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jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Original Message   Feb 24, 2011 7:04 pm
Well I was finally able to get some video of my blower in action.  Went out to our family cottage and one of my neighbors was kind enough to operate the camera for me.
I'm pretty satisfied with the way it performs after the repower and other modifications to the impeller blades and housing. I had also increased the auger drive pulley size from
the stock 2 3/4" to 3 1/4". Powered chute controls work great.  I also came up with a way to use the old deflector control lever to operate the auger engage/ disengage.
So now I can pull on the lever engage the blower and not have to keep the right handle held down all the time.  It's so much easier to use the chute control joystick and hold on
to the blower.  I believe that it is also easier on the belt with fewer engage and disengage cycles.

I think it is still a little underpowered.  It could probably use a 13hp instead of the 11hp.  That 32" bucket takes in a lot of snow.  I'd also like to increase the auger drive pulley
to a 3 1/2" just to see what happens.  The one issue or component I still haven't come to a conclusion about is the impeller (14").  It has 6 blades, it's the only six bladed impeller I've
ever seen.  A lot of the newer blowers and the Honda's have only three blades.  I know how well the Honda's perform and I've watched a couple videos of the Ariens Compact 22
going through 14, 16" inches of light new snow without a problem.  So I've been wondering if six blades is just over kill and a lot of extra mass and weight to be turning. Once you get them
spinning I guess inertia is on your side.  But if three works well, and Honda first proved that they do.  Then what is the advantage of 4 or 6, just don't know.  One thing I do know is that.
The blade tip to housing clearance is a really important factor in blower performance. As is the impeller RPM.

Just a little information about the video.   In the first section the depth was about 18" deep in the plow roll of pile. And around 14 or 15" deep everywhere else. The snow was about three day old.
Had a bottom layer (2") of heavier stuff.  It had settled and was somewhat compacted and dense.  Not light power by any means but also not high in moisture and wet heavy.
Any and all comments are welcomed!
This message was modified Feb 24, 2011 by jrtrebor
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Steve_Cebu


Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 888

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #2   Feb 24, 2011 8:01 pm
Great Vid!

"If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England."  "If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England."
GtWtNorth


https://t.me/pump_upp

Location: https://t.me/pump_upp
Joined: Nov 16, 2008
Points: 264

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #3   Feb 24, 2011 9:15 pm
Wow, that throws great just like it is.  I wonder if you're not better off with six blades, because as you said, more inertia to keep the speed up and each blade takes a smaller bite. So in general that configuration works less hard to get the same amount of work done. Nice job.

Cheers

https://t.me/pump_upp
amazer98


Joined: Dec 7, 2009
Points: 46

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #4   Feb 24, 2011 9:28 pm
I'm jealous!  Can you swing out over to New Hampshire and do the same mod on my Ariens 24? Hell, let's add a turbo the next time around!
jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #5   Feb 24, 2011 9:56 pm
Paul7 wrote:
Nice!  Real nice!  I'd say that the 11hp is providing plenty of power.  If that snow went any higher small planes might be in danger.  Did you install a Clarence Impeller kit?  Also does the bucket weight provide a noticeable difference.

Thanks for your comment.  The 11hp does do really well.  As I posted another time if the 1st gear speed of the Ariens was just a little bit slower.  It would match the blower output in deep snow just perfectly.
And I wouldn't have to sometimes pause a little to let the blower clear itself. That's why hydro drives are so nice.
My comment about a 13hp was me thinking about raising the auger shaft speed a little more with a still larger pulley.  That would increase the blower output and bring it more inline with my slowest forward speed.  But having said that the depth of snow and the type of snow plays a big factor as well.  Again the beauty of a hydro drive is that it allows you to match your forward speed with you blower thruput
in any, and all types of snow condition.  Which is how you can achieve maximum blower performance and snow clearing. In my opinion.
Had to laugh about the small planes.
I didn't put an impeller kit on it.  I extended the length of the impeller blades by laying on beads of weld to the blade tips.  I knew how much length I needed to add.  So I made a reference mark on the blades.  Then added on enough weld. Then ground off the excess to get me to the right length and shape.  Sounds like a lot of work, but I think it only took about an hour or so. That is once you have the impeller assembly out on a bench.
The impeller kit would work just as well.
I have never run the blower without the weights so I really can't say if it makes a noticeable difference.  I'm sure though that without the weights the front end would be light.  As the new engine sits further back than the original.  Which was already somewhat behind the axle.
Glosta


Joined: Jan 27, 2011
Points: 11

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #6   Feb 25, 2011 12:42 am
Awsome Snowblower !!!  Great job with all custom fabrications! 

If that was my snow blower,  I'd violate that machine like an expired parking meter.    

Wouldn't matter if Mother Nature dumped two inches or two feet....I'd be using that beast for sure.

Nice job!

carlb


Joined: Nov 16, 2010
Points: 279

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #7   Feb 25, 2011 10:45 am
Looks great and does a great job moving the snow.  I to modified my impeller by welding up the edge and grinding it to decrease the clearance I set the clearance on my impeller at 1/16" and it pumps out snow and slush like a fire hose on my repowered 1985 Snapper 24" blower.
borat


Joined: Nov 10, 2007
Points: 2692

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #8   Feb 25, 2011 11:40 am
carlb wrote:
Looks great and does a great job moving the snow.  I to modified my impeller by welding up the edge and grinding it to decrease the clearance I set the clearance on my impeller at 1/16" and it pumps out snow and slush like a fire hose on my repowered 1985 Snapper 24" blower.

I've thought of that as well.  However, rather than build up the impeller blades, I'd probably lean toward manufacturing a stainless steel liner to fit inside the impeller housing.  If you look at most machines impeller housings, that's where the wear is taking place.   End of driveway gravel is the cause and in due course, will wear a fair amount away from the housing.  A nice hard piece of SS cut to length and correctly curved to spring itself inside the housing would slip in relatively easily.  Beveled edges and pre-drilled, counter sunk holes would make it easy to install and secure it.   If and when that one wears out, just replace with an insert or required thickness to maintain desired clearance. 
Paul7


Joined: Mar 12, 2007
Points: 452

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #9   Feb 25, 2011 11:54 am
Borat - would using the same type of plastic that lines your chute as an insert instead of stainless steel be feasible. 
jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #10   Feb 25, 2011 1:42 pm
borat wrote:
I've thought of that as well.  However, rather than build up the impeller blades, I'd probably lean toward manufacturing a stainless steel liner to fit inside the impeller housing.  If you look at most machines impeller housings, that's where the wear is taking place.   End of driveway gravel is the cause and in due course, will wear a fair amount away from the housing.  A nice hard piece of SS cut to length and correctly curved to spring itself inside the housing would slip in relatively easily.  Beveled edges and pre-drilled, counter sunk holes would make it easy to install and secure it.   If and when that one wears out, just replace with an insert or required thickness to maintain desired clearance. 

Actually I did line the impeller housing, and the blower housing with Stainless. Because your right the impeller housing is constantly getting scoured.  Even with the new lining though I still had
to much clearance between the blades and the new stainless liner. I secured both of the pieces of stainless to the housing by plug welding it in place from the back side. 
Even though I don't do any blowing in areas that have kind of loose gravel.  It's surprising how much wear in the form of small scratches and shallow gouging I'm seeing in the stainless liner and the Wacky Carpet that lines the chute.

Two of my summer projects are going to be cutting teeth into the auger blades. And mounting flange bearings on the blower housing to support the the auger shaft ends. The Flange Bearings will replace
the stock bronze bearing setup.





carlb


Joined: Nov 16, 2010
Points: 279

Re: Video of my Ariens blowing snow
Reply #11   Feb 25, 2011 3:21 pm
My only concern with putting a Stainless Steel liner in is, that sit will trap snow or salt behind the liner and rust out the original impeller housing .
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