Snowblower chain and sprocket, dry or oil bath, gears?

[MuttCat]

I'm shopping for a BX2380 and will be trading my 2370 and its attachments. While researching snowblowers, or trying to anyway, I've discovered that some are chain and sprocket driven, and that the newer commercial versions are gear driven. Now I find that the standard chain and sprocket blowers run dry and operator lubricated, but the commercial versions are chain and sprocket driven also, but run in an enclosed oil bath.

I confess this is all news to me. Are all of them chain and sprocket?

 

[mikester]

I don't think it matters on a BX unless you run a commercial operation, then you will chase the lowest dollar and lowest operating costs.

Externally lubed chains and sprockets have been around since the time of dinosaurs and have lasted for a reason.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Problem with the 'enclosed oil bath' units is when the seal fails and slowly dribbles out the oil and you never check to see that it NEEDS oil...eventually the chain will fail.
With ' requires operator oling' units, you tend to remember to spray some oil( I use 'RustCheck') at least once a month mor eor less so they'l last longer. All depends on maintenance....I've got about 16 years of HARD use on a BERCO snowblower...original chain and sprockets... LOTS of RustCheck on it.....
Both do reuire you check the tension on the chain, over time chains wear, get loose. don't know if they have 'self tensioners' like some car engine camshafts.....

 

[DustyRusty]

I use chain bar oil on mine, and I keep spare chains, in the event that one fails. Better to have a spare on hand and not need it, than to need it and not have one. The Kubota chain is O ring sealed and very expensive. I bought a 10' long chain in a box at Tractor Supply, and make them up in advance. After the Kubota chain broke, I used the Tractor Supply chains and replaced them every year. The box of chain and connectors was half the cost of the OEM chain.

 

[nbryan]

On my B272B blower there's a chain oil fill-hole for my blower drive reduction gears and chain, and an 80w-90 gear oil bath worm gear for the augers.
So I check the auger worm drive lube level yearly, changed it after 3rd winter, and the chain drive I carry a squirt bottle of winter grade chainsaw chain oil around when it's attached and fire a squirt in there almost every time I need to get up off the tractor, like for a break, shutdown to untangle grass and sticks from the auger, whenever. That way it's always a bit wet with chain oil.
And keep the chain properly tensioned, and for sure not over-tensioned. The gears are not perfectly round, may have a bit of runout, be a smidgen off alignment, and you really need the minimum chain play as stated in the maintenance section of manual, OVER SEVERAL FULL ROTATIONS OF THE LARGE GEAR.
Shouted because I fought with mine when adjusting, and it takes a few turns for both gears to flow through all possible orientations to each other, and I had tightened to spec not where they ended up coming the furthest away from each other. What a racket!

 

[Jmsossi]

I bought a bx1880 last year to replace my gr2120 and bought the commercial 48” HD snowblower for it as I was tired of replacing chain and sprockets on the old snowblower ! The new Hd model blower is much better built, stronger runs very quite is so much better than the standard blower cost more but well worth it. Love the gear drive v/s chain drive no comparison in my opinion.

 

[MuttCat]

I'm on the fence. Though I've not had any trouble with the chain and sprocket design, I've yet to see even any drawing of the gear setup.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

just looked at a B2772B blower unit 'parts diagram' at Messicks . don't know if they're all similar...
It's made same as 99% of the walkbehind blowers. Input shaft spins the blower and a worm gear ,that powers the auger shaft. The week part is the brass worm gear. They either wear out due to old age or low oil and can get busted if the shear pins on the auger don't shear when you try to swallow a hidden .
skid.....
Also the worm 'gearbox' NEEDS to be firmly supported, usually by a strap/bracket to the 'shell' or housing.

 

[woodsy]

So, talking chain tension, what is the average chain tension on a typical
HD 3pt hitch snowblower with a size 60 chain ? I just bought a used 60"
Agro Trend but didn't get a owners manual with it so not sure exactly how to go about getting the proper tension, thanks in advance.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

You should be able to go to the MFR's website and download an 'owner's manual'...
if not, just use google 'make model owner manual'

 

[woodsy]

too many hoops, free trials , cc# needed for that route.
Can't be that hard to properly tension a snowblower chain can it ?