DIY BCS snow blower weights

[ottawarob]

I love my 853 with a snow blower now that I've tuned up the carb on it, and put chains on the wheels, really throws the snow. I find I'm constantly having to put some upward pressure on the handle bars, I'd like to add some weight to the snow blower. I know BCS sells weight for them, but I'm in Canada, don't want to pay the shipping for it. Is this basically a heavy steel bar? There's a steel supplier near here, I could buy a 1.5" x 3" x 24" steel bar, paint it and bolt it on... the internet says that would be about 30 pounds. Bad idea?

What do you guys do to add weight to the front end of your snow blowers?

 

[WesKootenay]

EarthTools has an inexpensive system that attaches to the lug nuts - shipping shouldn't be that much?
Barbell Wheel-Weight Hangers for walk-behind tractors - YouTube

Also, I was recently looking at a post where a guy just attached a hook to the bars at the front of the engine and hung some old barbell weights on it - but I can't find it.

 

[aczlan]

EarthTools has an inexpensive system that attaches to the lug nuts - shipping shouldn't be that much?
Barbell Wheel-Weight Hangers for walk-behind tractors - YouTube

Also, I was recently looking at a post where a guy just attached a hook to the bars at the front of the engine and hung some old barbell weights on it - but I can't find it.

I think the OP is trying to add weight to the snowblower end so that it stays down on its own (it's currently too light and the engine/handlebars outweigh it), so weights on the wheels, or engine will not help achieve the desired results.

Aaron Z

 

[ottawarob]

I think the OP is trying to add weight to the snowblower end so that it stays down on its own (it's currently too light and the engine/handlebars outweigh it), so weights on the wheels, or engine will not help achieve the desired results.

Aaron Z

Correct! I already have the wheel weights. Problem is that the engine is a wee bit heavier than the attachment, my arms get super tired keeping the blower for riding up on the snow.

 

[WesKootenay]

Oops! Just re-read the OP.
Thanks.

 

[jbradley]

I understand your pain. I added extensions to my 948 (that has standard front weights that are a pia to remove), ultimately adding 2 3in extenstions plus 2 quick couplers (one extension had both the male & female quick couplers so that it could be easily added and removed). It had barely reached weight neutral and stuck pout way too far. I built a rack that I connected to the tow coupling that now has 50# of weight added, and could still stand to have some additional weight (my local Walmart is out of the freeweights that I need, so it will have to wait). See the attached pic.

 

[ottawarob]

I understand your pain. I added extensions to my 948 (that has standard front weights that are a pia to remove), ultimately adding 2 3in extenstions plus 2 quick couplers (one extension had both the male & female quick couplers so that it could be easily added and removed). It had barely reached weight neutral and stuck pout way too far. I built a rack that I connected to the tow coupling that now has 50# of weight added, and could still stand to have some additional weight (my local Walmart is out of the freeweights that I need, so it will have to wait). See the attached pic.View attachment 588467

This is fantastic, I was thinking of doing something similar with the trailer hitch, great to see someone else on the same track!

Interesting about the extensions. I was thinking about getting them, but was also worried about it making the unit stick out too far.

 

[ottawarob]

Overall if I had to do it again... I don't know, I might buy a dedicated snow blower instead of using the BCS, or save my pennies for a tractor with a blower. The air filter clogs up with ice, carb freezes up, weight distribution is funny, the whole unit is long. It sure hacks through snow when conditions are right, but a winter specific unit sure would be less grief.

While I won't likely do it, I'd love to try running my BCS with the air filter off for snow blowing. There's always some point where the motor gets stuck in the snow, and then I start losing power shortly thereafter, I'm guessing because the filter has frozen up.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had these plates laser cut for some crazy weight on the back of my Gravely which was un-useable. Me 200LBS had to hang on the handlebars to raise the front! I think I got even a few more plates before the weight was enough, then welded them into a block and painted it.

Some of the inner plates had a cut out to accomodate the sulky hitch.

 

[ottawarob]

View attachment 588476

I had these plates laser cut for some crazy weight on the back of my Gravely which was un-useable. Me 200LBS had to hang on the handlebars to raise the front! I think I got even a few more plates before the weight was enough, then welded them into a block and painted it.

Some of the inner plates had a cut out to accomodate the sulky hitch.

Holy cow, that thing is a beast!

 

[Industrial Toys]

And a REAL beast if it went over the edge. But it threw snow to the next village. And with that single CAST Kohler, the neighbor always thought helicopters were about.

 

[freedomlives]

Wow-- that looks bigger than my Goldoni Special with its rather big 2 stage blower, which I've finally set up to use this winter. How much did that set up weigh?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not sure, but too heavy to be practical. They made those tractors bigger and bigger for commercial use, with a five foot mower, (Mine Came From the government of Ontario Transit) but they became too large for all the other attachments.

 

[anastasie]

View attachment 588476

I had these plates laser cut for some crazy weight on the back of my Gravely which was un-useable. Me 200LBS had to hang on the handlebars to raise the front! I think I got even a few more plates before the weight was enough, then welded them into a block and painted it.

Some of the inner plates had a cut out to accomodate the sulky hitch.

Hello! I am looking for a similar solution for my Grillo G110.
I received as a gift from a friend one 50kg plate from a big John Deere Tractor and i was thinking to mount it instead of the Grillo plates (which came with the tractor).
But my question is: will the Grillo front bar handle such weight? The weights for the wheels sold by Grillo are a maximum of 18 KG on each wheel, so 36 KG added.
Recently i had an urgent job with the tractor and i had to carry some water/cement/power generator with my trailer (1948 Stock trailer) up a small hill (max 30 degrees angle), and the wheels did not have enough traction... they were digging in the dirt; so i friend had to stay on top of the fuel tank with all his weight...
I wouldn't like to ruin my new tractor...
What do you think? Should i mount the weight there? or cut it and put in on the wheels? If so, i should have the weight balanced, right?

Thank you very much & God bless!

Anastasie

PS: this is how the G110 looks with the standard plates:

and this is the 50kg weight gift

 

[ottawarob]

Hello! I am looking for a similar solution for my Grillo G110.
I received as a gift from a friend one 50kg plate from a big John Deere Tractor and i was thinking to mount it instead of the Grillo plates (which came with the tractor).
But my question is: will the Grillo front bar handle such weight? The weights for the wheels sold by Grillo are a maximum of 18 KG on each wheel, so 36 KG added.
Recently i had an urgent job with the tractor and i had to carry some water/cement/power generator with my trailer (1948 Stock trailer) up a small hill (max 30 degrees angle), and the wheels did not have enough traction... they were digging in the dirt; so i friend had to stay on top of the fuel tank with all his weight...
I wouldn't like to ruin my new tractor...
What do you think? Should i mount the weight there? or cut it and put in on the wheels? If so, i should have the weight balanced, right?

Thank you very much & God bless!

Anastasie

PS: this is how the G110 looks with the standard plates:

and this is the 50kg weight gift

View attachment 589097

50 kg sounds a bit heavy to me for a bumper weight. I'd consider getting wheel weights first and / or getting someone with a plasma torch or O/A torch to reduce the size of your JD weight.

 

[saxnbees]

Overall if I had to do it again... I don't know, I might buy a dedicated snow blower instead of using the BCS, or save my pennies for a tractor with a blower. The air filter clogs up with ice, carb freezes up, weight distribution is funny, the whole unit is long. It sure hacks through snow when conditions are right, but a winter specific unit sure would be less grief.

While I won't likely do it, I'd love to try running my BCS with the air filter off for snow blowing. There's always some point where the motor gets stuck in the snow, and then I start losing power shortly thereafter, I'm guessing because the filter has frozen up.

I have a Grillo G110 and had the same/similar problem with light powder. It took a while to figure out what was happening, but I finally decided that the snow was blowing back on the muffler and carb along with the carb linkages. After blowing for a bit, I was unable to get the engine to run above idle because the linkages iced up. I guess the warmth from the muffler was melting the snow on linkages and then it was refreezing so that the governor was not working. I don't believe I had any problem with the air filter.

I came up with an inexpensive and easy fix using flashing I had laying around and used a small bungie to hold it in place. Since then, I have never experienced the problem.

 

[ottawarob]

I have a Grillo G110 and had the same/similar problem with light powder. It took a while to figure out what was happening, but I finally decided that the snow was blowing back on the muffler and carb along with the carb linkages. After blowing for a bit, I was unable to get the engine to run above idle because the linkages iced up. I guess the warmth from the muffler was melting the snow on linkages and then it was refreezing so that the governor was not working. I don't believe I had any problem with the air filter.

I came up with an inexpensive and easy fix using flashing I had laying around and used a small bungie to hold it in place. Since then, I have never experienced the problem.

View attachment 589119

Interesting! So you put flashing over the muffler that extends over the linkages? Makes sense. I've seen similar things. I can never pin point when it happens with mine, but with the last session, I had to do a tight turn through deep snow, dragging the motor through powder. Of course I was way out at the end of a path I was blowing, really happy I could make it back to home base without it dying on me.

 

[saxnbees]

Yes, that is exactly what I did. I also think the flashing holds some heat in the area and melts anything that happens to get past the flashing. It does not take much to stop the governor linkage from performing its job. Once that freezes up, the engine can no longer request more gas from the carb so it can't run faster than idle and it takes a lot more power than idle to turn the snow blower.

 

[ottawarob]

Yes, that is exactly what I did. I also think the flashing holds some heat in the area and melts anything that happens to get past the flashing. It does not take much to stop the governor linkage from performing its job. Once that freezes up, the engine can no longer request more gas from the carb so it can't run faster than idle and it takes a lot more power than idle to turn the snow blower.

I was totally convinced that my problem was with the air filter, but this sounds super plausible! I'll be keeping an eye on the governor the next time this happens to me.

 

[saxnbees]

Be sure to let us know what you find. I imagine other folks may have similar issues and may be stymied.