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question about 42-inch blower


stumpy

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Hello all, With winter approaching I've finally found a snowblower within driving distance of home, but am not sure if it will fit my B-112. It's 42 inches in width, and still in original Simplicity colors. Unfortunately, I can't find any numbers on it. Description: the hitch is almost as heavy as the one on my HD dozer blade; the drive pulley is on the far right side of the hitch, with the shaft carrying through to the left side where the dribe chain is located. Unfortunately, there's no clutch assembly, etc. Does this sound like a later blower model, or will it run off of the front, direct pto on my B-112? If so, does anybody have a pic of the drive/clutch assembly so I can build one, or an extra repairable set-up? I checked the website and didn't find what I needed. Or is this little devil just not gonna work right without herculean effort, in which case I'll pass on it. Anxiously awaiting the first snowfall, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Bob Your in luck I just posted the hitch I think you need on ebay. But not sure. This is the hitch needed to run off from a front clutch on some of the older large frame tractors. [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2057681484[/url] Anything free is worth what you pay for it This & $1.00 might get you a small Coffee Maynard aka/UCD
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You know I have ran about every type of mobile equipment there is, well not really, just about 200 different farm tractors, combines, farm trucks, CAT scrapers, dozers, Hough loaders, road graders, 20 or so different forklifts, backhoes, crawler backhoe, 18 wheelers(got broke in on a 318 Detroit with a two stick 4x4 trans), dump trucks, so not EVERY type, guess I never ran a mobile crane or any type of logging equipment(not a lot of logging goes on in Nebraska!), but anyway. If I had to rate every piece of equipment that I ever ran as far as doing the job that it was designed to do VERY well, I would rate a Simplicity snowblower near the top of my list. I ran a 42" blower with modified hitch on a B-112 for one season, the setup worked fine but I honestly didnt use it much. I dont like the front clutch setup. I run my blowers(I currently have two) off of the center PTO. Simplicity started selling all blowers that way around 1980 or so(at least on the "Sovereign" type tractor, which includes your B-112). The easiest way to mount that blower would be to buy or re-weld your hitch to match the post 1980 style, which is pretty simple, all you need is a bracket with an idler pulley set to the proper angle. Then get the right length belt to go around the snowblower pulley, under the idler and around you B-112's PTO assembly. The major problem that I can see is getting the angle of the two idler pulleys right, the snowblower pulley in on center, the PTO idler pully is offset to the right of the tractor. This is critical to keep the belt from rolling off. Or the other thing you can do is get a pulley for your engine shaft and just use the front PTO setup(assuming you have it). If you dont have the shield that covers the engine pulley then snow and ice can accumulate and give you problems. One other good thing to know. When they went from the B series to the 700 series the snowblower itself was lengthened by about an inch, in order to give more clearance for the longer hoods on the newer tractors. This means that they cannot use the same belt, except maybe by changing an idler pulley.
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Maynard, Thank you sir. Just checked it out. One question...I believe I've seen this set-up before, but if I recall correctly (senility approaching) the 'blower drive pulley was mounted centrally on the hitch....the snowblower I located has the drive pulley located far on the right. I can't tell from the pic if this matters as far as the whole rig functioning. If the answer is an affirmative, what else would be needed for things to fire-up, aside from a pulley for the engine/pto shaft? Awaiting your pearls of wisdom, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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The hitch that Maynard found is for a 700/900 series with a front PTO clutch. That hitch will allow you to use any Simplicity blower on any 700/900 with a front PTO clutch. It would not be practical to use this setup on a B-series because you would have no clutch. It would most likely be impossible to put a front PTO on a B series, due to clearance issues with the frame. BTW Maynard! How is married life treating you?
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Les, Thanks for the reply. Why don't you like the front pto set-up?....problems with ice/snow accumulation? Unfortunately, I don't have any components for either the front or rear pto or clutch assemblies. Been more concerned with putting the basic tractor into proper shape this summer. Now that's more or less done. Figured the direct-shaft on the front would be easier to fabricate (if necessary) something for, if for no other reason because the distance is less <G> to the 'blower. Making some type of protective shield would be simple enough. Snow season is fast approaching. Both my places are in the mountains about 100 miles apart....high snowfall areas too. I have blades for the 112 and the Homesteader....figured to put one at each place <G>. Unfortunately, both locales have aggressive county plow operations, so a blade just doesn't cut it near the main road...gotta have a blower for both machines to chew the the pile at their respective homes. regards from the western mountains, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Bob, Les is right. The hitch Maynard posted is similar to what you need, but it does not have the needed linkage to use with the plain pulley on your B-112. Les is also correct about powering from the center PTO. However, there are alignment and anchoring issues if you use a single long belt. Here's what I did, simply & works great > http://www.simpletractors.com/do_it/snowthrower_hitch.htm
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Dutch, Now that looks slick. Checked it out earlier, but figured there had to be an easier way since I have that handy shaft sticking out through the grill on the B-112. Maybe not though, eh? My original plan was to build a bracket with two pulleys off to the right side to twist the belt from the engine shaft aliginment to the blower shaft alignment, and then make a spring-assisted tensioner to attach to the aforementioned bracket, operated from the seat, to act as a clutch. Simple as possible, but will it work? good question. Thanks all for the fine input, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Bob Here is a diagram of a 42"blower and the hitch for a B-112.The clutch is in the hitch. Anything free is worth what you pay for it This & $1.00 might get you a small Coffee Maynard aka/UCD
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I like the front PTO, on a 700 series just fine. What I have had trouble with is the old B-Series clutch setups. These things are fairly complicated to start with, add in 30 years of wear and tear, along with hot parts exposed to snow and ice, what you end up with is a major headache. I bought a used newer style hitch from Al Eden, I think he charged me $40 plus shipping. I guess Dutch's setup is better but it is also a lot of work, esp. for us guys who dont own a welder. Some other members have mentioned that running off the center PTO is hard on the tractor. Since you live out there in major snow country, you should opt for the setup that will be most dependable, which would probably be Dutch's, as I did not run the B Series setup enough to prove if it was reliable or not. BUT, the last I heard was that Dutch wasnt blowing snow more than a foot or two, but that could be due to the fact that he was using a Kubota blower, which happen to be made in Nebraska not far from where I grew up. I just walked off the distance from the edge of my driveway where it parrallelles the road, there is a row of trees in between. Its about 60 feet. A couple of years ago my neighbor complained that I blew snow on his pickup as he was driving by! My other neighbor has a John Deere 318 with John Deere blower, he is still mad at me for going over there 3 years ago and almost burying his Deere! Also, be careful where you aim the chute, if you happen to pick up a peice of gravel you can break a window!
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Bob, I have a clutch settup like Maynard shows on a 32 in blower on my 112 and I go through a lot of belts every winter. Blowing though snow plow burms around here is tough because they freeze hard overnite. By the way, have a sis that lives in wenacthee, if I recall that country correct your about next door...Enjoy ..MPH
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Couple of things that may help a lot for those having problems with the old B-series style: First, is to make yourself a pulley cover like the one shown... It shouldn't be hard to fabricate, and it keeps the snow/ice buildup off the pulleys and clutch. Second, the installation and adjustment of belt guides (fingers) are VERY critical for these to work correctly. They must hold the belt and keep it from turning over (it's natural tendency since it is twisted 90 degrees) when you disengage it -- and inevitably you'll need to disengage it when you have the motor running fast. It's not exactly like other implements where you can slow the engine down to engage or disengage the clutch. I snowblow WIDE open -- maybe that's why I enjoy it so much if the wind isn't blowing. But, should you hit a chunk of ice or snowpack that requires you to quickly disengage, you're going from 3600 RPM to zero on the belt coming off that drive pulley -- it'll jump off and twist if you don't have good stiff belt guides adjusted correctly... just a couple times, and you've destroyed the belt.... BTW, the guides are still available new. Finally -- this is one use that I absolutely recommend factory belts. I couldn't get the Gates green ones to last one season. My factory belt has now lasted two.... The foot-draggin' Clubhouse Custodian...
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Gentleman, Many thanks for all of the input. After examining the diagram Maynard posted I think the 'blower I found is of somewhat newer vintage, although I would guess it to be at least 20 years old. It has the 'blower drive pulley off to the right side of the hitch, as opposed to in the center, and the drive/clutch assembly is not integral with the hitch (it doesn't have that stuff, but there's nowhere for it on the hitch either, assuming it is the original hitch, which it appears to be). I would guess it must be post-1980 (sure wish it had numbers on it) and meant to run from a center pto arrangment somehow. So....if I acquire the thing it means fabricating a bracket for pulleys and clutching...not all that difficult, but another project that my limited time may not allow. Think I'll sketch some ideas out before I buy or horsetrade for the 'blower. Yup, I'm about 15 miles as the crows flies NW of Wenatchee, and about 1800 feet higher in elevation. My other place is 25 miles due west of Yakima, WA on the Ahtanum River, north fork. Both places make a decent snowblower darn handy. Provided I come up with a workable adaptation, any ideas on what size of pulley ought to be on the engine/crankshaft pto to get things at the proper rpm? Thanks and best regards, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Of course, another possibility might be to acquire Maynard's hitch/clutch assembly on e-bay, modify it slightly so as to attach it within the existing hitch on the 'blower I found, and move the 'blower drive pulley to a central point on the shaft (or just add an additional pulley at that point on the shaft). What say ye of the knowledgable set? Maybe I should try to get a picture of this thing. Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Bob A couple of pictures would clear up alot of Questions. I don't understand this drive pulley on the blower not centered The pulley on the hitch is not centered but it runs on the back side of the belt on mine and on the older style large frame hitch the belt rides on the v on one side and the other pulley the belts rides on the back. From what I have seen All of Simplicitys snowblowers at least to 2000 will work on all the tractors with the correct hitch for the tractor. Some one will correct me if I am wrong Anything free is worth what you pay for it This & $1.00 might get you a small Coffee Maynard aka/UCD
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Maynard, Will try to get a digital pic of the thing. It's a couple of hours north of me, but I have a couple of archaeology projects going on in that vicinity, so I might get up thataway in the next day or so. One possibility....didn't the old JD's and Sears Suburban 12's, etc., run attachments off of a pulley/clutch/belt arrangement from the engine crankshaft on the right side of the tractor (crank is tranverse instead of fore and aft on those machines, I believe)? Perhaps someone moved the drive pulley from a center location to the right side of the hitch to accomodate a different brand of machine? Impossible to say, but a plausible explanation to the pulley location. Regardless, I'm sure something could be rigged-up...we aren't talking rocket-science here...I hope. If I can get it for less than fifty bucks I think it will find a place in the pick-up. That's about what shipping would likely be for a machine from out of the area anyway. Thanks, Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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I am in the process of looking for a 42" snowblower, and I have found three resources to be very helpful on the SimpleTractors.com website: 1. What Fits? 2. Cross-reference charts 3. Manuals (available from the Simplicity website) Using this, you can look at the manuals online at Simplicity, figure out which snowblower you are working with, then go back to the What Fits section and figure out what hitch and hardware you need. Using the cross-reference chart, you open up the ability to look at both Simplicity and AC equipment. It really helped me. Sorry for the brief aside, but we vacationed this summer up your way. We're from Ohio, and the scenery there was just beautiful...so different from what we are used to. We stayed a couple nights in Seattle, but we spent four nights going around the "Cascade Loop." Stayed our first night in Leavenworth, right next door to you in Cashmere. Man, that is some gorgeous countryside you live in! From Cashmere all the way around to Concrete has got to be some of the most beautiful views in the world.
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Guy, Yup, the east side of the Cascades is both varied and spectacular....once out of the mountains and foothills it turns into sagebrush and tremendous basalt coulees, then rolling wheatfields. I'm lucky enough to travel throughout the region doing archaeology for the Feds...and they even pay me for it! Now and then I have to work on the Puget Sound side amongst the city crowds and rain, but that's thankfully rare. The difficulty I have in doing the website x-reference is the fact that the 'blower has no numbers, and the more I consider the drive pulley location I believe it's been modified to run on an old 110 JD or something like that. Still, I think I can acquire it for 50 bucks and for that much I feel better about cobbling some kind of clutch mechanism and re-locating the pulley. So it goes with old equipment. Glad you enjoyed your sojourn to the NW reaches of the lower 48. If I'd have known I would've had you bring some parts along....seems like your neck of the woods is the real smorgasboard for AC stuff <G>. Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Bob, Have you given any thought to going to hydralic drive??Run a pump off the front PTO and put a hydro motor on the blower shaft. My hitch is pretty ragged and has been welded back toghether, not sure if in the right spot or not, have nothing but pics to compare too. You think Simplicity parts are scare in your neck of the woods, my rubber neckin habit has scared a few outta these Alaska woods but I know of one other guy up here thats into them, he lives 200 miles from me. If I ever score some hydro parts cheap I plan on tring it...MPH
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Hiya, Thought about hydro. My only concern revolves around the amount of relative oomph involved with a hydraulic system, vis-a-vis if a big chunk of whatever lodged in the auger would things get busted before ya could get to shutting off the valve. I suppose you could install some sort of a pressure-relief valve in the system as a fail-safe. You're right....parts are tough here, but I bet it's nothing like up your way. I've spent some working time in Haines, Homer, and Anchorage....great country, but not known for it's garden tractors <G>. Bob "Stumpy" Hazelbrook
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Maynard, I'm not sure, but I don't think the old three belt blowers will work on LFGTs, will they? I have one that came with the Putt Putt (identified here as a 700 [ http://www.simpletractors.com/gallery/second_life.htm ] but it had 725 badges on it when I got it) that has the clutch mounted out front so you have to get off the tractor to operate it. I'm pretty sure the 700s and 725s used the same set-up for the blower drive so it doesn't really matter which one this tractor is. I'm looking for a newer one to go on the 3310. Here is the three belt blower mounted to the tractor, not all belts are in place in the pic. You can just make out the clutch assembly behind the chute. Stumpy, if you want better pics of this set-up just let me know. Here is the clutched front PTO pulley set-up (missing the actuator/linkage) on the 3310. I have posted for those parts before with no luck. This is what it looks like apart. If I'm not mistaken the newer ones (1972 and up?) use a solid front PTO pulley and an idler on the belt as a clutch.
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Kirk If you look at the diagram I posted it is for a single belt blower. the first system was a 3 belt blower then it went to single belt for the tractors with the shaft thru the front grill. I believe their are five different hitch setups for the large frame tractor Some one will correct me if I am wrong. I don't have any parts for this setup. Anything free is worth what you pay for it This & $1.00 might get you a small Coffee Maynard aka/UCD
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I saw the drawing, had hoped there was some way to make the old three belt work on the newer tractors that I just hadn't seen here. I can use that blower on the Putt Putt but don't want to overwork the old M 19 Briggs if I can avoid it. Has anyone ever tried adapting a three belt blower to a newer tractor? It looks like it might work with a longer shaft to get the blower drive pulley centered on the hitch.
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Maynard, What is the 5th hitch? I can only think of four basic types…….. 1) 3 belt setup hitch. 2) 2 pulley hitch w/ idler “clutch” mechanism used on FDTs w/ front PTO pulley in front of grill. 3) 2 pulley hitch used on early RBTs w/ mechanical clutch front PTO behind grill. 4) 1 pulley hitch used on late RBTs driven by center PTO. Maybe this info could be confirmed, refined, detailed and saved for reference. Seems there is ongoing confusion.
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Kirk, As you know, just about anything can be done, but your 3 belt setup probably has some collector value. Right now, newer snowthrowers seem to be plentiful and cheap. Just wait until the next heavy snow cycle hits.
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