Proper RPMs for Snow Blower Engine?

Virtually all snow blowers on the market the last 20 years or so have "variable speed" drives, usually with indexes for 5-8 speeds forward, and the low gear is pretty low. The beaters do tend to turn too fast in comparison to the impeller,for heavy snow. This ratio cannot, however, be easily changed as the majority of blowers use a worm gear case with the impeller on the input side, and the auger on the output with no external gears, sprockets, or chains to change.

If it's slush it must be close to freezing/melting. Have you considered heat to melt it and let gravity run it away? Could you borrow a salamander to test the idea?

Flame thrower.

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

Just an idea a friend had and it seems to work great, while cleaning out his garage he found an old piece of crazy carpet his kids had discarded. He pop riveted into the inside of the snowblower chute. Now his 25 year old machine blows snow like it ever did before but it works a lot better on slush than my new machine. something to think about

or if you want to make it yourself:

Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. "I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

I have a toro single stage with a curved rotor. It moves slush easily. The curved rotor will even throw water. This is one case where a single stage really excells.

chuck

My own opinion on the semi frozen heavy slush issue is that the really appropriate tool here is a good spoon like shovel and a pair of hands. For frozen slush, an ice breaker (?) tool plus shovel. Homeowner sized powered devices simply do not cut it.

i

That would probably work, howerver my driveway is about 13' across and it's not unusual for this slush to be 12" deep and anywhere from 1-3 feet from front to back... it's quite a challenge...

For the snow or the snowplow driver? ;-)

Yes, it is self propelled and I have the most luck at the slowest speed setting, taking small "bites" and waiting for the slush to discharge before I take another "bite" forward.

The cone pulley idea sounds good....perhaps even switching from regular driveway mode to "end of the driveway slush zone!"

Wow, and I thought Gunner was kidding.

Problem is the slush is often 1 foot deep and 1-3 feet across the end of

12-13' wide driveway, I would imagine it would take a lot of time to melt that down... But maybe not. Worse thing that would happen is the puddle would freeze, but heck that happens every Feb anyway... I'll have to experiment with propane torch just to see how fast it can melt the stuff....anytime we get to play with fire for a "good" reason is fine with me! :-)

Tim

I can get a shovel at Home Depot or Menards, but where the heck do you get a good pair of hands? :-)

Both of course!

Nothing like venturing into the Flaming Cul de Sac to keep the plow guy attentive to his duties.

Or freezing the mounded snow around mailboxes... Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

Hey I think you may have just given me a great idea. What if there was a buckle in the road right before my driveway? The plow would have to slow down every time he passed... Now how to make the pavement buckle? :->

Make a cardboard sign saying "Paying $20 for snow shovelling" and wait near the local high school parking lot around 3:30 PM.

just a thought

Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. "I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

And after work is completed, use flamethrower to avoid paying.

Just a thought.

i