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I know there has been a lot of discussion on AGs vs chains etc. You would think that the big Carlisle ags on my 310-8 would do fairly well hauling things in the winter. Not so. I had planned on using the 310 this winter to haul coal up from the barn to the shop and house. I have a horse trough trailer that holds about 750lbs of coal (10-14 day supply).. My faithful Lawn ranger has hauled it up for many years with out a problem. Tried today to test the 310, I hauled the ashes down in a 30 gal trash can and dumped them then came back up empty. The 310 with AGs barely made it back up the hill, lots a wheel spin no way she could bring up the coal wagon. So the 310 is going away till mud season and the 49 yr old Ranger will go back to work.

I have a long sidewalk with lots of ups and down, so in an effort to not smack the high spots with the blade when plowing, I came up with this. I made a new edge out of 1/4x3 flat stock, and added these small wings on the ends, I angled the wing so that when the blade is angled, the wing is pointing straight ahead. The idea is to ramp up and over the sidewalk cracks, instead on hitting them. I also thought that with a little more metal out there it might wear a little longer, as it seems the ends of the blade wear more than the middle.

It has been my experience living all my life in snow country Somerset Pa. that the best traction on snow or ice is 2 link chains on turf tires

Would this be an "other brands"?

I use it year round and in muddy season i do not want to make big ruts that would come from fluid filled tires. Also I understand chains on AGs. You have to have double ring chains or duo-link..like I use on the big tractors. My DC3 has 600lbs of iron weights but doesn't go out with out chains in the winter. The Farmall M had 700 lbs of beet juice in each rear and also is worthless once the ground freezes hard with out chains. (Hard to find double ring or duo links for Wheel Horses) Yes narrow is best. My Plow and blower Horses have 6.00 12s with weights and chains. Haven't had to use the Case yet this year and didn't use it at all last year. the Horses are more than enough. Guess i was just surprised how poorly the Ags on the 310 did.

Weight, weight, weight! If those Ag-Lug tires were filled with fluid (like RV anti-freeze or Rim-Guard) and had weights on them, they would have gotten the job done, your lugs could hold 6-7 gal (60#+) each, plus a 50# weight, then they would easily have done the job on your ground, ––– but on hard smooth ice and up a slight sloop, probably not. Chains on your Turf tires are much better on hard smooth ice, (but not deep 12" snow) but then weight in/on the Turf tires would make them much better. You want as little contact on the ground as you can have, fewer square inches on the ground gives you more pounds per square inch = more bite = more traction, and extra weight will greatly increase that traction. With hard smooth Ice, especially if on a sloop,the chains will dig into the ice and grab it, much better than a Lug Tire can, but then on rough ground and snow, I like the Weighted Lug Tires much better. All depends on the situation. That big load of coal looks like a heavy load, but not for a Ranger. (PS: up your tire pressure in the Winter, to 20#). Glen

Friction (traction) is based in part on pounds per square inch of pressure reaching the ground. With those wide tires on the rear of the 310 you need substantially more weight on the rear end to obtain the traction the Ranger has traction; or just put on chains like the rest of us.

I finally had a chance to repair my 1997 520H transmission crack. I had recently fitted hubs and now pulled them to replace the left side case. Since the axles and hubs were less than perfect, I used Loctite 609 to make a better fit. If the fit allows movement, it doesn't matter how tight you make the set screws they will work loose as the hub rocks on the axle. You would think that the Loctite 609 would make hub removal nearly impossible, but they came off like they would have had a light press fit. The Loctite forms a plastic "shim" and doesn't make a tight bond to metal. This is the first time using my newly made hub puller and it worked great. In the photos you will see the hub puller in action, slivers of the Loctite and a flat that I milled on the axle for the set screw. I'll do a separate post on the crack.

Why not try throwing some chains on over the ags? This works with farm tractors. Our Ford 871 is useless in the winter without chains on, even with a 3cu ft block of cement hanging off of the three point.

The decal on the side appears to be that of a 1973 no-name. As said, the small tires, no headlights, and other hints such as the pre-1976 hood ornament, my guess would be a 1973 10 8-speed.

Regarding a cab, I am happy to have one finally. Been geeting a face full for to long, as my drive is 500 ft. and like lodestonefarm I like keeping the blower running, its part of the fun. My problem is, its on my 5xi , NOT a 520. so, will I even have heat? maybe warmer from no wind and staying dry. But when I read things like how Ed directs the heat to his cab and such, I get thinking on the 520 again. Btw, nice job Ed. But I am gratefull for finally having my dream setup, big 2 stage, cab, on my tank like 522xi. It will be a good year. Just wanted to make comment is all. Glenn

Couple years back I took a Dodge dually in for an alignment. Sat in the waiting room for about 3.5 hrs, finally went up and asked the owner of the shop what's taking so long. His reply was we are waiting on parts all four of your ball joints are shot...we are surprised you even made it in. I told him you know what you might be able to scam others like that but you aren't gonna get to this guy...I had just replaced upper and lower ball joints on both sides THE NIGHT BEFORE. So yes you have really got to watch some of these shops around as they will try to get to you and make a buck

For those who are looking for material for their snow blades and have concrete or asphalt drives, here is a company that makes them. They can be blank or pre-drilled. A guy on WFM used these on his John Deere garden tractor. http://www.fallline.com/snow-removal/snowplow-cutting-edges/ http://www.wfmachines.com/forums/showthread.php/53377-Poly-blade-and-blower-skids-and-blades-mod If I have to remove the snow at our church, which has a paved parking lot, I might buy one for my JD GX345.

Putting together a plow tractor for my Grandson, went to change the tires, and found this. Was able to weld it up slowly a little bit at a time so the axle never got hot (a cold garage helps also) cut the keyway with a Dremel tool. new seal and new hub, and it's all good. The other side wasn't quite so bad. I was able to cut the keyway wider to fit the next bigger key, and then file the axle slot wider for the new key

Them skinny tires have the best traction.

True story ... ACcuz had a 84 Half ton pick up with a homemade flatbed , plow , and skinny tires . That truck pulled a semi out of a ditch ! Skinny tires are the best for winter hands down .

My first car was a 1930 Dodge Brothers 4 door sedan. It had 4X19" tires on wooden spoke wheels and It would go places I would never dream of taking my F-150 4X4. If I did get stuck and needed extra traction, I always carried a hank of clothesline rope and just wrapped it around the tire thru the spokes. Narrow tires are the bomb.

I remember in the 80's on lots of V-8's the best way to get the plugs was to put it on a lift and either go thru the front wheel well flaps or raise it all the way and get them from the bottom. Years ago my Dad traveled alot. He stopped at a Sears for a free check up. They got him for every thing in the brake system, Pads Rotor, calipers, shoes. Everything but the master cyl. Lifetime warranty. A year later he gets another coupon and goes to the same Sears. They try to get him for the same stuff again. He says good it's all free and he whips out the Warranty. He made them do it all over again. A few years later his brake light comes on. He stops at a Monroe Muffler. They want to do the exact same work, Everything but the master. He decides to get another car. He drops off the old car at my house so I can sell it for him. I tear it all down and nothing is wrong but that master cyl. I call the State and they send an inspector to my house. Show him all the paper work and he not only writes up the Monroe shop but nails the Sears as well

Chains, but everyone that talked about the narrow tire being better is 100% correct. Many years ago I bought a new 76 chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 with 750/16's mud and snow tires, before the first snow fall I thought I wanted big wide tires, so 700.00 $ later I was stuck, so the narrow tires went back on and never looked back, Oh I sold the big tire and as I remember I only lost maybe 200.00. lesson well learned.

Yep, in snow, narrow tires will provide greater traction than wide ones.

I think you are correct!!

Another tip for the cold weather even if your rig is in a climate controlled shed/garage, use a battery maintainer is really helps out on those sub freezing days and keeps it healthy longer, I'm a firm believer in them,Jeff.

Couldn’t pass this one up considering the amount of trivia I have shared with you this year! 12-15-1979 Trivial Pursuit The game is invented by Canadians Chris Haney and Scott Abbott. Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in December 15, 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's, The Gazette, and Scott Abbott, a sports editor for The Canadian Press. After finding pieces of their Scrabble game missing, they decided to create their own game. With the help of John Haney and Ed Werner, they completed development of the game, which was released in 1982.[2] In North America, the game's popularity peaked in 1984, a year in which over 20 million games were sold. The rights to the game were initially licensed to Selchow and Righter in 1982, then to Parker Brothers (now part of Hasbro) in 1988, after initially being turned down by the Virgin Group; in 2008 Hasbro bought the full rights, for US$80 million. As of 2004, nearly 88 million games had been sold in 26 countries and 17 languages. Northern Plastics of Elroy, Wisconsin produced 30,000,000 games between 1983 and 1985. In December 1993, Trivial Pursuit was named to the "Games Hall of Fame" by Games magazine. An online version of Trivial Pursuit was launched in September 2003. Dozens of question sets have been released for the game. The question cards are organized into themes; for instance, in the standard Genus question set, questions in green deal with science and nature. Some question sets have been designed for younger players, and others for a specific time period or as promotional tie-ins (such as Star Wars, Saturday Night Live, and The Lord of the Rings movies).

Got another storm coming in tomorrow night - I hope it warms up like they say it's suppose to , -3* right now and the winds howled all night with wind chill values down near -30*F . I used to laugh at the Snowbirds heading to Florida in early December , tempted to join them now that I'm older and loaded with arthritis . Should have grabbed that cab for the D awhile back but it was almost 6hrs away and possibly missing parts . From the pictures I've seen of them , not even sure I could get inside the door and into the seat with the size of it - my legs don't bend very far due to severe dual knee injuries even though I'm fairly skinny ....but would be worth a try instead of getting frostbite . Sarge

I'd like to see it in action... something like this really requires video! Here's another.... would love to see a video! A Minnesota invention shown in Farm Show Magazine back in 2006.

A lot of very good gear pictures on this thread. I enjoyed looking at them from inside as it is less than 10 degrees this am! Did my snowremoval on Tuesday with the 1975 B-80 !

@JERSEYHAWG / Glenn I believe John @shallowwatersailor can tell you about heat in the cab on a gas (air cooled) xi vs liquid cooled diesel or Kawasaki xi but even on my 520H it's not the fact that I have "heat" as much as being out of the elements, back in January during the 24" plus snow/wind I stayed warm except for my feet and the windows would fog up a bit but NO snow face, snow crotch, or icicles can't go wrong there,Jeff.

To finish up i'll add a small video of it driving round a field.

It was so cold that they couldn't deice the wings on Snoopy's Sopwith Camel so he had to walk to Charley Brown's Christmas Party.

Chains hands down. I use the diamond pattern with V bars on the D250 with snowthrower.

This post shows an 875 that was fitted with a 12hp Kohler.

Even my diesel tractor with the factory cab with a conventional coolant heater only has some heat. Enough to keep the windshield clear but not really the rest of the windows. Diesel engine just does not get very hot, even when working it to blow snow. But, keeping out of the elements is the main thing. I still wear a jacket in the cab but can take my mitts and hat off. Once or twice I may need to get out and clear the back window if snow is blowing onto it (still beats getting that snow in the face). Cleat

A "B", "C" or "NoName" will do everything that a 310 will do and in my opinion they look KOOL .

My Dads first Sears Suburban had 23 x10.50 s with chains and 105 lb weights on each wheel. We put the weights and chains on his next two ST-16s and now they are on his Ariens S-12. They have always work good on the ice. We never take the chains off either.

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but I think a search on here will show others have successfully done this.

My 1267 I have the STD 23x8.50 turfs with chains filled with fluid for plowing snow along with the 50 lb. weights. But for summer garden plowin it's 6-12 ag's with the weights.

Must...... Concentrate...... I can't help but think the other side looks like this....

Glad to see you won't be doing the FROSTY impression this year Glenn. Of course Cleat is prepared for anything up North and Jeff knows the need for a cab. No snow here yet, but 17F with 40MPH gusts right now. Some models are showing 3-6" here tomorrow night. Maybe some seat/cab time coming. Stay warm men.

From 1938

Wonder if they have a thinner version that one could sandwich across the bottom of the wear blade/scraper on a blower? Cut pieces for the bottom of the shoes

Picked up a free Craftsman blade. Previous owner made his own edge. I don't have any use for the blade but, free it's me. Sitting with no need or use.

I am not as well versed as some other members when it comes the the subtle differences between long and short frame in 1967, but I think the 657 and 857 were both short frames and the 1057 and 1257 were long frames. I have attached the manuals for you to look at and hope you can find what you need there. Also, you may want to read this over and adjust your plow angle.

BRILLIANT! Such a bright idea! Oh, sorry for the bad puns..Really smart and creative. . I think I might just be able to use it myself on the Raider 10 I wish I could find a cheap or free way to cover the huge broken light lens area on an MTD. it was a free tractor that I rescued from certain death due to rust and neglect. the front of the hood was bashed pretty well and now it is hammered out within 1/8th" of being true. All the lenses on E-bay are too rich for my blood.

Not a 310. Looks a C-100 or C-120 or C seires of some sort. Could be a no name wheel Horse too. The decal on the side almost looks like a no name seires

If you get that stuck for room you can always put one in the dinning room, much nicer to work on in the warm and can even watch tv and its nearer the kettle.

Nice idea , I'll keep that in mind if I ever go with a cab which is getting more likely all the time . Sarge

Here's my heat houser design. Just captures the rear cylinder heat which is quite a lot on the Onan. Had to modify the canvas and add grommets to attach to the metal houser. I keep the cab zipper open at the rear for good air flow. The cab stays 35-40 F warmer than outside temp and the windows do not fog. I use aluminum flashing to make patterns, then transfer it to 1/32 or 1/16 steel.

So.... How does it run now? Former Auto Tech here as well... I only work on half of my vehicles... I do all of my own work on my 70 Chevy pickup and my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I don't work on my wife's car. Hers is a new Subaru with a warranty, once the warranty is out she gets a new car. I don't even change the oil in her car, the dealer does it for free... My wife travels way too much for me to keep up with working on or maintaining her car. There is a reason why people stretch their maintenance schedules. I believe it is because some (not all) shops really like to stick it to the customer. You go in to places like Firestone for a simple set of spark plugs and they are trying to sell you 2500 bucks worth of work. I hear the horror stories all of the time. (My brother in law has worked at Firestone for over 30 yrs...) Just the other day I had my Jeep in for new tires at Mavis Tires and the guy was telling me I desperately need new shocks. Just two yrs. ago I put in four new Monroe Sensatrac's and my Cherokee rides perfect. I didn't even want to purchase the tires once he told me this crap. Best bet is too find a local family owned business that has good references if you need work done.

You're going to slow. IMO the answer is in Ed's first reply to this thread, keep the forward speed of the tractor fast enough to load the blower. Best performance seems to be just as the engine begins to strain and you hear the governor kick in. Single stages work best loaded with snow. Don't start out slow and speed up, get right into it from the start because once that chute clogs, it tends to stay clogged. Get out there and test speeding up. After a little while you should get used to what speed for what snow conditions then you'll be throwing 20 - 30 ft consistently