anyone using a WoodMaxx blower??

[Z-Michigan]

View attachment 538175. This is the newer double wide feet they just stared delivering.

I have these on my SB72 that shipped in November 2017. I wouldn't want skid shoes any smaller than this, but they seem to be a good compromise size. Not quite slick enough on gravel (before allowing a snowpack to form) but work great once there is a snowpack. I don't have any payment to report on how they might work on pavement.

 

[cabover4us]

I used my SB60 yesterday with my JD855, for couple of hours worked good. Had tilted back to keep cutting edge up 1" to 1- 1\2". I moved some 3' Banks back, opened up front and back of panels. Cleared door yard of 3' Banks of plow stacks. I did have trouble next to camper, which is four to five feet from road edge. Edge is crowned, slowly pulled me to the camper, Debbie had to come out and slowly drive tractor forward to rear of camper to escape while I held onto lifted snowblower, we made it but only by the skin of our teeth. Overall happy with unit, if your looking for one of these machines that shoots snow 50' to 100' feet probably should keep looking, even at top rpm snow went 15' to 20' absolutely max. Talked to Woodmax last year and said no changes are in store. Only thing to do would be open up oil filled chain drive and investigate changing sprocket sizes. Little disappointed in Woodmax in not recognizing this as a deficiency, these units have been out for some time. Not sure if this is a problem with the JD855 or maybe I should try snowblower on my Yanmar 35hp. Oh, one more thing, after having back surgery in 2012, I thought I can handle turning around, back and neck don't work like they used to. Will have to figure on mirror system or remount in front. Anyone else see snow distance as a problem with this unit?

 

[RoyJackson]

...if your looking for one of these machines that shoots snow 50' to 100' feet probably should keep looking, even at top rpm snow went 15' to 20' absolutely max.

Never heard of that problem with any snow blower, unless it was pretty worn out.

Wet snow, regardless of manufacturer, doesn't go far....too heavy. I'm running a 6 foot Frontier (Deere brand but manufactured by one of the Canadian companies) with a 45 PTO HP tractor...when the snow is dry, it'll really fly...no where near 50-100 feet. More like 30-40 feet. But wet snow...maybe 15-20 feet.
I don't think you'll find a tractor mounted snow blower that will throw it 50 feet or more.

 

[DABSGT]

Cabover4us I had an 855 with the woodmax and it did ok then went to 2032 R more HP not much of change in throwing distance but it handled the weight better. 15 to 20 with wet snow does better with the fluffy stuff.

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[cdaigle430]

So far so good, finally got most of my fine tuning adjustments done-I did rip apart the deflector actuator wire but I think it got caught in the chute rotation gear somehow? I don't remember spinning the chute around far enough and the wire looked like it was crushed more than ripped apart-easy fix.

 

[FatTire]

You guys are honest. Many people exaggerate their throwing distance, which messes everyone else up trying to compare. Some guys claim 75 or 100 ft throw, but when you check it out you realize it isn't even 45 ft.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Never heard of that problem with any snow blower, unless it was pretty worn out.

Wet snow, regardless of manufacturer, doesn't go far....too heavy. I'm running a 6 foot Frontier (Deere brand but manufactured by one of the Canadian companies) with a 45 PTO HP tractor...when the snow is dry, it'll really fly...no where near 50-100 feet. More like 30-40 feet. But wet snow...maybe 15-20 feet.
I don't think you'll find a tractor mounted snow blower that will throw it 50 feet or more.

You guys are honest. Many people exaggerate their throwing distance, which messes everyone else up trying to compare. Some guys claim 75 or 100 ft throw, but when you check it out you realize it isn't even 45 ft.

I think you have to have photos or video to get a good idea, or you can walk from where the blower stopped to the farthest snow-fall you find from the blower. It's pretty hard to tell from the tractor seat.

I'm running a SB72 with a DK5010 (45pto hp) and my performance is about what Roy Jackson posted for his Frontier. I think I saw 50-60 feet one time when everything just came together perfectly and the blower was relatively packed but not over-packed. We're talking like 5-10 seconds of this, not a whole driveway clearing. Realistically I get 30-40' in good conditions and less when not good. His wet snow must be wetter than mine, I find that denser, wet-ish snow tends to go farthest, and ultra-dry powder the least far, which makes sense considering the low density of the dry powder. Wind matters a lot, and very small changes in the deflector adjustment can add/remove 10 feet of throw. Whatever the exact distance is, it's always far enough to be out of the way and meets my expectations.

 

[bumperm]

I have a front mount 5' on my B3350 cab. Lining the chute and blower housing with UHMW-PE netted an increase of perhaps 20% throw distance - and pretty much eliminated clogs. I get 40 feet (measured) worst case, and as much as 70 feet (estimated) with good snow.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I have a front mount 5' on my B3350 cab. Lining the chute and blower housing with UHMW-PE netted an increase of perhaps 20% throw distance - and pretty much eliminated clogs. I get 40 feet (measured) worst case, and as much as 70 feet (estimated) with good snow.

Can you add some close-up photos, especially of how the PE fits into the fan and is attached to its drum?

I was thinking of lining the drum with UHMW tape to minimize scrapes from gravel, but if you found a good way to use thicker material then that would be even better. The Woodmaxx already has HDPE lining for the chute, which seems like a great idea.

 

[bumperm]

With the rip-off from photobucket, I don't have convenient way to do that right now. The direct link to the photos is below. The specific info you're asking for is easier to explain, but I have done other posts on this: The blower housing is lined with 1/8" thick UHMW-PE. Since this material has a much larger thermal coefficient of expansion than steel, it can only reasonably be fixed at one end. that end is at the paddle entry to the housing as the paddle passes the chute opening. The UHMW is pre-bent at an acute angle to fit using heat gun. It cools slowly so you can hold the angle in position or speed the process with water spray or compressed air. Then the top edge of the UHMW is fixed in place with bolts (I used stainless #12 - not a lot of stress). The distal goes up into the chute and is held by a single bolt and washers. The UHMW is slotted so this end can move in with expansion contraction. 1/2" slot was enough on my blower, I tested by putting strip in freezer, then in hot tub.

If there is any risk of picking up gravel chunks, consider a design with an impact strip at the first acute bend. The UHMW though super tough, can be deformed in a really high impact incident that would also dent the metal underneath. Happened on mine, and I simply heated up a metal bar and used it to press the UHMW back into place. If the link won't work for you, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Kubota Tractor by John Morgan | Photobucket