Snow Attachments Snow blower info

[Tags]

I'm looking for three point hitch snow blower info,never had one before or ever seen one in operation.Just looking for feedback on which ones are so-so and which ones are good from your experiences.It will be used stricktly on asphalt and will be on a 43 hp machine (33 pto hp) ,so any and all info would be greatly appreciated,I know I'm lookin' in the right place /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[rbargeron]

Hi Chris - I use a pull-forward type blower made by Sno-Machines (no longer available I'm told) It does a great job on my place because most of my doors are in drive-by locations. The back-up type blowers do a better job of getting closer to things - lots of brands - 25 pto hp is plenty for anything up to 6 feet wide. Here's a pic of my rig.
Take care, Dick Bargeron

 

[looch]

You have lots of options. Pronovost, Buhler, Loftness, Meteor and so on.

Are you looking to buy brand new? Otherwise, I'd keep my eyes open on the roadsides - plenty of used machines out around me.

I have a Pronovost Puma but can't say that I did any research - it's just what was on the dealer's lot. I like it, though a remote chute control, whether electric or hydraulic is certainly worth it. Mine doesn't have one and when I clear next to a building and the wind suddenly shifts, I sure wish it did.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I bought a Pronovost Puma two weeks ago from Gagne in Sutton Que. Its 72 inch and worked very well on the 8 inches of snow we had that weekend. Only trouble I had was it would scape up rocks the size of coconuts from the driveway then choke on them. I learned how to change shear pins, but haven't learned yet how to properly adjust the angles.
I guess I need more practice.

 

[hwp]

Hi Tags:

There are a variety of options for 3ph snowblowers. First there are forward facing and rear facing. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Then there are single stage and two stage. Single stage use the speed of the auger to dishcarge the snow while a two stage use the auger to feed the impeller. There are also twin auger machines.

Most snowblowers are two stage so the following comments are geared that way, but the same principles apply to single stage machines. There are two factors that determine the effectiveness of a snowblower - discharge velocity and fit between the impeller and the drum. Discharge velocity is a function of the rotating velocity and diameter of the impeller. You need to consider how far you want to throw the snow. In my case I want to throw the snow about 100 feet so I need a discharge velocity of at least 5000 feet/min. My snowblower has a 20" impeller that I run at 1000 rpm which gives me a discharge velocity of about 5200 feet/min.

The fit between the impeller and the drum also affects the throw. The larger the gap, the more leakage and less throw. The fellow that made my machine gave me a rule of thumb to use - it was that a machine in good shape will pick up a dime at the bottom of the drum and carry it to the point of dischage a quarter turn later. Over time the blades of the impeller will wear and the drum may become damaged from rocks, etc. If it gets to the point that the impeller blades can't pick up a quarter, it is time for a rebuild. The throw of my machine had become much less than I thought it should be so I rebuilt it last year by putting a sleeve in the drum. When I put it back together I ground the impeller blades to give a 0.020" clearance between the impeller blades and the drum. That fixed the problem. Of course, the wetter the snow, the less throw a machine will have.

You also have the choice between new and used machines. There are a lot of good used machines around but you have to check the condition of the gear boxes, drive chains and sprockets, impellers and drums carefully. There are also considerable differences in quality of new machines - I have seen some with gaps between the impeller and drum as large as a quarter inch.

Then there are other ammenities. Snowblowers frequently blow snow where you don't want it - in your face. Therefore the question of protection becomes an issue. A cab is nice but pricey. Another option is remote control of chute direction and discharge angle. Some machine have electric controls for one or both while others use hydraulics.

Finally there is the quetion of power. My rule of thumb is 5 hp per foot of snowblower. With the amount of power you have, you shouldhave no problem with a 6 foot or even 7 foot plow.

Hope this helps.

 

[jimgerken]

Boy, there is sure a range of engineering quality out there too. I recently looked at a Buhler for sale at a local tractor dealership, a 48 or 54" dual-stage 3-ph unit. To drive the auger, which feeds the snow into the blower, the shafts had OPEN bevel gears! It seemed a little crude to me, a former farm kid. Most farm machinery is still very crude technology, but at least they would have used an enclosed oil-filled right-angle gearbox if it was farm-rated equipment. Maybe that's the norm for blowers,but, it turned me off instantly.

 

[Rubintropfen]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

To drive the auger, which feeds the snow into the blower, the shafts had OPEN bevel gears!

<hr></blockquote>



Yeah, I was real surprised to see this on a friend's 5' John Deere blower (don't know the model, and I doubt Deere built it).

The weak point on my 75" Meteor blower is the unprotected auger chain drive. I have replaced 2 sprockets, a bearing and a chain in 4 years. I have about 500 ft of crushed stone driveway east of Buffalo, NY, so this blower has seen some use. I think the damage has all been due to stones from the driveway getting between the chain and sprockets. I made the repairs myself, so I only have about $100 in parts.

 

[dlabrie]

I have the 60" Meteor. I only used it a few times last year on my 1500' gravel drive. I am a bit concerned about the open sprockets as well. Where do you get the replacement parts for your 75"?

Until the snow gets packed, I run it with the shoes extended then pull them up. It runs like a champ.

 

[thefarm]

I bought a 54 inch Pronovost Puma blower last year for my BX1800.I like the 1/4 inch steel they use.This will really throw the snow.Would like to see a tractor like yours throw the snow.I lke the way this one is put together.I haven't had any trouble with it.

 

[hwp]

The open sprockets are not a problem as long as you keep them aligned, the chain resaonably tight and well oiled. You can get new sprockets and chain at most farm equiment dealers. Stones and snowblowers do not get well together.

 

[Tags]

Whoa!Lots of good info,thanks, and keep it coming! I am leaning towards a blower that faces to the rear,I have never heard of the names of the blowers you guys are speaking of,my dealer told me he could get me a woods brand and is getting me a price,anyone with thoughts or experience with a woods blower or any suggestions of a dealer to contact in the snowier regions of the northeast would be appreciated,I'm not getting much knowledgeable info from the dealers in my area,I think its because we don't get a terrible amount of snow in my area so they don't sell many blowers.Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Tags,

Here are some web sites of snowblower Companies, most are in Canada.

http://www.pronovost.qc.ca/indexa.html
www.easternfarmmachinery.com
Farm King is at http://www.buhler.com/sitefiles/fksblowers.htm
Normand at http://www.cienormand.com/soufnsa.htm
JRW at http://www.jrw-enterprises.com/
Meteor is other manufacture to look at, I do not have any web site

Also check out E-BAy they have a 74 inch Woods

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1925986388

and a 60 inch Woods
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1925980787

Also go to
http://www.agdealer.com/list/index.cfm
and do a search on snowblowers, you will get a lot of info on dealers with new and used equipment.

I paid $1000 for a 54 inch Puma mfg by Pronovost got it at dealer in Belchertown, Mass

This is the wrong time of the year to look for a snowblower, they are getting top $$, Spring or Summer you will get the best deals.

Good luck

Tom

 

[Rick Jay]

I picked up a new Woods SS60 at the end of last winter. Got what seemed to be a pretty good price. Woods stuff tends to be pricey. Mine was painted Kubota orange to match my tractor.

I believe I paid about $1950 + tax for it, delivered. Before and during the winter season last year my dealer had quoted me prices of $2200, then $2400 as the winter was underway. (Price increase was a bit odd 'cause we didn't get much snow last winter.) Anyway, in May when I visited him, I noticed he had an SS60 and an SS52 in the yard. I asked him if he might be interested in cutting a deal. The price he gave me was in line with what I had seen other dealers ask for them, but I would have had to then pay for shipping.

Since last May, we have had one snow fall of a large enough quantity to use it. No major problems.

Be a bit careful if you buy a used Woods unit. The previous series of Woods snowblowers was the SB series. They had a smaller impeller (the SS is 23", the SB was 18", I think) and a smaller working height (the SS is 30", the SB was 24", I think). The other units probably worked fine, but it is something to keep in mind. Perhaps others on this board have an SB model?

My driveway is about 100' long and 12' wide with a small parking area. A 5' snowblower almost takes the fun out of. Three passes and it's done. I bought the blower mostly for doing about a 300' stretch of sidewalk in front of our house and a couple of the neighbors. It handled that without breaking a sweat. The sidewalk is about 4 1/2' wide so I had the skid shoes adjusted to lift the scraper blade about an 1" off the sidewalk and the blower was tilted back so it wouldn't dig into the soft (unfrozen) ground too much.

I am hoping for a good snowfall with every storm that heads our way, but mostly we've just got 4"-6" at a time, and I use my smaller lawn tractor w/plow to clear that.

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know. I'll be happy to pass on what little I know. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

~Rick

 

[CamshaftLF]

Tags: I have a BER-VAC 63" made in canada, It's direct drive no chians built very rugged. Works great for me.

 

[looch]

Those BER-VAC's are really nice. I would have bought one myself but the closest dealer was selling Pronovost.

Here's a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.radinter.com/radtech/anglais/souffle/frameset.htm>link</A> to the BER-VAC web site.

 

[Rubintropfen]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

Where do you get the replacement parts for your 75"?

<hr></blockquote>



The chain on my 75" Meteor is generic 60H roller chain. I also used a generic idler sprocket, but bought the auger sprocket and chain drive shaft bearing from the dealer who sold me the blower (he ordered them and I had them in a couple days). I could probably have used generic parts for those, too, but I would have had to drill the auger drive sprocket for mounting.