2000 - Volume #24, Issue #6, Page #7

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Lawn Mower, Furnace Fan Used To Build Low-Cost Snowblower

Lawn Mower, Furnace Fan Used To Build Low-Cost Snowblower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 24-6-7 Using a push-type lawn mower and an old house furnace fan, Robert Sexton of Millville, Minn., built a low-cost snowblower. He removed the original engine from the mower deck and bolted the fan on in its place. Then he bolted a 7 hp Honda gas engine on top of the fan. The rope-start engine belt-drives the fan. He moved the front lawn mower wheels forward so that they're directly across from each other which keeps the rig more stable. He also mounted a fiberglass shield on front of the fan as well as wooden sideboards to direct air flow downward. "It really works good and saves a lot of shoveling," says Sexton. "I use it to blow snow off my driveway and my porch. It'll blow my 20-ft. long porch clean in just a few seconds. I walk forward and pull it along. The fan blows hard û I'd estimate its wind speed is about 80 mph. It has a lot of power. In fact, when I start the engine I have to put my foot against one of the wheels in order to keep the machine from coming back toward me. "It can go right through 3-ft. high snow drifts and will blow snow that's on the ground 20 ft. away. In fact, if I lived in town I don't think I'd even have to take the snowblower out of the garage in order to clear the driveway. However, it doesn't throw rocks in the air but just rolls them along on the ground, so it isn't dangerous to use. "The 7 hp engine came off my brother's straw chopper. I used a big engine because it has to start under load and there's no clutch. To mount the engine I used the same mounting bracket that originally supported the fan's electric motor. I made an angle iron frame and used it to bolt the fan to the mower frame." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Sexton , Rt. 1, Box 2A, Millville, Minn. 55957 (ph 507 798-2492).