Got 5 inches of snow last night and tested out the conversion this morning. After running it for a half hour or so, I've got some good and bad news.
The Good: The snowblower worked really well although the snow was light and not particularly deep. The Robin 28HP FI engine started fine at 18 degrees, and I believe the extra power allowed for a bit faster ground speed than the stock engine would have. I set the skids fairly high attempting to avoid the stones on the driveway. I was careful where I pointed the chute, since rocks could be thrown at a good distance. Overall, I was pleased with how it held up and operated... at least until I got off and inspected the auger
(which leads me to the bad news).
The Bad: The portion of the auger that feeds snow up the chute was bent from getting stones pinched between it and the "blade" that scrapes along the surface. I think I can fix it, but it means I can not use it on the stone driveway. Someday (way in the future) I'd like to pave the entire length, but for now I'll fix up the auger and use it only on the top portion which is already paved (approx 1500 sq ft). My ATV will continue to be used for plowing the longer, stone portion.
So... Am I still glad I did it? Yep.
It was fun, only cost me $125 total, and it will get some use on the upper part of the driveway. Since it is paved, I'll be able to lower the skids and get right down to the asphalt. The ATV plow is raised up due to the stones and results in an inch or so of snow left behind. Using the snowblower will not only be easier, but will scrape more snow away allowing it to melt and avoiding the packed ice that usually forms after plowing. By next winter, my son will be old enough to run one of the vehicles saving more time.
Thanks to everyone's help and input! :thumbsup:
Finally, here's the video I promised:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRs1Y3lwWzk]PowerTrac with custom snowblower - YouTube[/ame]
