Operating 3 point blower in raised position- why not?

[Wyobuckaroo]

I mostly run my blower on the ground skids all the time.. I do use the loader to break up already moved snow, using half wide cuts with the blower to move it back farther..

The major thing seems I'm in no hurry to make a "one pass and done" job.. The reason the highway department can it all in one pass is they spend BIG $ for BIG equipment.. So slow, steady, small bites gets the job done with no issues..

 

[Industrial Toys]

I try and do that as quickly as possible before freeze/thaw cycles. A Blower is NOT an ICE BREAKER!

Drive line angles are one thing to notice, but also putting weird forces on a blower frame. It was meant to gather snow, not really push anything, and if, then straight on. And a lot of guys like to utilize momentum when things aren't working, which will probably result in damage.

 

[Thunder chicken]

I adjust the length of the top link to change the 疎ngle if attack of the cutting edge on the blower, shortened will 喪aise it to not scrape and leave a bit of snow behind on the gravel. Then lengthen it to scrape down later on.
I run mine in the raised position as well.
Check your PTO shaft length to make sure it痴 not binding in any position!

Now, where did I leave that bag of shear bolts from last year.....

 

[FatTire]

I try and do that as quickly as possible before freeze/thaw cycles. A Blower is NOT an ICE BREAKER!

Drive line angles are one thing to notice, but also putting weird forces on a blower frame. It was meant to gather snow, not really push anything, and if, then straight on. And a lot of guys like to utilize momentum when things aren't working, which will probably result in damage.

Agreed, using momentum for a little extra "umpf" when pushing into a hard pile with a blower is a bad idea. With my 3 pt. blower I have pushed into some fairly hard drifts and plow berms with the blower up, but only using the tractor's traction. If wheels slip then it is time to break up the pile a little bit using a plow or loader bucket. My Unimog blower has gathering plates which can be used to extend the blower width on each side. Looking directly from the front, they add about 2 sq ft on each side. With the plates mounted on both sides it is basically impossible to push into a really stiff drift -- and this is with a 5.5 ton machine with locking differentials on both axles & tire chains. With one plate I can push in a bit, but if the drift is really stiff the entire truck will want to pivot on the remaining plate. In those situations removing both plates makes a world of difference, something that seems impenetrable can be blown away pretty easily. Snow is complex, and actually a lot of fun.

 

[cdaigle430]

Im thinking this might be misunderstanding? I think it means dont operate it in a raised position only when moving to another location. If you do that and lets say a chunk of ice or compact snow caught in auger get loose it will shoot it out at whatever the chute is currently pointed at.

 

[Industrial Toys]

When maneuvering around with a blower, I always direct chute away from windows and such. An extra step, but I am always mindfull of the possibility of something being ejected.

Need pictures of that Unimog!

 

[jonsstihl]

I usually pack down the first couple snow falls with the tires to create a base. I'm on flat ground so traction is not an issue. I sometimes drop the blower down and drive forward to smooth out the tire tracks and make a really nice base. assuming you have a regular rear facing blower and not an inverted one.

 

[jonsstihl]

+1 on the unimog pics

 

[Reb954]

Hi folks, new member here. Bought a house last year with a 1/3 mile gravel driveway. Managed to keep it open last winter with a big old ariens st1236 and tired old jeep cherokee plow rig, but it was always a hassle.

So this winter I upgraded to a Kubota L3901 with a SB1064 rear 3 point blower.

I've always been super careful about building up a snow mat before when using my old walk behind and have managed to never bust a shear bolt. Have been contemplating my snow removal strategy for this coming winter. Was hoping I could just run the blower with it raised 3-4 inches off the ground and then pack down the remaining snow by driving over it. Unfortunately, the manual states that operating the blower in this manner is bad and to only blow snow with it fully lowered.

OK, got it. Won't do that then.

But I'm curious as to why?- just want to understand the forces at work here so I don't do something else dumb. Can anybody enlighten me?

Thanks!

I'm also curious as to why the manufacturer would caution against running the blower in an elevated position. I looked at my blower instruction sheet and it doesn't provide any such caution.

The way I see it is if the blower fore and aft angle is adjusted so the blower input shaft is the same angle as the tractor pto output shaft and the 3 point connecting points are the same height on the tractor and blower then it shouldn't matter. But then I acknowledge there may be a problem I'm not seeing. Maybe a picture of the setup would help.

At times I run mine in an elevated position to move snow banks or to leave a base or at times there is just too much snow to take in one pass. I haven't seen any problem doing that. If the OP finds out from the manufacturer I hope he will let us know.

 

[hube2]

I'm also curious as to why the manufacturer would caution against running the blower in an elevated position. I looked at my blower instruction sheet and it doesn't provide any such caution.

The way I see it is if the blower fore and aft angle is adjusted so the blower input shaft is the same angle as the tractor pto output shaft and the 3 point connecting points are the same height on the tractor and blower then it shouldn't matter. But then I acknowledge there may be a problem I'm not seeing. Maybe a picture of the setup would help.

At times I run mine in an elevated position to move snow banks or to leave a base or at times there is just too much snow to take in one pass. I haven't seen any problem doing that. If the OP finds out from the manufacturer I hope he will let us know.

My manual for my snowblower says not to operate the blower with the PTO shaft at more then 15 degrees as it could damage something or cause shear bolts to break. I have not measured the angle with my blower raised all the way, guess I need to do that.