Snowblower Chute deflector control for Woods SB54S Snowblower

[hube2]

I have a Woods SB54S Snowblower. Below is an image of the chute deflector

I'm looking to change this out to something I can control from the seat of the tractor.

It gets really windy here and I don't always have the option of blowing with the wind. Need to put the snow where I can put the snow. When blowing into the wind it helps to lower the deflector. My problem is that I'm generally blowing with the wind half the time and against the wind the other half. This this is going to be a royal PITA.

I'm looking for something electrical or mechanical that I can install myself.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[hube2]

My bad, it looks like Woods actually makes one and I found it, but $1000 it not likely to happen this year. That seems a little high to me Woods SB54S SNOWBLOWER Snowblower ELECTRIC CHUTE DEFLECTOR (OPTIONAL) Assembly Assembly Parts and Diagram

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

I had electric of hydro controls on a Provonost blower that didn't last very long. Couple of hoses, valves and converted it to full hydro.

 

[metalbender]

Depends a lot on your fabricting skills. Surplus actuators are relatively cheap. Lots of you tube vids on the mod you want to do. A heavy duty push-pull cable could work the chute manually. Good luck in your project.

 

[hube2]

I was actually thinking about a cable because this kit may be out of my price range this year. Fabricating this myself is not likely, maybe if I had the whole summer to work on it I could figure it out, but in the time I have left it's not possible.

So, switching this up, if anyone can point me to a heavy duty manual cable that might work that would be great.

 

[wawajake]

A few years ago on a chute setup very similar to yours , I put a 12 volt electric actuator I got off internet. Used brackets on the chute and adapted the existing chute rod to keep it centered . Ran wires thru garden hose into cab where I put switch wired into my spare 12 volt plug . Still works great after three years. If I remember right all in it was under 100 dollars.

 

[Reb954]

Add a second hydraulic valve on the back of the tractor so you can use a hydraulic ram to operate the deflector. I'm assuming you already have one valve to rotate the chute.

I can't visualize how you will use a cable to hold the deflector down, only up. When blowing snow the snow will push the deflector up so whatever you do, it has to hold the deflector stationary.

 

[wawajake]

View attachment 6708027

 

[Gordon Gould]

View attachment 6708027

I don't think he can do it much simpler than that. Looks good !!

gg

 

[metalbender]

There are cables with a turn handle to lock feature. The electric actuator is the way to fly as far as ease of installation though. Did one years ago on a Case 446.

 

[grsthegreat]

i agree a small hydraulic ram would be way cheaper the a grand for the factory unit. on my old snowblower i made my own chute rotator with a surpluscenter hydraulic ram hooked into my rear remote. worked great for a few hundred in parts. my current blower has both rotation and deflection built in. all electric over hydraulic, but way beyond my capabilities to build. glad i didnt have to

 

[chim]

Sold the blower with the last tractor, but it was fairly simple. Here's some info:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...de-2.html?highlight=linear+actuator+pronovost

 

[hube2]

The factory hydraulic option is 50% of the cost of the factory electric model, but then I don't have the hydraulic lines and I'd likely have to have the dealer install those so I doubt there would be any difference is cost in the long run.

I'm not very good with fabrication or making modifications on my own and there would be a high likelihood of me effing something up without having months to figure it out. There are a lot of things I've learned to DIY in my life, but that means time for me to learn. One thing I know about my ability to do new things is that I'm fine if I have plenty of time and I can put it down and walk away for a while, sometime a long while, but it's a bad idea to put myself under pressure to get something done in a hurry.

This will be the first winter with this new tractor/fel/blower, first year with a diesel, first year with something that might actually keep up with winter where I won't end up with a dog trail down to road. Before this I had a yard tractor a JD LA175 with a 48" blower on it. It could not keep up with the snow. My wife fell an broke her ankle in 3 places in the 2' wide path that I was down to by March that I clearing with a shovel. I can't allow that to happen or to allow here to walk down the hill to the road in winter again.

So I'm already feeling stress because I don't know what to expect or how things will go. Quite honestly just reading about the things I need to do to make sure the GC will run in the cold is keeping me up nights. I'm sure everything will go well, but.....

The geese are already moving north and I'm expecting a bad winter that's going to start early and not let up much.

What I'm looking for to get me through this winter is something that comes in a kit that any idiot can install looking at the pictures While I think that $1000 is high, it's high considering what you get for that money, it seems like either the manufacturer or the dealer selling it is doing a little price gouging to me. The thing doesn't even come with the controls and you need to get those separately, all you get is an actuator with a wire that you can't plug in anywhere and a couple of bolts.

I do appreciate all of the suggestions and options. Right now I am weighing the cost/benefit of getting the electric chute control vs getting off the tractor every time I need to adjust it, or just deal with eating a lot of snow when it's windy, and waiting until next spring to do something else. It could be that investing in a good snowmobile helmet for this year may be the best option.

 

[wawajake]

Find a relative or friend to help you. Installing a elec actuator is quite simple . ......or buy a snowmobile helmet and after one winter you will understand the rest of your machine better and you will be more determined to get the snow out of your face and where you want it.

 

[airbiscuit]

Find a relative or friend to help you. Installing a elec actuator is quite simple . ......or buy a snowmobile helmet and after one winter you will understand the rest of your machine better and you will be more determined to get the snow out of your face and where you want it.