Drum Eject Snow Blowers

[Pillager]

Practical feature or expensive cool factor?

Was looking at video of a Schulte snow blower with the rotating drum, drum eject / discharge feature and wondering if this was a useful feature? Their Website says it increases capacity but is it enough to justify the extra expense? The cool factor is off the charts but is it that much of an advantage for the average user, how well does it work?

 

[Scooby074]

Youre talking about the blowers that allow you to bypass the deflector chute and shoot straight out of the fan?

Yes they are impressive and effective. They are aimed mostly at high volume operations in wide open areas, like airports. Because there is no deflector to have snow built up on, they work well with wetter snow. They are also considerably faster because they clear the snow from the impeller quicker, so you can drive faster without overloading.

Are they good for a homeowner? Likely way overkill because this option only appears on higher end (ie: commercial $$) blowers.

 

[Baby Grand]

From the Schulte website:
3) In heavy wet snow, blowing capacity of the RDX-102 is greatly increased due to the fact the snow can be discharged directly off the fan paddles versus all the way up through the center chute.

 

[Dave M7040]

Pillager
If you live where there are big drifts and you need to get the snow far back from where you are blowing, then the rotating drum style is the only way to go.
As Scooby74 said, often used on airport runways where a build up of snow from a blower is not tolerable.
Gravely walk behind tractors have a snow caster attachment in which the drum and chute rotate together. This essentially eliminate the friction of the chute which greatly improves performance.
Dave M7040

 

[Scooby074]

There is nothing like the Big Iron, high horsepower blowers IMHO. 700hp here. Who says single stage blowers are garbage

 

[Scooby074]

High speed blowers FTW. Heavy, wet snow. 25mph. 1050 hp for the head.

 

[Pillager]

I think I'd better show more in line with what the original post was about . Direct Eject starts at about 1:30 mark.

 

[Scooby074]

FYI even these "small" tractor blowers with the side chute can be very expensive. For example, the Schulte RDX 117 for the TV145 is about $22500 ish!! The smaller RDX102 is a mere $14,000.

 

[Pillager]

FYI even these "small" tractor blowers with the side chute can be very expensive. For example, the Schulte RDX 117 for the TV145 is about $22500 ish!! The smaller RDX102 is a mere $14,000.

Yeah but they are really cool, plus I'm intrigued with the idea of being able to make it snow at my neighbors house! :laughing:

I know they're expensive, that's why I questioned the practicality of the Direct Eject on a blower like this, think I'll just go with really expensive cool factor.

 

[leonz]

Practical feature or expensive cool factor?

Was looking at video of a Schulte snow blower with the rotating drum, drum eject / discharge feature and wondering if this was a useful feature? Their Website says it increases capacity but is it enough to justify the extra expense? The cool factor is off the charts but is it that much of an advantage for the average user, how well does it work?

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


Practical and cool both.

Fluffy is in trouble again

This single stage railway snow clearer has a twin snow removal disc system
that expands laterally and up to fifteen feet wide after the first pass.


The single stage unit mounted to the Unimog can be used on a tractor as well
as filling trucks with snow-note the push block on the arm in sticking out in front
of the unit.

 

[Scooby074]

Yeah but they are really cool, plus I'm intrigued with the idea of being able to make it snow at my neighbors house! :laughing:

I know they're expensive, that's why I questioned the practicality of the Direct Eject on a blower like this, think I'll just go with really expensive cool factor.

If youre interested in snowing in the neighbors, you wont get a much better tool

That said, if the budget is there (you got the horsepower), dont mind the premium, and got the space, go for it! Id love one on those wet snow days

 

[Mace Canute]

There is nothing like the Big Iron, high horsepower blowers IMHO. 700hp here. Who says single stage blowers are garbage

Scooby, I remember back in the early 60's we had a local snowblower club to keep a few miles of rural roads open. The bower was a Richardson on a neighbours International tractor. I don't remember what particular model tractor it was on but it was a good sized one for the time. I remember the leading edge of the screw was rippled from hitting so many hard snowbanks.

For those who are wondering what a Richardson snowblower looks like, here's a web pic of one mounted on a crawler.

 

[Amvcane]

I like that, model 666. Don't get your scarf caught on that drive shaft.

 

[Scooby074]

Scooby, I remember back in the early 60's we had a local snowblower club to keep a few miles of rural roads open. The bower was a Richardson on a neighbours International tractor. I don't remember what particular model tractor it was on but it was a good sized one for the time. I remember the leading edge of the screw was rippled from hitting so many hard snowbanks.

For those who are wondering what a Richardson snowblower looks like, here's a web pic of one mounted on a crawler.

Beefy!
Its enough to give one of todays safety nazis a minor stroke with all those exposed shafts and chains lol.

That propeller like auger would be something to see coming right at you

Model 666 heh,,, clearly it must be the spawn of the devil:laughing:

 

[oosik]

It seems like a hundred years ago but I can remember the few times we went over the Cascade Mts in the winter, when I was a kid. The highway dept had big auger blowers mounted on monster big semi trucks with dump beds full of sand & salt. What a thrill to see those units throw the snow a country mile and create huge deep & miles long snow valleys, where the roads were.

They still do that but, I'm sure, with much more modern equipment. I just don't make that trip in the winter anymore - the thrill of navigating in those conditions has long passed.

 

[SweBota]

This is Swedens highest located road. Not too far away from my northern forest & hunting property. It can only be kept open in the summer and they have a hard job to open by June 6 every year, our national holiday. This is taken on May 5th, and they have 12 feet of hard-packed accumulated snow to clear. Using an Oeveraasen direct-exit blower on a heavy Volvo front loader.

/ Marcus

 

[Ed of all trades]

This is Swedens highest located road. Not too far away from my northern forest & hunting property. It can only be kept open in the summer and they have a hard job to open by June 6 every year, our national holiday. This is taken on May 5th, and they have 12 feet of hard-packed accumulated snow to clear. Using an Oeveraasen direct-exit blower on a heavy Volvo front loader.

/ Marcus

How would you have any idea where you were with 12' of snow. "yes I cleared a path through but I missed the road by a good bit" I would be afraid I would blow a path over a cliff. I would have a hard time trusting a GPS that much.

 

[SweBota]

How would you have any idea where you were with 12' of snow. "yes I cleared a path through but I missed the road by a good bit" I would be afraid I would blow a path over a cliff. I would have a hard time trusting a GPS that much.

He just tries to find and follow the asphalt. The operator in the interview elaborates on this ( in a very northerly swedish accent...) , saying " well yesterday when the visibility was so poor i ended up beside the road more than once. When you start blowing brush and bits you just have to back up and start over..."

But on another mountain pass over to Norway, Flatruet, that is kept open year-round, they had similar problems. During snow storms visibilty was down to zero and they couldn't find the road. There they put down a cable in the asphalt and sensors in the vehicle will guide you without any visibility at all. The grader steers itself. They also have a dozer to push back the berms. Its very flat and the snow drifts get terrible.

Pictures in better weather:
http://www.svevia.se/aktuellt/nyhet...anflatruet.4.a4e6f6012f3042d4928000178.htm l

Thats what I call a snow bucket...:



/Marcus

 

[leonz]

How would you have any idea where you were with 12' of snow. "yes I cleared a path through but I missed the road by a good bit" I would be afraid I would blow a path over a cliff. I would have a hard time trusting a GPS that much.

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

Just Curious,


I wonder if they examined purchasing a Beilhack snow clearer? The Swedish railway system
has purchased 12 of them since 1955 with the last unit being purchased in 1991 according to
my information.

The railway clearing units with the 4 snow and ice breaking propellers (2 mounted on adjustable arms
and two mounted forward of the snow cutting discs can clear a path 15 feet wide in one pass with the
side moldboards fully widened before the snow clearing heads are moved laterally.

we have two self propelled units here along with two high speed plows used on Amtrak.

 

[FatTire]

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

Just Curious,


I wonder if they examined purchasing a Beilhack snow clearer? The Swedish railway system
has purchased 12 of them since 1955 with the last unit being purchased in 1991 according to
my information.

The railway clearing units with the 4 snow and ice breaking propellers (2 mounted on adjustable arms
and two mounted forward of the snow cutting discs can clear a path 15 feet wide in one pass with the
side moldboards fully widened before the snow clearing heads are moved laterally.

we have two self propelled units here along with two high speed plows used on Amtrak.

Beilhack has been purchased by Schmidt, another big German name in snow removal. Here is my Beilhack blower, 52 years old: