Snowblower/PTO load on BX2380

[rjcorazza]

In a low range the pedal will allow a more accurate speed within the useable range.
Say high range is 0-10mph, half pedal (may) be 5mph
In low let's say it's 0-3 mph, half pedal is 1.5 mph

In this case in low the first half of the pedal is almost within your desired speed, where as in high you are constrained to the first 1/10th of the pedal. Barely press it and you're bogging down.


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[Captaincj]

So high/low range just comes down to speed control?

 

[atitus]

So high/low range just comes down to speed control?

No, the drive ratio is different. On flat ground, blowing snow, you probably wouldn't notice much else besides the speed in high versus low. But if you had to go up a hill, the engine is going to have to work harder in high gear.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re:
If I blow snow at full throttle, and travel at exactly 1.00 mph (this is a hypothetical question) blowing snow, what difference does it make if I'm in high or low range?
...

two things are different
1) speed. kinda obvious, high range is faster

2) torque, in low range, you have much more ground 'power'.

Snowblowing is NOT a 'high speed' sport ! You set the RPMs high enough to toss the snow far,far away and you drive slow enough to remove snow without 'redoing' the strips.

You can do #1 in light, fluffy snow but you need #2 for every other condition. Torque give you power to the wheels for better traction and at the same time, as you're going slower, better control,steering and time to react to things like ...oopsy THAT skid !

You should 'plan ahead' before snowblowing. Every driveway is different so look where the snow has to go. Generally, the 'make a pass-backup-moveover-repeat' is a huge loser in time and fuel as 50% ...no snow is removed. here are 'patterns' that are more efficient. I prefer to get rid of the roadside snow first,as well as 20' before my driveways. THAT keeps most of the roadsnow from blocking my driveway.

Jay

 

[Captaincj]

Jay, in my hypothetical question, I said exactly 1.00 mph in both high and low range, so:

1. The speed would be exactly the same. Although harder to accurately maintain that exact 1.00 mph in high range.

2. I've blown 4 times with it now, enough to know that I have no shortage of torque at the wheels in high range. I'm blowing the snow, not plowing it. So far I've just creeped along at low to moderate speed in high range, but never had any problems with traction or forward motion.

 

[PaulL]

My view, either will work. Obviously in high ratio at slow speed you're "slipping" the transmission more, but it's an HST, so it doesn't care. My intuition tells me that somehow that slippage in the transmission might cost you a little bit of power and make a little more heat, but I'm not sure of that. And I doubt it's material anyway.

Personally I'd do it in low. I get that it's annoying to switch to high to backup, then back to low to go forwards again. But as Greensvillejay says if you pick a pattern that doesn't require backing up, then no issue with changing gear.