Snowblowing rules of thumb

[vadarlis]

hahaha I had to laugh. In Melbourne, Australia today, it is 39 degrees Celsius.... No snow....

 

[TugHillDog]

hahaha I had to laugh. In Melbourne, Australia today, it is 39 degrees Celsius.... No snow....

my thermometer doesn't even go up that far!!!:laughing:

 

[buickanddeere]

ay66v:
Default Re: Snowblowing rules of thumb
My personal snow blowing rule: No cab, no snow blower.

I believe God created snow plows just for that reason.

I have that setup and working on making a shield in the back. It's not safe to be sitting there and waiting for the rocks to hit you.

No different than spreading manure. Keep the tractor up wind.

 

[Mean Jean]

Here is a rule I like to follow.
Never fight the wind!

 

[Pitch1]

Just a general safety note for winter tractor operation. If you leave your rig outside, make your first move in reverse! Rear tires frozen to the ground can and will bring the tractor over on top of you!

 

[jgayman]

ay66v:
Default Re: Snowblowing rules of thumb
My personal snow blowing rule: No cab, no snow blower.

I believe God created snow plows just for that reason.

I have that setup and working on making a shield in the back. It's not safe to be sitting there and waiting for the rocks to hit you.

I've been walking behind a snow blower for 25+ years. This year I'm looking forward to RIDING on my open-station 2720 with 54" front blower with remote spout control.

Staying dry is a matter of chute control and embracing the wind.

Let's hope we get enough snow that I can give a full report. :thumbsup:

 

[ray66v]

I've been walking behind a snow blower for 25+ years. This year I'm looking forward to RIDING on my open-station 2720 with 54" front blower with remote spout control.

Staying dry is a matter of chute control and embracing the wind.
:thumbsup:

I have been there and done all that.

You must not ever have gusting, or swirling winds.

It's so windy here, sometimes I get a face full of snow, even when plowing it.:cold:

I stand by my resolve.

 

[dave1949]

I've been walking behind a snow blower for 25+ years. This year I'm looking forward to RIDING on my open-station 2720 with 54" front blower with remote spout control.

Staying dry is a matter of chute control and embracing the wind.

Let's hope we get enough snow that I can give a full report. :thumbsup:

Ha Ha, good one, embrace the wind. I have a section of driveway that I just can't blow with the prevailing wind. There is a bit of a difference between a walk behind and what your 54"er will put into the air for the wind to embrace. In any case, a little snow in the face beats shoveling every time. Have fun with your new blower.

 

[Looking4new]

If it is windy and I have to blow into the wind, [windows and such] I aim the chute lower. I would rather blow the same snow twice or three times than replace a window in the winter.

 

[Carl Bert]

Wow, nice set up, that thing really eats up the snow. It doesn't get much better then that. Enjoy it.

 

[FatTire]

To prevent freezing of the 2nd stage, I clean it out as best as I can and then I spray Prestone De-Icer into the drum. Have not had a problem since.

What is Prestone De-Icer made of? Is it corrosive?

 

[Jaylegger]

Never get off tractor without first disengaging the blower PTO. I always obey this rule but I had a brain fart and bypassed this rule last week, got off the tractor to remove one of those $%&*#^ bundled flyers thrown on a driveway and stuck in the ice, the operative word here is ice. Parked about 4 feet from the bundle got out and just started to bend over and down I went, arm missed going into auger just by shear luck, (pulled it back just in time).

 

[Gil Case]

What is Prestone De-Icer made of? Is it corrosive?

It is mostly Methanol, ethylene glycol and water. Should not be corrosive. Flammable and poisonous if ingested however.

I suppose there are not many people out there who remember when we only used methanol for anti freeze in our cars and tractors.

 

[Karl2]

Sound good except the multiple cuts / #3 rule. Just get an HST or more hp so you can do it in one swipe!

You must adapt the rules to your equipment. Both my tractors are above 60 hp so I don't need to do multiple cuts, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored by everyone.

With regards to stepping off the tractor with PTO engaged 90% of the time that rule is golden. But sometimes maintenance requires that the blower's moving parts be observed in motion by the operator himself, if you do your own troubleshooting. So there are safety rules to abide by in seat switch bypass situations:

1) Don't do it if you're not the one doing the maintenance, let the techie take the risk.

2) Don't do it with other people around.

3) Always do this with the blower raised, not sitting on the ground

4) Point the chute away from you (duh!)

5) Stay at least 10 feet away from the moving parts so if you trip you won't fall into the auger

 

[Looking4new]

It is mostly Methanol, ethylene glycol and water. Should not be corrosive. Flammable and poisonous if ingested however.

I suppose there are not many people out there who remember when we only used methanol for anti freeze in our cars and tractors.

And always carried a blanket or two in the car for cold legs and feet. My Dad had a '34 Ford and that is what we did.

 

[Looking4new]

I use windshield washer antifreeze -35F and splash some in the fan of the blower and also around the chute where it rotates.

 

[lloyd430]

IN the spring car wax the heck out of the inside of the blower- then your ready for that first snow on the fall! The wax makes the snow fly easier and farther.

 

[VitaBene]

Snowmobile helmets are a beautiful thing!

 

[CobyRupert]

Here in New England we often get the heavy wet snow, especially in the spring when it rains and snows at the same time, or snows then warms up into a nice slush.
1)Spraying a coat of oil, WD40, Pam or somesuch on all snow contact parts can do a really good job at keeping the chute unplugged, to some extent.
2) Watch closely how much snow is coming out of the chute, how fast, and how far it's being blown. Watching this for changes and listening to the motor one can usually detect an oncoming plug.

 

[kiotiken]

Funny, I just saw your thread and noticed the picture of your "current rig" as the same one I saw for a local snow removal company in the Ottawa area. Snow removal and landscaping services | Ottawa | Snow Removal and Property Maintenance | Kijiji Canada