I Still Hate My Tractor II

[The Fred]

Tough tested after a good snow storm 15 inches; 5 hours blowing snow wide open. Was hard to run it like that but she took it good.

One last problem is a resonating vibration/buzzing noise in the cab that was not there before the second cab/engine removal. It's so hard to trace but it seems to resonate to the rear of the machine. If I grab the hydraulic line at the pump that goes to the loader valve it almost hurts my hand to hold the metal line.

New oil and both filters, does not seem to have any air in the oil and the hydraulics work fine. I'm wondering if I got something stuck in the loader valve or something similar.

 

[aeblank]

You blow about wide open? Like at the 540 rear PTO mark, or more?

I do like 2000 rpm. If I drive too fast, I drive into my dust. What annoys me is that my tires (widest setting) seem wider than my 74" blower. I need to narrow them, but the narrowest setting doesn't give me enough chain clearance.

 

[The Fred]

My blower plugs unless I run it wide open, like 600 PTO speed and 3000 engine RPM, 75 inch Meteor.

 

[sandyc]

I’m convinced that blowing snow with my front blower has to be done over 2000 rpms. That accomplishes a few things.....less broken shear bolts, less chute clogs, and for me it helps to keep the exhaust hot to assist with regents.

 

[The Fred]

I'm full of stories but the last storm of April 2019 I hit a rock or something while blowing at 3000 RPM engine speed. The engine stopped abruptly like right now. I really thought I had seized the motor and I started the engine back up and had no problems. Once in the shop I could see where the impeller hit something and bent one blade slightly. I never did find what I hit but most likely a rock.

I pulled the shear pin and it was a factory installed grade 10.9 metric 10mm bolt that never sheared. I suppose I blame myself for never checking the shear pin from the getgo and the driveshaft being sourced from Italy had a hardened bolt in it. You can see where the bolt started to shear but never broke away as designed.

I thought I bent the crankshaft as the engine stopped so fast I didn't know what had happened and with a 64 lb. flywheel who knows.

I blow snow full tilt because that's the only way I keep it from plugging and get it more than 15 feet. Although it's a very heavy duty blower I won't buy another without seeing how far they blow snow, another first time buyer mistake I made.

 

[crazyal]

You have to pull the shear pins and get the auger/ blade to turn just to make sure they aren't rusted up at the beginning of the season. My Kubota front mount blower likes 2000 rpm. I rarely go above that unless I'm in a huge hurry. But I don't need to throw the snow far.

 

[moship]

You have to pull the shear pins and get the auger/ blade to turn just to make sure they aren't rusted up at the beginning of the season. My Kubota front mount blower likes 2000 rpm. I rarely go above that unless I'm in a huge hurry. But I don't need to throw the snow far.

If you have a newer tractor that uses hydraulic pressure for the PTO clutch pack, you may want to rethink your RPM's. They are too low to guarantee max clamp pressure. This may not be of any importance in your case, but I'm hoping those with the yellow push and twist PTO engagement button understand they could be causing reduce pto clutch life.

 

[ptsg]

If you have a newer tractor that uses hydraulic pressure for the PTO clutch pack, you may want to rethink your RPM's. They are too low to guarantee max clamp pressure. This may not be of any importance in your case, but I'm hoping those with the yellow push and twist PTO engagement button understand they could be causing reduce pto clutch life.

Not true. It would have to be very badly designed if it worked that way.

There is max clamping pressure for the clutch pack, even at idle. Those things are set roughly 250 PSI. So there is always 250 PSI with the PTO either On or Off and at any engine RPM.

 

[hawkeye08]

Fred, if your blower is not throwing the snow very far and plugs easy, perhaps you have too much clearance on the fan blades. My 48" blower on my Gravely was only throwing snow about 10 feet, I bolted some pieces of tire tread (cut 3 pieces roughly 4"x6" and bolted to fan blades so it just contacts the blower housing).. It will blow snow 60' now.

 

[The Fred]

I rarely go above that unless I'm in a huge hurry.

Come on Al I'm always in a hurry.