Has anyone ever....(snowblower related)

[millerized]

Sorry about the absence. Been over 2yrs since my last post, but 'life' added a few twists and turns in there that needed attended to. (guns, girls, kidney donation....the list seems endless)

My question: Has anyone ever modified snow-blowers to fit the FRONT of their tractors? I picked up a pair of yeller & green (I'll paint them orange...I promise!) 37" blowers for under $200, and had an idea of putting them on the front of the BX22. Gang them side by side, and make nearly 7' of blowing capacity.

Now, mounting probably won't (shouldn't) be a problem. I have 'plans' in mind (awh, hell...."he" has "plans" ) mount them in the same space as the front bucket, using the bucket hydraulics to lift/drop them. There will be a double row chain sprocket in the middle, driving them both from the center since 'other' methods would require a full length drive shaft to the pulleys on either side. Bit of modification skills, but either doable.

My only question would then be: how would you power them? Would you rig up a front PTO into a gearbox, and drive them that way? Would you do a horizontal shaft engine mounted on the blowers themselves, running a belt to the normal input pulleys on either side? Figure 8-10HP (yea, I'm joking...more like 15-20 to get the kick I'm looking for) would do nicely with a belt tensioner as a clutch to help with starts/stops.

My last question: What the hell am I smoking, and should I be sharing?

 

[skeets]

Maybe use a closed loop system, a pump off the PTO to a hydraulic motor to dive the chain with they you wouldn't have to worry about and external motor to drive them, and you could control it off the PTO,, This should be a neat project, and don't for get pictures man lots of pictures,, you know we love our tractor porn,,,lol

 

[Lil Foot]

Welcome back, we'll forgive your absence for a kidney donation, that's serious stuff dude.

I picked up a pair of yeller & green 37" blowers for under $200

Are you kidding me? Out here the paint on them would cost that much. I need to move back east…..
Sorry I can't help with your question, between "kidney donation" and your "deal", I'm too stunned to think rationally.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm with skeets, hydraulic motor for the drive and PTO mounted hydraulic pump to drive it, just tap into the tractors hydraulics for a supply of fluid.

 

[chim]

Here's one that I saw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFMLxpApLh4

 

[millerized]

Welcome back, we'll forgive your absence for a kidney donation, that's serious stuff dude.

Are you kidding me? Out here the paint on them would cost that much. I need to move back east…..
Sorry I can't help with your question, between "kidney donation" and your "deal", I'm too stunned to think rationally.

June 2012, given to the wife of 2nd Amendment fighter Dick Heller. Google 'millerized heller kidney', photo's and story are available. I was up and moving 2 days after the donation, home on the 3rd day. Took it easy until day 6, then hit Home Depot for plywood and 2x4's for a project at the house. Bit slower than usual, but I could have gone back to my day job at 7days. (said 'could'....didn't and enjoyed the whole month off)

Ebay for the win on the blowers, with a 'local pick-up only' auction. Been looking for a blower since the tractor found it's way here. Had ideas, but never the cash. Everything so far has fallen into place with it. Now 2 blowers for the price of one...I'll take it as a sign.

Hydraulics, you say?! Hmmm....$$$$$$$$$$$ on the new market...going to go check out the used stuff now. I'll have more in the pump than I would in the blowers...add lines, hmmm...we'll figure something out. We won't get measurable snow until late October (this year), but I'll be ready come the real heavy stuff come December. (I hope)

 

[ShaunRH]

You could TRY to adapt a mid-mower mount PTO reversing system to the blowers. There would be some serious fabrication involved and you have to make sure the rotation is correct, but it should work doing a mechanical driveline.

Other option is to see if you can tap off the front crankshaft and mount a hydraulic pump there. A simple loop system, tank and pump combination would drive the PTO line just fine but you'll be into that for much more than you paid for the blowers.

 

[Underwhere]

Heller's wife has your kidney! Cool!

I have a BX2750d which is a front mount mower. It uses a driveshaft to connect to the mid-mount pto.

Personally I think that having 2 units on the front may be too heavy and just not maneuverable enough. You'd probably have to counterweight significantly if you are doing anything but flat ground.