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L-35 w front hyd powered blower

dmq400 Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 8 vermont

2009-04-01          161635

I know the L-35 hyd pump is not big enough to run a 6' snow blower but was wondering if anyone out there is doing it. I converted the loader to a quick hitch bobcat type sys. and use a minute man plow set up on the same quick hitch system. Works great. thinking of putting an aux. hyd pump on the pto & picking up a used bobcat quick hitch blower (seems to be lots out there at a reasonable price) so I can snow blow FORWARD facing for this long driveway here. Any thoughts on this

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L-35 w front hyd powered blower

Murf Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada   Pics

2009-04-02          161647

Well, there's a little more to a hydraulic system than meets the eye.

First of all, your theory is a good one, but you missed a few bits.

To run a hydraulic blower and get reasonable performance for it, especially in Vermont, you are going to need at least 20 if not 30 gallon per minute (GPM). The pump is not the problem, a standard PTO pump will generate up to 40 GPM if everything is set up right.

However, as with anything else, one of the by-products of work is heat. In the case of hydraulic power, LOTS of heat. To combat that you will need a reservoir. Typically you will need a reservoir that is 3 - 5 times the flow in GPM. The higher end would be a good idea in this case since a) you will be making a LOT of heat, and b) a larger reservoir tends to hold heat as well as give it off.

Given the above, I would suggest you would need a reservoir of at least 200 gallons in size, but with only 150 gallons of fluid in it (to allow for the foam to settle instead of spewing out the vent), as well as an external cooler circuit on the return line.

If you use 8 pounds/gallon as a rule of thumb you will have a steel reservoir weighing probably 300 pounds, holding 1,200 pounds of oil, for a total of 2,000 pounds hanging (presumably) on the 3pth.

Did you count on that part of it?

In the long run, it will probably be a lot cheaper, and easier, to just take a regular 6' blower, put a 24hp gas engine on it running through a belt reduction setup and mount it on your FEL.

Best of luck. ....

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L-35 w front hyd powered blower

candoarms Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota   Pics

2009-04-02          161654

Dmq400,

Murf is correct. The Bobcat skidsteer is widely known for it's tremendous hydraulic flow and performance. The Bobcat skidsteer has a large fluid reservoir and a very good cooler. But even with these features, some of the attachments generate too much heat for the cooling circuit to handle.

A remote hydraulic cooler is mounted on the roof of the Bobcat in order to provide the necessary fluid cooling required for the bigger implements.

See the links below.

Joel ....


Link:   Remote Roof Cooler

 
Picture Link

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L-35 w front hyd powered blower

dmq400 Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 8 vermont

2009-04-02          161666

Murf- much thanks for clearing this up and saving me much effort and wasted $$$ -dq- ....

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L-35 w front hyd powered blower

Murf Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada   Pics

2009-04-03          161673

No worries, that's what the forum is here for, helping each other out.

Best of luck. ....

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