Cordless Snowblower

Cordless Snowblower SNOWBLOWERS Snowblowers 32-5-29 "It works on the same principle as other cordless tools such as drills, saws, and sanders except that it's much bigger. I like it because there's no need to hassle with gas or electric cords," says John Gross of New Berlin, Penn., who converted his 2-cycle gas-powered snowblower to a cordless model. He started with a 1996 Toro snowblower that he already had and removed the snowblower's hood, engine and gas tank. He bought a used starter motor off a Chrysler car for $20 at a junk yard and bolted it to a metal frame. He also bought a 12-volt car battery at Wal-Mart and mounted it on the same frame. The battery is wired to a solenoid and to the starter motor. The snowblower's engine originally used a serpentine belt to drive the impeller. Gross removed a small sprocket gear from the engine shaft and installed a small pulley and a 3/8-in. V-belt. He also installed a household wall switch on a junction box and then bolted it to the frame. "To operate the snowblower all I do is flip the switch to start the motor, then off I go," says Gross. "I use an ordinary small automobile charger to recharge the battery. It takes an hour or two to recharge it. The battery will last for about a half hour to 45 minutes on a charge, which is long enough to clear my driveway." Gross says he'd be interested in talking to a manufacturer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John S. Gross, P.O. Box 206, New Berlin, Penn. 17855 (ph 570 966-1530).

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