BCS Snowblower to Mulch Turner Idea

[wstr75]

We seldom have snow here in central North Carolina but we
do have leaves, lots of leaves. I have a compost pile that
nearly 100% oak tree leaves. It is about 12 feet by about
30 feet and it is piled about 2.5 feet high. I don't have
a good way to turn over the compost and it is in a corner
too tight to have someone Bobcat loader the stuff around
(I've already had someone try and they only were able to
empty out one side). We usually let the leaves rot for two
years and then wheelbarrow out onto project areas in the
yard.

I'd like to speed up the process by adding nitrogen, but my
local gardening supply guru tells me that it is a no game
situation if the compost is not turned over periodically.
With this dadgum arthritis and aging back there is no way
I'm going to be pitchforking a 900 cubic foot compost pile.

Anyway, here is my idea to present to the group - Can a
BCS snowblower be modified such that the BCS pushes into
the pile and the leaves/compost is thrown over into another
pile? If not, does anyone have an idea about something I
can modify to do this kind of work? I am appreciative of
any ideas or comments.

Bill in NC

 

[oldmech]

Hi! Two years ago. At Fall I try my Gravely snowblower in leaves. I go in a ditch with water and leaves. I empty the ditch water and leaves go twenty feet away. But Gravely snowblowers ( Two stages) are very efficient. I think may be the problem with your Leaves piles will be Compaction may be makes dents in the auger for lacinate or torn leaves before blow them. and May be remove one front partial side for attack the Pile. You must take only one foot or less Because very hard for your blower. NO Guarantee Just ideas Good luck! Oldmech

 

[wstr75]

Oldmech, thanks for telling us about your experiment. The reason I thought about using a snowblower is because it sort of mechanically similar to a silage harvester where the cut silage is picked up by fingers to an auger and then blown into a trailer. On the BCS forum another fellow said he uses his flail mower to chew up leaves in his compost pile so maybe I do that first. I do not have a snowblower but I do have a Palladino flail mower for my BCS.

I still would like to visit with you the next time I am in Montreal on business. That could be one or two years from now, but I would like to see the single wheel sulky that you built as well as the other interesting mechanical items you have designed for your Grillo and Gravely tractors.

merci beaucoup

Bill in NC