Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

If you could take the best parts/designs/features from different 2 stage snow throwers and create the best of the best, what would you use?  Who's engine? Impeller? Chute design? Drive system? Steering? Chute controls? Auger and Drive controls? Frame? Accessories? Etc?  I know most of us have favorites but I have to admit I find that I like certain things about certain machines.  I don't really mean that this has to be parts that would actually bolt together, just kind of a best-of-all design concept.  And don't just say brand or model xxx is perfect just the way it is.  If you feel that way that's cool.  But this question is not meant for that .  We're trying to take all of our experience and build something that hasn't been done yet.  Lets stick to 2 stage with wheels in an average bucket size to kind of limit the scope of this project. ( I know...I've got too much time on my hands while waiting for snow!)

Well for certain I would want Toro's trigger activated skid steer ability and joystick chute control.

Here are some things I would like to see on one unit.

 differential axle

420 cc engine

24" bucket

Simplicity box channel frame

simple crank chute w/remote deflector

14" impeller

NO NO NO sliption disc drive for me thanks

Then there is the actual construction of the machine, metal thickness, bearings/bushings... so who knows where the (my) list ends

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I think i would start with a big block chevy and go from there.

1.  13 HP Honda GX390 engine, with 5 hp electric motor on demand to provide additional torque when tracking tough EOD piles.
2.  Dual traction motor powering each wheel or tracks, with controller to vary speed for each wheel.  Slow gentle turns, or 180 zero radius turn.
3.  Electric chute and deflector, speed adjustable.  250 degree rotation

4.  Serrated teeth steel auger 14" diameter
5.  3 blade impeller, 14" diameter
6.  Dual blower, dual chute so can toss snow to each side if need be.

7.  Ability to vary impeller and auger rotation speed depending on snow condition. 
8.  LED lights in front right above the bucket to light up 8 feet across, 15 feet in front.
9.  Electrically adjustable height adjustable scraper and skids

10.  Electrically deployable snow cab
11.  On board battery start
12.  Defroster on bucket to melt all snow/ice before putting it away

13.  Replaceable teflon chute lining.
14.  32" bucket width
15.  Retractable bucket side shields.
16.  Rubber tracks with retractable titanium spikes.

17.  Electric winch for safety climbing stairs. 
18.  Built in RPM and hour meter display
19.  Forward looking sonar to detect hidden objects in front of snowblower.


Just a few ideas to get started. 

aa335 wrote:
Umm, don't you mean hydraulically powered front width adjustable between 12" and 48"?

I'll take a Ariens Pro track 28 with with a Honda track system and trigger steering.

As long as we are dreaming here,Remote control so you can clear the driveway from the comfort of your living room!

Shryp wrote:
Oh yeah.  I mean hydraulic extendable bucket from 32" to 60" with ice melt dispenser.

Greg13 wrote:
But that's like watching a love scene in a movie.  Not the same as being there.

Since we are in Fantasy Land, i,m going with handlebar mounted paint ball cannon to take out the over-caffeinated plow operators. Or better yet a teleporter to take me to the tropics for the winter.

If we're going really pie-in-the-sky, following aa335's lead, then I simply want a heated driveway, to melt all the ice and snow. Those apparently exist. I'd hate to see the electric/fuel bill, but hey, if you have the money...

I like to have a snow maker.  Wouldn't it be nice to have snow whenever you want without waiting for the weather report?

Well... I have a much better idea: instead of a auger and a chute and all the heavy duty stuff, I want a simple yet powerful " hot Lasor beam" to cut, melt, and vaporize the snow in a second...

I thought this thread was about taking all the best parts off of existing snowblowers and combining them to make the best actual snowblower.

Buut now it's laser beams and giant robots.

I mean you can always buy a commercial snowblower like a Bobcat and have a heated cab. That would be ideal.

Kubota with blower for winter, mower for summer, heated and air. 

Why go through this exercise when someone's already done it?

borat wrote:

They only cost about what $20K, still it would be nice to have a heated cab and be able to throw snow into the next county.

Enough money to install heating coils under the driveway and all the walks, and heat them all up so I never have ice or snow to worry about.  They would turn on automatically the moment a moisture sensor registered the precipitation when the temp was 32 degrees farenheit or lower.  I'd be in bed, with an electric mattress pad and retired.

New_Yorker wrote:

I sure hope you have really good drainage because melting a lot of snow like that is going to make a lot of water all at once. It would also be good for making an ice skating rink if it failed. I would think you'd have to remove quite a lot of the snow before you turned on something like that as snow tends to resist melting quickly. But maybe you don't get much snow where you are?

Steve_Cebu wrote:
I have heard of those things.  The secret is to turn them on before it snows.  Then the snow melts as it falls.  Some are electric and some use hot water / steam in a loop through the ground.

Shryp wrote:

I'm sure they are cool to use but up here with all the snow we get. I'd worry more about a flood than blowing the snow to where it can melt in peace slowly over a couple of months. For places that don't get a ton of snow it sounds ideal.

Steve Cebu, the raindrains away no problem, so the melted snow would as well. No Biggie.

There is a lot more going on in the winter as all your drains would have to be heated or on really cold days and we get a lot of them it's going to freeze up in a big way. Then the water will back up as it won't have anywhere to go. So if you did get a system like this you'd need heated drains and someplace for the water to runoff in case the drains froze up.

In the summer it is a non-issue but when it's 0 degrees or colder that water will freeze up mighty quick.

New_Yorker wrote:

It would be porhibitively costly.I know ground heating is around for a couple of decades, it works very well at residential properties but I have not heard this idea in practice.

But instead of snow blowers we might use torch blowers with LPG tanks behind, melting the snow. However when it is freezing cold, melted snow will turn into ice as Steve_Cebu said. :D

Back to my idea, let's use Lasor to vaporize it!

JoelKlein wrote:

If you do that can I come over and watch? I want to see a high kilowatt laser melt snow on top of a driveway that will liquify at 200 degrees.

I would take a Husqvarna 16530 EXL.   (  30 inch, Briggs 1650 engine , hydrostatic drive, power steering and heated grips, solid easily operated controls)    No changes required

slinger wrote:

I thought this may be an interesting thread. Mostly a waste of my time.

O

iLikeOrange wrote: You and a couple others gave some great ideas but some folks got a little too silly and dragged it down...