Big SP Snowblower Has 40-In Auger, 35 In Blower

Big SP Snowblower Has 40-In Auger, 35 In Blower SNOWBLOWERS Snowblowers 19-6-9 After moving into a new house with a 600-ft. driveway, Frank Faulting, N. Collins, N.Y., realized he'd need a big machine to keep the driveway clear of snow in winter. He decided to build a big self-propelled 4-WD, 4-wheel steer hydrostatic snowblower. The 2-stage snowblower has a big 40-in. dia. auger and a 35-in. dia. blower that throws snow up to 100 ft. away. "We've used it in snow 8 to 12 ft. deep. It has a lot of power and is highly maneuverable," says Faulting, who built the snow-blower 15 years ago and estimates that he's put over 1,000 hours on it. Faulring used 6-in. channel iron to build the frame and 3/16-in. sheet metal for the body and cab. He mounted a 200 hp engine off an International 345 heavy duty truck behind the cab, mounting the engine, fan, and radiator backward. He got a pair of 4-WD front steering axles off two Dodge W100 pickups and took a used transfer case and driveshaft from one of the pickups. He narrowed the axles to a 60-in. overall width and turned the back axle upside down to compensate for the reverse direction of the driveshaft coming out of the backward-facing engine. The front steering axle is connected to the steering wheel, with the rear steering axle controlled by a hydraulic cylinder operated from the cab. The 7.50 by 15 tires are off one of the pickups. A 4-speed transmission with conventional clutch is used to drive the blower. The blower chain-drives a right angle gearbox that in turn chain-drives the auger. The rig has two separate hydraulic systems - a 20 Series Sundstrand hydraulic pump at the back of the rig that's used to drive the wheels, and a belt-driven, open-center hydraulic system that's used to power all accessories. The pump is connected by a driveshaft through the radiator to the engine crankshaft, and a hydraulic motor mounted under the cab is connected to the input side of the Dodge transfer case. The rig has four hydraulic cylinders - one to lift the blower, one to turn the chute, one to control a diverter mounted on the end of the chute, and one to turn the rear steering axle. Faulring used 3/16-in. sheet metal to. make the blower and heavy steel plate to make the auger flighting. A rubber flap mounted above the auger flighting keeps churned-up snow from flying back toward the cab. "It never fails to draw attention when we're using it. Many times the local high-way plows will stop to watch the machine in action," says Faulring. "We're located in a major snow belt area off Lake Erie so we get a lot of snow." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Frank Faulring, 4841 Genesee Road, N. Collins, N.Y.14111(ph 716 337-3682).

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