the chute deflector and 6" is almost exactly what I would need.

Dutch445 · Mar 4, 2005

Jim,
This is what we used, but we used a different supplier. The info says for indoor and outdoor use?
actuators from Danaher
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

jim_wilson · Mar 4, 2005

Thanks for the info - I looked at their web page and it looks like you can order them right from their website. I noticed that when I was looking at some other brands that they only rated their actuators for push - not pull. Does the Danaher actuator work in both push and pull modes? What did you use to drive the actuator? - did you just hook it up to a switch?

boustany · Mar 6, 2005

Gee, I put a chute deflector control on last fall and I use it all the time. It allows me much greater control over where the snow is going to go, and helps me keep it out of my face if its windy.

Obviously, blowing snow into windows or cars is a great way of ending up with a broken window or dented car, so when I adjust the direction of the chute I point the deflector down which dumps the snow 5' or so on the side, instead of the 30 to 50' feet it goes outwise.

Similarly, I throw the snow as far as it'll go usually, but when I get close to the road I push the deflector down so I don't end up blinding some hapless driver with an unexpected blast of snow carried by the wind.

So, I think chute control is a 'must have'