My First Tractor will be a Ventrac 4500Y.

[John Joseph McVeigh]

How did you like it???? How far did you get it to blow and at what RPM?

I conducted all operations at Wide Open Throttle.

 

[BKBrown]

I spray the inside of my blower and chute with Silicone spray -- that helps. We have a gravel state road and the main problem comes with the gravel being picked up where they have plowed. The gravel even takes off the powder coat finish -- you end up with bare metal. We now have a Blacktop driveway and if that was all I had to do -- the blower would be a much happier camper ! :thumbsup:

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I spray the inside of my blower and chute with Silicone spray -- that helps. We have a gravel state road and the main problem comes with the gravel being picked up where they have plowed. The gravel even takes off the powder coat finish -- you end up with bare metal. We now have a Blacktop driveway and if that was all I had to do -- the blower would be a much happier camper ! :thumbsup:

Yes, I used silicone spray lubricant to treat the walls of the bucket, the face of the impeller, the auger, and the inside walls of the chute before setting out. I used up one partially full can (Solder Seal brand) that I had had for I don't know how long, and used part of another one of three cans that I had bought at the local Ace Hardware a few weeks ago. Those were the Ace house brand.

Fortunately, I do not have to deal with gravel.

BKB, I have come to the conclusion, as the result of the last two storms, that I could use a set of axle extensions and chains all the way around. I have the link to the site from which you purchased the V-bar garden-tractor chains, and I will be following up on that. I understand from what you have previously written that you ordered extra sets of cross-chains to achieve two-link spacing. Did you end up using any of the extra cross-chains that you ordered? Any particulars would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

JJM

 

[murphy1244]

At what rpm?

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

At what rpm?

I conducted all operations at Wide Open Throttle.

Typically, the tach read 3400 rpm. The tach reading dropped to 3,000 rpm as I was simultaneously climbing the infamous S-Curved Hill and running the snow blower simultaneously. I adjusted the forward speed as I was climbing to keep the crankshaft rpms within that range.

 

[murphy1244]

I conducted all operations at Wide Open Throttle.

Typically, the tach read 3400 rpm. The tach reading dropped to 3,000 rpm as I was simultaneously climbing the infamous S-Curved Hill and running the snow blower simultaneously. I adjusted the forward speed as I was climbing to keep the crankshaft rpms within that range.

Thanks Sir John. That's the RPM I run at too.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Broomhilde Bats Clean-Up

It's time to change attachments...



And here are the results of Broomhilde's work....



























And now it is time to rest.

 

[DoubleDeere]

John, you can probably get by with just a set on the rears but I would not go with v-bars though. They will mark up your asphalt and concrete floors. I run a set of 2 link cross chains on the rear of mine when the snow starts to pile up or when it starts to get icy. I have v-bars for my bigger tractors and also a set of v-bars that will fit the steiner if I need them. All my plowing is gravel and grass with just cement aprons and cement floor that v-bars do damage when used. I had to get larger chains and remove some cross links to fit the Steiner. This is the best picture I have of mine. All of my chains I have bought at Tirechains.com.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

John, you can probably get by with just a set on the rears but I would not go with v-bars though. They will mark up your asphalt and concrete floors. I run a set of 2 link cross chains on the rear of mine when the snow starts to pile up or when it starts to get icy. I have v-bars for my bigger tractors and also a set of v-bars that will fit the steiner if I need them. All my plowing is gravel and grass with just cement aprons and cement floor that v-bars do damage when used. I had to get larger chains and remove some cross links to fit the Steiner. This is the best picture I have of mine. All of my chains I have bought at Tirechains.com.

View attachment 415804

Many thanks for your comments, DD. That is a nice-looking machine. The chains look very sturdy.

Best,

JJM

 

[murphy1244]

John, how is that mower working for you? Any problems with grass in the radiator?

 

[BKBrown]

John, Sorry I did not see this sooner. I don't imagine you will need the snow equipment for a while. I ordered the chains with 2 link spacing and only needed the extra cross chains for the gap where the ends came together and left a 4 link space. I think the v-bar chains might be not be needed for your slight slope the v-bars might tear up your blacktop (if you spin the tires). We have quite a steep hill on the main road and it is shaded and often icy - I have no problem with the chains on. You may even want to look into Ventrac's new drop spreader and sand any place you find it too slippery. The sand will blow off after the snow is gone. The extensions may not be necessary if you have clearance and use good chain tensioners. I found that taking wheels off and letting the air out of the tires made it easy to get chains tight and extra tight when the air is put back in the tires.

Yes, I used silicone spray lubricant to treat the walls of the bucket, the face of the impeller, the auger, and the inside walls of the chute before setting out. I used up one partially full can (Solder Seal brand) that I had had for I don't know how long, and used part of another one of three cans that I had bought at the local Ace Hardware a few weeks ago. Those were the Ace house brand.

Fortunately, I do not have to deal with gravel.

BKB, I have come to the conclusion, as the result of the last two storms, that I could use a set of axle extensions and chains all the way around. I have the link to the site from which you purchased the V-bar garden-tractor chains, and I will be following up on that. I understand from what you have previously written that you ordered extra sets of cross-chains to achieve two-link spacing. Did you end up using any of the extra cross-chains that you ordered? Any particulars would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

JJM

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Using the Rear-Discharge Mower

I got an email message saying that Murph had asked me a question, but I do not see his post in this thread.

His question was:

John, how is that mower working for you? Any problems with grass in the radiator?

I have used the mower several times now, both on my areas that need mowing and on my elderly neighbors' lawn, which is much larger than what passes for a lawn on our heavily wooded property. The mower has done a very good job. Fuel consumption has been very modest.

Yesterday, we got the first heavy rain since before our kitchen remodeling project started in early April. We received nearly five inches. A week before that, we had a very modest rain. Due to the lack of rain, it has been very dry. I was expecting significant build-up on the radiator screen, but I have been pleasantly surprised. There has been very little build-up at all. A quick shot of air from my backpack blower dissipated the same amount that had accumulated. The temperature gauge has not gotten past the first green segment yet.

The quality of the cut is very good.

Mowing with the Ventrac sure beats using my 21-inch Honda walk-behind mower!

 

[heme]

Well bought my snowblower in August and just finished cleaning the driveway for the first time. I was a bit disappointed
as it took about 10 minutes and not enough seat time. Over the years I have used the angle blade to clean it and would of taken about 45 minutes. Driveway is clean down to pavement so just as good as with the blade and no banks. One thing that I did notice was the weight transfer was not engaged when I started and had a hard time turning. Overall, wow should have bought one years ago.

 

[murphy1244]

Weight trans fer should be all the way #5 I think

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Well bought my snowblower in August and just finished cleaning the driveway for the first time. I was a bit disappointed
as it took about 10 minutes and not enough seat time. Over the years I have used the angle blade to clean it and would of taken about 45 minutes. Driveway is clean down to pavement so just as good as with the blade and no banks. One thing that I did notice was the weight transfer was not engaged when I started and had a hard time turning. Overall, wow should have bought one years ago.

I feel your pain. No snow here yet other than ~ 1 cm about two weeks ago that stuck only to grassy areas, and not to the pavement.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

 

[VaMark]

How did you guys make out with the Blizzard of 2016? I have a 1/2 mile gravel driveway and currently use a 26" walk behind to clear about 1/3 of it,takes 5 passes to get open wide enough, neighbors usually help with the rest of it with various 20-45hp tractors with buckets and blades, I open it up wider with the Case backhoe. I would love to have a snow blower for my Steiner but they are too expensive new, I have seen a few used ones but they are like 7 hours away and $1200-$1700. I was thinking of mounting a Sears or similar 46"-48" snow blower to it, much cheaper, but not sure if they would hold up to the Steiner.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

How did you guys make out with the Blizzard of 2016? I have a 1/2 mile gravel driveway and currently use a 26" walk behind to clear about 1/3 of it,takes 5 passes to get open wide enough, neighbors usually help with the rest of it with various 20-45hp tractors with buckets and blades, I open it up wider with the Case backhoe. I would love to have a snow blower for my Steiner but they are too expensive new, I have seen a few used ones but they are like 7 hours away and $1200-$1700. I was thinking of mounting a Sears or similar 46"-48" snow blower to it, much cheaper, but not sure if they would hold up to the Steiner.

I moved a lot of snow on my driveway and on that of my elderly neighbors. After the first four or five inches came down (around 5 P.M. on Friday, January 22), I made a run with the rotary broom (HB580)so that there would be a clear path on which to walk the dog. That was a piece of cake.

Then, I detached the broom and attached the snow blower (KX523). My plan was to go out in several hours, remove what was on the driveway, then go to bed, wake up the next morning, remove what had come down overnight, and then have one or two blowing sessions on Saturday, January 23.

At 11 P.M. on Friday, there was about five or six inches on the driveway. The wind was really picking up. I started up the tractor, and headed out to blow snow. I did not make very much progress because I was operating in whiteout conditions. It was as if there was a brilliant white curtain hanging in front of me. The snow was so thick that it was reflecting the light from the headlights and from the ROPS-mounted work lights. Reluctantly, I decided to call it quits. I headed back to the house, had a cup of hot herbal tea to warm up, and went to bed.

I awoke around 6 A.M., made some coffee, had a cinnamon doughnut, and caught up on my email. By 7 A.M., it was light enough outside that I did not need any artificial light. So out I went. There was at least twelve inches on the ground. I started blowing snow, and quickly found that I could not exceed 1.2 mph without snow coming over the top of the blower's bucket. So, I kept to a very slow pace, keeping an eye on the snow level near the top of the bucket. Eventually, I finished my driveway, and headed over to my neighbors' place, to do theirs. Again, the pace was slow. I intend to acquire the auxiliary auger to help the blower deal with deep snow.

I went out again in the late afternoon. There was about seven inches on the ground. I made much better progress this time around.

I went out again around 10 P.M., and removed another several inches. The snow had begun to taper off. I did not have severe whiteout problems like I had had the previous night, but it was pretty cold and windy. Then I called it a night.

Early Sunday morning, there were another several inches on the ground, thicker in spots because of drifting. I took care of that around 8 A.M.

Later in the day, I had to deal with walls of snow that the State Highway Administration road crews wad created. That was not fun. The chute clogged several times. The plowed snow was very, very dense.

The tractor and the attachments worked well. I did stall out a few times while blowing snow and moving uphill. The snow was not particularly deep, and I was somewhat surprised that the motor stalled out. It would then immediately start up again, run a little rough for a few seconds, and then straighten itself out as if nothing had happened. I suspect that this was due to a fuel issue... either a little bit of condensation in the fuel tank that would make it into the fuel line when on an incline, or perhaps slight waxing.

I have regularly kept the fuel tank topped up after working sessions, and have always added Power Service White fuel additive at the single-strength dosage level. I reread the instructions and saw that for temperatures approaching 0° F, a double-strength dosage is recommended. Before I went up to the filling station yesterday to refill two five-gallon Eagle fuel cans with Ultra-Low Sulphur off-road diesel fuel, I put a double-strength dose in each empty can. I also added an additional dose to the third five-gallon Eagle can that was full of fuel. Then, I shook that can up to distribute the additive.

Sunday was sunny, so I left the tractor outside so that the sun could warm it up and melt at least some of the caked-on snow and ice.

On Monday, a lot of snow came down from pine-tree branches that overhang portions of the driveway, so there was some clean-up to do.

Several large pine branches came down across the driveway overnight Friday/Saturday. On Saturday morning, I would periodically have to dismount from the tractor, trudge over to where they were, and drag them off the driveway. They were generally too heavy and too cumbersome to lift. Some of them were about 20 feet long, and arm-thickness, with lots of side-branchescovered with snow. That was fun.

I took some pictures after the event. However, right now, I am not in a position to share them.

A little while ago, I took the memory card out of my camera and inserted it in a card reader. The computer did not recognize the card. An Internet search revealed that this card reader (a Lexar unit with a Firewire interface) no longer functions as a result of the latest update of the Macintosh operating system. I looked for the cable that allows the camera to connect to the computer (a much slower transfer process), but I could not find it. It is around here somewhere.

I will have to fire up one of my older (PowerPC) Macs that run on OS 10.4.11 and use the card reader with one of them. Once I get the pictures off the memory card, I will upload them.

Our total snow accumulation was about 27 inches. It was higher in some areas, and lower in others, due to the action of the wind.

If I were still using the treaded, walk-behind Honda snow blower that I used prior to getting the Ventrac, I might still be out there. My driveway is 1600 feet long. My elderly neighbors' driveway is 800 feet long.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

How did you guys make out with the Blizzard of 2016? I have a 1/2 mile gravel driveway and currently use a 26" walk behind to clear about 1/3 of it,takes 5 passes to get open wide enough, neighbors usually help with the rest of it with various 20-45hp tractors with buckets and blades, I open it up wider with the Case backhoe. I would love to have a snow blower for my Steiner but they are too expensive new, I have seen a few used ones but they are like 7 hours away and $1200-$1700. I was thinking of mounting a Sears or similar 46"-48" snow blower to it, much cheaper, but not sure if they would hold up to the Steiner.

Having used a 24-inch walk-behind, I can appreciate the amount of effort that you expend. My paved driveway has three widths: 12 feet for the longest run, 19 feet on a steep slope with an S-Curve, and 35 feet up near the house. Even if there were no spillover, it took a lot of passes to clear that driveway.

If you add a Sears or similar snow blower to your Steiner, would it have its own power source? If not, how would you deliver mechanical power to it from the Steiner?

 

[VaMark]

Having used a 24-inch walk-behind, I can appreciate the amount of effort that you expend. My paved driveway has three widths: 12 feet for the longest run, 19 feet on a steep slope with an S-Curve, and 35 feet up near the house. Even if there were no spillover, it took a lot of passes to clear that driveway.

If you add a Sears or similar snow blower to your Steiner, would it have its own power source? If not, how would you deliver mechanical power to it from the Steiner?

I'm an industrial maintenance mechanic with a lot of tinkering experience building mechanical systems and components, and have a fully equipped shop at home which allows me to fabricate any mounting brackets and build the drive system necessary to transfer power to the blower from the Steiner. It would be a lot of work, and it would be easier to buy a Steiner snow blower if I can locate one not so far away reasonably priced, $1500 or less. I will probably wait and see if Steiner snow blower shows up on Craigslist or some other site for sale soon. If not I may try another brand, but not sure another brand will hold up to my abuse on a gravel driveway.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[prs]

John, your drive is similar to mine. I have 1,800 feet of run with a 65X60 parking area, all paved. The layout is one wide switchback curve and other curves plus a rise of about 120 feet in elevation. Shallow ditch to one side, and an over the back side for most of the other and you do not want to go over the bank in some areas.

Unlike you, I waited for the storm to stop before beginning. My Ventrac has not snow removal gear, so I rely upon my old compact utility tractor, a JD 650, and very heavy 8 rear mounted grader. The storm left 30 of snow at the top of my road and about24 toward the bottom. I backed the tractor to push the snow in sweeps from the ditch to the over the bank side. I was able to produce a clean surface with the blackness of the asphalt showing through, but it took me 3 hours. How does that compare to your seat time for your job?

Do you think the Ventrac blower would be able to take on the full 30 if it did have the added device? As you can guess, I am considering a blower for next year.

prs