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HorseFixer

Dukes Snow Blower Automation

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HorseFixer

Well today after leaving the Heat lamp on the Rear End and it warmed it up quite nicely! I started changing the Oil and filter and discovered quite a difference in the Wheel Horse Filter :scratchead: See my thread Here On Hydro Tranny I was able to drain the tranny good! :hide: Being I decided to Use a WH filter I switched over on the another project! I got the 75 Lb Wheel Weights on. Here are some pics!

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Craig Arndt

Sweet work and VERY nice beads!!! I find the cab to be warm enough with just the heat from the engine area coming back into the cab naturally. And I'm in Northern Vermont 15 miles from Canada.

Having dealt with VW's I'm always worried about exhaust flumes from those boxes....

That blower set up is going to be GREAT!! :scratchead:

Nice tractor!

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HorseFixer

Duke, I bet you spent enough money that you could pay someone to plow your driveway for the next 4 years. But that wouldn't be any fun. :ychain:

Captn Jake, thats like saying I spent enough on the wife that I could have hired me a different one for every night for the next 4 years! :ychain: Is that what you meant? :scratchead: If so I like yer Style! :hide:

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pbradley68

What next? If you add some servos, actuators and a remote control you won't even have to leave the house. :scratchead: AND if you add a wifi webcam (Hi Def of course) to it we can watch in real time LOL

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stevasaurus

LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW

a very nice job Duke. :scratchead:

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HorseFixer

Okay tonight I got my strobe in the mail and since I already had my overhead light I thought I would get them mounted and give them a try and see how they would look! I also did a test on the Amp Draw and they are averaging about 6 to 7 amps with both the overheads and the strobe lights running. The two motors pull about 4 Amps each so that will put me right at about 15 amps which is the charging systems capability but I wont be using the motors continuously so I still should be getting a charge in the battery. The movies of the strobe does not do it justice it is much brighter and flashes way more than in the video :scratchead: Thats kinda strange this is a quad flash strobe and it flashes about four times as much? must be an optical delusion! :hide:

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Snow Cab Lights Amp Draw Test

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Gerry w

Looking great Duke! Any thoughts as to another light on the back for more backup light??

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stevebo

Duke,

I have to say you go to the extreme... very nice !!

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KyBlue

I'm gonna be a day late and a dollar short on this, but since you have the money tree outback...

Did you consider using LED lights Duke? They'll draw so much less than the ones you have on there, and should still provide ample light.. They have been using them more and more on Forklifts, especially the electric ones..

Just a thought Duke!

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HorseFixer

Thanks :scratchead: Gerry, Steve & Scott! Well tonight I put on some new chains a Pal of mine gave me! I think they look pretty gnarly on there. I also purchased a Weather kit for the actuator that sealed the top of Cylinder and I used a Bike inner tube to seal the bottom of actuator. I then made a boot for the chute rotator motor out of the same inner tube I'm not finished yet, but I see the Idea will work, I will use some silicone under the tube or around seams! Here are some Pics before and after on the chains. :hide:

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Brrly1

Hey Duke, You should try and get a contract with the city and do all of the walks in town. How long is your driveway? How much frontage do you have for your walks? I myself clean about 3000 ft for the neighbors. I don't use a blower though too afraid of taking out a window or car windshield or something along that line. It would be to difficult to climb inside a cab for me, So I just put on the carharts and gloves, stocking hat optional and go out and have big fun. Looks like fun, heck of a job. See Ya, Bye Burly

:scratchead:

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KyBlue

Hey Duke wanna donate them old chains??? :scratchead: Ill be happy to give em a good home~!

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whfan74

Duke I am envious of those lights. If I ever get a chance to get over and get mine ready for winter I will lost in the dark. I really need to check out that setup!

Great job and thanks for posting the video! Looks sweet!

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Rideawaysenior

Duke,

When are you going to build a snow maker so you can try this out. I'm itchin to see it go now as I'd bet my last dollar you are too.

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HorseFixer

Duke Did you consider using LED lights Duke? They'll draw so much less than the ones you have on there, and should still provide ample light.. Just a thought Duke!

Well I took you guys advise :notworthy: and have investigated and did some research on LED lights and this is what I am going to do. :thumbs: I took apart my Baja light on my cab to see what Kind of Bulb they take They take a 55W H3 Bulb. So I investigated on Flee Bay And Found These H3 Bulbs In a LED. I really need to put a Set of lights on the back of the cab for reverse but I think I would really be Taxing the Charging System If I added much more lighting to the system, plus everything else running. I will possibly be changing out the 1156 bulbs over to These LED bulbs. :banghead: I will probably have to put new sockets in facing fwd to get these bulbs to work. If I need a more light forward I will install another set of the Baja's in front that I am sure will give me plenty! I think with 6 fogs on the cab (4) Facing Front, and (2) Rear along with the 2 built in the hood plus my strobe I have hopes of dropping my amp Draw from 7 amps to less than 4? So what do you guys think? :) Do ya think I will have plenty of lights front and rear with 8 bulbs for lights and draw less amperage? I also sanded & painted all the framework for My snow cab, hope to get another coat on this weekend and bolted on the tractor by wends So I can start some wireing and get the control switching completed and light wireing done. Tha cab framework needs to be mounted on the tractor before any wireing can be done because I will be building a bracket for the switch control box to mount. And I need to know locations so its not in nthe way of the cab. Anyways here are some pics. :WRS:

H3Bulbs.jpg

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KyBlue

Duke there are better bulbs out there that provide more light...Those are forward facing only and while give off some light, it will not, radiate like a regular bulb.

I would suggest trying sometehing like these,

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I had a similar set in my orange ford, and the difference in the amount of light between the ones like you put up from fleaBay,and the ones Im showing you, is a world of difference. They went from a single round Red Spot to...

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I also had them in the front

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You can see that they are as bright or brighter than the cablights.

You can get, and its where I got mine from ....

AutoLumination

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wh1257

your are reddy for thi winter

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Suburban 550

Duke, looks great. :WRS: I only have one question for you. Are you planning on leasing it or workin' for the Niles, Michigan Street Department during snow emergencies? :thumbs: It'll sure get the job done. :notworthy:

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chamjack

Can't wait to see the video of it moving some snow. Of course, it will have to at night :notworthy:

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Stigian

Top work there Duke and great welding skills :notworthy:

It will be interesting to see how well the heater works..

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HorseFixer

Thanks Guys! And for the Tip Scotty I Checked Out That Site They Wanted 24.95 per bulb Plus Shipping! :) That would be over 50 buckaroos for 2 Bulbs! So I Went This route! Same Thing Less Cash From The Chiwaneese Guys which are were all these bulbs come from anyways just the US guys charge 5 times as much! :notworthy: Not From Me Tho! :banghead: I got a couple sets of each of these coming Along with The H3 Bulbs! The 36 Flat panel puts all the light FWD and may be brighter :WRS: Will give them both a try! :thumbs:

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HorseFixer

Yesterday I applied the second coat of Black Val spar with hardener on all the Cab Frame parts. I had to make a couple spacers for the front mounting brackets out of some 1/4 iron pipe. Today the paint was dry and hard so I assembled the Cab Frame and used all Stainless Steel Bolts Nuts & Washers. :) After The Frame was assembled I put on the Cab Hard Top on to see how it will look. There will be a control box where all the rocker switches will be mounted, now that the cab frame is assembled I now can start on that since I know where the location of inside the cab will be! :notworthy: A matter of fact the mounting plate for the control box will be made out of Stainless Steel and mounted to the Lower cross rail beneath the front window, this will be just above the forward reverse lever and will be close to easily operate the chute controls and fwd reverse with my right hand while the left will be used for steering. Here are some pics. Now onto the controls and wiring.! :thumbs: Oh Yeah I hafta get me a set of rear Baja lights mounted on the cab too! :WRS:

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HorseFixer

Well this evening I made the control box mounting bracket and mounted the control box in place. Tomorrow I will mount 2 DPDT Rocker Switches to control the chute and 3 SPST Switches For The Overhead Cab Lights. These Rocker switches will be cut in the lid of the control box with a flex shaft dremel tool which will require some pretty precise cutting! :notworthy:

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HorseFixer

Went back out in the garage tonight and got the switches mounted in the control box.

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bitten

Duke

I have to presume that the rocker switches are lighted. With all that light you are going to have outside you will not be able to see anything inside. :thumbs:

Looking good. Try typing par 36 on ebay and look at the LED's that are on there. That is the lowest price I have seen for these. Still on the fence weather I'll get those or another pair that I have found. If you could buy them and be my guinea pig that would be very nice of you :notworthy:

P.J.

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