converting a leaf blower

[SnowRidge]

If everyone thinks this might work I might try it. I am trying to find couplers that would work to attach a motor to the blower. The blower has a 1" shaft with a keyway. If anyone knows of a good site or place to go to get one could you please let me know.

Thanks again

Surplus Center has some couplers.

Also, try Lovejoy for couplers. They have a wide variety, and there are already one or two on your PT. I don't know if they sell direct. If not, use the site to find the part numbers you need, then plug them into Google.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Surplus Center has some couplers.

Also, try Lovejoy for couplers. They have a wide variety, and there are already one or two on your PT. I don't know if they sell direct. If not, use the site to find the part numbers you need, then plug them into Google.

OMG.... I thought Lovejoy was a design. Like a intertwining if you know what I mean. I thought it was a nickname, and not a name of a company.

Now I have to break the news to my wife that is not the Lovejoy position.

 

[ponytug]

I think that if you have done your calculations right, it should work. You know the rpm you want. You know how many horsepower you need, you know how to convert gas horsepower to hydraulic horsepower, and you can double check that the PT can put out enough horse power to drive it.

I look forward to seeing the photos and the test report!

All the best,

Peter

If everyone thinks this might work I might try it. I am trying to find couplers that would work to attach a motor to the blower. The blower has a 1" shaft with a keyway. If anyone knows of a good site or place to go to get one could you please let me know.

Thanks again

 

[SnowRidge]

OMG.... I thought Lovejoy was a design. Like a intertwining if you know what I mean. I thought it was a nickname, and not a name of a company.

Now I have to break the news to my wife that is not the Lovejoy position.

Your wife's name is Joy?

 

[coolconnection]

Well I got the motor and hydraulic hoses (it is used but not much). I got the brackets trimmed off the Steiner blower to accept the new quick attach plate. I am getting a bracket made to mount the motor to the blower. I think I am just going to buy a quick attach bracket and have it welded on to the blower. I will post pics when I get further along. I found a Lovejoy/G & G 1" coupler at Tractor supply (LO95). It says right on the coupler that it is compatible with Lovejoy so that is what I bought, the motor came with one on it already, lucky me. So far everything fits. I am having some of the things professionally welded just so it looks good and will hold better than if I did it. Thanks for everybody's help on this web site, I think it is coming along pretty good. A couple of weeks to have parts fabricated and welded, getting a quick attach plate, and new red paint. Believe it or not the blower used to be Ransomes green and I painted it red to match my old Steiner. At one time Ransomes owned Steiner. I will try to post some pictures soon.

 

[coolconnection]

Can somebody point me in the right direction on how to post pictures to this forum?

Thanks

 

[J_J]

Can somebody point me in the right direction on how to post pictures to this forum?

Thanks

After you select reply or quote, scroll on down to manage attachments, and click on it. It will take you to another page where you browse for the picture you want, select the picture, and click upload. when you are finished entering pictures, close the window, and the link to the pictures will be shown right above Manage attachments.. If the picture is to big, you will have to resize it. After it is logged on to Tractorbynet.com, it will look something like this.

 

[coolconnection]

Well I got the leaf blower assembled, but I actually haven't hooked it up so I don't know how it works yet. I have the snow blade on tractor and I may have to plow the drive tomorrow. This is my last Steiner attachment, my Steiner got stolen last Wednesday night by some A-holes. I was giving someone who wanted to buy it a good deal but it got stolen first. Thank goodness for insurance. I had a 1/2" inch logging chain on it and they cut it with a gas torch. Thank goodness I had my PT and attachments in the garage. They stole it in the middle of the night. Anyway I am attaching some pics of the blower, it is not painted yet and I may have to wait for warmer weather to do that.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone and the encouragement too. I will hook it up sometime when I have more time to test it out. Here are a few pictures of it.

 

[MossRoad]

Sorry to hear about your stolen tractor. I would post a description of it in the related topics folder and ask the TBN membership at large to keep an eye out for it.

I would also put an ad in your local newspaper, as well as Craig's list. Steiners are not all that common. Be sure to include a picture of it or a similar unit.

The blower looks nice, though.

 

[coolconnection]

I connected the blower up tonight and wow, it works better than when it was on the steiner. I blew the snow off the driveway and it was picking up chunks of packed snow and ice and blowing it away too. I plan on using this leaf blower a long time. It is so awesome to build something and it works better than you expected. Thanks to everyone on here that helped me and for ideas on ways to go about building it and motor size and so forth. It looked like a blizzard in Ohio with all the snow blowing everywhere. I had it pretty thick, I probably could clear the drive with it if it was the light dry stuff. It was so cool seeing it work and work better than it did before.

Thanks to all,

Brian

 

[MossRoad]

Great! Now get some video of it in action.

 

[coolconnection]

Great! Now get some video of it in action.

Well I finally got around to it and made some video. I hope you all like it. The blower works great. I am really happy with it. As you can see I don't rake or burn the leaves I just blow them back into the woods where they came from

PT425 leaf blower 1 - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

PT425 leaf blower - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

 

[MossRoad]

Well I finally got around to it and made some video. I hope you all like it. The blower works great. I am really happy with it. As you can see I don't rake or burn the leaves I just blow them back into the woods where they came from

PT425 leaf blower 1 - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

PT425 leaf blower - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

TURBO BEAST!!! :thumbsup: :laughing:

Very nice!

 

[KentT]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Now that's the way to cut down on manual work!

 

[stray]

Yes. Really nice job and thanks for sharing it. From the pics it looks like fine craftsman work. Now what is your next project?

 

[coolconnection]

Yes. Really nice job and thanks for sharing it. From the pics it looks like fine craftsman work. Now what is your next project?

Well thanks for the great comments. Now that you asked, I got this Sabre Samurai sickle bar really cheap because it was damaged so I repaired it and adapted a quick attach plate to it with a sliding sleeve so I can mow along some really steep slopes and ditches. Works great but still trying to figure out some hydraulic stuff. I have to really rev my engine down for it to work properly but then that leaves me with little hydraulic forward speed and wheel power. Power tracs boom mower just doesn't look to safe for me. (yeah compared to a sickle bar, I know) If you all want sometime I can post pics.

 

[3238dpw]

If you all want sometime I can post pics.

:confused2:If we want! Heck yeah we want. Post away

 

[J_J]

coolconnection,

Quote:

I have to really rev my engine down for it to work properly but then that leaves me with little hydraulic forward speed and wheel power.


What do you mean that you have to rev the engine down? How many GPM's does your PTO produce. , and how many GPM's does the sickle bar mower require?

This valve is like the one I have to vary my PTO GPM's

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-4169-8&catname=hydraulic


This one has relief

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-064-38&catname=hydraulic

Could use a needle valve to slow the flow, or you could high tech and install proportional valve. Just dial in the GPM's you want. .

You could switch out that electric PTO valve and install the flow control valve with relief.

 

[coolconnection]

coolconnection,

Quote:

I have to really rev my engine down for it to work properly but then that leaves me with little hydraulic forward speed and wheel power.

What do you mean that you have to rev the engine down? How many GPM's does your PTO produce. , and how many GPM's does the sickle bar mower require?

Ok here goes my PT425 produces 8 gallons per minute at full throttle. For my sickle bar to work correctly it only needs 3.3 gallons per minute. So this is why I rev the engine down. I am looking for something simple like one of those valves you posted. I like that idea but how would one hook something up like that. I mean my hydraulic hose goes in but how many hoses come out. Is it just a simple by pass or do I put my in hose on its out connector or do I loop another hose in the system somewhere. I am just looking for something simple so I don't want to switch out my electric PTO valve for this.
By the way thanks for responding and getting those links for me. Now if you could just explain how they hook up.

 

[stray]

you may need to put this on it copy and paste if the link if it does not work it is a flow controll valve from northern tool

The Prince Adjustable Flow Control Valve controls the speed of hydraulic motors. This type of valve will start and stop a hydraulic motor or cylinder and vary the speed over a wide range. Once the speed is set it will remain constant regardless of load variation. Any remaining flow is bypassed to the excess flow port to return to tank or to power another hydraulic function. U.S.A.

$84.99

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200414715_200414715