Toro Groundsmaster Snow Blower Attachment

[jpetropoulos]

Hi All

I just got a nice Toro Groundsmaster 325D in good shape with a Cozy Cab and a Toro 150 snow thrower. The challenge is that I don't have the "Quick Attachment Kit" to make the connection from the arms to the thrower. The parts are amazingly expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the thrower attached without the kit?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Xfaxman]

Pictures of yours would help. The Quick Attachment Kit is to make it quicker and easier to switch between the mower deck and other attachments.

You should be able to use the standard bolt on attaching hardware.

 

[jpetropoulos]

Thanks Xfaxman

Mine looks exactly like the first one you pictured here. I guess I understand that the quick attach does make it fast to swap out the attachments. I am having a hard time figuring out how to do without the kit and just make the direct attachments. Do the arms bolt directly to the blower and does the lifter attach to the blower with a chain? Any pictures of a direct attachment would be greatly appreciated.
I will try to provide some pictures tomorrow.

Jack

 

[Xfaxman]

I have no experience with a snow blower, but here is a picture from a Google image search that shows the right side arm fastened down low.

 

[Xfaxman]

A better picture, you can see the lift chain.

 

[jpetropoulos]

you know I just found that one too. It is clear that the same brackets that bolt to the mower deck will bolt to the back of the blower and that chains are used to attach to the hoist. I think I am in good shape. Thanks very much. Now I just need to source a wiring harness from the chute motor to cab.

 

[Xfaxman]

Do you have a driveshaft to fit the blower?

 

[jrsavoie]

I am looking for info for the snowblower on my Toro 325D. The snowblower was made by Accara Industries - I was told they have been out of business for 4 or 5 years.

It has the center gear box like the snowblower in the picture. I can find no manuals or any info on the snowblower.

Accara model 103077 serial 301191

I am wondering what the chain drive oil drip takes for oil and what the gear box in the center of the augers takes - I am guessing 80/90 for the gear box and chain saw bar chain oil would work for the drip.

Does anybody have any info or links to one for sale that I could call the current owner? Or a link to an owner or service manual for the snowblower?

 

[Xfaxman]

A search found these: Accra Industries Inc in South Beloit IL - Company Profile

http://www.manta.com/c/mmjdfc6/accra-industries-inc

 

[jrsavoie]

Yep. That's what I got also. Says the phone number is disconnected and I was told they went out of business 4 or 5 years ago

 

[jrsavoie]

Now I am looking for pics of how the snowblower mounts. I do not believe mine to be mounted correctly - no chains are hooked up. It tilts heavily to the left side.

Toro said if I could find a unit that has the Toro model and serial number they might be able to help me.

They said the 150 number doesn't work. They need the Toro model number off the snow blower. Like the 325D is model # 30795

Found it. Toro 150 Snow blower for 300 series machines Model 44910

Who would have thought Toro would spell Snowblower in 2 words.

Toro | Parts

 

[Rocky J]

When I put mine on the front of my GM72 I have to unthread the ends on the arms of the tractor half a turn to change from side mount for deck to front mount for blower also it takes a different lift arm then the mower deck. Same drive shaft. I will look at what model I have , the blower came with the toro GM when new in 1979, I have all the manuals from Toro.

 

[Xfaxman]

------------------
They said the 150 number doesn't work. They need the Toro model number off the snow blower. Like the 325D is model # 30795

The model number is 44910. but no assembly drawing available.

Here is the link to the operator manual: https://www.toro.com/getpub/19730

Here is a handy list of attachments and accessories: Redirecting...

Chains would hook to the upper lift arm, the same as a mower deck.

Found more pictures, but hard to see chains.

 

[Rocky J]

When I put mine on the front of my GM72 I have to unthread the ends on the arms of the tractor half a turn to change from side mount for deck to front mount for blower also it takes a different lift arm then the mower deck. Same drive shaft. I will look at what model I have , the blower came with the toro GM when new in 1979, I have all the manuals from Toro.

I looked at my manual and it is a McKee Snow Lander Model 220

 

[Rocky J]

I looked at my manual and it is a McKee Snow Lander Model 220

I am attaching the first three pages of my manual with hope of it being seed for thought. View attachment toro0001.PDFView attachment toro.PDF

 

[Xfaxman]

I am attaching the first three pages of my manual with hope of it being seed for thought. View attachment 486586 - View attachment 486585

Hard to tell there were two links there, so I added some space between them.

 

[jrsavoie]

Thanks a bunch guys. I just came back to edit my post with what I found. Had to take the wife to the eye doc, soI haven't had a chance to check back in.

I think I have the mounting figured out now. There are a few things different about the way my blower is mounted.

Looks like there was some work done. It doesn't look bad, They just have the blower attached with a spacer - I would imagine to use the same driveshaft.

Hope I do not run into an issue when I go to install the deck.

I am going to have to add points to hook the chains to. Those are gone.

I am also going to add some sort of bogey wheels. I have room for 8" diameter 6" wide rollers. I have some 6" pipe here I could make rollers out of. I have envisioned a frame with a pair of threaded rod adjusters on both sides of the snowblower. I have gravel here and it is not all packed yet. In the loose gravel and slag my John Deere was blowing a lot of rock.

Even with rollers I may still have that problem. I was going to set the rollers 1/2" below the cutting edge and see how they worked out.

What do you think would work best for rollers that size? Anything that might save me a little fabrication?

I was originally thinking 8" UHMW rollers. But the people I used to buy UHMW from have long since retired and I am not sure of a good reasonably priced source anymore.

I have some 6" steel pipe here I could cap and put bearings on to make rollers. Lot's of time consuming work.

If somebody has an idea fr something ready made that I can re-purpose, I'm wide open to suggestions.

Is there such a thing as a tire and rim not exceeding 8" O.D. ? Even if I had to put 2 on each side to get my 6" width that might work.

Just trying to think of something that would be faster &/or better than fabricating steel rollers.

I wonder where I could find some belt conveyor idlers these days. It's funny the stuff you miss having access to when you're not working anymore.

Some big old junk belt conveyor rollers would work just fine for this

 

[Rocky J]

My snow lander has adjustable skis on it. looks like a piece of angle iron with the ends curved up, they are slotted on the sides to adjust them up or down on the bolts. I had to buy two tubes of colored rubber calking to fill in the holes on my vinyl siding , I can not hit anything with a gun But I do not not miss a thing with that blower and a hand full of gravel. My Toro GM72 did not come with rear weights and with the blower on it will stand on its nose a lot when letting off the hydro peddle to quickly so I hung weights on the back. With deep snow I lift it all the way up and can drive in 3 foot or so then back up and let it down ,then go again. So I know that trying to hold the blower up 2 inches with the cylinder will not work well. As the drive tires climb up so does the blower,and the same goes when the drive way climbs up and the snow blower does not, floating on the wheels or skis is the best. My angle iron is aimed under the blower so as not to lift it from the outside of the path of the blower. Maybe some snowmobile skis or pickup truck snow plow shoes? Hope your cab is bigger then mine, I am 5 foot 10 inch and 240 pounds , I feel my hair touching the headliner and I have to turn my shoulder forwards to shut the door with no coat on, but it is so small you wont need a coat on. Before putting on the weights I had a roll of paper towel in there to wipe the slobber off the windshield from standing it on its nose, then the fan up in the right hand upper corner to keep the fog off the windows, it is a plastic blade and don't cut you but sure adds to the anger, but this cab doubles as a roll bar ROPS and has a 2 x 2 steel tube that is cold and hard at the top of the windshield.

 

[jrsavoie]

Snowmobile skiis might be a good idea. I've had my doubts on the rollers having enough surface area to float the machine.

We need to get a new camera. Our old camera quit taking pictures last week. I'd like to post pics of how our snowblower is mounted.

What size are the lug nuts and studs on a 325D? 1/2 - 20 NF ?

 

[Rocky J]

I went out to mine and tipped it up and took pictures of the skis and the lift arm that I change for the blower. Not quite how I remember it but pictures don't lies outside of photoshop .