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mounted snow blowers


Ryan

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I have read a few forums where the snow was to heavy for the mounted snow blowers on the ac and simplicity tractors. I also live in north west Ohio and received somewhere around 6 inches. Reason being, I saw a bolens and a wheelhorse out blowing the snow with no problems. Is there something wrong with the blowers on the simplicity tractors?
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Ryan: I have friends with most all makes of tractors and attachments and I dont see anything weaker on the Sim./AC blowers.In fact, most Sim./AC stuff is built stouter than most. One of the problems is when the snow settles and becomes very wet/heavy It is harder to pick up and throw. All parts must be in exellent shape(good belts,adjusted properly,good bearings, well lubed,) No blower works it's best with really heavy snow. Depending on the year/model of the tractors you saw, they may have been shaft driven blowers.They are better systems in some ways but their cost will sure hurt your wallet. Lary
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Ryan! Pure BULLony! I have broken snow drifts 10 feet high with my 42" Simplicity blower. It is true that there are other makes of tractor mounted blowers that dont do so well in heavy snow, but NOT Simplicity! Most of the time I only my run my 12 horse Kohler at half throttle(like yesterday). If fact my only complaint is that my rig is just too fast! I finish the driveway and then go looking for something else to do, then end up making paths accross the back yard, and Simplicity snowblowers dont blow garden hoses or kids toys worth a darn.
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Ryan, Where did you hear that the snow was too heavy for the Simplicity blowers? Any brand of single-stage snowblower will clog in wet snow IF not operated correctly. So will a two-stage, as far as that goes.... I have just moved at least 12" of snow -- hard to tell due to drifting -- without a single clog, no belt problems, nor any other problems beside traction (I'm running filled ags, with no chains, and backing up with the blower raised caused me to spin a few times). As I've posted frequently on this board, there seems to be about 3 key things to prevent clogging on these: 1. Run the engine WIDE open so that the impeller is spinning as fast as intended... 2. Keep the intake housing as full of snow as possible, and vary the ground speed or "cut" as needed to do so... if you let the housing get empty and then hit a bigger pile, the sudden "burst" of snow may cause a clog.... 3. Keep the chute free of rust, and painted, lubricated or waxed so the snow doesn't stick to it....
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I, myself, do not have a blower for my tractors. I would like to have one. I use a snow blade on my b-110. I read two forums yesterday on this site where the blowers where only pushing the snow, not blowing it. They were also from Ohio. Maybe I did not get the same kinda snow they received. That's all.
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Ryan, When you have wet, moist (or slushy) snow and the temperature drops it will start to crust over. Same thing will happen if the ground is warmer underneath the snow than the air is on top of it... When you try to push into it with the snowblower, it will sometimes break off a big crusty chunk and push it in front of the snowblower... but it will usually push up against something that stops it, and it is forced into the "hopper" and thrown out.... The same thing can happen with a self-propelled snowblower. It's nothing unique to these tractors or these snowblowers.... Blades work best in wet, slushy snow, but IMO if the snow is 6" or more, then nothing beats a snowblower....
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Kent, Where did you get your tires, front and rear? I blew out a front this morning, and may as well get a pair. I remember reading you said they helped steering on the front. JoeJ
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I have had a Simplicity blower for over 30 years. Nothing blowes snow like a simplicity. Blowing snow is an acquired skill the more you blow the better you get. I get clogs once in a while but I know how to clear them with out getting off the tractor. If the snow is wet and heavy and pushes up in front of the tractor it will only push so far, back up and go into it again it will blow. I read the same posts as you did and the one thing i saw that maybe you didn't was first time this person blew snow with a tractor and blower just lack of experience. I have cleaned parking lots with 4 feet of snow in them that other people said that could only be cleaned with a bucket loader, took me a little longer but i did it. I can pile snow 15 feet high try that with a truck and plow. I have used both a 2 stage and single stage simplicty blowers. I like the single stage best. It might not blow the light snow as far as a 2 stage but it sure does alot better with the heavy stuff.
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Got to use my Simplicity to Homelite T12 modified 36" blower today. We had 8-10" of wet heavy snow with 2-3' drifts! Broke my first belt when I found a newspaper! Second one, a Gates Power rated only lasted 1 hr! I'm using an AX 66 heavy duty. Is there a better belt to use? Do they make something with a steel cord. like a radial tire. Boy does that thing blow when the chute is filled right. Good thing I have a blade too, so I could finish the job. Thanks for any Help Gary Hamilton Ipswich, MA
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Joe, Both front and rear tires came from Tucker Tire. They have an eBay store... Gary, I was going through about 2 Gates green belts a year on my snowblower -- I'm now using the same Simplicity belt for the 3rd year... Kent
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I just bought a used Legacy 20HP. To cold to mow anything, so I just drive it around my driveway :D Anyways, I am thinking of buying a blower, but it is $$$. It is shaft driven. Anyone have any experience here? I don't want to spend big bucks and be disappointed. - Bill
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Got back from Christmas with the folks this morning to 8 inches of snow. the plow trucks left a nice packed 2 foot wall in front of our drive. my 63 landlord with 36 inch single stage loves the wet packed snow. at times(when the snow was over the snow thrower housing) i have to ride the clutch a little so it can digest it's meal:) Anyways I love it. Snow removal has never been so much fun. Tim
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Now you got me thinkin'...sell the case(backward belt)blower,and get one for my sovereign.Which one should I get,and who has one for sale? CJ
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Ryan, In the last 2 days my Landlord and I spented 5-6 hours blowing snow with no problems. This is my second Simplicity snow blower in 20 years (bigger tractor/bigger blower). The only problem I've had is auger bearings went out in first blower. They were seal bearings. Snow was 6-8 inches deep in spots. I live 70 miles north from you. When temp gets above 35 degrees I will get blade out.
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For gjh, my guess is that something is not right, you should not be going through belts, even the cheap ones, that fast. Check to make sure that all of the pulleys are tight, that the belt tension is not too much. If that belt is "jumping" alot while running, you are going to eat belts. It can be tough to make a non-factory setup work right.
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quote:
Originally posted by gjh
Got to use my Simplicity to Homelite T12 modified 36" blower today. We had 8-10" of wet heavy snow with 2-3' drifts! Broke my first belt when I found a newspaper! Second one, a Gates Power rated only lasted 1 hr! I'm using an AX 66 heavy duty. Is there a better belt to use? Do they make something with a steel cord. like a radial tire. Boy does that thing blow when the chute is filled right. Good thing I have a blade too, so I could finish the job. Thanks for any Help Gary Hamilton Ipswich, MA
Just out of curiosity, what was modified on blower?
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quote:
Originally posted by bconroy
I just bought a used Legacy 20HP. To cold to mow anything, so I just drive it around my driveway :D Anyways, I am thinking of buying a blower, but it is $$$. It is shaft driven. Anyone have any experience here? I don't want to spend big bucks and be disappointed. - Bill
Probably a two stage blower, which is OK, no belts which is better. Now you have to wheigh how much you are going to use it, how much snow do you get, how long your driveway is versus getting it plowed out, ect. I have a 30' by 18' drive way and do that with an 8 HP 2 stage walk behind. I had a 32" blower for a 728 Broadmoor of mine which I repowered with a 12 HP engine. Blew snow like you couldn't imagine. But it took time to turn it around for each pass that I gave it up. Things you have to think about. The blower is fine, it's all of the above you have to consider.
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12 in. here in SE NY,2 feet out by road,,,did 4 driveways with this puppy!SINGLE stage blower!If they have trouble,,People dont know how to run them,,http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/12/27/10238/10238158_0_6789.fpx,0,0,1,1,512,384,FFFFFF click on link then minimise this pg to see pic!:o):I:o)
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Kent, Thank you! I looked at one of the other links yesterday, but Tucker Seems to have better prices. Dave, Nice picture!!!!! You look snugg in there!!!!! JoeJ
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Les: I'm starting to think the same thing. I had to modify the hitch; the Homelite has a wider frame (per the court ordered breakup) so I welded four vertical tabs to the hitch which line up perfectly and sandwhich between the frame rail mount. I slid the assy on with it on the workbench & slid it back & forth till the pulleys lined up under the PTO. Then I drilled the holes through the tabs for the pins. Basically the whole hitch sits about 2" lower than it should, so I got a longer belt. Here's where I think the problem is: The tensioner doesn't look right; I can't tell if it was taken apart & the spring put back in the wrong place. It doesn't seem to tension the idler and still have a spring loaded force. I wonder if this is causing the problem as it can't take up the shock. The belt does not jump off the pulleys. My blower is a part # 990649 - 36" single stage off a later simplicity. If anyone has a good detail of the tensioner please let me know; I can't really see the setup in the copy of the manual I have.
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I cant say that I am knowledgeable at all, but I do know that the right spring is crucial to belt survival. I did install the wrong spring on a mower deck once(after rebuilding) and tore the belt to pieces in a matter of minutes. Since your belt does last a while my GUESS would be that the thing to try would be a slightly stonger or a slightly weaker spring. Again, I am no expert(so dont tear me up DUTCH!), but my suggesstion would be to look at the belt while it is running, if you see a lot of jumping, then I would try a slightly stronger spring. Also, I had a situation where I was tearing up PTO belts within an hour on my 912, the problem was fixed by a 9/16" wrench on the bolt securing the idler pulley. This was after I tore up 5 belts! Good luck!
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quote:
Originally posted by gjh
Les: I'm starting to think the same thing. I had to modify the hitch; the Homelite has a wider frame (per the court ordered breakup) so I welded four vertical tabs to the hitch which line up perfectly and sandwhich between the frame rail mount. I slid the assy on with it on the workbench & slid it back & forth till the pulleys lined up under the PTO. Then I drilled the holes through the tabs for the pins. Basically the whole hitch sits about 2" lower than it should, so I got a longer belt. Here's where I think the problem is: The tensioner doesn't look right; I can't tell if it was taken apart & the spring put back in the wrong place. It doesn't seem to tension the idler and still have a spring loaded force. I wonder if this is causing the problem as it can't take up the shock. The belt does not jump off the pulleys. My blower is a part # 990649 - 36" single stage off a later simplicity. If anyone has a good detail of the tensioner please let me know; I can't really see the setup in the copy of the manual I have.
Go to Simplicity web site at tech pubs and download 990649 and 990563. 990563 describes the adjustments. Study the parts lists and you should see similarities. Also with engine stopped and blower engaged, check your belt guide positions to make sure they are not rubbing belt when unit is running. My first guess is that the belt wasn't tight enough.
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