OP
timbrehse
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2006
- Messages
- 82
Sorry - I can't seem to remove the dup post
Snow Orange on Red
- Thread starter timbrehse
- Start date
- Views: 40358
timbrehse, I had the same problem: although the backhoe is great for traction, it really makes it light on the front if you're going uphill at all… and my driveway is ALL uphill. Tractor would just follow the crown, and drift left or right depending on where I was in relation to the high spot in the center. I have turf tires, on mine, BTW; I do have chains, but never have used them (yet).
Solution: Take off the backhoe! You've got 4WD, so no problem! Even with turfs, unless it's really icy underneath, I can do the job easily. You won't believe how much more responsive the steering is with more weight on the front than on the back. Plus, all those "kinda tight" spots are a lot easier without that red & black thing hanging off the back. (Saves house from getting nicked!) I highly recommend it. Tractor/blower combo drives & handles like a sports car (well, comparatively, anyway) without the BH on the rear.
Just went outside to have a look; snow has tapered off quite a bit, looks like we got a good foot, maybe more. I did notice when shoveling around front steps, however, that the snow is a bit slushy at the base due to the ground being relatively warm from our most recent thaw. That will quickly make ice when the snow's scraped off, but with a bit of sun it should clear itself quickly. I hope. (We are getting some sun soon, aren't we??)
And yeah, that BBQ fork thing didn't last long on mine, either!
ijk
Solution: Take off the backhoe! You've got 4WD, so no problem! Even with turfs, unless it's really icy underneath, I can do the job easily. You won't believe how much more responsive the steering is with more weight on the front than on the back. Plus, all those "kinda tight" spots are a lot easier without that red & black thing hanging off the back. (Saves house from getting nicked!) I highly recommend it. Tractor/blower combo drives & handles like a sports car (well, comparatively, anyway) without the BH on the rear.
Just went outside to have a look; snow has tapered off quite a bit, looks like we got a good foot, maybe more. I did notice when shoveling around front steps, however, that the snow is a bit slushy at the base due to the ground being relatively warm from our most recent thaw. That will quickly make ice when the snow's scraped off, but with a bit of sun it should clear itself quickly. I hope. (We are getting some sun soon, aren't we??)
And yeah, that BBQ fork thing didn't last long on mine, either!
ijk
DK35vince
Super Member
I found the same thing.
I tried leaving the backhoe on once for snowplowing to see if it helped and had problems steering.
Take the backhoe off. It is better without it.
There is a simple solution, move to the flat land.
I don't have to take the backhoe off. And, I can push my 6' plow through anything. :thumbsup:
OP
timbrehse
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2006
- Messages
- 82
Believe me , I'm trying. Flat, warm, no snow land.
Till then, Guess I'll have to do some rearrainging in the garage to make room for dropping the backhoe.
Getting tight .... I DO keep one car in there as well.
And I can foresee using the rotary broom on a lite accumulation of dry snow. It's super easy to move around on it's casters w/a furniture dolly under the QH receiver. So I don't want to bury it.
Anyway, the upshot is the blower works great. Not being able to (steer) toss snow going uphill, made the job a few minutes longer - 1 pass going down hill - drive back to the top -turn around and make a 2nd pass - only took 3 - But I was going slow both ways keeping an eagle eye on the rear chains.
The inside of the right rear chain is precariously close to the run of hydro lines. Hope that was another design change in later models.
bumperm
Veteran Member
Likewise, though last year I took the time to line snowblower chute with 1/8" thick UHMW polyethylene. Clogging, even with wet snow, is a rarity, plus the liner slightly increases launch distance. UHMW is slicker than snake snot on a flat rock and tough as nails.
Also used UHMW to line the skids . . . no damage to pavers etc. I made new skids to hold the sliders.
bumperm, where'd you get that? That's got to be the best solution I've seen for improving the chute. Did you heat & bend it in the vertical tube? Looks like one piece. In the curved upper section, are those short countersunk screws? Very nice! Gotta have some! :drool:
bumperm
Veteran Member
Basically yes. I used a heat gun to take it to about 300 F or so. You can't really goof it up as the UHMW will start to go a little translucent as it gets more than hot enough. I also used a press brake, but that's not really necessary.
Use a this strip first, maybe an inch or less wide. Heat it and bend/form it into place, clamping the edges to hold it in position until it cools - it takes awhile to cool and has very good plastic memory so it wants to go back straight while it's still hot. Once you have the thin piece in position, mark the corners, then "straighten out" the strip and transfer the corner marks to the piece you'll be forming.
The lower chute is one piece, the deflector is 3 pieces with the center section fitted first, the sides butt against that and hold the center section firmly in place. Yes, the screws shown are countersink screws. I drilled and tapped the chute of them so no need for outside locknuts (though there is no problem doing it that way or even with pop rivets.
Slots were cut with end mill, but drilling end holes and then "connecting the dots" with a sabre saw, though "less fancy" is maybe a better solution.
bumper
Love it! Thanks for the info. And yes, I have a high-temp heat gun. I was wondering about the bending; thought maybe you used a heated steel rod or something.
So where did you get your material? A quick search revealed that Amazon sells 1/8" UHMW poly, but only in small pieces (12" x 12"). Looks like I'd need somewhere around 14" x 24" for the chute. I'm also really thinking about a circular piece to go inside the augur's cylindrical chamber, which would serve to protect the steel (which looks pretty rough after a number of years) as well as closing the inevitable gaps that form between the augur blades and the inside surface.
Very nice work, by the looks of it. Sounds like you have access to a machine shop! (Me, too…. in my dreams!!)
So where did you get your material? A quick search revealed that Amazon sells 1/8" UHMW poly, but only in small pieces (12" x 12"). Looks like I'd need somewhere around 14" x 24" for the chute. I'm also really thinking about a circular piece to go inside the augur's cylindrical chamber, which would serve to protect the steel (which looks pretty rough after a number of years) as well as closing the inevitable gaps that form between the augur blades and the inside surface.
Very nice work, by the looks of it. Sounds like you have access to a machine shop! (Me, too…. in my dreams!!)
OP
timbrehse
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2006
- Messages
- 82
Wow
Makes my little spray wax idea seem a wee bit .... anemic
So - wait - why not scan, and 3D print the whole chute in UHMW ... afix a rotation sprocket .....
OK, maybe .... that's the Happy Thanksgiving stuffing talkin
Seriously bumperm - that's really quite a well thought-out/executed fabrication. 21st c. vs. of Old School Tool & Die level precision. Deep props
While I'm not smart enuff to calculate the physics -I bet the reduction in surface friction the UHMW provides more than compensates for the slight restriction of the chute's surface area, I can imagine it could easily be a long distance toss winner
Along the same lines, while preping the meal today, I was trying to imagine how I might secure this in place as a chute liner.
Maybe roll on a thin layer of waterproof contact adhesive & some tiny pop rivets - 4 corners just inside the BBQ fork slot....
While I'll wager bumperm can hit another zip code, to me the chute deflector is a non issue. If snow is flying up the chute, the deflector isn't likely to cause a blockage.
There's also technique involved. (In my vast experience of 1 snowfall) Seems if the snow is heavy/wet and you're tossing steady volume, no problems.
It's trying to clean up the small spots or cut in a couple inches on one side i.e. not a lot flyin....thats when the impeller wants to form up that nice solid core sample.
All in all this week's snowblower experience has been a mind blower
For a guy in his 60's - who has always truck plowed his driveway it's a revelation
Plow=Start w/ snow at point A and push, it along with all the subsequent accumulation, not unlike a snowball rolling downhill, en route to point B - smearing & packing it into uneven surfaces all along the way....
Snow blowing=gobble up what's in front of you (another Thanksgiving reference) and throw it where it's convenient. Boom - we have a winner
No brainer - It's just the creature comfort aspect : No Cab vs. Heated Seats, bluetooth, wifi, plowing in my PJ's, daDAH,daDAH,daDAH
Makes my little spray wax idea seem a wee bit .... anemic
So - wait - why not scan, and 3D print the whole chute in UHMW ... afix a rotation sprocket .....
OK, maybe .... that's the Happy Thanksgiving stuffing talkin
Seriously bumperm - that's really quite a well thought-out/executed fabrication. 21st c. vs. of Old School Tool & Die level precision. Deep props
While I'm not smart enuff to calculate the physics -I bet the reduction in surface friction the UHMW provides more than compensates for the slight restriction of the chute's surface area, I can imagine it could easily be a long distance toss winner
Along the same lines, while preping the meal today, I was trying to imagine how I might secure this in place as a chute liner.
Maybe roll on a thin layer of waterproof contact adhesive & some tiny pop rivets - 4 corners just inside the BBQ fork slot....
While I'll wager bumperm can hit another zip code, to me the chute deflector is a non issue. If snow is flying up the chute, the deflector isn't likely to cause a blockage.
There's also technique involved. (In my vast experience of 1 snowfall) Seems if the snow is heavy/wet and you're tossing steady volume, no problems.
It's trying to clean up the small spots or cut in a couple inches on one side i.e. not a lot flyin....thats when the impeller wants to form up that nice solid core sample.
All in all this week's snowblower experience has been a mind blower
For a guy in his 60's - who has always truck plowed his driveway it's a revelation
Plow=Start w/ snow at point A and push, it along with all the subsequent accumulation, not unlike a snowball rolling downhill, en route to point B - smearing & packing it into uneven surfaces all along the way....
Snow blowing=gobble up what's in front of you (another Thanksgiving reference) and throw it where it's convenient. Boom - we have a winner
No brainer - It's just the creature comfort aspect : No Cab vs. Heated Seats, bluetooth, wifi, plowing in my PJ's, daDAH,daDAH,daDAH