How good is the 54 Snow Blower with Plastic Impeller

[70stang]

Still shopping:
I have 1 dealer who will not give me a price quote for a 54 snow blower because sold two Dec 2010 and within a week both had broken impellers.
A 2nd JD dealer reports he replaced 6 plastic impellers between Dec. 1 and Feb. 15 and now tries to keep 3 in stock.

A 3rd dealer tells me he has never heard of any issues with the plastic impeller.

I have two concerns with a snow blower.

1. My current blower plugs up when I hit the half melted snow/salt/slush freezing rain mix we commonly have here in Connecticut?
JD dealer me JD blower do not plug up???

2. The plastic impeller will it break when I hit the ICE chunks at the street? My current 2 stage (not JD blower) is heavy gauge steel and I have had to bend both the auger and the impeller at times. I simply take a hammer and pound it straight Can稚 do that with plastic.

3. Has anyone here broken the impeller?

QUESTIONS

Do JD plug up in slushy heavy wet snow?

Do I buy a 2520 tractor with a snow blower and hope it works good?

Do take the $3600 which I would spend on a snow blower and purchase a bigger tractor to push the snow?

I like the construction and muscle of the 3320 but I sit back and think I might be a little big. But I am unsue if a 2520 or 2720 can push the wet snow we get. If the blower works good that痴 OK, but I hate the idea of swpping between blower and bucket.

Since my wife uses the machine also the rear mount blower is out of the question.

 

[kco]

It sounds like you have a couple of good dealers and it is a good idea to stay away from the plastic impellers.

I will be looking for snowblowers before next summer and will go for a rear-mounted pull type. My neighbour has one and loves it. You don't need to look over your shoulder and you can pull snow away from structures. I know some object to driving over the snow before it enters the blower but don't think that is a concern.

 

[beenthere]

I've not heard of a plastic impeller on a Deere snowblower. The one I sold last year didn't have plastic, I am sure, but think it was a 47".

I have a plastic impeller in my power flow blower for leaves, and am amazed how well it handles sticks and stones. Sticks like 1" oak. I think it is heavy enough to handle any snow and ice chunks and may be more foregiving than if rigid steel.

 

[70stang]

The 47" SNow Blower has a steel impeller.

The 54" is plastic.

The 2000 series have a 50" tire width.

 

[hanson1999]

go with the 54 blower and get a steel impeller made for it. any machine shop can do it.

or possibly order the impeller off of a 47" if they are the same sizes??

 

[sparrowhawk]

Still shopping:
I have 1 dealer who will not give me a price quote for a 54 snow blower because sold two Dec 2010 and within a week both had broken impellers.
A 2nd JD dealer reports he replaced 6 plastic impellers between Dec. 1 and Feb. 15 and now tries to keep 3 in stock.

A 3rd dealer tells me he has never heard of any issues with the plastic impeller.

I have two concerns with a snow blower.

1. My current blower plugs up when I hit the half melted snow/salt/slush freezing rain mix we commonly have here in Connecticut?
JD dealer me JD blower do not plug up???

2. The plastic impeller will it break when I hit the ICE chunks at the street? My current 2 stage (not JD blower) is heavy gauge steel and I have had to bend both the auger and the impeller at times. I simply take a hammer and pound it straight Can稚 do that with plastic.

3. Has anyone here broken the impeller?

QUESTIONS

Do JD plug up in slushy heavy wet snow?

Do I buy a 2520 tractor with a snow blower and hope it works good?

Do take the $3600 which I would spend on a snow blower and purchase a bigger tractor to push the snow?

I like the construction and muscle of the 3320 but I sit back and think I might be a little big. But I am unsue if a 2520 or 2720 can push the wet snow we get. If the blower works good that痴 OK, but I hate the idea of swpping between blower and bucket.

Since my wife uses the machine also the rear mount blower is out of the question.

I've gotta be honest, I just used my 54 JD snowblower to blow approximately 400 feet of plowed snowbanks into the field to help them melt quicker. They were pretty solid ice chunks and corn snow (ice pellets, slush, and melt) and extreme blowing conditions. The 54 ate it all just fine. The plastic impeller worked fine and I inspected it before and after: no marks. The are pretty stout looking and tend to flex versus bend/break like the metal ones of old. I was skeptical at first but if I just handled what i threw at it, I wouldn't worry for the day to day stuff.

One less thing to paint!

Now one downside with the 54: the hydraulic cover is plastic and I pulled one end of that off by letting snow push over the top of the blower mouth. My fault but I am looking to build a guard bracket that sits in front of it to better protect it. Not really a big deal but easy to remedy as well.

Throws snow a strong 30-50 feet depending on the load.

 

[70stang]

THANK YOU

This is the kind of feedback I was looking for.
May I ask which tractor you are running this with?

I am still trying to decide between a 3320 and a 2720.

2720 is with 54" SB and FEL.
3320 is just the FEL.

I like the way the 3320 is built but is just night be to big to get into some areas I have wit the FEL to remove snow. I know it would be the better machine for yard work but from whay I have read in this forum the 2520/2720 machines can certainly do a lot of work.

I think the dealer is making me a great deal the two options above are only
$2,000 difference. Spread over 48 months that not much.

 

[sparrowhawk]

THANK YOU

This is the kind of feedback I was looking for.
May I ask which tractor you are running this with?

I am still trying to decide between a 3320 and a 2720.

2720 is with 54" SB and FEL.
3320 is just the FEL.

I like the way the 3320 is built but is just night be to big to get into some areas I have wit the FEL to remove snow. I know it would be the better machine for yard work but from whay I have read in this forum the 2520/2720 machines can certainly do a lot of work.

I think the dealer is making me a great deal the two options above are only
$2,000 difference. Spread over 48 months that not much.

I have an x749 with 24hp. much different purpose machine than what you are looking at currently, but a strong snowblower nonetheless. I would say if this is your only tractor, go with something nimble first. you can always get something larger minded later and the time you waste backing up to go around things will negate any power gain by a bigger machine. just food for thought.

 

[70stang]

Actually this will be my third tractor.
My current tractor is 26 years old, still runs good but has seen better days.
For 26 years I have lived with an under size tractor which has performed very well for its size but I beleive I certainly have pushed the limits on this machine.

I told myself I willnot do that again. The 2720 is bigger then what I have now, and I think will do everything I need it to do except maybe some backhoe work which I have decide I can rent a BH when I need it cheaper then buying one.

I agree with you the smaller machineis much more numble and easier to fit into tight places.
My thoughts right now are on purchasing the 2720.

 

[jenkinsph]

70stang,

What are your uses for the tractor? A little more info would help us help you.



I also have an X749 with TPH and 540 pto, works well with the 110tlb and 4520. So far from what you have listed the X749 would do everything.

 

[sparrowhawk]

What do you have for a tractor currently?

I would guess based on what you are saying, the 2720 would be a good blend of comprimise.

Personally how I thought about it was this... The majority of my need was centered around mowing around my house and the immediate lawn spaces that include obstacles and turns. I also need an efficient snowblower to combine with plowing that I do with a truck. I can borrow an L series Kubota (Or rent a tractor of that size for the little I would need bucketwork at this point) to start out with. Once I established this I decided to go with a top line garden tractor in the x series x749 (Diesel for longevity and performance). My next plan is to pick up either a 4000 or 5000 series (most likely the latter) to perform bucket work and ground engagement once I start doing more with my food plots and Bison ranch etc.

if I could only have 1 tractor to do all of that I would probably go with a 3000 series with FEL and buy a beater used lawn mower for $500 to get in close. (still two tractors but hey, I don't do well with comprimise )

2xxx series is nice as well but I personally would make the above choice if I had to choose. After killing a few $500 lawn tractors, I would probably get frustrated and end up with at least an x300

 

[Dutch445]

go with the 54 blower and get a steel impeller made for it. any machine shop can do it.

or possibly order the impeller off of a 47" if they are the same sizes??

they are interchangeable, between the 47 and 54 blowers.

 

[dmay]

I've been using my 54 all winter. Not a single problem to report and I often have the blower buried under deep snow looking like a submarine. Here is a post where I added pics of a 3 ft snow drift I had to clear:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/199285-3-ft-snow-drift.html

Saturday I plowed through a wall left over by the street grader. Mix of gravel road, sand and compacted snow. Took a while but the 54 ate it's way through the wall then we continued through 2 feet of snow to my round pen.

Sunday we had a rain which created six inches of heavy wet slush that trapped 2 cars in my driveway as we returned from Sunday dinner. Even my truck could not pull them out. Tractor with chains and differential locked did Then afterwards I blew the heavy wet slush off the driveway. Really taxed the engine due to the extra wet load but the blower handled it. No clogging.

I'm sure if I really pushed the blower hard I could easily break things. I prefer to just let it eat its way through at its own pace. I've been very impressed with what my tractor/blower has been able to clear. Only thing I have broke has been one shear bolt so far. Easy fix.

 

[DoubleL]

QUESTIONS

Do JD plug up in slushy heavy wet snow?

Well I can tell you my 47" will clog in slushy wet snow (x748 tractor) .

I'd be willing to bet so does the 54" in the same conditions.

It clogs all the time in snow conditions such as what you describe and happens with your current blower. That JD dealer that claims JD blowers don't clog is not truthful.

When we have a couple inches of slush I use the blower like a blade and just push it off the driveway. If it's too much slush or hard ice/sleet mixture I get out the NH Boomer 3040 and use the loader.

If there was no cloggin on the 54" I'd be all over it but I don't believe it possible in the conditions I see.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Well I can tell you my 47" will clog in slushy wet snow (x748 tractor) .

I'd be willing to bet so does the 54" in the same conditions.

It clogs all the time in snow conditions such as what you describe and happens with your current blower. That JD dealer that claims JD blowers don't clog is not truthful.

When we have a couple inches of slush I use the blower like a blade and just push it off the driveway. If it's too much slush or hard ice/sleet mixture I get out the NH Boomer 3040 and use the loader.

If there was no cloggin on the 54" I'd be all over it but I don't believe it possible in the conditions I see.

I just used my 54 to move slush and did not have this issue at all. I did push into the slush too fast a few times and bogged the engine down, but as long as I went slow it managed to throw it just fine. It did only throw it have the distance of the more solid snow I was blowing but it was still useful and to be expected. we are getting snow yet again, so I'll try to video my efforts if i have someone to hold the camera.

 

[70stang]

Thank You all for the information, I really did not like the idea of a plastic impeller but it sounds like only a small % are breaking, since you seem to be moving frozen snow and slush with no problem.

I currently have a 20HP gas Garden Tractor runnign a 48" 2 stage blower gets bogged down easily in heavy snow. Gotta take it slow. The blower plugs easily in slush, and I know it s balance of ground speed and PTO speed to keep it from plugging up.

My plans for the new tractor do NOT include mowing, I have a diesel powered "WALKER" zero turn lawn mower. Nothing mows lawns like a walker.
If you have heard of walker lawn mower take a few minutes and do a search in yahoo on them.

The JD will be for landscaping, moving piles of dirt, diggging, etc. and snow removal. I wanted a backhoe but after after getting prices of 3320 with FEL and BH, then thinking about the number of hours I will use the BH every year. I figured I could plan out the BH work and rent a much larger machine for a week or two every year cheaper then owning.

The X748 X749 look like great all purpose tracors where the primary duty is mowing. Since my primary useage is utility I looking at the 2000 and 3000 series. I really like the way the 3320 is built but for some of my lansscaping projects and some of the area I need to remove the snow the tractor is a little big.

I got dealer quotes on 2520, 2720, with 200CX and 54" blower.
I also got quotes for the 3320 and 3520 with only 300CX. Front mount blower is way to expensive, and if I did go te 3x20 route the machine heavy enough to push all the snow I would want to push. I just have some areas I can't get a 60" wide machine into.

The 2720 has similiar HP 31 vs 33 of the 3320. One trade off is lite weight which could be an advantage at times. The BIG trade off for me (which I hope I won't regret) is the 200CX will not lift as high or as much weight as the 300CX.

However the smaller tractor will get into places I know I will end up doing by hand if I go with the 3x20 tractor.

From my experince the two attachments eat up HP is a snow blower and a tiller. With the 2720 at $1200 more then the 2520 I think the extra HP is worth it.

I was just very worried about the plastic impeller. Thank you all for the information.

 

[sparrowhawk]

My plans for the new tractor do NOT include mowing, I have a diesel powered "WALKER" zero turn lawn mower. Nothing mows lawns like a walker.
If you have heard of walker lawn mower take a few minutes and do a search in yahoo on them.

The JD will be for landscaping, moving piles of dirt, diggging, etc. and snow removal. I wanted a backhoe but after after getting prices of 3320 with FEL and BH, then thinking about the number of hours I will use the BH every year. I figured I could plan out the BH work and rent a much larger machine for a week or two every year cheaper then owning.

The X748 X749 look like great all purpose tracors where the primary duty is mowing. Since my primary useage is utility I looking at the 2000 and 3000 series. I really like the way the 3320 is built but for some of my lansscaping projects and some of the area I need to remove the snow the tractor is a little big.

I got dealer quotes on 2520, 2720, with 200CX and 54" blower.
I also got quotes for the 3320 and 3520 with only 300CX. Front mount blower is way to expensive, and if I did go te 3x20 route the machine heavy enough to push all the snow I would want to push. I just have some areas I can't get a 60" wide machine into.

The 2720 has similiar HP 31 vs 33 of the 3320. One trade off is lite weight which could be an advantage at times. The BIG trade off for me (which I hope I won't regret) is the 200CX will not lift as high or as much weight as the 300CX.

However the smaller tractor will get into places I know I will end up doing by hand if I go with the 3x20 tractor.

From my experince the two attachments eat up HP is a snow blower and a tiller. With the 2720 at $1200 more then the 2520 I think the extra HP is worth it.

I was just very worried about the plastic impeller. Thank you all for the information.

I agree, an x series probably wouldn't be a good fit for bucket work (it's ok, but that's a reason to move to the 2000 series altogether if you can).

If you are just doing general landscaping around your yard, I would think a 2720 would be perfect. 3000 series would be more for that 500ft of driveway you need to blow (with the 59 inch blower) and a lot more bucket work...

The lift height on a 200cx is plenty to load a pickup truck with and ample for moving mulch or loam a little at a time. I am like you as well... $1200 bucks to have a few more hp is piece of mind and not a major expense over the life of the tractor really if you can spare it. let us know how you make out! I'm sure you'll love it!!

 

[DoubleL]

I just used my 54 to move slush and did not have this issue at all. I did push into the slush too fast a few times and bogged the engine down, but as long as I went slow it managed to throw it just fine. It did only throw it have the distance of the more solid snow I was blowing but it was still useful and to be expected. we are getting snow yet again, so I'll try to video my efforts if i have someone to hold the camera.

No offense but I've been using the 47" 2 stage JD snowblower since 2003, you've worked it for a week. Trust me certain snow conditions and operations will clog your blower.

 

[Dutch445]

No offense but I've been using the 47" 2 stage JD snowblower since 2003, you've worked it for a week. Trust me certain snow conditions and operations will clog your blower.

12 years with one here, 150" a year average snowfall, and
i have yet to clog my 47 blower. including snow of all types,
even that slush that falls from the sky!

 

[sparrowhawk]

No offense but I've been using the 47" 2 stage JD snowblower since 2003, you've worked it for a week. Trust me certain snow conditions and operations will clog your blower.

Well anyways, wasn't claiming to know more than most families if you know what i mean. Why don't you take a video of the slush clogging yours all up... I think the key here is "operations". If you overfeed ANY snowblower it could clog. finesse.

After all, I may have only had this snowblower for 1 week but I do live in mountains of maine with 100"+ of snow so I've broken lessor machines at all hours and have a pretty good idea what clog failure feels like... But then again I've also only broken a few shear pins (due to sucking in a branch and other time a garden hose)...