sandyc
Veteran Member
There are 3 settings for the distance of the blower to the tractor. The blower ships set for max distance away from the tractor. Has anybody changed this to move blower closer to tractor?
There are 3 settings for the distance of the blower to the tractor. The blower ships set for max distance away from the tractor. Has anybody changed this to move blower closer to tractor?
One important factor often overlooked in these decisions has to to with the life expectancy of the pto U joints.
As the blower moves closer to the rear of the tractor, the angle the pto joints will operate at increases.
Look at the info posted below.
A joint operating at a 5 degree angle has a design life of 450 hours.
Increase the angle to 25 degrees and the design life drops to 20 hours.
This data is from COMER a worldwide very reputable drive line manufacturer
Make your decision armed with this information
Dave M7040
One important factor often overlooked in these decisions has to to with the life expectancy of the pto U joints.
As the blower moves closer to the rear of the tractor, the angle the pto joints will operate at increases.
Look at the info posted below.
A joint operating at a 5 degree angle has a design life of 450 hours.
Increase the angle to 25 degrees and the design life drops to 20 hours.
This data is from COMER a worldwide very reputable drive line manufacturer
Make your decision armed with this information
Dave M7040
Do those seem like really short u-joint life spans to anybody? They’re probably assuming speed is a constant 540rpm, but you’d think varying torque (load) would also make a lifespan difference.
When it comes to deciding how far away from tractor, the trade off with the u-joints is probably front end weight. The farther away the blower, the lighter it gets. A big deal? Depends on your tractor, and do you have weights, a FEL, independent brakes, etc....?
Agree with others, make sure shaft can slide short enough when blower is raised to shortest PTO shaft position. (Typically when shaft is horizontal, but may vary).... test this prior to PTO connected or that gets expensive.