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landlord 2012 snow blower drive-mid pto?


rickpilgrim

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Hello everyone- Just a question here on how to drive a "newer" single stage 36" snow blower on the old 2012.

Seeing I have the 2012, a spare snow blower mount carriage for my 7117 and the 36" blower head from a 4211 could I (with proper belt alignment) put it all together and make a "long" belt snow blower to be used as backup for the 7117?

Or would the tension be to weak for this to work?

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Unless I'm missing something, the 2012 doesn't have the mid PTO cone clutch and associated idler setup. The 2012 has the "hanging" type PTO setup; I haven't heard of anyone that has modified/converted that style PTO to drive a snow blower.

It would probably be easier to find a FDT snowblower hitch (two pulley with clutch) and use that. That setup doesn't need a front PTO, just a fixed pulley on the engine shaft. Only issue would be the "newer snowblower head has a longer tunnel length and a larger diameter drive pulley. Change the pulley and use a longer belt and you should be good to go.

However, IMO, the best "backup" would be a front blade for the 2012. Most have found the two tractor combo of blade and blower is best to handle all winter tasks. Only downside is a big snow when the blower tractor is down. Plowing a big snow is definitely more time consuming than blowing it. But the upside is more seat time. :D:D

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I agree with PhanDad as to your "best" options, but I see no reason it wouldn't work.

You would for sure have to adjust the angles of your idlers on the hitch, since the RBT tractor pto's are offset to the left side, and the 2012 is just about centered.

Otherwise, the pto does have enough tension for the mower deck, and sickle mower, so with the correct belt length, it should also have enough for a blower.

The only problem I can forsee, and it may not even be a problem, is when raising the blower, is it going to pull on the belt too much ???

You would have some leeway in the pto tension spring, and the engage handle spring, but will it be enough?? It works on the newer pto, so it "should" work on the older one.

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The reason I'd like to use the mid pto for this is the blower on our 3416H was unreliable with the front pto belt. It breaks the belt as soon as it gets warm and you shock load it.

While reliable for one or 2 residential driveways what we are doing is more like 4 city blocks of sidewalk with 16 corners and 8-2 car driveways with 2 and 3 lanes of road snow on the corners. We had the local simplicity check it over and what they said was either get a 7100 or find a blower for your powermax. I took that as gospel and unless I can find the 3 belt drive I will prototype the mid drive as time allows and see what's involved

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You actually want a 3 belt blower set up? How much of it? hitch too or just the drive?

Not many people like them as factory set ups, I can't imagine what it would be like trying to refab it.

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If I could find the 3 belt like the 725 came with I would try it as there are only 2 twists in the belt and that's what the dealer says heats the belts and causes the failure, and I would need 0 fabrication.

If I can drive it from the mid pto there will be 0 twists in 2 belts and a nice long belt that runs cooler due to the time between twists and bends. I did look at the blower head today and may have to either use the spare 42" blower or the power tube from it to center the belt alignment.

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Though I no longer use the set up, for many years I used a 716 with the front PTO driven 42" thrower. The first year I blew a number of belts...then determined that it was pulley alignment problem with the pivot arm bent. Straightened it out by eye and never replaced a belt for the next 5 years, and still on the thrower. My drive way is over 1/8 mile long plus a large turn around area, and doing the neighbors 1/8 mile long driveway.

I would find out what is wrong with the setup on the 3416H. You have more HP than the 2012 and hydro drive which both are a big advantage with blowing snow.

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Mike- when we had the 3416h to the dealer (2008) they checked it over very well and replaced the bearings/bushing in the front clutch, both idler pulleys and belt for almost $500 and said it was good. Sure enough halfway through the funeral home job a chunk of ice went through the blower and that was another ripped belt. Finished with the walking blowers, and back to M&J marine the 3416 went and another $230 some dollars and that's when I was told the 7100 or powermax thing.

We bought a good 7117 from them, swaped the blower and a new mount to the "new" tractor and just because we put a new 147.10 HA belt every yr and no matter what chunks of frozen ice/snow we hit the belt never breaks.

I'd like to replicate that performance with 2012 and I can always swap the 16 into the 2012 even though the 12 hp is a fresh rebuild and the 16 has around 2000 hrs on it so I doubt it would be noticeable . Not to mention the vickers is slow in reverse and a.gear or sunstrand is much faster when going back and forth.

I'll quit rambling now

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