Skid steer snow blower on tractor loader?

[Andy12]

 

[Andy12]

That pump is only 95 bar. The blowers typically want 210 bar (3000 psi) or higher. You could run at 95 bar, but will have less than half the power. When I was hunting around there were lots of lower flow and/or lower pressure gear boxes and pumps available for good prices. But higher flows at 3000 psi seemed to put things into a different category.

That said, I was surprised to see how expensive the Eaton step-up gear was. But I tracked down the newer gear that Erskine uses and it seemed to be similarly priced.

If you want to run at a lower pressure, you could. You will just need double the flow, so larger displacement pump and motors on the blower. That will give equivalent power.

I’m trying to get figures on pressure, but they haven’t come back to me yet. I’ll have a look at something around 200 bars and see what gives

 

[Andy12]

I’m trying to get figures on pressure, but they haven’t come back to me yet. I’ll have a look at something around 200 bars and see what gives

Ha! This is more like what you’re suggesting Galtech Hydraulic PTO Gearbox with Group 3 Pump, Cast Iron | eBay
But a tad more expensive!!!

 

[hayden]

Ha! This is more like what you’re suggesting Galtech Hydraulic PTO Gearbox with Group 3 Pump, Cast Iron | eBay
But a tad more expensive!!!

Yes, that's more like it. But still a very good deal. It's barely more than I paid just for the Eaton pump. I've never heard of Galtech, so can't comment on quality.

 

[Andy12]

Yes, that's more like it. But still a very good deal. It's barely more than I paid just for the Eaton pump. I've never heard of Galtech, so can't comment on quality.

Yes, I’ll have to chase that up. Btw, do you know what ‘group 2’ ‘group3’ pumps are??

 

[5030]

I have a Kubota L5740 and for years have been clearing a 1/2 mile road plus parking areas with a rear mount PTO snow blower. It works well, but as I get older, being twisted around to see and work backwards is getting old. So I have started thinking about a front mount snow blower.

Kubota of course makes one, but it involves a substantial sub frame that doesn't look easy to install and remove, and as I understand it, the sub frame is incompatible with using the loader. So even if you remove the blower itself, you still can't use the loader unless you remove the whole sub frame. That just won't work for me.

So I've been thinking about using a skid steer snow blower. I have a SS mount on my loader, and I have front hydraulic remotes that could be used for chute rotation. But I don't have enough hydraulic power to drive the blower. I've seen specs in the 16-21 gpm, so I'm figuring on 20 gpm as a round number. I think my choices are a rear PTO pump, or a mid PTO pump. The mid PTO runs at about twice the RPM of the rear PTO, so a smaller pump will work, But somehow I'd have to mount and secure the pump. For a rear PTO there are a variety of commercially available kits, but on first check they seem a bit pricey.

Anyway, I'm interested in thoughts on this approach, and especially interested if anyone has done this before.

Thanks in advance

I run a Lucknow rear mount and I never, never turn around and look at where it's going. I have 3 rear facing cams so I watch the screen above my dash instead. I can look left, right and down the center, all at the same time in color too. I use it more when cutting hay but it works fine for the snowblower too.

 

[hayden]

I run a Lucknow rear mount and I never, never turn around and look at where it's going. I have 3 rear facing cams so I watch the screen above my dash instead. I can look left, right and down the center, all at the same time in color too. I use it more when cutting hay but it works fine for the snowblower too.

That's one of the alternative, and was recommended to me earlier in this thread -perhaps by you. If I hadn't come across a good (mostly, it turns out) used package, I probably would have gone down that path.

 

[Andy12]

 

[hayden]

Yes, I’ll have to chase that up. Btw, do you know what ‘group 2’ ‘group3’ pumps are??

I don't. My assumption would be that it's their own terminology and not of any industry relevance. But perhaps someone who knows hydraulics better could comment.

It appears that Galtech is the Canadian distribution arm of Walvoil who are an Italian hydraulics manufacturer.

 

[dstig1]

Andy, For an alternative, and depending on how handy you are, take a look at my front mounted build thread located here:

Sweepster Rotary Broom - rebuild and modification

I'm going to start this thread a bit ahead of time so I can actually get input along the way rather than just showing finished pics as there are some areas I am less certain of. I have started taking apart bits of it but probably won't get seriously into it until Spring/early summer when it...

www.tractorbynet.com

It was a lot of work but is working well. Yes it is a broom, not a blower, but they are very similar in principle of operation as a hydraulic driven attachment and the lessons there would apply directly to a blower.

Hope this helps.
-Dave