Store selector: No store selected
Tell us about yourself:“Just a guy who enjoys tinkering and "improving" things.”
Front-mount snowblowers on smaller lawn tractors usually have a crank handle to position the chute and a cable to adjust the deflector angle. Tom was having none of that; with a few components and a bit of wiring, he added electric power to do the adjustments with a flick of a switch.
Great idea, Tom! Thanks for sharing your project with us!
See it in action: https://youtu.be/1rVitNLDGV8
What is it? John Deere lawn tractor with 42 in. snowblower attachment.
What is the main power source for your project? (e.g. electric motor, gas engine etc.) Original power was the operator’s left hand... now it's the tractor’s 12V battery.
How do you control your project? (e.g. hydraulic control valve(s), electric switches etc.) Two momentary switches, one for the linear actuator, one for the geared motor.
What components are used to perform the work for your project? (e.g. hydraulic cylinder(s), hydraulic motor(s), sprockets, pulleys etc.) The chute is turned from left to right via a Surplus geared motor (from a powered car seat motor, maybe?). I just turned the shaft down to fit the stock worm gear on my metal lathe. The deflector is moved via a 4-inch linear actuator.
What design/build challenges did you overcome? Although the pieces were made to work where the original pieces had been, some brackets were fabricated and welded in place to add strength.
If you had to build it again, what would you do differently? I found the wiring in the control box was a little snug; maybe used a double gang box instead of a single.
Which Princess Auto location do you visit most? Whitby, Ontario