Why break chain on snowblower?

[rbargeron]

Well, Nick, Season's Greetings and I sure hope your trip in to camp goes well with no more machinery failures. Do you remember any noises like rocks going through the machine? The first passes of the winter are hard on snowblowers - but two chain breaks is unusual. Camp roads are even tougher if only opened occasionally - they don't get frozen enough at the surface like a regularly plowed road. Let's hope the loose rocks are pretty well cleared out and now it will go better. Best of luck !!

 

[dutchman56]

It is a 300 km haul to the dealer. Will wait till spring and then go to dealer with any warrenty issues. A week at camp, can't wait to get Christmas over.

 

[rbargeron]

Hey Nick - nice crawler! Bet that winch will pull a house. What vintage machine? What brand? To borrow a phrase from another thread, "now that's a tractor ! ". Picture looks like it has an extra wide front blade ? Like the Kubota too - do you trailer it back and forth to your camp? Have a great week.

 

[rpraymond]

Here's another thought. With the machine off try rotating the auger manually and feel for any binding or "tight" spots. It sounds like you've checked everything logically possible so now look for the out of the ordinary problem. Good luck.

 

[dutchman56]

Back from camp. The dozer is a 1958 International TD6 and runs like a charm.
Put about 10 hours on Kubota snowblowing and no problems with chain. The chain is a new one from TSC and no breaks and I did find some rocks to throw. Must have been orginal chain giving me the grief.

 

[chinawall]

I had a problem too. Is it the main link? When my main link broke there were these tiny o rings on it. I fixed it and also put the o rings back in. It broke again. I fixed it again and left the o rings off. No problem since. I blame the dealer.

 

[Barneyhunts]

The book says 5/16 x 1 3/4 grade 5. Seems hard to me but the chain is 60hd so you would think it could handle it. the second shear bolt is right at the front of second stage impellar and no problem with it sofar but no chain involed with that one.

I have a 2750 blower on my BX2200 and it uses 5/16 Grade 5 bolts?(3 hashmarks on head) but the bolts have 2 grooves machined in them to line up with the outside of the auger drive shaft. It uses 1/4" grade 5 bolts without grooves in the fan. I bought the bolts from Kubota (about a dozen each) when I bought the blower 5 years ago and I'm just about out of them. I've heard that I could substitute grade 2 bolts for those 5/16 with the grooves cut in them. I've been shearing bolts and have not yet had a problem with the chain.

 

[Northland]

I'd suggest trying Grade 2 bolts as well.

Last week I bought a used Agrotrend (Mennonite country made) 60" rear blower and I broke off a few sheer bolts trying to blow mountains of packed snow. I figured out that I needed to shorten my top-link so the cutting edge of the blower wasn't pushing down. Once it was tipped upwards a bit I had no further problems.

That is until my wife was cleaning the house and threw out the contents of the kindling box. There was a cast iron end from the fireplace poker in that box and it tried to go through my snow blower It broke off the PTO grade 5 bolt but the old keystock also got mangled.

I called Agrotrend and John the parts guy told me that I should use grade 2 bolts and lock nuts. The manual a fellow TBN'r mailed me suggested as much but the previous owner had grade 5's on it.

 

[Barneyhunts]

I'd suggest trying Grade 2 bolts as well.

Last week I bought a used Agrotrend (Mennonite country made) 60" rear blower and I broke off a few sheer bolts trying to blow mountains of packed snow. I figured out that I needed to shorten my top-link so the cutting edge of the blower wasn't pushing down. Once it was tipped upwards a bit I had no further problems.

That is until my wife was cleaning the house and threw out the contents of the kindling box. There was a cast iron end from the fireplace poker in that box and it tried to go through my snow blower It broke off the PTO grade 5 bolt but the old keystock also got mangled.

I called Agrotrend and John the parts guy told me that I should use grade 2 bolts and lock nuts. The manual a fellow TBN'r mailed me suggested as much but the previous owner had grade 5's on it.

Cast iron pokers are tough on snowblowers! I haven't tried the grade 2 bolts ,as I still have the grade 5 with grooves, but nylok nuts sound right. I'll check my blower mounts to see if I can angle it upward.
Thanks

 

[dutchman56]

Have over 90 hours now on machine and still no more chain problems. When it did break it was never at master link.
I did break second stage shear bolt. Seems it did not want to pass a 3" dia 10" long stick.