Snow PT 425 with 48" Snowblower

[Clumber]

I have the PT425 with the snowblower attachment for the past 2 winters and it works very well, but does not have the control of the chute distance as well as the Ventrac. It does have excellent control of direction of the snow. I will tell you that there is no way you will blow the 1" to 2" deep snow left after plowing or snowblowing with any blower, especially if it has been under 2 to 3 feet of snow. You might might get it off with a powerbrush, but I'm not sure it is worth it. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks DCWhitley, I did not think of the compaction issue. I did think that using a blower would not work well on heavy wet snow, only on light dry stuff. I guess all I can do is try various things. What is your experience with PT425 Snowblower under say 36" of snow. Do you have to go extreamely slow vs a mowing speed? Have you used yours on a gravel driveway? I am also concerned that the drive chain is exposed on the business end of the snowblower. Any problems with that?

 

[coolconnection]

Well I converted my old steiner leaf blower so it would fit my Power Trac and it works awesome. Getting that time of year again that I will have to hook it up again.
Here is a link that I started when I began the project of converting the blower.
I hope it helps you.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/131025-converting-leaf-blower-3.html

 

[Clumber]

Great job on that blower! Have you used it on a grass, or a gravel driveway? Does it blow away the gravel as well? I was thinking of bying a used gas powered walk behind leaf blower and attaching it to palet forks...

Also, the BLower Buggy Carrier is someting worth considering:

JRCO Blower Buggy Carrier

 

[DCWhitley]

Thanks DCWhitley, I did not think of the compaction issue. I did think that using a blower would not work well on heavy wet snow, only on light dry stuff. I guess all I can do is try various things. What is your experience with PT425 Snowblower under say 36" of snow. Do you have to go extreamely slow vs a mowing speed? Have you used yours on a gravel driveway? I am also concerned that the drive chain is exposed on the business end of the snowblower. Any problems with that?

We haven't had 36" since I have had the snowblower, but I will say that the first pass has to be very slow in deep (18") snow or it fills the chute and you end up "plowing" the snow, not throwing it. Once the first pass is completed, you decide between speed and how much you want to take at each pass. I tend to prefer faster speed(mowing) and a smaller cut.

My driveway is gravel (not stone) and is frozen most of the time,(early Nov to April most years) so digging it up is not a problem. Last year was unusual and we had some snow after the spring thaw and the guys who plow had a big problem digging in. I just tilted my snowblower back so the front edge was 1" off the ground and rolled on the wheels; I didn't dig in at all.

The exposed chain has not been a problem for me, but I will say they could have designed a better way to keep it tight.

Hope that helps

 

[Clumber]

Well I converted my old steiner leaf blower so it would fit my Power Trac and it works awesome. Getting that time of year again that I will have to hook it up again.
Here is a link that I started when I began the project of converting the blower.
I hope it helps you.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/131025-converting-leaf-blower-3.html

A similar one is on Ebay -- search for "Ventrac Blower PB100"

 

[Clumber]

We haven't had 36" since I have had the snowblower, but I will say that the first pass has to be very slow in deep (18") snow or it fills the chute and you end up "plowing" the snow, not throwing it. Once the first pass is completed, you decide between speed and how much you want to take at each pass. I tend to prefer faster speed(mowing) and a smaller cut.

My driveway is gravel (not stone) and is frozen most of the time,(early Nov to April most years) so digging it up is not a problem. Last year was unusual and we had some snow after the spring thaw and the guys who plow had a big problem digging in. I just tilted my snowblower back so the front edge was 1" off the ground and rolled on the wheels; I didn't dig in at all.

The exposed chain has not been a problem for me, but I will say they could have designed a better way to keep it tight.

Hope that helps

Thanks for that very useful info. Please tell us more on the chain issue when you can. Does the auger have serrated edges?

I am pretty sure that the PT 425 with 48" snowblower will work for me.

 

[coolconnection]

Great job on that blower! Have you used it on a grass, or a gravel driveway? Does it blow away the gravel as well? I was thinking of bying a used gas powered walk behind leaf blower and attaching it to palet forks...

Also, the BLower Buggy Carrier is someting worth considering:

JRCO Blower Buggy Carrier

I used it on my gravel driveway just have to raise it up a little so it doesn't pick up to many stones. That thing has some serious air volume. I paved my driveway since then but I have to use it to blow all the leaves and wild cherry seeds off of it. I also used it to clear it before I sealed it as well. I like that I can raise it up high and tilt (draft) it down and it just keeps blowing. It clears my 2 acre property of all the leaves in the fall to. The thing of it is that it works for me and does exactly what I want it to do. I also debated about attaching one of those motorized units to my forks but they don't have as much air volume as the steiner blower did. I also didn't want to take care of another gas engine and I already had the blower.

 

[3238dpw]

I have seeen lots of videos and discussions on the Power Tracs with amny attachments. However, I have not seen one video of anyone actually using the PT 425 with the 48" snowblower.

Well Clumber, now that you said this, if you get the Power Trac you will have to post pics and vids of the blower in action

Like you I am anxious to see video of the PT snowblower:drool:

 

[Clumber]

Well Clumber, now that you said this, if you get the Power Trac you will have to post pics and vids of the blower in action

Like you I am anxious to see video of the PT snowblower:drool:

I will be happy to do so. However, once I buy the PT and and the snowblower it will probably be 5 years before we get any heavy snow fall.

 

[coolconnection]

I will be happy to do so. However, once I buy the PT and and the snowblower it will probably be 5 years before we get any heavy snow fall.

Thats good, scare that nasty snow away. Think of it as insurance against the snow