Balancing an auger

[tripleguy 74]

I suspect my 42" blower auger is out of balance. Even with down pressure, I get some bouncing of the blower. It's not a lot, but noticeable. There are small riffles on the driveway where you can see it's bouncing Is there any way to true it up and take that vibration out of there of should I just live with it? The fins on the auger have been straightened and it spins freely. This spring I'll take it off the tractor and remove the chain and spin it and try to find the heavy or bent side but if I'm able to do that, how best to true it up? Should I take the auger off and remove/replace the rod if it's bent?

[Mike_H 92]

Have you checked the bearings?  Mine vibrates a bit too, worse when its lifted.  I suspect its my bearings as I don't see any noticeable wobble while its running, but I sure can feel it.  

[tripleguy 74]

Good point Mike and I will check that when I have it apart. Mine is also worse when lifted. Down pressure helps but it's still there and noticeable. I also wear out shoes faster it seems because of the needed down pressure.

[MikeES 458]

The auger could be bent a little bit causing the vibration.  I have read here on simpletractors that driving into a solid snowbank that is much taller than the snowthrower, with the auger running can straighten the auger, if bent. 

[fishnwiz 3,290]

13 minutes ago, MikeES said:

The auger could be bent a little bit causing the vibration.  I have read here on simpletractors that driving into a solid snowbank that is much taller than the snowthrower, with the auger running can straighten the auger, if bent. 

That's a new one on me.....anyone here tried this with success? 

[1978Simplicity7016H 39]

I haven't tried that, but my 1999 Sovereign with original snowblower vibrates a little, so I will try it, but if only I could get some snow. If I do get that much snow, the Triad just wouldn't do.... but a Lombardini in a 7790 would

[720nut 4,225]

2 hours ago, 1978Simplicity7016H said:

I haven't tried that, but my 1999 Sovereign with original snowblower vibrates a little, so I will try it, but if only I could get some snow. If I do get that much snow, the Triad just wouldn't do.... but a Lombardini in a 7790 would

Don't feel bad as we haven't had any snow either. But blowers on both tractors and haven't been able to use them. And they said this winter would be worse than last, yeah right

[tripleguy 74]

We've had a couple pretty good snowfalls and then it got cold. Then it warmed up and almost all of it is gone or will be in a day or 2. So far, that has been the best way to eliminate the virbation!

[Hick 2,229]

18 hours ago, MikeES said:

The auger could be bent a little bit causing the vibration.  I have read here on simpletractors that driving into a solid snowbank that is much taller than the snowthrower, with the auger running can straighten the auger, if bent. 

Well, if that's all it takes to straighten the auger, it is built TOO light, IMHO
But then again, I'm used to JD quality!
(running in a zig-zag pattern & ducking!)

Joking aside, the "tolerances" involved, I'd expect some out-of-balance vibration. And the "speed" these things run, out of balance really won't matter much.  Yes, my JD does vibrate full speed no-load, but don't notice it under load.  Also, I think some of the vibration is the chain flopping around, even when adjusted right. Never really bothered me, and I've been using it for 18 years now.  It was quite noisy when I got it used in 1999.  Put new auger & idler bearings in and it quieted down. 

[MikeES 458]

Maybe, I have the procedure wrong.  Logically if you orient the bent auger with the bow facing forward and then ram the blower (not running) into a hard snowbank may straighten the auger...

But moving snow will not bend them.  It is things like running the welcome mat through the blower, getting the dog chain wound up in the blower  enough to pull the dog house through a couple of feet of snow.  Logs, bricks, paper...side view mirror.

Maybe we could start another topic:   What have you run through your snowthrower? 

Edited January 19, 2017 by MikeES

[Kent 435]

I think what people are talking about is that the edges and tips of the blades are bent, not the shaft of the auger.  It doesn't wobble on the shaft, it is just out of balance.  I've bent the tips of the blades and tried to hammer them back close to where they should be.   Because of those blades being curved to pull the snow to the center and out the chute, if they get bent back  that changes the balance pretty dramatically.  Also consider that these are single-stage snowthrowers that are turning much, much faster than a two-stage.  

The speed difference and the precision of the balance required is kind of like comparing  DOT on-road tires versus non-highway use only ....  

[Hick 2,229]

Mine is a single stage, and I've bent the "blade" a few times with rocks & pieces of firewood(!). I used the torch and hammer for the real bad bends, and just a hammer for smaller ones. I never got them perfectly "like new". 

In answer to Mike, mine did a REAL good job of moving crushed rock from the driveway to the yard! I put taller skids on it so it carries it 2" higher. Does not remove all the snow, but it no longer removes the rocks!

 

[dhoadley 1,747]

9 hours ago, MikeES said:

 

Maybe we could start another topic:   What have you run through your snowthrower? 

There was a thread about that a few years back when I first joined up.  Someone told the story of watching a field mouse fly 40 feet made me snarf my coffee. 

[tripleguy 74]

23 hours ago, Kent said:

I think what people are talking about is that the edges and tips of the blades are bent, not the shaft of the auger.  It doesn't wobble on the shaft, it is just out of balance.  I've bent the tips of the blades and tried to hammer them back close to where they should be.   Because of those blades being curved to pull the snow to the center and out the chute, if they get bent back  that changes the balance pretty dramatically.  Also consider that these are single-stage snowthrowers that are turning much, much faster than a two-stage.  

I was referring to the auger rod, not the fins/blades. The fins are easily cured by using a large Crescent wrench to bend them into shape. Mine are fairly true to the original curvature. I think the rod might be bent a little contributing to some chatter. Doesn't do it when under a heavy snow load so I guess I just need to learn to live with it. 

[Kenh 37]

Mine was smooth as silt until it sucked a 2" rock off the drive.  It made a LOUD BANG and started to vibrate.  It bent the central tube.  I was able to straighten it a bit in the housing but it needs to be removed to get it really strait.

 

Ken