Snowblower Hydraulic Chute Rotator

[GoodGuy]

Hello Gang....I just bought an aftermarket Snowblower with a cable chute rotator & sure would like to modify this to hydraulics. My question & request for ideas is has anyone did a hydraulic conversion to a design like in the attached pic?? Thanks a bunch, Eric

 

[Scotty370]

It will be interesting to see what the TBN brain trust comes up with! I have a 48" JD318 Tractor w/ a four foot blower that I've been wanting to reto-fit for years! I even have the front hydro ports, but never did it. JD had an option on hydro turn that had a covered cylinder laid horozontally on the top of the sheet metal, in front of the chute. I'll have to see if I can find an 'exploded view' in their parts catalog! ~Scotty

 

[J_J]

You could add a chain sprocket to the base of the chute, and a small hyd motor, or a windshield wiper 12v motor to rotate the chute, using chain.

 

[Ivan49]

I had the same setup on my blower and I left the cable on it and removed the hand crank and added a flat bar of 1 inch stock on a piece of 1 inch all thread rod which was bolted to the flat plate under where the crank was. On the one ich stock put a cable on each end and run the cable on each side around these pullies and back toward the blower outlet. Fasten these ends using a spring on each one to the blower body. The sping work to take up the slack if the blower outlet sticks while turning. I use an 8 inch stoke cyliner to turn mine. It is connected to the 1 inch flat stock and the fixed end is fastened to the blower body. The clinder location on the flat stock controls how far the blower shute turns. I have a 5 1/2 foot blower and I conveted this to mine about 20 years ago and it works great. If you blower is a 5 foot I can give you all the measuments if they will help. I don't know how to post picures or I would.

 

[PILOON]

A real easy and inexpensive method is to use an ATV winch.
Like the hand crank, make about same # of cable turns in both directions on the winch and as well duplicate the snow shute setup.

Those winches are tough (rated at 2000 lbs) and come complete with reversing switch setup.
You basically can simply bolt it vertically on the blower frame and wire it up.
Works!

 

[Machold]

Pics of these mods would be nice; I'm just getting a rear remote fitted on my B3030 with hydraulic top link, and I've been wondering about the snowblower shute and possible conversion.

 

[General-Lee]

I had the same setup on my blower and I left the cable on it and removed the hand crank and added a flat bar of 1 inch stock on a piece of 1 inch all thread rod which was bolted to the flat plate under where the crank was. On the one ich stock put a cable on each end and run the cable on each side around these pullies and back toward the blower outlet. Fasten these ends using a spring on each one to the blower body. The sping work to take up the slack if the blower outlet sticks while turning. I use an 8 inch stoke cyliner to turn mine. It is connected to the 1 inch flat stock and the fixed end is fastened to the blower body. The clinder location on the flat stock controls how far the blower shute turns. I have a 5 1/2 foot blower and I conveted this to mine about 20 years ago and it works great. If you blower is a 5 foot I can give you all the measuments if they will help. I don't know how to post picures or I would.

Would you have a picture of this setup? Want to do something very similar. Thanks

 

[sd455dan]

Would you have a picture of this setup? Want to do something very similar. Thanks

Ivan's last post was over 5 years ago, maybe he is still a TBN reader and will see your request

 

[mikester]

Cheap and cheerful chute turner mod with minimal welding required. If you run past the cable limits you break the cable and get to fix it. I seem to manage this about once a season.

I replaced the hand crank with a short shaft and used a lovejoy coupler to take up any mis-alignment between the hydraulic motor and chute turner shaft. The motor was a spare I had kicking around, you don't need anything fancy or expensive. Slower speed motor is easier to control.

Here's a nice trick - I added UHMW tape I bought off amazon as a UHMW sliding surface to stop ice from binding in the chute rotator. Works better than lube sprays and has lasted 3 season so far.

 

[usernamerequired]

Cheap and cheerful chute turner mod with minimal welding required. If you run past the cable limits you break the cable and get to fix it. I seem to manage this about once a season.

I replaced the hand crank with a short shaft and used a lovejoy coupler to take up any mis-alignment between the hydraulic motor and chute turner shaft. The motor was a spare I had kicking around, you don't need anything fancy or expensive. Slower speed motor is easier to control.

Here's a nice trick - I added UHMW tape I bought off amazon as a UHMW sliding surface to stop ice from binding in the chute rotator. Works better than lube sprays and has lasted 3 season so far.

How does that cable work? Is it simply rolled around the chute and drives it with friction?

 

[mikester]

there'sa welded nut on the side of the chute the cable ties to.

 

[RjCorazza]

Cheap and cheerful chute turner mod with minimal welding required. If you run past the cable limits you break the cable and get to fix it. I seem to manage this about once a season.

I replaced the hand crank with a short shaft and used a lovejoy coupler to take up any mis-alignment between the hydraulic motor and chute turner shaft. The motor was a spare I had kicking around, you don't need anything fancy or expensive. Slower speed motor is easier to control.

Here's a nice trick - I added UHMW tape I bought off amazon as a UHMW sliding surface to stop ice from binding in the chute rotator. Works better than lube sprays and has lasted 3 season so far.

I may try the UHMW tape on mine, although I'm not really experiencing and problems. Did your blower come with the plastic ring that the chute actually sits on? I suspect that would allow the chute to rotate much easier.
I went the lazy route when I added hydraulics to my LuckNow blower by buying the manufacturers kit. The cable is on a large half moon pulley driven by a standard cylinder. As much as I like my blower, it was a royal pain to get the parts from Canada.

 

[mikester]

I may try the UHMW tape on mine, although I'm not really experiencing and problems. Did your blower come with the plastic ring that the chute actually sits on? I suspect that would allow the chute to rotate much easier.
I went the lazy route when I added hydraulics to my LuckNow blower by buying the manufacturers kit. The cable is on a large half moon pulley driven by a standard cylinder. As much as I like my blower, it was a royal pain to get the parts from Canada.

The plastic ring is homebrew from an old HDPE/UHMW water jug.

I was finding the chute would ice up where I put the UHMW tape in certain weather conditions. The tape and plastic ring makes a nice bearing and no more icing or paint wear issues.

I've seen the half moon solution. I already had a motor and coupler on the shelf and replacing the hand crank was the simplist fabrication for me.

 

[ColdRider]

I got a good buy on a Meteor blower came with hydraulics but no rears on my Kubota. Ran it with a hand crank the first year. Picked up a cheap Harbor Freight winch under $50 built a mount and it works great. Works with cable and friction.

 

[nyone]

Anyone have a spec for the hydraulic motor you would use on one of these? I have rear remotes.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I used this kit on my Woods RM72 snow thrower:

Hydraulic Chute Rotator & Deflector Kit

WoodMaxx? has a hydraulic chute rotator and deflector kit that is perfect for turning your manual crank snow blower chute into the hydraulic version. Visit WoodMaxx.com today.

www.woodmaxx.com

It wasn't that much more than buying the motor and mount parts plus it includes the hyd. hoses and a chute deflector as well.