A snowblower tip

[Frozen Assets]

I run an old L295DT and have a five foot wide Erskine snow blower on it. This gizmo sees a lot of use since here in interior Alaska every dang snowflake we get in early October is still here in mid April! One thing that I found quite beneficial was to hard face the edge of the ribbon and the edges of the fan blades. Many winters now and no wear on either. I used Hobart-McKay Armorwear in a little Lincoln 140 110v wire machine. Works good on the blower's cutting edge too!

 

[JWR]

Hey frozen -- I was up there a couple of years ago and put 2800 miles on a car trying all the highways I could in 2 weeks. Most people know what a really small sample that is. While roaming around down toward Chitina (and actually everywhere that I saw any farming operations) I was struck by the farm tractors -- pretty much "lone rangers" with no sight of any dealers or tractor friendly repair shops, no sight of another same-brand tractor for hundreds of miles. Being familiar with supporting farm tractors in more highly populated areas I was puzzled about how you guys "keep things going." Oh sure, I know, strong will, independence, jack of all trades requirements, tough genes, etc. but how do you do it !? Can you comment for those of us hoeing an easier row ?

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's where the DRONES come in!

 

[jrogers]

I run an old L295DT and have a five foot wide Erskine snow blower on it. This gizmo sees a lot of use since here in interior Alaska every dang snowflake we get in early October is still here in mid April! One thing that I found quite beneficial was to hard face the edge of the ribbon and the edges of the fan blades. Many winters now and no wear on either. I used Hobart-McKay Armorwear in a little Lincoln 140 110v wire machine. Works good on the blower's cutting edge too!

I am having trouble with shearing bolts. I wonder if this would help me. How tight is the fan in the housing? My issue is that small rocks are getting in the gap between the fan and the housing and jamming it. Maybe tightening the gap would lessen this issue.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Hmmm. I wonder if this trick would help on the larger blowers.

Looks like this guy thinks so.

 

[Dave M7040]

Hmmm. I wonder if this trick would help on the larger blowers.

Looks like this guy thinks so.

Mark
If you watch the video in the second link you provided look carefully and you will see his blower is turning in the wrong direction. Both the fan and auger. Look around time 11:30 on-wards.
Just before he stops the machine in front of the camera is when you can clearly see the fan running backwards.
The cup side of the fan blades is not the side moving the snow.

That is why there is a big fog of snow around the fan and snow flying forward off the auger. The auger should be throwing snow into the fan not out in front of the blower.

What is amazing is that it blows any snow at all.

Listen and you will hear the thunk thunk noise as his pto struggles to operate at severe angles. There is a point where you can see the pto shaft from the side operating at close to a 45 degree angle.

The maker of the video is well meaning just not knowledgeable.


Dave M7040

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I checked, and you're right. And it's still blowing snow!


But the more important point is, the rubber tips made a noticeable improvement.

 

[Dutch445]

about that 2nd link,
i would bet his frame rate of the video was the reason it looks like the impellar is going backwards,
it looks like it's going much too slow, and in reality it's going the correct direction it's just that the camera can't
capture that motion..
also, his little pusher flap he added to the front auger is throwing the snow back out front as well
as throwing some into the impellar.. therefore the cloud of snow coming out the front..
that blower does fairly well being on his skid steer..

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Mark
If you watch the video in the second link you provided look carefully and you will see his blower is turning in the wrong direction. Both the fan and auger. Look around time 11:30 on-wards.
Just before he stops the machine in front of the camera is when you can clearly see the fan running backwards.
The cup side of the fan blades is not the side moving the snow.

That is why there is a big fog of snow around the fan and snow flying forward off the auger. The auger should be throwing snow into the fan not out in front of the blower.

What is amazing is that it blows any snow at all.

Listen and you will hear the thunk thunk noise as his pto struggles to operate at severe angles. There is a point where you can see the pto shaft from the side operating at close to a 45 degree angle.

The maker of the video is well meaning just not knowledgeable.


Dave M7040

Dave, I believe the reverse is a camera frequency thing that creates an optical illusion that it is running in reverse. That blue-painted blower looks like an old McKee and so I consulted my video of my McKee blower running (from about the 5:20 mark on) and noted the augers are turning in the same direction as this fellow with the blue-painted McKee blower.

 

[coldsteelva]

The rapid rotation of the fan as compared to the frame rate of the camera is what makes it appear to be going in reverse. If that same camera was pointed at a helicopter propeller it would likely appear to be stationary or rotating extremely slow.