cub snowblower

[Rudi]

That looks like a very nice blower - and 42" isn't a bad width. You would be right though - best if it is powered by an auxilliary B&S etc.

As far as some of the points Carl and Don raised ... these are easily addressed. I for one am not a fan of 2" of frozen snow on my face and the rest of me. BtDt more times than I care to remember and certainly never want to repeat again. Part of my snowblower project includes a vital part of Rick's project:



For those of us with long driveways and a Cub with no access to larger tractors on a permanent basis, then this project makes sense. I do agree with a couple more of their points, a project like this is not for every one just like my splitter project isn't for everyone. But as another chum stated, those of us on the forum that a well kinda nutty - we like the challenges and of course we like to be able to see just what our Cubs can do. It is also a learning experience. I know I would never have learned diddley about hydraulic power if I had not done blade and splitter project. I am going to take what I learned there and eventually have hydraulically operated chute controls both direction and elevation. I am going to have Cab as well and have been assembling some parts/locating other parts and ideas on a Cab.

I already have found 1 - 6 volt wiper motor from an old VW. Hope it still works. It has been in a barn for 30 years so I figure a rebuild should take care of that. And Romeo (Dad's cousin) had this for sale a couple years ago ... nice idea and within my fab skillset.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I had these in my pictures from Cubarma 2006.



More pictures at
http://home.centurytel.net/ejpuckett/Snow%20blower/

[ad356]

what kind of engine is that, looks like a huge engine. not your typical K series kohler or B&S, is it? is that the danco??

[Don McCombs]

Not a Danco. The engine is a Wisconsin. Homemade.

[Matt Kirsch]

I found a 48" snowthrower off one of those case "high-wheel" garden tractors on craigslist... pretty cheap I think.

It would be perfect mounted on my '53.

Do I *really* need another project?

[outdoors4evr]

I had a snowblower (IH50) on my 184. Threw snow well when the snow was less than 6". The creeper gear solved the forward speed issue. The blower was powered from the PTO. There was a belt running from the PTO to the driveshaft (under the tractor) and being a numbered series, had a live PTO. The blower took everything the 184 could do and had to run wide open. It was single stage and threw the snow about 4-5' to the side.
I sold it this year in favor of a walk-behind as my driveway is not big enough to warrant the tractor changeover time.

[Rudi]

The IH-50 is a single stage snow thrower and not as efficient as a 2 stage snow blower. It lacks the impeller and the auger tube is really huge. Again, the PTO powered blower is a real limiter - if the blower is powered separately then sufficient power can be transmitted to the auger or auger/impeller to move the snow at high speed while allowing the tractor to move forward at a slower speed.

Matt:

Yes you do need another project

64/67lo-boy:

One of the problems with smaller units (less than the width of your Cub) is trying to navigate around the left overs - front and rears end up on the ridges and that can cause problems. But, there is a solution - cutter wings - extend the effective width of the blower by adding cutter wing extensions to both sides of the blower. If your Cub has a 52" track then you need 7" or 2 3-1/2" cutter wing extensions. These will gather in the snow to the auger and widen your swath without bogging down the blower. I see these all the time on older large units that are modified for newer tractors.

I really gotta get off me duff and get this done. If I can hold off any other med issues, I need to get this one done and ready for next year. A little too cold to do it now

[64/67lo-boy]

Hey Rudi this what you are talking about. I need one on the other side so it will be 48" wide. Im thinking of getting a used riding mower with a 17.5HP and an electric clutch. Would have electric start and all. Same as you, would like to have it going for next year.

42" blower, wing gives it 3" more total is 45"

[Rudi]

Pete:

Yup, similar to the one you have.

One problem and Freddy a buddy of mine up here ran into that with a 20hp Craftsman with a 48" front mounted blower. He needed either a hydro-stat or a creeper gear on a gear drive tractor. He opted for the hydro-stat. Found he had the very same problem even with weights and chains added. The hydro-stat could move slow enough but there wasn't enough oooomph to move it and blow snow at the same time. He has gone back to the drawing board. I don't understand the issue but it has him confused and a lot poorer for his fun account.

Theoretically it should work as IH has the QA 36 and QA 42 for the 108 and up that works slick as can be. My buddy Gord has one on his 108 with a creeper gear and it is just the cat's meow.

That Brinly is a pretty substantial blower and it is already set up to mount on a Cub. If it was mine, I would opt to bring it out wide enough to clear the Cub, mount it on the Cub with a separate 10hp or better B&S, Techumseh, Yammy or Honda engine on it and be done with it. The Cub's ooomph will ensure that it don't get stuck. You might have a few mods to make - mostly for the outboard engine, but that isn't difficult. Also, the mount/dismount might be easier as well. May only be 4 or 5 connection points depending on how it is bolted up. Be a lot cheaper than a used ridem.

Just a tawt

[gitractorman]

Rudi,
The difference is twofold. The weight of a 20-hp Craftsman tractor is about 500 pounds -vs- about 800 pounds for a Cub Cadet 108 (or any similar sized Cub Cadet tractor). That makes for a whole lot more traction and pushing power (along with stiffer frame, more substantial axles, stronger wheels, stronger lifting mechanism .........)

Secondly, you have the new issue with the ratings of engines. That 20-hp Craftsman has a "20-hp" engine on it. This was the issue with the recent class action lawsuit that everyone was getting $75 check from. The way that new engines are rated is based on a bare engine, nothing on the crankshaft, no intake, and no muffler, running on a Dyno, to determine the running horsepower of the bare engine. Add on an intake, and muffler, drop about 5-hp. So now you've got a 15-hp, V engine which has a lot less torque than a single cylinder engine, and the 10-hp Kohler was probably under rated on the HP side because it was actually tested with an intake and muffler installed. Now things start coming together on why a new Craftsman won't work like a 40-year old Cub Cadet!

[Lurker Carl]

My experience. Adding wings to increase the bite of the blower work well in dry powder only. Breaking through the heavy snow pack left at the end of a driveway by the county plow truck will bend the wings backwards. Wings in heavy wet snow will overload the blower and pack the augers.

[Rudi]

Bill:

Yeah, that all be true. 20hp on a bench under no load is a whole different kettle of fish from an older 10hp Kohler, Briggs or Tecumseh. These newer engines are pretty much fluff. I have a 20hp Twin B&S on my JD L111 and I can tell you that the JD although stronger than many of the other new ones cannot shine a candle to my Cub, not even to my old Craftsman and it wasn't all that strong. I am curious to see what the difference will be when the 12hp 129 hydro gets up and running.

When people talk HP today it is like talking lemons, apples, grapefruits and kiwis all in the same sentence. There really is no common ground. That is why to me the drawbar rating would be the most accurate - but it is little understood by the average person. Even though I have been involved with engines of different types all my life, hp ratings for them all varied immensely.

Carl:

Yes, you do have a valid point. Many of the wings today are made out of 16 gauge or thinner stock which will not hold up well. The kind of tins used on say an IH-50 or a 30 year old Ariens, Toro or even a Craftsman were much thicker - 14 and possibly 12 gauge or thicker. That stuff will hold up to cutting through banks. One would hope that if someone is making a project like this that they will use the thickest stuff that they can and it makes sense.

Heavy wet snow is going to be a bear no matter what you do. Sometimes a blower simply is not the tool to use - I have my 13hp/33" cut Yardman -- it is a 2000 I think and it packs some oomph, but it will not blow slush or heavy wet snow. When that happens I simply call Ray with the loader on the Massey. Lot easier on me and the equipment.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Someone (Rick Prentice I think) at one of the Cubaramas had one he was building. Had it mostly done but still had some finishing touches to do on it. the thing that stood out most in my mind was it was powered by a vertical shaft engine that was mounted on the frame just in front of the driver. I thought I had some pictures of it, but can't find them. they may have been in the group I had a few years ago when I had the combination of the photo server I was using shut down and i had a computer drive fail, with the result that I had about an 18 month span that i could not recover. The pictures may have been in that group. if anyone has pictures of the 2009 or 2010 Cubarmas they may be in that group.

[Rudi]

I just checked my files and yup you are right John. Rick powered it with a vertical shaft engine.

[gitractorman]

Ok, had to do this just to stir up the pot a bit. A guy here locally has a snow blower from a number seried lo boy for sale. I posted in the Cub Vine classifides, but here are a couple of pics of it. May be something to adapt to a cub. Maybe use the existing drive shaft to the back of a Cub, then run it with a Kohler engine or something????