Just got the MF 2360 Snowblower for the GC2300

[tx2310]

Snowblower? What is that for? It was chilly here today (64) but the sun was shining so it wasn't to bad. I guess I will just tough it out with the FEL if we get some of that stuff.

Doug

 

[DEWFPO]

It was -4F last night here, not to very far from here, the ski resorts at Steamboat Springs have rec'd 17 feet of snow so far this season.

DEWFPO

 

[irvingj]

Another newbie-- Got the M-F GC2310 (TLB set-up), and just had the 2360 snowblower installed. I purchased the blower & the tractor together, paid $3490 for the blower, installed w/ quick-hitch--Northwood Power out of Enfield, NH. Rick came, picked up the tractor, gave me a loaner, and brought it back a few days later with the blower attached (filled up the tank, too!).

Problem is, the bucket's still on, locked with spacers on the cylinders in the "up" position. What I'd like to do is remove the blower, re-attach the hydraulics to the FEL, remove that, and re-install the blower. I've now got the blower off, but can't for the life of me figure out "the trick" for removing the driveshaft's quick-coupler on the front PTO! Anybody help me out here? I feel like a dummy, it's supposed to be "quick," right? I realize I don't have to remove the driveshaft to remove the bucket, but I'd like to be able to have it off when I do want to use the bucket....

Incidentally, the blower came with TWO manuals, identical except for the front page; the other one reads "AGCO Model SB550A," also made in Canada. I suspect they're the real manufacturer.

 

[DEWFPO]

Pull back the plastic safety cover on the rear of the snowblower's driveshaft, grab the very rearmost part of the universal and slide it forward, then pull back on the driveshaft. It's tight getting in there and tough to get at.

DEWFPO

 

[irvingj]

Thanks for the response-- I'm still not able to remove the plastic shield --is it supposed to just pull off, or is there some release procedure? I did, however, feel a spring-loaded ring behind it, at or near the u-joint, and pushed that rearward (against spring pressure) but still the driveshaft stub --the one from the tractor's mid PTO with the square shaft-- didn't release.

I'd supposed the connection mechanism was rather like an air-hose coupling, but haven't figured it out yet.... I'll try again tomorrow; at least the tractor's in my garage!

My driveway's about 14' wide, uphill with a corner at the bottom, on a north-facing slope, about 180' long, with a wide area at the bottom in front of the garage. I've been doing this with a walk-behind 8-hp snowblower for too many years and am hoping the GC2310 with the blower will reduce my time from 3-5 hrs to an hour or less. This tractor was a huge investment, but I'm sure it will be worth it once I get it figured out!

 

[DEWFPO]

The plastic cover does not come off, it just slides forward, then pull the coupler back in the same direction and the driveshaft should collapse into itself and move forward off the shaft. It is a bit of a PIA to do.

The 2360 snowblower works great. I was using a 9HP, 28" dual stage walk behind and it would take forever to clear our 8,000+ sq. ft. of blacktop. The 2360 does it all in less than 1 hr.

DEWFPO

 

[ChuckinNH]

Somewhere I saw where someone suggested mounting the half of the pto shaft on the tractor before mounting the blower, and sliding the halves together when you mounted the blower. I don't have one, so I don't know if you can get it started, and then drive in to the quick hitch, or just how that goes, but it might work.

 

[bobzap]

OOPS! did you say the quick release goes toward the back of the tractor? I think I installed mine backwards I really should learn how to read directions. I had wondered why it didn't lock on the front. I will look at it today!

 

[irvingj]

Somewhere I saw where someone suggested mounting the half of the pto shaft on the tractor before mounting the blower, and sliding the halves together when you mounted the blower. I don't have one, so I don't know if you can get it started, and then drive in to the quick hitch, or just how that goes, but it might work.

Chuck, you're correct- on the tractor, there's a dealer-installed 3' driveshaft extension which goes from the mid PTO to the quick hitch sub-frame. In the sub-frame, there's a short driveshaft section supported by 2 bearings that ends in a 6-1/2 male spline protruding in the front. It is to this that a short "adapter" shaft is attached, which actually goes into the front-mounted implement, in this case the snowblower.

This short shaft goes from female spline to male 1 square, and slips into a female 1 square short shaft (M-F calls it the "snowblower female driveline") on the blower. So, it's only necessary to start the square shafts into each other, drive the tractor's quick hitch into the shoe on the blower, then lock & pin.

What I'm trying to do is remove the quick hitch male square adapter shaft so I can run the FEL without having the it dangling out the front of the quick hitch.

I still haven't had any luck removing the shaft, so I'll see if I can get Rick of Northwood to show me what I'm missing.

Where are you in NH? I'm in the backwoods of Hanover, near the Canaan/Enfield/Leb/Hanover town lines.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I'm just south of you near the Croydon line in North Newport. I live near the big game preserve.

Rick seems like a good guy, and has recently joined TBN as northwoodpower. Maybe you can PM him.