3 Point Hitch Snow Blower Conversion to Hydraulics

[ThomLL]

I would like to convert my 72" mechanical drive snow blower over to hydraulics so I could mount it on the front of my tractor to save my neck and shoulder from more pain while driving backwards.

Can anyone guide me on how to do this successfully at a reasonable price?

I can handle the fabrication details, but need help sizing the PTO pump and hydraulic motor that would be mounted on the blower's existing gear box.

Thank you.

Thom

 

[J_J]

The trick here is to find a commercial hyd snow blower with the same blade diameter on the net and see what the cu in of the motor is, then match it up to a PTO hyd pump.

So by knowing the GPM for the motor, and the displacement, you get the rpm.

So by knowing the GPM for the motor, you select a pump with the GPM you need and if your tractor can handle the load.

 

[CJONE]

What is the rated HP of your pto? You could build a hydraulic power pack to match the pto hp of your tractor. Then get a motor to spin about 550-600rpm at that flow for the blower. I am building one for my tractor just because I guess. It will be 25GPM at 2500psi. It is a little more than my rated HP but from experience it should be just about right. Going by the rule of thumb for blowers 30hp is in the ballpark for you but also remember you will lose 20-30% of your hp with hydraulics. CJ

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just a little tip. My friend built a few of these. One for his Case skid steer loader. He busted the shaft off the hyd motor recently because of the ineria when stopping the flow. Now he has put in a check valve that allows the fluid to bypass as the blower drivetrain comes to rest. Not sure if that would be an issue with a dedicated hyd pump driving it. Do you even need a valve at all? Probably not. And I guess you need a tank. This won't be cheap!

A laser tach is a good tool to play with that stuff.

 

[robstaples]

Thom, I've done something similar. I built a hydro power pack for my K L39tlb and now changing the mechanics to fit on my new B3350. I have a commercial skid steer 60" blower and am customizing a 48 " with hydro motor for the B3350. I've done lots of calcs. To start with, measure your impeller diameter and get the estimated speed based on 540 rpm input or what it is built for. What horse power is recommended for your unit? With new parts, estimate is $1200-1500. $550 for pump, tank, hoses, overpressure relief, rear 3pt to hold tank. I used 3/4 hose and couplings to minimize pressure drop, flow reduction. Hydraulic recommendations say 1 gal per gal of pump, Unnecessary large for winter use only. I have a 30 gal tank and a 20 gpm pump. (expensive counter weight) Bought most on my stuff from Surpluscenter.com.
my current issue is to route the hoses from rear to front and to remember not to lift up my FEL too high and pull on my hoses. Tight length is neat, but the FEL movement can pull excessively on joints if too tight. I'll help with your calculations for motor / pump if interested. rob

 

[CJONE]

Just a little tip. My friend built a few of these. One for his Case skid steer loader. He busted the shaft off the hyd motor recently because of the ineria when stopping the flow. Now he has put in a check valve that allows the fluid to bypass as the blower drivetrain comes to rest. Not sure if that would be an issue with a dedicated hyd pump driving it. Do you even need a valve at all? Probably not. And I guess you need a tank. This won't be cheap!

A laser tach is a good tool to play with that stuff.

Very good point. That is why I do not recommend a spool valve with these units. On skid steers with a cyl spool I will use a crossover relief. The check valve works well as long as fluid is available and run down time is not a issue. But please put a $40 dollar relief on the high pressure side in case a quick coupler comes unhooked with a system without a control valve. CJ

 

[ThomLL]

Thank you for your feedback.

I called Lorenz and this is what I got per their 78" hydraulic snowblower.

They use only one motor running through a gear box to rotate the auger and paddle.
20 gpm pto pump at 3000 psi at 540 rpm.
They have some sort of planetary gear in front to maintain uniform pressure or flow or both?
40 to 60 hp capacity hydraulic motor.
1" hydraulic line feeding motor and 1 1/4" return hose.
Only 18 gallon reservoir which I thought was low for the 20 gpm pump

Where would a bypass valve go to protect the system from damage if the blower gets jammed?

My paddle is 22" and the auger is 24".

Again, thank you.

Thom

Thom, I've done something similar. I built a hydro power pack for my K L39tlb and now changing the mechanics to fit on my new B3350. I have a commercial skid steer 60" blower and am customizing a 48 " with hydro motor for the B3350. I've done lots of calcs. To start with, measure your impeller diameter and get the estimated speed based on 540 rpm input or what it is built for. What horse power is recommended for your unit? With new parts, estimate is $1200-1500. $550 for pump, tank, hoses, overpressure relief, rear 3pt to hold tank. I used 3/4 hose and couplings to minimize pressure drop, flow reduction. Hydraulic recommendations say 1 gal per gal of pump, Unnecessary large for winter use only. I have a 30 gal tank and a 20 gpm pump. (expensive counter weight) Bought most on my stuff from Surpluscenter.com.
my current issue is to route the hoses from rear to front and to remember not to lift up my FEL too high and pull on my hoses. Tight length is neat, but the FEL movement can pull excessively on joints if too tight. I'll help with your calculations for motor / pump if interested. rob

 

[J_J]

You install the relief valve across the hyd motor ports.

 

[robstaples]

Thom, one question what is your PTO available HP? The above PTO pump at 20gpm at 3000 psi is 35 hp. 20 GPM will flow in 3/4" hose to and from motor with acceptable psi drop. Bigger is less drop but more difficult to handle and mount. For a comparison blower, I have the Loftness 721 es see link. You want the pressure relief as close to the pump as possible in case a quick connect comes lose.

Commercial Snowblowers Industrial snowblowers | Loftness

I have the 60 inch version but they use the same drive for 72" and 78". The also have a higher flow rate unit . measure the depth of your impeller and see which is closer. Let us know.

 

[BeezFun]

If you have fabrication skills you might think of hanging a gearbox off the rear pto and use it to drive a long driveshaft running forward under the tractor to the blower. There is a company that makes such a thrower setup, I've seen pictures but can't remember who it is. That might be cheaper and more straightforward than the hydraulics.