Snow Blowers

Dave Richards

Member
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Location
SE Minnesota
My father asked for one mounted on an elephant. His birthday is coming up. Does anyone know where I might find such a thing? :D

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Man, that's a lot of snow you've got there, Dave. :eek:

Thanks for the reminder. This weekend I've got a bunch of oranges and lemons to pick, I need to fertilize both lawns, and it's the time of year for heavy pruning of the rose bushes (even though they're still blooming).
:D
 
I never thought I would say this, but I wish it would STOP snowing. I have yet to see the sun this week, and they are predicting snow every day until Monday. We are not getting a lot, just 5-6 inches at a time, but this is the third time in three days I had to plow my driveway. We are getting 5 inched to death here in Maine.
 
Steve, that snowplow looks like it doesn't know if it's coming or going. :p I guess all that matters is that you know where it's going, huh? :D
 
I've been using this 50 year old snowblower all winter. At 7 feet,its a bit big for my tractor, but clears a spot pretty quick.

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Steve, that snowplow looks like it doesn't know if it's coming or going. :p I guess all that matters is that you know where it's going, huh? :D

I haven't known if I was coming or going for years.


Blade swivels 360 degrees so I can pull or push.


I'd really rather have a 3 point hitch snowblower. We had a 7' Arps snowblower on one of our tractors when I still farmed....it was sweeeet!
 
I haven't known if I was coming or going for years.
I didn't want to say anything...:rolleyes: :p


Blade swivels 360 degrees so I can pull or push.
That's what I was guessing. I used to enjoy watching a good operator run a grading tractor back when I was in the earthwork business. I used to see a lot of Ford tractors with box graders doing small building pads and yard grading. Definitely an art to running one.
 
Vaughn....

Ford used to make a conversion kit for the Old 8N and 9N tractors made in the 50's. A Farmer could buy the kit and then swap it out when he graded the county roads or whatnot. I think the swap time was quite the chore and made the conversion kit somewhat fool hardy. Still the kit allowed the tractor to be elongated which is essential in getting any kind of level grade.

Kind of cool
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though.
 
That is a cool add-on Travis. I'd bet most of the guys who set their tractors up with them didn't do a lot of swapping back and forth between the two configurations. Still a economical way for a farmer to have a grader.

I will disagree a bit with the elongated frame being essential for getting a level grade. The long wheelbase definitely makes it easier, and is usually more practical, but I've seen guys who could bluetop a site to within a couple hundredths (of a foot) with a grading tractor. I was the guy setting (or inspecting) grade stakes for them. :)

On the subject of graders, years ago I was working on a large airport job as an inspector, and at the end of the day the contractor left a big Cat grader a little too close to the runway, and it had to be moved. I've operated Bobcats and loader/hoes, but didn't know much about graders. Still, I decided to move it myself (I had the contractor's previous permission, plus it was considered an emergency, so I had the authority). I found the starter switch easy enough, and got it in gear and moved it 100 feet or so to get it out of the encroachment zone, but then I couldn't figure out how to shut off the engine. After trying to figure it out for a minute or two, I finally buried the blade a few inches into the ground, put it in high gear, and popped the clutch to stall it. :eek: The next day I learned that you pull up on the accelerator pedal to kill the engine. Who knew? :doh:
 
The next day I learned that you pull up on the accelerator pedal to kill the engine. Who knew? :doh:

That is odd. Most bulldozers...especially the big ones...don't have accelerator pedals but rather Declerreator pedals. We have a D-4 and a John Deere 850 and on both of them the engine runs full rpm unless you push down on the decelerator. That actually slows the engine down for fine work. Most do this because with a dozer 99% of the time you are running full throttle. It takes a bit to get used too! Both are killed via the decelerator pedal though.

Getting a decent grade with bulldozer is tricky though. Once you get a dip, the tracks hit the dip and your blade goes up and down, which makes the grade worse in a hurry. I had a heck of a time doing finish grade until the hired hand told me a trick. He said push one way for awhile,then push a different direction for awhile. You will feel if you are dropping or coming up by the feel of the dozer under you. Ever since telling me that I can get a decent grade in no time.
 
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Well, I think I want that 8N with the grader conversion. :D It looks like it would be about as long as my driveway and I'd probably have to drive down to the local Walmart to turn it around but I like it.

I suppose that levelling ground with a long grader is easier than with a short bulldozer or tractor in much the same way that it is easier to plane a board flat with a long plane. In the right hands a block plane could probably be used.

I don't know about my dad. He seems to have his heart set on an elephant. I wonder if his little Craftsman snowblower would thow elephant dung. :D
 
Interesting thread!
Hi Dave :wave:,
I was told this, probably myth, in the night, by the camp fire, coming from an old wrinkled woman, with 4 children and a glass of Walkers Deluxe,," An Elephant with it's trunk up facing east is good luck!"
What did she do? What could she do? What did she know?:dunno:
She went and bought elephant figurines, turned them upside down and pointed them to the east! :rofl::rofl:
Good luck with the dung.:eek::rofl:
Shaz :)
 
Dave...since you injected a little humor into your thread, (elephant trunk) I assume you don't mind if we run with this some, because I'm kind of hijacking your thread?

Anyway I'll let you drive that 8N Conversion around and I'll toy with this guy. Of course the thing is longer then my 70 foot driveway, but who's counting. :)

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