Winch-Controlled Snow Blade

Winch-Controlled Snow Blade ATVÆS “My son Doug and I used an old junked-out water heater to make a snow blade for our ATV ” says Jeff Kumpf Hopedale Ill The snow blade is raised and lowered by an electric winch that’s operated by the ATV’s 12-volt battery The winch hooks up directly to the back part of the blade An angle iron frame supports the plow and pins onto the ATV’s frame “The winch controller sits directly between my legs which makes it easy to adjust the blade up or down ” says Kumpf “It’s really easy to operate and works better than a pickup-mounted blade because it allows me to work in small areas where a pickup can’t go ” says Jeff “I enjoyed building it because my son and I were able to spend some great quality time together in the shop on some blistery days ” He cut the water heater’s internal tank down along the vertical weld Then he measured around the tank to the halfway mark and made a cut there which resulted in two identically curved pieces He welded one piece inside the other which resulted in an almost 1/4-in thick blade Then he built the support mechanism that connects the blade to the 4-wheeler The 4-wheeler had no type of mounting assembly on the undercarriage so he welded 4 lengths of 1-hole steel strap straight down off the structure He welded together 2 long struts that straddle the welded-on straps and pin onto them The next step was to mount a cutting edge – a 1 by 1-in length of angle iron – onto the blade “The cutting edge allows the blade to run just across the top of any hard surface such as concrete ” says Jeff The blade pivots up or down on a pair of rubber wheels that attach to the frame “When clearing a gravel driveway the wheels allow the unit to ride up slightly without catching on rocks ” says Jeff Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jeff and Doug Kumpf 26400 Kentuckiana Rd Hopedale Ill 61747 ph 309 449-5450

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.