Snowblower running a front-mount snowblower

[44trxfun]

I've loooked in the archives to see if anyone's addressed this, but I didn't see anything. I have MF's front-mount blower for their GC2300 (VERY similar to Kub's BX2200). I've seen folks suggest shortening the toplink to raise a 3PH blower a bit in order to avoid picking up gravel.

I'm wondering if it's OK to run a front-mount blower a bit off the ground (maybe a tad higher than the lowest setting of the skid shoes) to accomplish the same thing. I realize the 3PH is carrying the weight on the rear mount and that's obviously missing on the front mount. However, my sub-frame attachment seems pretty stout and if I'm moving slowly through snow, is it critical that the blower be supported on the ground? Can the short front PTO U-joint take this kind of treatment or is it really the limiting factor?

Thanks for any help/ideas!

 

[Deerlope]

Can not really answer your question cause I do not know your machine, but I am running a bota and a bota blower, front mount and today I rasied it off the skid shoes to keep from picking up pebbles and such. worked ok.

 

[Von]

I do it with mine all the time. I also raise it up to turn around without stopping the PTO with no problems as well.

 

[Dooze]

I'm in my third year with the front mount blower on my BX1800 and use the hydraulic lift all the time to feather the blower on uneven ground. I keep the tractor in a shed about 400 feet from the driveway and since the bx has such a low ground clearance I have to clear lawn to get to the driveway so adjsuting the lift is real important to me. I have even used the blower to back drag deep snow on a short hill to keep from having the tires dig in and tear up the lawn.

 

[snowman]

Sure can...I used to do it when clearing the sidewalk or clearing a path on the lawn for my wife to walk to fill up the bird feeders. Nice thing about the front mount is that it is easy to "feather" the blower level that it is with the 3 pt.

Von...have a chance to use the blower in any heavy stuff yet? Working okay? I used your old one last night to push back some some big plow banks from our Nor'easter. Worked great - like slicing through butter. Supposed to get hit again with another storm in a few days. I feel like it's the middle of February here!

 

[art]

The shortening of the top link on three point units is to allow the blower to lay back and not be an aggresive cutter. To change the angle that the blower sits in relationship to the tractor will run the blower on it's heel instead of flat. When the base is hard then you can adjust the top link longer and make the blower cut more aggressively.

 

[Von]

Jim,
We got about 14" here this weekend! used the blower three times just to play. Works great, just wish I had a cab so I could stay out all day! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Yesterday I had to widen our road as the plow guy was a little lazy, must have been from plowing for 18 hours straight. Had to move about 4ft wide by 2ft high of banks back along the road, the tractor and blower just ate right thru it! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Only had to slow down a tad! One thing that I'm glad I did was the electric chute control, sure makes life easier when blowing snow! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
They say we might get some lake effect later this week! I say let it come, I'm ready! Take care and have a safe and happy holiday!
Von

 

[snowman]

Good to hear everything's working okay. I wasn't sure if you got much of that Nor'easter snow or not; sounds like you got pretty much the same amount we did.

Having a cab - I know what you mean. It's so nice having the plow on the truck; fast and warm! No ice on my eyeglasses!

 

[PerryWhite]

I too have a 1200 foot long 1 in white rock drive so I took
the factory skid shoes off of my JD 59" front mount snow blower and replaced them with some sled runners with vertical
supports to keep my snow blower about 1 to 1.5 inches
off of the white rock. I have used it four seasons and no
problems and I am not chucking white rock 40 feet out into
my yard. When it's light outside, I will go take a picture
I tried it once with the snowblower up in the air but
as I traveled the snowblower bounced and I scalloped
the drive picking up rocks. The sled runners
keep it at the same distance from the ground all of the time.

 

[PerryWhite]

I didn't remember to take a picture of the sled runners
for my JD 59" front mount snowblower until today.
These skids keep the cutting edge of the snowblower
about 1- 1.5 " above the white rock on my drive.