Do all single stage snow blowers suck?

[RickB]

Time you buy that POS and convert it to hydraulic drive and SSL mount you’ll have enough spent to get something a lot closer to useable and useful. Have you sized and priced hydraulic motors lately?

 

[RickB]

Hard for me to sit on the sidelines when the bashing of single-stage blowers gets going.

For small or mid-sized machine with typical snow conditions a two-stage blower is probably the way to go. If you have very difficult conditions (hard packed drifts, or very tough refrozen berms) something like the Reist blower mentioned by Dave M7040 above would be your new best friend. No, it doesn't blow as far, but in those conditions who cares?

When you get up to 100 HP or more, single stage blowers are common and they work darn well.

Below are single-stage blowers made by Beilhack and Schmidt, both running on Unimogs. The Beilhack is ours. But on my Kubota I run a 2 stage. It works really well for the easy stuff, but with PTO at 50 HP it can't compete in throwing distance with the single stage Beilhack at 110 hp.

[]

That single stage design works far better than the one the OP pictured.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Had a walk behind (2WD tractor) Gravely, single stage blower. It would blow snow like nothing I have seen before or since in that size class.

 

[Cord]

Never seen a single stage Gravely. The ones I know were two stage and very well made. I was a big fan of how they drove the auger using the worm drive. What made them so efficient was how the chute would rotate around the fan. So much energy is wasted trying to turn the snow with a bent chute. Even today, only a few industrial units have this feature.

 

[leonz]

Looking for a blower to mount to my skidsteer. For budget reasons I'm wanting a tractor unit that's at least 6' wide. Looked at a two stage unit today, price was right, but there was too much damage to the fan and the unit would extend too far in front of the skidsteer. Even though he wanted $500 for a 7'-9" 120hp blower, it was just too big of a project to convert it.

Checking Craig's when I got home and I found a 72" single stage blower. Yea, it's a single stage tractor blower. The auger is much smaller than the typical tractor blower which is good because I'll be able to see over it. The blower looks just like the cheap homeowner single stage blower, but it' much wider. I think this might be perfect for my application, but I have no way to test it. My only experience is with two stage blowers, so is it possible for a single stage blower to not suck?

==============================================================================



Echoing once again what Dave7040 and Fat Tire have said and not liking the bashing of single stage snow blowers I can tell you they are excellent machines, if you have a high volume hydraulic system in your skid steer you can use a Riest single stage snow THROWER(snow caster is the proper term).

The Reist units can also be used with a mules rear 540 RPM PTO system by removing the hydraulic motor, the skid steer quick attach plate and exposing the integral three point hitch and stub shaft for the right angle gear boxes splined stub.
The theee point hitch comes as standard equipment.

The Series 1000 units are base priced at $4,000.00 in canadian loonies the last time I checked and can be brought into the United States with no issues and you will be able to have the canadian sales tax that you paid refunded to you at the border crossing station.

If you do not have enough remote hydraulic power(under 35 gallons per minute) you can also operate it with a hydraulic power pack mounted on the rear of the skid steer loader.

The Reist Units have a roller chain final drive system to power the snow blower rotor which operates at 600 RPM at 540 RPM PTO speed if I remember correctly. the snow blower rotor speed can be changed with simple hand tools by changing either one or both drive and driven gear tooth sprockets.

A small single stage snow caster like the Reist series 1000 will never run out of power as long as it is used correctly for the conditions and it requires very little work to repair or replace a broken roller chain.
You can always have them make the chute longer to reduce snow spray and add lights to the chute as well at an extra cost.

The chain guard for the roller hain drive is simply a door mounted on hinges and opened by removing the pin that holds the access door shut.

The Reist Single stage snow throwers have a lot of steel in them and are very well built just like the old IHC cub cadet single stage snow throwers. The one I had on our 1967 12 horse cub cadet lawn tractor was a beautiful snow thrower and never gave us any trouble.



I have a picture of a hydraulic drive Reist Series 1000 and 2000 and picture of their separate hydraulic pump and drive system mounted on a tractor.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm sorry, I stand corrected. Looking at pictures I do indeed see the Gravely was two stage.

I do "believe" that there are actually very large single stage machines as used at airports or in rail service.

 

[majorwager]

Leonz,
Does the Reist really require 35 gpm min for the 1000 series?. My power unit delivers a max of 32_33. GPM I need to look at max width for the 1000 series . Would be mounted on FEL so I need 78" min.
Fortunate to have you, Dave and Fat tire weigh in w/ experience. There is too often just speculation and opinion w/o substantive direct knowledge.

 

[RickB]

Leonz,
Does the Reist really require 35 gpm min for the 1000 series?. My power unit delivers a max of 32_33. GPM I need to look at max width for the 1000 series . Would be mounted on FEL so I need 78" min.
Fortunate to have you, Dave and Fat tire weigh in w/ experience. There is too often just speculation and opinion w/o substantive direct knowledge.

Anyone not in agreement with you lacks substantive direct knowledge? I’m sorry, I forgot it’s April Fool’s Day.

 

[majorwager]

Rick.
Didn't realize you and Leonz are one and the same. Being sorry and forgetful is an interesting combination.

 

[leonz]

Leonz,
Does the Reist really require 35 gpm min for the 1000 series?. My power unit delivers a max of 32_33. GPM I need to look at max width for the 1000 series . Would be mounted on FEL so I need 78" min.
Fortunate to have you, Dave and Fat tire weigh in w/ experience. There is too often just speculation and opinion w/o substantive direct knowledge.

===================================================================================

The Series 1000 comes in 48 and 54 inch widths
540 RPM at the PTO
13 inch snow blower rotor
18-30 gallons per minute oil flow for hydraulic drive
2500-3000 PSI
15-30 horsepower mule at the PTO
custom widths are available SO keep that in mind for a rear mount
If you mount a wider series 1000 on the rear PROVIDING you have plenty of power you will have plenty of snow clearing ability

The Series 2000 comes in 60"; 72"; 84" widths
540 RPM
24 inch snow blower rotor
25-55 horsepower mule
oil flow 20-35 gallons per minute
2500-3500 PSI

IF your mounting it on a mule with a front end loader you might as well buy a power pack from them for YOUR specific mule or buy a complete power pack that mounts on the three point hitch.
Your going to end up looking at close to 70 feet of hydraulic hose for flow if you mount it on the loader versus mounting it on the rear with a much taller discharge chute to eliminate the snow spray.

YOU need to keep in mind a wider cut with a single stage will take longer on the first pass and then you can take half cuts BUT a single stage slightly wider than your rear tires will not lack power as long as you follow the Reist size recommendations for power and you can clear half cuts faster. The more power you have the more effective a standard width single stage will be for you as you will have more power than recommended by Reist.


You need to tell us MUCH MUCH MUCH more as your getting into large row crop mule territory for power if you want a wide Series 2000.