Rear Inverted Snowblowers 2019

[kco]

Hillbilly, the fan on my 72" Meteor is a full 8" deep and 23" in diameter. The drum it sits in is 8" deep and 24" in diameter. It throws the snow 30' even when the snow is wet, as long as you keep the fan speed up and the snow volume a continuous steady stream. Even in the worst wet snow conditions I find the blower will not plug as long as it is kept busy. I think the blades push it out as a solid column similar to pumping water with a hose. Whenever I plug it is due to not giving it enough snow. Other times it will plug is if I have been blowing slushy snow and leave the tractor idling. I think the snow in the chute settles to the bottom of the chute but at the top of the blower and forms a plug. Then when you move again and fill the fan with snow it can't push it out the chute. I can usually avoid it by lifting the blower before idling so most of the snow is cleanly ejected from the chute.

Here is a video I made yesterday another neighbour's driveway. His truck with a plow is inoperable due to seized brakes and is just visible at the end of the video. The vehicle tracks in the video are from him coming down in his truck to get new snowtires in Enderby. The snow is only about 6" deep but it is compacted from the last couple of snow falls (total about 12"?) since I helped pull his truck out of the way and cleared his driveway New Year's day. I had the tractor in low range but it was fine going up his driveway which is about 10% grade. My DK35SE HST is 38hp rated at 28hp PTO. I was likely at about 3/4 speed in low which would be around 4km/hr. I likely came down in medium range at a trot-like pace. I actually seldom run faster than 1/2 speed in medium even if I could go faster. It seems smoother and more enjoyable to me. Even in good conditions I find my self-imposed limit is to prevent noticeable wheel slippage. Even in deep loose snow one can feel a shuddering as the wheels start to slip. If that happens I ease off so there is no noticeable slippage. It feels easier on everything and, being retired, I'm in no hurry.

20200103 Snowblowing Driveway - YouTube

Here are some photos on the main road below the driveway in the video:



Even with that terrible snow the blower worked fine but I finally thought it was time to stop and clear it. The neighbour's driveway in the video goes up to the right of the power pole in the 3rd photo.

The snow is much deeper than it appears. I think we have had 3' since December 31 and it still has not been cleared. 4x4 trucks can just manage it but there is only a single set of tracks for the entire 3 or 4 km. There's no hope for vehicles with low clearance. In all there are about 30 families that access the bottom end of the road and about 15 beyond this point. So there are two packed tire tracks. I cleared a track of top loose stuff for the 1 km or so from here to the end of the road and was widening a patch so people may be able to pass if they meet each other. But more likely one would have to back down the hill. The warm weather does not help because the track gets churned up.

In their wisdom, the Highways Department(who do our roads because we are a Regional District rather than local municipality) switched contractors this year, granting a 10 year contract to AIM Roads. Apparently it is a Spanish company. Too bad they didn't get one from Norway, or Switzerland, or ???

Hillbilly, I imagine you should be able to go at a fair clip with a pull-type. Will you still need to do 4 passes if you get an 87" blower? Anyhow, I think you will find a pull-type blower excellent for your situation.


Here is the MK Martin 2011 pamphlet for my blower:

 

[airbiscuit]

Thanks for the video. That is beautiful country. Your neighbors are lucky you are there with your equipment.

 

[kco]

It's official, viewing posts on TBN costs you money. I just ordered an MK Martin / Meteor 68" Rear Pull Snowblower from Iowa Farm Equipment - Iowa Farm Equipment -- Contact Us . Shipping was way less than I thought, and all in, I saved many hundreds compared what my local dealers wanted. Now I just have to wait for delivery :drool:

Congratulations, Airbiscuit. I think you will like the blower. I'm curious, did you get the hydraulic chute rotator or any other options?

 

[airbiscuit]

It came with adjustable skids and a manual chute rotator. I do have a rear remote and considered a hydraulic chute rotator, but I don't do a lot of chute rotations on my current standard 3pt snowblower. I figured if I have to, I could fab up a hydraulic or electric rotator. I was really surprised at the price differential between Iowa Farm Supply and my local dealers. I have been looking for a used rear pull snowblower for years, but they are as scarce as unicorns. This thread and the price I got finally put me over the edge.

 

[kco]

Now all you need is snow. I remember when I got mine the dealer's annual shipment was a bit late and we had a snowfall before it arrived. I cleared that with the blade. Then I got the blower and it didn't snow for weeks. My wife as laughing because I was wishing for snow. I even called the dealer and said I still didn't get the snow I ordered with the blower.

I was not aware of pull type blowers until Jake (Kioti dealer) showed me this video they made:

MK Martin Pull Type Snow Blower - YouTube

That was in 2011 and they were just getting the business going. They sell a lot of pull-types now.

You will enjoy the blower.

 

[airbiscuit]

I've posted that video on other TBN threads. Pull type snowblowers are rare around here. I am guessing that it is part cost, part dealer caution for stocking anything different, and part concern about driving over the snow first. Actual owners of pull type snowblowers don't seem to have issues with driving over the snow first (unless they are in 4' drift country). The only thing holding me back was cost, but then I started to picture myself removing snow 5 years from now (as a 5 year older man). Than made cost more palatable.

I think dealers would sell more if they had one demo model on the lot. Then the concept goes from theoretical to practical. I remember when Honda came out with 4 cycle fishing motors. Everyone thought they would be too heavy, leak oil, lack power, etc. I remember that an IH dealer had them and sold none because of the above stated perceptions. Then he quit trying to sell them. He just sent them home with customers and asked them to try them out and tell him how they liked them, because he heard the same things. I asked him how that worked. He said "Great, I didn't get any back. They all wanted to buy them". They discovered, they were quiet, sipped fuel, didn't foul plugs, didn't leak oil etc.

I'll have no problem selling my old snowblower - it has very few hours and they are always in demand on the used market. And you're right, I will be waiting for snow. I enjoy your posts (and hillbilly too)

 

[Hilbilly]

KCO, Thanks for that video and pics of your tractor using the blower and all the feedback / input you're providing.

It looks like your fan is the same depth as mine but a little bigger diameter. The housing for the fan on my rear facing blower is 22" diameter by 8" depth. I think the extra 2" of diameter on your blower will make it throw further and provide a little more volume than the one I currently have. Based on my calculations it would be a 19% increase in volume, which would allow a 19% increase in travel speed compared to what i have now. So if I currently take 2 hours to make 2 passes on the driveway, I should be able to make the same 2 passes 20 minutes faster (all things being equal). I would prefer something faster but will need to do some price comparisons to see if the extra speed comes with a hefty price tag or not.

Today I spent time moving snow that fell from roof tops away from the buildings to make room for the next round of snow and cutting a path into my equipment storage area, to get access to my sand spreader. It warmed up today and everything started melting and then froze again, which will lead to a very icy driveway unless we get more snow. I want to be ready for that. What I discovered from this, is that I need a rear facing blower. So if I get an inverted for next year I will keep this one for chores like today. I took a few pics and a few videos but I won't be able to post the videos for some time. I suck at editing and uploading videos.

Here are some pics though. The last pic shows where snow has come off one side of my wood shed but couldn't complete the process because of the depth. I used the blower to back into the snow that was on the ground, to allow the rest to come off. The other pics show where I had to break through a bank that was pushed up, in order to get access to my sander.

 

[Agvg]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

 

[RoyJackson]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

It's probably because we, in the US, never used tractors for clearing snow off streets...at least, to any degree.

 

[DarkBlack]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

I like the blower on the back, so I have full use of my loader If I choose so.