Zero-Turn “Blowdozer” 2.0
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Bob O’Neil was happy with the “Blowdozer” he made by converting a Husqvarna zero-turn mower with a pair of Stihl backpack leaf blowers (Vol. 43, No. 6). He recently bought a new Simplicity Cobalt commercial zero-turn mower, and had to redesign the leaf blowing system - which gave him the opportunity to improve and simplify it at the same time.
“I call it my Blowdozer 2.0. The entire system can be put on or taken off in less than 5 min.,” says O’Neil. “I kept the same pair of Stihl backpack leaf blowers, but the new mower is designed different so I was able to add adjustable mounts, rotating nozzles, and a simpler leaf blower mounting system. It works great. In fact, I recently mowed/blowed my entire yard, and my neighbor’s yard in just 23 min.”
With the original Husqvarna mower, O’Neil set the rollbar back 90 degrees and built a platform on it for the 2 backpack leaf blowers. “The blowers sat kind of loose,” he says. “So on the new mower, I turned both halves of the rollbar upside down and then welded a metal platform onto each one. The blowers rest solidly in a 6-in. deep channel in each platform and are secured by bungee cords. To detach the blowers, all I do is twist the blower tube and slide it back from the old nozzle.”
To move the air from back to front, he mounted 4-in. dia. pvc pipe, sized to match the blower tubes, to either side of the seat and around the mower armrests just like on the original system. But instead of directing the air through a pine board attached to the mower’s swivel wheel support arms, he installed a length of 2-in. square tubing with a series of pre-drilled holes in it on front of the mower deck. The pipes are fitted with brackets and 1 1/2-in. square tubing that slides inside 2-in. tubing, allowing the pipes to be moved closer together or farther apart.
The nozzles are also more adjustable. “A set of 45-degree fittings directs the air ahead of the deck through slightly smaller pvc pipes to boost velocity. Sewer pipe clamps connect the fittings and allow me to rotate the pipes in order to adjust the direction of the tips,” says O’Neil. “The nozzles can blow in a V-plow pattern or shoot off to either side.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob O’Neil, 9560 Golf Port Dr., Stanwood, Mich. 49346 (ph 231 580-5434; roneil@chsd.us).
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Zero-Turn “Blowdozer” 2 0 MOWERS Bob O’Neil was happy with the “Blowdozer” he made by converting a Husqvarna zero-turn mower with a pair of Stihl backpack leaf blowers Vol 43 No 6 He recently bought a new Simplicity Cobalt commercial zero-turn mower and had to redesign the leaf blowing system - which gave him the opportunity to improve and simplify it at the same time “I call it my Blowdozer 2 0 The entire system can be put on or taken off in less than 5 min ” says O’Neil “I kept the same pair of Stihl backpack leaf blowers but the new mower is designed different so I was able to add adjustable mounts rotating nozzles and a simpler leaf blower mounting system It works great In fact I recently mowed/blowed my entire yard and my neighbor’s yard in just 23 min ” With the original Husqvarna mower O’Neil set the rollbar back 90 degrees and built a platform on it for the 2 backpack leaf blowers “The blowers sat kind of loose ” he says “So on the new mower I turned both halves of the rollbar upside down and then welded a metal platform onto each one The blowers rest solidly in a 6-in deep channel in each platform and are secured by bungee cords To detach the blowers all I do is twist the blower tube and slide it back from the old nozzle ” To move the air from back to front he mounted 4-in dia pvc pipe sized to match the blower tubes to either side of the seat and around the mower armrests just like on the original system But instead of directing the air through a pine board attached to the mower’s swivel wheel support arms he installed a length of 2-in square tubing with a series of pre-drilled holes in it on front of the mower deck The pipes are fitted with brackets and 1 1/2-in square tubing that slides inside 2-in tubing allowing the pipes to be moved closer together or farther apart The nozzles are also more adjustable “A set of 45-degree fittings directs the air ahead of the deck through slightly smaller pvc pipes to boost velocity Sewer pipe clamps connect the fittings and allow me to rotate the pipes in order to adjust the direction of the tips ” says O’Neil “The nozzles can blow in a V-plow pattern or shoot off to either side ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bob O’Neil 9560 Golf Port Dr Stanwood Mich 49346 ph 231 580-5434; roneil@chsd us
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