Air filter clogged with snow

[lugbolt]

I was told to avoid this very thing, to pull the snorkel off from the air filter housing, it's supposed to work.

Easier yet.
Move South. Louisiana is calling.

 

[BigG]

Easier yet.
Move South. Louisiana is calling.

Nice place to visit but I would not want to live there from June to November.

 

[802Driver]

Easier yet.
Move South. Louisiana is calling.

Well for the many years I've worked in freezing winters, that's starting to sound like a viable option.

 

[Zach05855]

I now have had some time to fully try out the covers from David. We received about a foot of snow this week with drifts of almost to the height of my snow blower intake.

I have a substantial driveway and parking area, all in total about 30,000 sq ft. Total time to clear the area was around 4 to 5 hours.

Normally my engine temps would be 1 bar with some occasional 2 bar temps under heavy load. With average ambient temps in the -5c to -10c ( 23f - 14f ). Now operating with the covers in place, my engine temps are 3 bars with some 4 bars under heavy loads. Actual ambient temperature was -5c ( 23f ). Cabin temps were noticeably warmer, so had to keep my air temp dial at about the first 1/3 rd of the scale.

Below are my before and after pictures of the engine area.

After, with the addition of the covers

I was initially concerned about engine overheat, Now I am fully satisfied and have no concerns what so ever.

The covers are in my opinion a great addition to our tractors and a must if you have a front mount snow blower.

 

[Zach05855]

Zach, after looking at your photos again, it appears that you may have a hydraulic leak on your hose or cylinder for raising your blower. There is a yellow patch of snow right under the cylinder in your first picture. You may want to check for leaks.

Good eyes, I do indeed have a slight leak from the cylinder. I am hoping to wait until after the winter before getting it rebuilt.

 

[bird dogger]

Zach, Glad those covers are working great for you!! Those are super pictures in your post #24. Especially the last one where you can definitely see the difference in the temperature under the hood: The front end of the hood is frosty, but directly above and in back of the radiator the hood is completely clear of any snow or frost indicating a warm engine compartment. Slim chance of fuel gelling in a warm engine compartment.

In the other “before” pic it looks like there is some frozen ice in your A/C condenser which can’t be good for that component if it’s solid ice from front to back in any area. It looks like the covers kept the front end warm enough to prevent that from happening again.

Thanks for the update, Zach! With your set of covers and that super nice cab you’ll be able to take on snow removal in any conditions!

 

[Iguide]

One thing I see over and over again. Is tractors with snowblowers that cost LOTS of money have a fair amount of mechanical problems. If you have gravel drive well,,, you know... Why do you folks keep buying those things??? All my life I have used a plow on the front of my tractor yes a hydraulic one and never have the problems that I see here in the forums. Their cheaper & quicker also never mind being sturdier to use.

 

[RCW]

One thing I see over and over again. Is tractors with snowblowers that cost LOTS of money have a fair amount of mechanical problems. If you have gravel drive well,,, you know... Why do you folks keep buying those things??? All my life I have used a plow on the front of my tractor yes a hydraulic one and never have the problems that I see here in the forums. Their cheaper & quicker also never mind being sturdier to use.

Iguide - you’re responding to a thread that’s 2 years old.

I’m a guy with a stone driveway and have used a snowblower for 31 years.

I had a walk behind for 10 years, a front mount on a JD 425 for another 11, then the front mount on my BX Kubota for another 10. I think I’m pretty well-versed….

Pretty good at knowing the driveway base I need. Pretty good at knowing when to pull snow off, and when to build a base. Modified blower shoes so they don’t dig in.

I don’t have room to push snow out of the way.

The reason I keep buying snowblowers is I have no other option…..

Appreciate your contribution.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

this....
I don’t have room to push snow out of the way.

...is WHY I switched from plow to blower decades ago....

I can BLOW the first snow far,far away unlike a plow that'll just roll it over a few feet.
get 2-3 snows in a row and 1/2 my driveway would be 'lost' until springtime.

 

[saskydude]

My best friends in Canada! : Newfoundland/Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and the Yukon Territory.

Don't forget me in Saskatchewan.

 

[ctfjr]

One thing I see over and over again. Is tractors with snowblowers that cost LOTS of money have a fair amount of mechanical problems. If you have gravel drive well,,, you know... Why do you folks keep buying those things??? All my life I have used a plow on the front of my tractor yes a hydraulic one and never have the problems that I see here in the forums. Their cheaper & quicker also never mind being sturdier to use.

The two blowers I have / had cost me less than my plow for the F350.

I have never had a mechanical problem with my blowers, both purchased used.

I have a 500' gravel driveway.

I plowed for several years. This issue as pointed out by previous posters is, at some point, I run out of room. A couple of years my 3 car garage shrunk to 2. Its perpendicular to the driveway. When the piles get big enough you end up beating the crap out of the truck trying to make room.

 

[Iguide]

Iguide - you’re responding to a thread that’s 2 years old.

I’m a guy with a stone driveway and have used a snowblower for 31 years.

I had a walk behind for 10 years, a front mount on a JD 425 for another 11, then the front mount on my BX Kubota for another 10. I think I’m pretty well-versed….

Pretty good at knowing the driveway base I need. Pretty good at knowing when to pull snow off, and when to build a base. Modified blower shoes so they don’t dig in.

I don’t have room to push snow out of the way.

The reason I keep buying snowblowers is I have no other option…..

Appreciate your contribution.

Sounds like you've done it a couple of times. Here in northern NH I would say 85% or greater of those that use blowers on gravel, well have problems. I plowed snow with a pickup & tractor when my truck won't fit and being up here RARELY is there a lack of room for snow to be pushed to.

Mostly I was looking at Bird Dogs products because my new L6060 is not to warm in the cab and I talked to him last year before I got the tractor and that is why such a late .02$. Personaly I plow with that tractor and a RAM 5500 Western V Plow & Sander. Used to use a blower for the Church's walks. When I gave that up I said NEVER again. Love plowing !!! Hate blowing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Iguide]

The two blowers I have / had cost me less than my plow for the F350.

I have never had a mechanical problem with my blowers, both purchased used.

I have a 500' gravel driveway.

I plowed for several years. This issue as pointed out by previous posters is, at some point, I run out of room. A couple of years my 3 car garage shrunk to 2. Its perpendicular to the driveway. When the piles get big enough you end up beating the crap out of the truck trying to make room.

& where do you live?

 

[ctfjr]

& where do you live?

Connecticut

 

[bird dogger]

Don't forget me in Saskatchewan.

My bad, saskydude!! Not sure how I missed your location ! Didn't mean to forget you!!!

How's this?:

My best friends in Canada! : Newfoundland/Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and the Yukon Territory and of course, Saskatchewan!!

I better check my list to make sure no one else is missing from the above.

 

[nbryan]

Zach, after looking at your photos again, it appears that you may have a hydraulic leak on your hose or cylinder for raising your blower. There is a yellow patch of snow right under the cylinder in your first picture. You may want to check for leaks.

My blower raise/lower cylinder just started leaking last year after 4 years of blowing snow here in SE Manitoba. I ordered a seal kit through Kubota and last week gave the cylinder to a local hydraulics shop for a re-build. I'm not versed at all in how to place those new and expensive bits of plastic in the seal kit into the various grooves where they need to go. I'd probably pooch the kit anyway so off to the pros it goes. No word back yet, they're real busy.
i mad some mods to my tractor's air inlet and rad screen to help deal with this very issue of the air filter snow clogging and rad ice and snow buildup with fluffy cold snow. Costed only a few minutes of my time, works fine so far.

Note how I notched the bottom lip of the air intake end. Allows for unrestricted air flow when tucked behind the rad, pic 2.
Warm weather position:

Snowblower weather position:

Tyvek rad screen winter cover:

 

[bird dogger]

Sounds like you've done it a couple of times. Here in northern NH I would say 85% or greater of those that use blowers on gravel, well have problems. I plowed snow with a pickup & tractor when my truck won't fit and being up here RARELY is there a lack of room for snow to be pushed to.

Mostly I was looking at Bird Dogs products because my new L6060 is not to warm in the cab and I talked to him last year before I got the tractor and that is why such a late .02$. Personaly I plow with that tractor and a RAM 5500 Western V Plow & Sander. Used to use a blower for the Church's walks. When I gave that up I said NEVER again. Love plowing !!! Hate blowing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Iguide,
I just sent you a message about covers for your L6060. And here's '60 Series Covers & Pics that should fit your tractor perfectly.
David

 

[BAP]

Sounds like you've done it a couple of times. Here in northern NH I would say 85% or greater of those that use blowers on gravel, well have problems. I plowed snow with a pickup & tractor when my truck won't fit and being up here RARELY is there a lack of room for snow to be pushed to.

Mostly I was looking at Bird Dogs products because my new L6060 is not to warm in the cab and I talked to him last year before I got the tractor and that is why such a late .02$. Personaly I plow with that tractor and a RAM 5500 Western V Plow & Sander. Used to use a blower for the Church's walks. When I gave that up I said NEVER again. Love plowing !!! Hate blowing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds a lot like operator era with snowblower problems. I live in NH and get a lot of snow where I live. I blow approximately 3/4 of a mile worth of dirt driveway with my own and neighbors I do. Never really have any problems once I got my blower set appropriately for gravel. My grandfather snowblowed his driveway for 40 years with a Allis Chalmers B-10 garden tractor with front blower on a gravel driveway without problems. Snowblowing on gravel is different than pavement, but if you take the time to set it up the blower appropriately for it, it works fine. Plowing on gravel can cause just as much problems as snowblowing if all you do is bull jam. Each has it’s own issues but a good operator, not one that just jam’s their way through them, with learn how to make each work.

 

[saskydude]

My bad, saskydude!! Not sure how I missed your location ! Didn't mean to forget you!!!

How's this?:

My best friends in Canada! : Newfoundland/Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and the Yukon Territory and of course, Saskatchewan!!

I better check my list to make sure no one else is missing from the above.
[/QUOTE

LOL, perfect.

 

[lugbolt]

i used to have a blower. And a blade for the MF tractor (that's massey ferguson, BTW). What little snow we got, I'd blow it or just move it. Few years ago I moved to a different place, longer driveway. But got into a pickle and sold the blade and snow thrower. I don't miss it either. Just more stuff to have to work on. If it snows, which is rarely does here, I just drive the truck. 18" last year at the house, drove to work just fine but I am not sure I'd want to drive in much more than that.

and....if I had kept the blower and blade, the 'neighbors' would be wanting to borrow it every time it snows. Like a trailer, or tractor, you will always have "friends" if you have either one of those.