Snowblower chute rotation chain icing up

[Roger G]

I use a Toolcat with a BobCat SB240 72" snowblower. I always find myself having to get out of the machine and remove the ice from the chute rotation chain. The ice will stick and build up on the chain and/or chute surface which then prevents the chute from rotating.
Does anyone know how to remedy this problem?
Roger G

 

[irvingj]

Can you post a pic of your particular set-up? Perhaps some members could offer suggestions.... (not all of us have Bobcats )

 

[Roger G]

 

[irvingj]

Wow, Roger- that's a toughie. I don't think you'll ever avoid frictional heat buildup in the chute, and resulting melting of snow.... my blower uses a worm drive, which stays relatively open, though I do always have to remove/chip away at any melted/frozen buildup before putting it away or the chute will actually freeze to the base-- but the worm drive's usually pretty clear.

Perhaps, with all pieces warm & dry, a good spraydown of silicone, allowed to dry completely before use? Or have you tried that already? I get the impression that a chain lube would not be he best thing to use, as snow might tend to stick to it....

 

[Spudgunner]

I also struggled with this problem on my SB200 blower. I tried quite a few spray-on lubes but without a doubt the best thing I did to alleviate this problem was switch to a chain lube that has graphite in it. (Maybe they all do.) Until I found the chain lube I was going to create a waterproof fabric "skirt" that I could hose-clamp to the base of the chute that would hopefully afford some protection to the chain and the rotation motor. You can find very large hose clamps on the i-net, BTW.

Since my wife is quite the sewing nut, I probably will eventually ask her to create the above-mentioned skirt; however, I can't say that I'm in a big rush as this lube has made a big difference. I lube the chain/motor sprocket about once or twice a week.

Quick-Attach blowers have a very similar chute rotation setup as BC blowers in this regard and I would imagine they would suffer the same icing problems.

 

[DEWFPO]

I've used Fluid Film on all the moving parts for the last several years and so far so good.

DEWFPO

 

[rrw]

hello roger i have a friend who recently bought a tc and the snowblower blows only about 10-15' max at full throttle and will not slowly chew into a snow bank whatsoever. and its a 5600 non high flow! is ur machine high flow?
our compact tractors are about 45hp and they throw snow 40-50 feet.
any info would be great
thanks ross & mike

 

[Roger G]

Yes, my ToolCat is a C series 5600T turbo high flow. I use a high flow BobCat SB240 snowblower and can chew through packed snow, wet snow, ice chunks, and even small trees. The blower throws about 40 feet at full throttle. It will blast through six foot drifts of soft snow with ease.

 

[DEWFPO]

I had a 72" SB200 that came with the 9.6 motor package (high torque, lower fan speed) and was not happy with the short throwing distance. The dealer swapped it out for a 72" SB200 with the 8.0 motor package (lower torque, higher fan speed) and it throws the snow noticeably further.

I too have been disappointed with the SB's ability to chew into certain types of dense snow. I even had the dealer weld teeth onto the horizontal auger. No joy. My MF tractor with a front mount SB would chew thru any kind of snow without problems. The auger on it had serrated teeth cut it. Maybe a better design?

DEWFPO

 

[Roger G]

After using regular chain lube spray on the chute rotation chain every few days, I do not have chute rotation icing problems now. Thanks!

 

[irvingj]

OK, good to know-- I guess snow doesn't stick to it enough to bother!

Thanks for letting us in on your solution.:thumbsup:

 

[3Bladz]

I spray my snowblower with Fluid Film, and I mean I spray the whole thing. The stuff works.

 

[dsb5610]

I coat the chain on mine with grease. Never had a problem with it not turning. I try to clean the snow off the entire unit (including the chute area) with an ice scraper after each use it.

dsb

 

[Roger G]

I still battle the chute rotation chain ice up, a bit less than before. Best seems to be to grease the chain and chute surface where the chain contacts the chute, lasts about two days. 2nd best is to use chainsaw bar oil on the chain and chute surface, lasts about one day. Last place is the spray on chain lube, lasts about four hours, also the easiest to apply. I always clean and remove any ice buildup before parking the machine.