PTO leaf blower

[204saskman]

So i had a thread on this a while ago and i built one but it didnt last long(the test and the squirl cage blew apart. So i have gone back to square one and decided to start over again. Now i recently started a new job and the place i work at has a pretty big scrap/bone/parts yard. Now as i was out there the other day i noticed a air mover(about 20" fan and 12" wide) and it is connected to a 5hp electric motor. Now i was sizing this unit up as it has been demmed scrap(they bought about 6 different sizes before they got the right size. Now my questions are the electric motor is rated at 3490 rpm and my tractor only has 540 rpm. So what my question is, is there a speed increasing gear box(i was thinking of something that is 1-6 increase(540 in and 3240 out.). But i have been looking around and it seems that most of them are lik 40-1 or 20-1 or odd sizes like that. If anyone can point me in the right direction it would be helpful.

 

[sunshine coaster]

rotary mowers or some silage harvesters have the gear boxes you are thinking of...

 

[204saskman]

Ya and i have been trying to find one but not having any luck. I might have figured it out that i can build it with some pullys and belts.

 

[BriansDiesel]

A gearbox off of a pto generator will do it. I bought mine from Central Georgia Generator. They have a website but I dont know how to add a link for it.

 

[GE222]

One big advantage of the belt and sheave drive is the ability to make adjustments for different speeds. Look and the fan curves for your fan. The hp and speed requirements will vary greatly based on both the CFM and static pressure.

 

[rickpilgrim]

On our family farm yrs back(1974) my Dad built a blower for our large maple tree filled yard and this is what he did. Bought a used Kools KB 60 silo blower at auction for $250. Torched the apron and feed auger and related off so just the fan and frame with wheels remained, put a screen over where the silage used to enter the fan. Rotated the band housing so the 8" outlet was parrallel to the ground and took 2 steel grain shovels and cut and welded them (face to face with 8" inlet pipe) into a nozzel 4" above the ground.
I pulled that around with a 32hp WD allis and it moved leaves a good 60-70' no problem in in 1 hr our 3 acre lawn was done.
Cheap, easy and 100% effective and no calculator needed to figure out ratio's and things. I still see these laying around farmyards and junkyards all over.

 

[schmism]

NorthStar PTO Generator — 7200 Watt, 14 HP Required | PTO Generators | Northern Tool + Equipment

keep the electric motor and gain a PTO genny out of the deal.

 

[204saskman]

NorthStar PTO Generator 7200 Watt, 14 HP Required | PTO Generators | Northern Tool + Equipment

keep the electric motor and gain a PTO genny out of the deal.

would but the motor is 3 phase. And i have been looking for a silo blower for over a year and it is very difficult to find one in 540. Lots around that are a 1000 but hardly n e with 540. Like i said i did some reading on these at work and they move alot of air(will move something like 9000 cfm at 3480rpm). Im gonna try and figure this all out and ill try to keep tack of this and post it as i go.

 

[rickpilgrim]

Take a drive down here to Wausau, WI 54401 because I know where there 3 silo blowers within 5 mi from my house, and 1 has a bad bearing and he will sell that 54" Fox for $50. Another is a JD 60" and the guys out of farming now and $100 would get that and thats in ok shape. Plus at the auto junkyard by me is a Gehl , missing the pto shaft but spins nice and smooth and $25 will do the job. If your just moving air any 60" or smaller your Montana will work just fine and will keep a big smile on your face when using it!

 

[204saskman]

ya but its the 1000 bucks in diesel to get me there is the issue lol alough it would be nice vacation

 

[204saskman]

Well t5o bring back and old thread, i finally found a 540 silage blower. My buddy ended up having one that i never knew about. Cost $0.00(well i shouldnt say free, he asked me to come rototill a new garden plot for him in exchange, which works for me). Ill post some pictures once i get it home here(tomorrow or next day). Its a big unit but im thining it will work.

 

[204saskman]

Well i got my project mainly done. Ill put some pictures up tonite of the unit. I must say, i tried it out last nite in the shop and i must say it moves alot of air. This will sure make things alot easier to clean up the yard come fall time.

 

[raf0419]

Hi 204Saskman,

After walking around the 50 oaks, maples and gum trees in my front horse pasture with a backpack blower for more hours than I care to admit, I thought, "hey a PTO leaf blower would be great!" Saw the new price of a PTO leaf blower and knew immediately that wouldn't work for me. That got me thinking I could probably fab one. So here I am on a quick lunch break search today. That brought me to your thread. How did you make out? Did it work as planned? Would love to see pics of what you used from the silage blower and how you closed it off.

Thanks in advance - Raf

 

[OrangeJbird]

Been wanting to build one too. Haven't found a cheap silo blower yet. Got pics of yours?

 

[chim]

I put one together in time for "leaf season". It is a squirrel cage blower from a 10 ton A/C unit our guys removed on a project. I wanted to get it painted before shooting pics, and before that happened I turned my interest towards another project. I do have a couple short cell phone videos shot from the seat of my old Ford. You can see the leaves moving but the blower isn't in the picture.

Figuring the optimum speed is the speed it was designed to operate at, I calculated pulley sizes based on the electric motor's speed and the 540 pto. It blows right around 4,000CFM at 540 RPM on the PTO (checked with an instrument at the shop).

I had a bud in the sheet metal shop make a sweeping reducing transition to get to 8"x8" at the outlet. Afer tinkering with different designs for nozzles it worked out the raw 8"x8" end works best. Trying to reduce the nozzles more than that tended to decrease the CFM's.

 

[chim]

Here's a picture I snapped this afternoon of the blower in a shed. The shaft for the PTO is carried by two pillow blocks on the far side:

 

[204saskman]

Hey guys, yes i did finish it but the snow came way to early. I found that i need to build a better duct to deliver the flow of air. it is currently set up as a trailer unit still but im going to convert it to a 3 Point this winter some time. I will take some pictures today as i got snowed in and im going to be plowing snow for the day. I think i might intupet a slip clutch or convert it to belt drive unit. I find that the unit does put out alot of air volume, but it needs to be sped up a little bit. Ill post some more pictures once i get started on it. I have some other projects i want to build this winter, like a heated cab with all of the goodies. Ill post later today.