Snow blower

[greg13]

Bring It.

(Wish I had the property to justify one of those X7 series....)

We have the "new" generation Deeres at the shop, We have STUPID problems with them. Steel Hydraulic lines blowing out, problems with fwd/rev. pedal switches, axle seals to name a few.
The old cub, add some gas, check the oil and you were good to go

 

[Butcher]

80 horses and 7 feet of snow blower will get it done. Always worked for me.

 

[MasterMech]

Could that destruction happen if the auger stopped turning though?

Or maybe it could if one side was still going?

Sure looks like a beast.

Exactly, If the operator was unawares that he/she has broken a shear bolt, or sucked up the garden hose, it can get ugly fast.

I thought they looked like a beast at first too, then I took a closer look.

I also don't care for the solid sheet metal type auger flights. That's just so much more surface area for wet, sloppy snow to stick to and clog.

I broke a sheer bolt on my Husq blower and nothing much happened, just stopped turning. Totally my fault - dumbass me! Replaced the bolt and away to the races.

I'm not saying that your blower will self-destruct if you break a pin, but that design sure does make a lot of bad things possible that could not happen with a solid shaft. Bet replacing a damaged auger flight is a snap tho!

The only thing to watch is that the engine has so much power that you need to be sure to disengage the auger if you are not blowing, you can burn up the belts

That statement just doesn't make any mechanical sense at all. Too much power = burning up belt under no load?

 

[MasterMech]

We have the "new" generation Deeres at the shop, We have STUPID problems with them. Steel Hydraulic lines blowing out, problems with fwd/rev. pedal switches, axle seals to name a few.
The old cub, add some gas, check the oil and you were good to go

Other than a handful of recalls years ago, (The powersteering line was one of them...... ) I've known the X7 series to be very trouble free.

 

[billb3]

I have a 20 year old snapper and it would easily put light fluffy snow on the roof of the house.
If I had to replace it today I'd probably spend $800-$900.00 just to not have dinky little tires .

I still like using the front end loader on the tractor even though it's pretty easy to rip up gravel.

 

[chazcarr]

A lot of you guys sure do like driving in reverse.

 

[MasterMech]

A lot of you guys sure do like driving in reverse.

Beats the hell out of a shovel.

 

[Ashful]

80 horses and 7 feet of snow blower will get it done. Always worked for me.
View attachment 93613

That looks a heckuva lot like an old Oliver the farmer up the street from me has parked in his field this week. What is it?

A lot of you guys sure do like driving in reverse.

Sure is hard to find a front-mounted blower of similar size for similar price, in most cases. Also, if you put the blower on the back, you can keep the loader on the front, and use them in tandem. That's my excuse, anyway.

 

[MasterMech]

Sure is hard to find a front-mounted blower of similar size for similar price, in most cases.​

Usually much easier to mount/dismount a rear mount as well. Plow the roads and blow what you can't plow.

 

[Ashful]

Usually much easier to mount/dismount a rear mount as well. Plow the roads and blow what you can't plow.

Yep... I have a buddy with the same Deere 855 as mine. I paid $2500 for my rear mounted blower, and he paid somewhere around $5000 for his front mounted blower. I can drop my rear mounted blower in about 60 seconds, and pick it back up almost as quick. It took about 10 minutes to remove his front-mounted blower last weekend, when we wanted to take his tractor into the woods, and I'm guessing he spent a lot more time than that getting it hooked back up after I was gone.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

It's all about having fun while doing a job you hate!

Sean
P.S. My Tacoma has a plow and I have a 1976 Snow Blower!

 

[MasterMech]

It's all about having fun while doing a job you hate!

Sean
P.S. My Tacoma has a plow and I have a 1976 Snow Blower!

Hey, isn't that a single stage blower?

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Ya you may be right!~ never thought of it that way, Leave it to the peanut gallery to see it that way!

 

[FrankMA]

I'd say you have some serious liability issues! The lawyers are already working with potential clients as this is being written....

 

[Ashful]

I'd say you have some serious liability issues! The lawyers are already working with potential clients as this is being written....

So, is the assumption that your biggest problem, when being run over by the train, is the snow blower mounted on the front of it?

 

[nate379]

No, not really... the smallish 2 stroke units work great for cleaning off roofs that are flatish. Had a 46" single stage on a tractor that worked just fine. Took care of 2-3ft of snow at times.

Single-stage blowers satisfy the needs of someone who doesn't want to spend money on a proper 2-stage blower, but if you have a 2-stage blower, there's little reason left to own a single stage. They just take up space you could use for something more useful... like a fondue pot!

 

[MasterMech]

the smallish 2 stroke units work great for cleaning off roofs that are flatish.

They are often used commercially too to clear walks and porches, etc. Plow guys loved that you could one arm them into the back of the truck, no ramps!

 

[nate379]

Wow, did that thing come on the Mayflower?

An old Toro... and I mean old! I think it was approximately 20" and 5 hp. When I got the Ariens 824, I set it at the curb for $100. The single-stage Toro actually did great in dry snow, but was too frustrating in the wet snow we so often get. The two-stage Ariens throws everything but the salted plow slush at the end of the driveway, as does the Woods... but the Woods has a 25 hp diesel behind it.



Well, actually, I did own one other single stage unit, which I forgot about! A 42" blower mounted on the front of my 1963 - 1965 IH Cub Cadet 123. Unfortunately, we did not get much snow in the few years I owned it, so I can't report how well it worked. The guy I bought it from seemed to think it really kicked ass, though.

edit: I just found a photo of my old Toro single stage! Toro SnowHound 20:

View attachment 93546

 

[nate379]

Oliver?

80 horses and 7 feet of snow blower will get it done. Always worked for me.
View attachment 93612View attachment 93613View attachment 93614

 

[Butcher]

Oliver?

Yeah, 1750 gasser.

 

[Ashful]

There's a nice Lorenz on the bay right now. Was looking at that model myself, in the 64" size, but chose the tamer Woods instead.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310594619162&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

 

[nate379]

I thought so, my grandpa had an 1855 diesel that is still on what's left of the farm. One of those things... never was anything "super" about the tractor, but it was his big tractor and it reminds me of him working the fields when I see one.... not exactly too common anymore either.

Yeah, 1750 gasser.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Some pics of my 1976 blower

Sean

 

[chazcarr]

Ariens seems like the way to go. Should I have reservations about buying them from Home Depot or the like?

I've heard rumors that the HD Ariens are actually lesser quality than other dealers. Perhaps that is just a lie independents use to keep steady business. I've heard the same thing about JD lawnmowers. The HD ones are knockoff imports and the REAL JDs are only at authorized dealers.

 

[chazcarr]

Hmmm.... How about this "Aliens" snowblower? Look Good?