PineRidge
Super Member
Mad I think that cylinder that your snowblower uses for the chute is hefty enough to double for a grapple cylinder in the summer time. I don't think I've ever seen one that large on a blower chute.
DIY snowblower chute deflector?
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MadReferee
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Pine,
It just looks big in the picture. Puma uses the same cylinder for both rotation and deflection so I figured the Chief 2" x 4" was good enough. It was also the least expensive one I could find with the correct length stroke/retracted dimensions. It works just fine with the 1/4" hoses.
It just looks big in the picture. Puma uses the same cylinder for both rotation and deflection so I figured the Chief 2" x 4" was good enough. It was also the least expensive one I could find with the correct length stroke/retracted dimensions. It works just fine with the 1/4" hoses.
PineRidge
Super Member
My grapple uses a 2 X 6 Lion cylinder, your chute cylinder isn't that much smaller just 2 inches less travel.
I'm thinking for a chute one could get away with a much smaller cylinder and save some bucks. How much force can the snow actually place on the chute?
Junk what size cylinder did you end up getting at eBay for yours?
I'm thinking for a chute one could get away with a much smaller cylinder and save some bucks. How much force can the snow actually place on the chute?
Junk what size cylinder did you end up getting at eBay for yours?
Junkman
Super Member
PineRidge.... my cylinder has a half inch piston and no amount of snow has ever moved it from the position that I set it in.
SnowSeb......You don't need bracket to be welded to the chute, they are already there. They might take some shaping with a hack saw and file to get a cylinder to fit them, but the hard part is already done. Remove the metal adjuster that is presently there and take a measurement from the center of the top hole to the center of the bottom hole when the chute is fully opened. <font color="red">(trick.... measure from the bottom of the top hole to the bottom of the bottom hole.. that will give you the center measurement.) </font> Then do the same with the chute closed as much as you will want it to be closed when hydraulically operated. This will give you the size of the cylinder that you need. The smaller dimension is the size of the cylinder in the closed position and the larger dimension is the maximum the cylinder will extend to. Then measure the size of the hole in the bracket that the bolt and pin go through. This will tell you the size of the attachment that you will need for the cylinder end. Once we get this far, we can work on the hoses and disconnects later on. If the import duty isn't too much we can probably find the correct cylinder on Surplus Center or one of the other sites. Who knows what might come up for auction on eBay...... Now get out the ruler and start measuring. Just remember that I don't work in metric calculations, only inch's!!!!!
SnowSeb......You don't need bracket to be welded to the chute, they are already there. They might take some shaping with a hack saw and file to get a cylinder to fit them, but the hard part is already done. Remove the metal adjuster that is presently there and take a measurement from the center of the top hole to the center of the bottom hole when the chute is fully opened. <font color="red">(trick.... measure from the bottom of the top hole to the bottom of the bottom hole.. that will give you the center measurement.) </font> Then do the same with the chute closed as much as you will want it to be closed when hydraulically operated. This will give you the size of the cylinder that you need. The smaller dimension is the size of the cylinder in the closed position and the larger dimension is the maximum the cylinder will extend to. Then measure the size of the hole in the bracket that the bolt and pin go through. This will tell you the size of the attachment that you will need for the cylinder end. Once we get this far, we can work on the hoses and disconnects later on. If the import duty isn't too much we can probably find the correct cylinder on Surplus Center or one of the other sites. Who knows what might come up for auction on eBay...... Now get out the ruler and start measuring. Just remember that I don't work in metric calculations, only inch's!!!!!
PineRidge
Super Member
<font color="blue">PineRidge.... my cylinder has a half inch piston and no amount of snow has ever moved it from the position that I set it in.
</font>
Junk those were my thoughts exactly, a hydraulic cylinder about 1/2" piston diameter. Anything more in my opinion is way overkill for a chute.
</font>
Junk those were my thoughts exactly, a hydraulic cylinder about 1/2" piston diameter. Anything more in my opinion is way overkill for a chute.
MadReferee
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( those were my thoughts exactly, a hydraulic cylinder about 1/2" piston diameter. Anything more in my opinion is way overkill for a chute. )</font>
You guys may be right but try and find a small cylinder with the correct stroke and retracted length for a reasonable cost. Nearly impossible, as I have tried. For my application the 2" bore (1.25" rod dia) was the smallest I could find that had the correct dimensions. I was also the least expensive by a considerable amount.
A little overkill is not all that bad, especially when it is the least expensive option. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You guys may be right but try and find a small cylinder with the correct stroke and retracted length for a reasonable cost. Nearly impossible, as I have tried. For my application the 2" bore (1.25" rod dia) was the smallest I could find that had the correct dimensions. I was also the least expensive by a considerable amount.
A little overkill is not all that bad, especially when it is the least expensive option. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Deerlope
Veteran Member
I bought a very small dia cyl from surplus center and put it on mine. It is something like 1" dia. X8" stroke and plugged it into my remote outlet. You are set up to do that very easily.
PineRidge
Super Member
boustany
Platinum Member
In case you didn't get my email, as junkman noted, you just need a tiny cylinder to move the chute and hold it in place.
The way I figured the length was easy: I took off the adjuster rod doo dad. I tilted the chute all the way up and measured the distance from hole in the bracket to hole in the chute. That was the retracted length of my cylinder (say 12"). Then I tilted the chute all the way down and measured again. The difference between this measurement and the retracted length was the stroke. So lets say the extended lenght was 18", I need a 12" (retracted) cylinder with a 6" (18" - 12")stroke.
You could probably get the measurements directly from the adjuster rod doo dad.
The way I figured the length was easy: I took off the adjuster rod doo dad. I tilted the chute all the way up and measured the distance from hole in the bracket to hole in the chute. That was the retracted length of my cylinder (say 12"). Then I tilted the chute all the way down and measured again. The difference between this measurement and the retracted length was the stroke. So lets say the extended lenght was 18", I need a 12" (retracted) cylinder with a 6" (18" - 12")stroke.
You could probably get the measurements directly from the adjuster rod doo dad.
MadReferee
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Pine,
Your point is well taken, but too bad it doesn't have the correct dimensions for my application. The Puma blower was designed to use a 4" stroke with a 14.25" retracted length which is a common cylinder size. My guess is that the JRW blower was designed with a certain cylinder stroke and retracted length in mind. I pointed out earlier (and so did boustany) how to measure to get the correct stroke/retractred length for the JRW.
Your point is well taken, but too bad it doesn't have the correct dimensions for my application. The Puma blower was designed to use a 4" stroke with a 14.25" retracted length which is a common cylinder size. My guess is that the JRW blower was designed with a certain cylinder stroke and retracted length in mind. I pointed out earlier (and so did boustany) how to measure to get the correct stroke/retractred length for the JRW.
