Convert walk behind snow-thrower into a "ride on"?

[NormL]

I fixed the permission settings on the forum now so anyone should now be able to see the larger pics.

My parents who are in Turon right now got a bit of snow yesterday. Though it wasn't as much as we got last time.

Chad

Well Chad, now you know what you can build your Dad for a Christmas gift!!:cool2:

I got a better look at your snow photos. How cold did it get after the snow quit? Around here the temps can be fairly mild while the snow is falling, but when it stops and the clouds clear off it can be bitterly cold. I'm trying to do a mental conversion of the typical temperatures from our ridiculous scale (Celsius) to Fahrenheit. I think during a snowfall the temp could be around +25 - +30 F and then fall from there to +5 - -25F or worse. But during a good old fashioned (as in nasty, nasty) blizzard, all bets are off and anything can happen!:smiley_aafz:

 

[chad22]

Yeah that would be a great Christmas gift. He'd love that.

If I remember correctly I believe the high was only 25F that day after the snow quit falling.

A few days before the snow was forecasted I gathered up a lot of firewood and filled an empty bedroom full of it in my mobile home.

My brother said I doubt it's gonna get that bad. You sure you need to stack all this in the room?

I said yes I'm not taking any chances and if it don't get bad I'd still need it in the house anyway.

After filling the rooms up there was still some firewood in the back of the truck that got covered. But I dug it out of the snow and brought it in and set it next to the wood stove to dry out.

I burned through a lot of old scrap wood off an old house we tore down too.

Chad

 

[NormL]

Your firewood story is reminiscent of an excerpt from "Little House On The Prairie". I don't remember the author but the gist of the story was the two sisters Wilder were alone at home while their parents had gone to a nearby town, for supplies I suppose. A storm came up and the sisters, afraid they would run short of firewood and have to venture out into the blizzard, carried armfuls of their winter supply till most if not all of it was stacked in their tiny cabin.

 

[NormL]

Problem Is...

As the tire turns, the contact patch changes, and the tire flexes.
The cable would be working back and forth through the holes.
The cable would wear very quickly
Over sized holes with grommets or Teflon bushings would be in order.\

My solution would be steel rings on each side of the tire, lace the cable back and forth, side to side through the rings.

I've had some time to think about how to provide more traction. The steel rings you mention have me thinking maybe I could use cable or light chain on each side of the tire and take some used up pieces of "V" belt long enough to drape across the tire tread and fix the ends onto the cable or chain. If chain, tying into the links would also keep the spacing even and prevent bunching up of the crossovers. Thoughts?

 

[Chopperhed]

That Would probably work. The big issue would be attaching the belts to the chain. You could use chains on the side, and lace cable back and forth. It worked slightly on an Old JD RER I had here

You know, my last set of chains from PA were less than 40.00. Although that was for a small GT. You should be able to get them cheap

 

[NormL]

That Would probably work. The big issue would be attaching the belts to the chain. You could use chains on the side, and lace cable back and forth. It worked slightly on an Old JD RER I had here

You know, my last set of chains from PA were less than 40.00. Although that was for a small GT. You should be able to get them cheap

Because I am a S&PC (scrounger and proud cheapskate) my first moves in any problem solving situation generally begin with exploring the options. Then, if nothing workable seems apparent, I go shopping. Yes, I've looked at the PA product and that price is per wheel. My first problem with those chains is not the cost so much as the tight clearances I have to work with. The engine head on one side and the crankcase drain tube on the other. I can do something about the tube but the engine - not so much! I plan to do some experimenting with the belts and that's when I'll have some photos to share.

Be safe out there with those storms you're getting. We've got one happening right now and my wife and I are scheduled to be in Steinback for a choir program this afternoon. It may get cancelled. We'll see.

 

[KubotainNH]

How about some chain of similar gauge to what is on one side of your blower wheels? Get chain on all 4 drive wheels and you should be good to go. It doesn't appear the tires have enough tread for screw in studs.

 

[NormL]

How about some chain of similar gauge to what is on one side of your blower wheels? Get chain on all 4 drive wheels and you should be good to go. It doesn't appear the tires have enough tread for screw in studs.

I just now came inside after putting that delinquent wheel back on with all the weird hardware in place. Also put the chains back on so the front wheels have chain traction for my next blowing. Our latest storm is about done for now and unfortunately the temps are taking a plunge.

As for putting studs on the pusher wheels, I believe those work best on ice which of coarse is what I get if it sits and spins. I still need to improve my traction in the loose fresh-fallen snow. Another problem is the circular ends of our driveway loop in front of our home. While negotiating those turns one of the pusher's wheels is always riding up onto the uncleared snow ridge. Just now, as I'm writing this, I realize the solution to that is to make the first pass the inside of the loop!! DUH!! Of coarse, that first go round will be the hardest but the rest should be easier.

Now it will be on to cobbling up a set of grippers for the pusher that don't hook onto and mangle the fins of the engine head.

 

[Chopperhed]

Because I am a S&PC (scrounger and proud cheapskate) my first moves in any problem solving situation generally begin with exploring the options. Then, if nothing workable seems apparent, I go shopping.

I generally try to do the same, but sometimes I get lazy or in a hurry. Scrounging can take time.

Yes, I've looked at the PA product and that price is per wheel. My first problem with those chains is not the cost so much as the tight clearances I have to work with. The engine head on one side and the crankcase drain tube on the other.

The chains I bought came as a pair, but they were for a small lawn tractor and to be honest they didn't work well for traction even with a weight box. Pretty good for chewing through hard pack snow though.

The storm seems to have stopped for the time being, but it is still wickedly cold.

 

[NormL]

The chains I bought came as a pair, but they were for a small lawn tractor and to be honest they didn't work well for traction even with a weight box. Pretty good for chewing through hard pack snow though.

The storm seems to have stopped for the time being, but it is still wickedly cold.

Was that tractor equipped with ag tires or were they turfs like I've got on mine? Reason I ask: I have one garden tractor that has turf tires with chains on that I never remove. I also have a Ford 601 with FEL that has fluid filled ag tires. I've quit taking the chains off that one for summer as well. I miss it when I don't have that slight edge the chains provide. Here's hoping the grippers I plan to make for the blower's pusher will be worth the hassle!

 

[Chopperhed]

They are turf tires on my LT75 Ford. It's just a little guy, not much bigger than my old JD RER.

It just doesn't have the weight needed for pushing snow.

 

[NormL]

They are turf tires on my LT75 Ford. It's just a little guy, not much bigger than my old JD RER.

It just doesn't have the weight needed for pushing snow.

I just learned something here! I didn't know what you meant by RER till I "Googled" it. Can you tell me which model you have/had? The one I am using as my pusher is an R92.

 

[Chopperhed]

I had 2 early 70s model r68's. I actually tried to push snow with one.

 

[travlitt]

I had 2 early 70s model r68's. I actually tried to push snow with one.

Could you just build a set of spacers and move your wheels out enough to have clearance for regular chains?

 

[Green Power]

Cool project Norm. Definitely will be one of a kind.

 

[Chopperhed]

Could you just build a set of spacers and move your wheels out enough to have clearance for regular chains?

If I remember correctly, the rims are on flats on the axle shaft, no hubs. I'm not positive.

 

[NormL]

I had 2 early 70s model r68's. I actually tried to push snow with one.

I saw some of those offered for sale when I started looking for an RER but I passed on them because I wanted one with electric start. The R92 that I eventually got was in "not running condition" but had good compression and spark. Once I cleaned up the mess in the carb (someone tried using black silicone as a gasket substitute) I've been pleasantly surprised how well it starts in cold weather. I think it's helping that I put synthetic 0 - 30 oil in the crank.

I can sort of guess how well that "68" did pushing snow.:laughing:

 

[NormL]

Could you just build a set of spacers and move your wheels out enough to have clearance for regular chains?

Like Chopperhed responded, the rim won't allow for that. In addition to that hindrance is the matter of the total width of the RER being just a bit more, maybe an inch and a half more, than the path the blower is making.

 

[NormL]

Cool project Norm. Definitely will be one of a kind.

Thanks! I enjoyed seeing it all come together. I'm hoping this machine will make it possible for me to do my own snow clearing for a while longer. My old bones were putting up a royal fuss when I tried to do the "walk behind" scenario.

 

[NormL]

I've had some time to think about how to provide more traction. The steel rings you mention have me thinking maybe I could use cable or light chain on each side of the tire and take some used up pieces of "V" belt long enough to drape across the tire tread and fix the ends onto the cable or chain. If chain, tying into the links would also keep the spacing even and prevent bunching up of the crossovers. Thoughts?

OK, I did a little experimenting in the shop today and here is a prototype of what I have in mind. This was time consuming but I'm guessing once I have made a few they will come faster. Some of you will recognize the bent pieces of wire from telephone and telegraph pole days. When they were replaced by underground cables, land owners were allowed to roll up the old stuff if they wanted it. My Dad rolled up miles of the stuff and I have most of it. Comes in handy for projects like this one. The finer wire is copper, I have lots of that as well - salvaged from fiberglass whip antennae. Truckers use them for their CB radios but they keep whacking them against low branches and in ice storms they get all whippy and soon break. That's when I get 'em and "re-purpose" 'em!

The design I will eventually settle on will undergo some modifications but the basic are there. Thoughts?