First. Great idea that you know, from your own experience, works 2nd: very well made, all explained in a clear way, video. 3rd. I think that manufacturers will pick up on this great improvement. I used to work on a ranch in Ontario and, as an English man, LOVED "blowing the snow" with our Massey-Furgusson tractor. GREAT STUFF !
I have done this mod on three machines so far. Works great. One problem I hit is that if you do all the impeller blades at once, sometimes you can create so much resistance that the belt can't turn the auger. The answer is to do one blade at a time, then run the blower briefly before doing the next one. Each paddle will trim itself to a perfect fit.
I did this to my'05 MTD and it worked wonders! Tripled throwing distance. Trimmed pads for less resistance. And ran it for awhile in garage to break them in. Bet we won't have snow rest of season!!!
I used a truck mudflap I got from a truck repair shop for free and had the bolts , washers, metal straps and lock nuts laying around in the garage. So parts were free and about 20 mins labor. Did it about 4 winters ago and so far it's working great, and I still have the rest of the flap for whenever I need to replace them. Great video , thanks for sharing.
Loved the video. Going to retrofit my 2nd hand 1970s Ariens snowblower this weekend. Got an old Peterbilt mudflap from my neighbor in a trade for an antique tool. Going to prime and paint impeller before installing, and paint the holes after drilling. Got glossy orange enamel spray paint. In coastal Connecticut, we mostly get heavy and wet snow. Looking forward to the next storm, for my driveway and 180' long sidewalk!
I plan on doing this to my "new" (old, like 40 years old) snowblower. By the time I'm done with it, it should send the snow from Bathurst all the way to Fredericton. Great tips dude, appreciate the video!
Thank you for this great video because it definitely improves important performance. I used conveyor building and then thru bolted them with castilated lock nuts. I also use stainless steel hardware. One thing everyone should do is check the tension on the auger belts to make sure that they are tight. And then lastly, be aware of your engine horsepower. Because it will be maxed out most likely when you hit wet heavy or slushy snow. My 208 cm³ MTD Cub cadet. Snow blower will stall because it's simply doesn't have enough horsepower. I will solve this problem because the next machine will be in ariens!!!
Bought a mudflap on sale at Can Tire for $2.50. Followed the advice in this video. My 20 year old MTD now throws snow like new. Quite impressive. Many thanks for the tips.
I thinnk a lot of the people who have commented below may have lost sight of the main benefit of this modification and I don't think Rob made the point enough, despite a great overall video. The main advantage of this mod is not having the wet snow and ice build up and clog the bottom of yoiur chute. Plus the mod will allow the machine to throw wet snow much further than an unmodded machine. With dry snow, as in this video, the throwing distance doesn't change by that much but the volume does. Compare the first unmodded run with the second modded run and you'll see Rob is moving a lot more snow thgrough the machine. Thanks Rob, great video.
Thank you! Yes, I probably should have explained it a bit better or waited until I had a better example of snow where this really helps. Here is a video I did after in really wet snow and it showcases this mod perfectly. What do you think? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
Terrific tip! I used rubber pieces from the sidewall of a junk tire I had hanging around. Closing the gap between the impeller and the drum around the impeller made an enormous difference. Thanks for the tip!
I have a 2 stage self propelled and added angle to each side at the feet with a notch for aplate to cover intake of blower and use blower to push slush burham at end of drive. Slush being about 80 percent water then pick it out and continue to blow snow. This is a very good video and I will be making this mod to my two stage. THANKS FROM KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN
I made these impeller mods in fall 2019 initially using a truck mud flap, but the rubber did not hold up long. So via Amazon I ordered a replacement MTD flapper strip for a light-weight snow blower. Importantly I made sure this rubber strip had fiber layers reinforcing the rubber layers. So far, so good for winter 2019/2020. Many thanks, Bill
Using a side wall of an old tire works amazing it's more reinforced with fibers. I've also seen people use the rubber from in single stage snow blower impeller as well.
I installed the "Impeller Kit" on my machine as soon as I got it home (used) I used conveyor belting which worked out perfect. I didn't want anything with plastic in it because plastic will wear out or melt if run fast against the metal housing. I inspect my machine every year and the rubber is still in great shape after two seasons.
So many options for paddles, I visited my local NAPA auto parts store and asked to see what they had in the back for truck mud flaps. I picked out a huge one made of 3/8" nylon fiber reinforced rubber for $12. While I was installing the paddles I decided to repaint the inside of the chute where the original paint completely wore off, I used chassis and grill epoxy paint which holds up very well, it's gloss black but don't even really notice the color difference since it was bare metal anyways. Now all I do is wipe down the machine after each use with silicone spray lubricant which I feel helps prevent rust.
Did my troybilt a few years ago. Made a huge difference not only in distance thrown but never clogs in the wettest of snow. I have people question the performance of my snowblower all the time!!!
I've heard that modifying the impeller really helps a lot, preventing clogging and the snow throws further. I have an older Snapper, the impeller is very similar to yours. I'll have to do this mod to mine when it gets a little warmer her. I hear that you can use sidewall from an old tire, they say that works pretty good. I think using the metal support plate for the screws is a is a great idea, looks like it helps support it.
Excellent video, quite clever and well done. However, I wouldn't think that repair would cost $50, unless mud flaps are considerably more costly in Canada than here in the U.S. Not criticizing, just stating an observation. Thank you for sharing this with the world. :)
Put in SKU # 1005723447 on their website. They don't carry in stock. Special order. Just realized it's 1/4" and not 3/8" thick. Works just fine. Plenty sturdy for the job
That was a very solid idea, in that the gain of your throwing distance has easily increased 2 foot or more and that is the sheer reckoning! I must admit though, by using the so-called rubberized plastic, durability may be of a shortfall! depending on the composition of the material, plastic in itself does not fair well in the cold temperatures and has an absolute tendency to crack with ultimate ease! I would most likely use the sidewall of an old tire for material plus i would use stainless steel screws, along with heftier backing plate to secure the fresh made rubber materials! That backer plate could be made of perhaps ridged aluminum. Another thing to ponder would be is that in the event that one of those screws should come loose, you just might end up in your driveway for your car tire to run over! I would perhaps tap some threads into the impeller, use stainless bolts of a bigger diameter and use both the red thread locker and lock washers and stainless nuts to insure that nothing could come loose though! Other than that, I though it was an outstanding video Rob! Thank-You!!
I never did any measuring. I simply made a cardboard template to fit the actual impeller blades being they are identical for each one and put 2 holes in the template for bolt location and used the template to cut the rubber as well. This made all impeller bolt hole locations almost identical and used SS carriage bolts x 2 per impeller blade.. A template is the only way to go without any guessing . Good luck trying to get in there and measure with any accuracy. Balance can be a issue if this is not done properly. Just take the time to make a good template. It will save you the time in the long run as well is as accurate as you can get.
Pretty cool trick! I think I'm going to try this out on mine. Another tip that some people don't know is to always try to throw the snow, with the chute pointed in the direction of the impeller discharge. If you look at the direction the impeller rotates from the front, if it's clockwise, the chute should point right for instance. Just avoid an "S" bend on discharge if that makes sense? That and hosing it down with WD-40 or some other lubricant as well. I like your idea though. It just seems to make sense having the impeller as efficient as possible.
Fluid film is a even better option for lubes, after it cures for 2 days it's a completely rust repelling/hydrophobic surface that will last 1000x longer than any others I've tried. My entire jd 3039r is coated in it. People even under coat their vehicles with it.
Good video. I did the same or similar fix to my single stage craftsman snow blower and worked great with a small sample of snow. Not much snow left to test. Only issue was the extra noise from the flaps hitting the housing. I am told that the more I use it, the rubber will mold to the right size. A friend suggested that I use silicone spray. Thanks for your video.
Nice video. I did this modification a few years ago on a 12 year old MTD machine. I used a $7, 1/4" thick rubber door mat to make the paddles out of. It increased the throw by quite a bit (especially with wet/slushy snow) and very rarely gets clogged anymore.
Done this for a while and is the best easy upgrade anyone can do to their snowblower as it makes a dramatic difference! Like someone else also said the rubber from old snowblower paddles works great if u can get ahold of any, or any other rubber that has reinforcements in it as they last much longer and don't tear half as easy. They do also make rubber sheets u can buy online of reinforced rubber. Either way it's just a fantastic idea! Now if I could just find a solution for my current snowblower so the shut control isn't such a giant turd!🤣 Thanks Cub Cadet for the terrible chute control design! Especially after owning better brands! 🤪
Thanks for the information on the video. I am in Canada too, however I picked up my mud flap from Princess Auto for $15. I found the ones you used at Canadian Tire and they were $40. I can't believe the difference in snow throwing performance this impeller modification made and I have a basic 179cc (5hp) motor on my 2 stage snow blower.
I just did this to my blower, I only had a 3/16" gap about. So I closed that up to about a 1/16" gap where it launches and it just touches the wall in a few spots as it goes around as the tub isn't concentric to the paddles perfectly. Overall I'm very happy with my blower before I did this as it throws about what your's does with your rubber paddles added. Mine is old and has a techumseh 5 HP engine. So I'm guessing Im not going to get much additonal throw as my gap wasn't too large to begin with. Yet it should be a little more. I'm expecting not to have to deal with the clogging that I've had to with spring snows which are just around the corner. I will put it to the test here in a few days as we are suppose to get our biggest storm of the past 7 years this week. Hopefully we get that snow and I can give a a try with good results.
Tip: Before using, spray the entire front housing, impeller and chute with silicone, cooking spray, or the expensive spray made for this purpose. And when blowing thru slush, windshield deicer spray works great.
I did mine here in Nova Scotia recently as well, used some stainless plates I made, a flap from the local heavy truck shop, and some bolts with nyloc nuts, makes a difference, they should come like that from the factory. Vid on my page
Have the same blower, issue is that is very light snow. When you get into heavy wet snow there isn't enough power and it bogs down. I fixed the situation with a Honda snowblower. Not an issue and it throws like a beast.
I too have upgraded to an Ariens as my main snowblower but checkout this followup video I made to show how the mod works in the wet stuff. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
I did my Ariens 253cc and depending on the consistency of the snow we measured 32’ without and 53’ with the mod. In my walkway i was able to shoot the snow over my roof to the backyard mind you I have a single family ranch. It def works and works well.
I did that to one of my machines 5 years ago and yes it does work. I used conveyor belt. Its was way too difficult to run behind a transport truck with an exacto knife trying to cut off the mud flaps at 60 kilometers an hour. LOL Where did you get the idea? Off you tube no doubt.
Makes me wonder why they do not come from the factory this way. Seems simple - 1/2 gap = issue = simple fix. Thanks you sir for this video. I am going to modify my 2007 Craftsman (MTD) this summer. Got my butt kicked recently with slushy snow.
There is a very good reason the flaps don't come on the machine new. If the engineers who have been designing this equipment for the last 50 years or so thought the benefit was worth the extra cost, liability and machine longevity, they would all have these flaps.
Kits can be purchased online for this - google 'snowblower impeller kit'. Or try Amazon They're about $25 to $30 per kit and you get pre-cut rubber and MUCH better metal plates. I used stainless screws and lock-nuts instead of the sheet metal screws to attach the impeller blades.
Originally I was going to order the kits and test them out but I could not wait a few weeks as the snow was coming and I wanted to test it out. In the end it still worked out to $25 each snowblower since I have two.
Richard Fallstich I do that modification for free using the best material they make. I use a Big Rigs mudflap which are made to hold up to the harshest conditions, self tap screws and metal plate bracket material. Done deal, cost, zero, free.
Go to your local snowblower repair shop and ask them to save you the old paddles from a single stage thrower. Plenty of good, stiff rubber to cut and it's free!
That's EXACTLY what I do as those reinforcements make a gigantic difference! They tear much harder but are still flexible for safety reasons, plus if they're too stiff it puts more wear on the motor...
There are 2 Things that we do each time it Snow :(((... Although it SUCKS, but it makes Life a bit easier :))). 1. Use OLD Tires.... Cut it to FIT as a Mud Flap and best of all, they are FREE, when they worn, next year replace them again. My Dad use a Band Saw to Cut the Flap... He also make a Template for easy replacement each year :))). 2. Once your blower is Clogged or Freezes Up... We use a Garden Hose with HOT Water and Spray the Hell out of it. NOTE: Use a BIG Bucket, after cleaning, fill the Bucket with HOT Water, then put your Hose in there for the Next Clogged so the Garden Hose won't freeze during waiting :))).
This rubber is available super cheap because it did not go through process of shaping or packaged with graphics on Amazon, just search for Styrene Butadiene Rubber SBR, you're looking for 1/4" with hardness rating shore 70
@@physiques the stuff i bought came in a 12"x12" square. and you need about that much because at 1/4" thick you stack them two per blade and there are a few blades.. so you end up using most of that square
Holy cow,now that’s quite an improvement. I like the installation with self taping screws and strap. My snowblower is brand new so I won’t be modifying it till next year. But I will take videos this winter to compare to next year. Does modifications put any added stress on the engine?
One the rubber takes shape it should be fine. You should drive at a slower speed for a bit but overall seems fine. I have done this to 4 different snowblowers now and they have all worked perfectly with no issues.
Those are self-drilling screws, not self tapping screws. There are two types of self tapping screws: one has a very sharp point that can be used to pierce thin sheet metal, and the other type have an actual tap on the end that cuts threads into a pre-drilled hole in material. Self drilling screws have a drill like end on them and actually drill a hole into the material.
Briggs and Stratton sell a package if 2 pads holes ore drilled. Not expensive. Makes life easier. Get a long 1/4 drill bit mark your position and you're home free.
I just bought my first house that has a large 4 car driveway behind the house so I actually have a driveway, they] driveway is actually up a steep hill. The previous homeowner told me the base of drive way/little hill is where you usually get a large collection of snow. Simple answer, I just bought a larger more powerful snowblower. My view on modifying anything is the same as a car, don't modify a depreciating asset.
The idea behind this mod is that not everyone can afford the bigger and more powerful blowers and there is a simple and affordable fix to make even the cheapest of blower perform well. The snow we had that day was really fluffy and not the best example as to why you want to make this mod. Check out this video I did in really wet heavy snow and you can see the benefits. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
I've seen one of the biggest and best blowers, a $3,500 Ariens fail miserably in heavy waterlogged snow. If you live in an area with curb and gutters on the street, the melting snow means lots of water in the curb area.
This looked like a great idea, so I tried it on my Ariens machine. The first thing I noticed was that the snow -throwing ability (in powder) was DECREASED, not increased.(Watch the video again carefully, and you'll see that the distance doesn't actually increase, he just moves over a row.) Hmmm....don't see any comments from anyone who's actually had success in wet, slushy snow. Has anyone actually done this? The second problem came later that day, after about 4-5 hours when I had to move snow again. When I engaged the impeller, I smelled burning rubber. Shut the machine off and looked at the flaps to see if they had shifted; I thought maybe they just needed to be re-seated to the impeller tunnel. So I started it again and let it run a bit. More burning rubber. Further inspection revealed the truth: the new rubber flaps with zero clearance had frozen solid to the impeller tunnel, and the burning rubber smell was my drive belt being destroyed. Lest anyone accuse me of not clearing out my machine before storing it, let me say that I always do clear it out, and also use an old broom to brush all the snow off the machine. But there was enough moisture on the flaps and on the tunnel to freeze them solidly together. I think this is a bad idea, and I will be removing my rubber flaps after I replace the belt. I think Crocellian has a point: there must be a good reason why the manufacturers don't do this. Don't believe everything you see on RU-vid.
@Dean Gundry checkout my update video I just made in really wet heavy slush. This modification still seems to work like a charm. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
Dean Gundry Listen , there always have to be an idiot that can't do the "mod" properly. this time , it's you.......... Get over it and quit trying to blame others for your setbacks.
It does work. On a diff video the gent talked about making sure the auger wasn't frozen cuz it happens easily when there's little clearance. I myself always check all is turning properly anyway.
Lmao that's why you don't leave snow packed In your auger box and impeller after using it , you always clean all the snow out of your machine after your done clearing. Also don't think you want to leave absolutely zero tolerance when you do this mod , because of the added friction prematurely wearing out your drive belt , you should mount the flaps with an 1/8" of clearance between the flaps and the impeller housing . This mod does work sounds like you just simply F'd up doing yours lol. Good luck
That is not to best test for the mod but checkout this followup video I did with my other snowblower. Compared mine to my neighbor who had the same blower. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
40 years ago you bet! Today , eh no thanks. Why is simple ; everyone went there and sort of ruined the place. It’s getting easier to live in the Tundra every year . For the record., no I don’t as many delude themselves “ like the cold “....
I agree with many of these posters- why not just buy a higher quality machine to begin with? My 45 year old Toro 824 has less than 3/16 clearance and Has never clogged, no matter what I blow.
yes it is. I got 4.5 feet in One Night and subsequently 5-8 inches 3 days prior and 4 days after. The banks were so tall the blower couldn't throw the snow over them it would just fall back into the drive way
The snow we had that day was really fluffy and not the best example as to why you want to make this mod. Check out this video I did in really wet heavy snow and you can see the benefits. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
An even better cheap fix is to spray the chute with Pam cooking spray or buy a can of Teflon spray for the permanent yearly fix ! Spray auger and propeller and gee you can even spray the chute ! Makes for an awesome range of snow throwing and hell you can get a can in your local grocery store for under 3 bucks for the Pam cooking spray , you can order the Teflon spray from Amazon or buy it at your local Wally World for under 6 bucks ! Or just buy a bigger engine and stand back ! Don't know about buying a brand new snowblower but there's definitely better ways to get the snow out of your area without all this work 😅 ! Actually you can always put an ad up for kids to do your driveway for 5 bucks and that saves your Gas , time to go get your gas can filled and your time period !
This sounds like a good idea, but let me tell you what i did i purchased a cub cadet 30 inch 3 stage HD two years ago. when it comes to wet snow and plow mounds this thing is an animal i must admit i got cocky with it instead of using first or second speed in wet snow i put it fourth gear. smoked the belt so now its first gear only in the wet snow but it never clogged once.
3 stage blower would be awesome! But they tend to come with a higher price tag. This mod helps even the cheapest blower perform well. Here is another video I did with my other blower on a really wet rain-snow mix. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KWZ1Sr1_OK4.html
A friend with a snow removal business bent the augers up on one of those when he ran a chunk of hard frozen snow through it the third snowfall he used it on.
This mod is also designed to save th eowner from going out and spending a good grand or better on a new machine when they can simply upgrade theirs for minimal money.
Hey I installed this on my MTD. It does help throwing snow father as clearances in my stock machine is 1/2 inch. So that is the pro. Cons I noticed the drivetrain is more loaded for same cut. Do you have to pay more attention going forward like replacing anger belts more often as impeller is now more efficient pumping snow?
MrQuispamgolfer I noticed that too on my machine. I rotated my impeller to check the spacing and found it was different all around. I reset my flaps to the shortest spacing and that seemed to help
Mine has different clearances around housing as well. I used lightweight conveyor belt I got at tractor supply and made all touch the same. They rubbed for a bit but wore down till no longer rubs. That was 6 years ago and not a single issue! Also I use mine commercially!
I don’t think mine has plugged up even once since I did this years ago. You would think that the manufactures would put this on if only to be a safety feature to keep people from losing their fingers. How many people have gotten the tips of their fingers chopped off in the infamous place where they always get clogged🤬.
I would not do this kind of upgrade instead, I would check with the manufacture of the machine to see if they have a auger kit available to increase the snow discharge. They might have a double belt pulley to double the amount of snow throwing.
The only way to get a better performing machine from the manufacturer is to buy the high-quality build. What I have found it the more expensive machines have a much small gap between the impeller and the housing and have thicker metal. simply tightening the auger belt or having a double pulley will not help the machine work better in the heavy snow. I also have a 30" cut that has a double belt pulley and after the modification, it almost doubled it's distance as well. I have been running that machine modified for a few years now with no troubles at all.
Thanks for the video. Not all snow blowers have double belted auger/impeller drive systems. A double belt pulley system will not throw twice the amount of snow. The machine runs at the same speed for either one. I'm running an Airens 926LE that had been really neglected. Skid shoes ground off, scraper blade ground off and both to the point that the housing had about 1/4" ground off it as well. After doing some checking, I found out that this model and maybe others had only a single belt drive on the auger/impeller shaft. I purchased the double pulley/belt kit on eBay and what a difference. I made this impeller mod at the same time, as I had done it on four or five other machines for neighbors, to their delight. I found a truck mud flap in the street years ago, had some 1" self tapping screws and used fender washers instead of the little plates, and have never lost a flap yet. Now, I can fill my neighbors truck bed with snow from my side of the street.
I've seen this mod before, but your video is very thorough. Good job Rob. Curious if self tapping screws need a pilot hole, or if they'll cut right through the impeller?
Self tapping screws work for thin sheet metal, but what you really need are self-drilling screws. Seems like everyone is confused about the difference.
He is using self-drilling screws, not self tapping screws. Self tapping screws either are the type used for thin sheet metal, or are the ones that actually have a tap like end that cuts threads into a per drilled hole.
@@chumleye1112 I was just talking about when he was drilling and putting in the screws. Then when the flaps are secure you have to take the vice grip/clamps off. I should have been more clear. Thanks.
@@mitchstaff8281 space is limited because youre working through the chute hole.and teh impeller arms arent flat. amany of teh have curves, so that would make it very hard to clamp.
