SnowWolf has released open-ribbon snowblower attachments for wheel loaders with hydraulic drives and tractors with power take-off (PTO) drives.
The company said this is the first time a hydraulic-drive has been combined with an open-ribbon design.
The new SnowWolf snowblowers provide performance advantages at a speed that is comparable to engine-drive snowblowers with an acquisition cost that is one-fifth to one-third of an engine-drive attachment. In addition, thanks to SnowWolf’s trademark design simplicity, operating and maintenance costs for the new snowblowers are low.
SnowWolf partnered with Dalen – Lid Jarnindustri AS in Norheimsund, Norway, in designing and manufacturing the new attachments.
“Snow-removal contractors and municipalities are both going to love these attachments,” said Dale Oberg, sales manager for SnowWolf. “Now, there’s a snowblower on the market that does the work of an engine-drive blower, is self-powered, feeds well, blows well and costs less to own and run, all at an initial price point that doesn’t push purchasing one out of reach.”
The hydraulic-drive motor on the wheel loader snowblower is designed to perform optimally with a hydraulic flow of 40-50 gallons per minute. The range gives contractors and municipalities the flexibility to use the attachments on different machines in a fleet.
“Many hydraulic drives require a specific motor size for specific gallon-per-minute flows, and operators have to change motors for the different flow rates,” Oberg said. “Our motor covers a wider range of loaders, and it squeezes every ounce of hydraulic horsepower out of the flow that’s available.”
The open-ribbon design essentially makes SnowWolf’s blowers self-feeding. The serrated ribbon, which is fabricated with Hardox 500 abrasion-resistant steel, makes first contact with a snow pile, cuts right into it and pulls snow and ice into the feed.
SnowWolf created its open-ribbon snowblowers with no shear pins, chains, sprockets, gears, pulleys, transmissions or belts. Fewer moving parts and connection points translate to lower maintenance costs while also providing smooth operation.
The SnowWolf attachments use the transmission shaft to split power and run the fan, which eliminates both fuel and maintenance costs associated with a second diesel engine.
If there’s a major pressure strike on the hydraulic motor that impedes ribbon rotation, a hydraulic relief system stops both the fan and the ribbon. They also feature two oil-filled, autoreset clutches, one on each end of the ribbon. In situations where there’s excessive back pressure on the ribbon, due to heavy feeding, for example, the clutches engage to break away some of the power. Meanwhile, the impeller (fan) continues spinning to keep the blower clear.
Annual maintenance is straightforward and simple, as well. SnowWolf snowblowers require a yearly oil change on the gearbox and clutches, and grease needs to be applied to various points, such as the rotating chute, gauge wheel adjustments, skid shoe adjustments and the ends of the ribbon shaft. Greasing is necessary after every 30 hours of operation for the hydraulic-drive model and every eight hours for the PTO-drive models.
The snowblower averages one minute and 47 seconds of actual load time for filling a 25-cubic-meter truck.
SnowWolf offers its open-ribbon snowblower attachments in three models.
- Model 33-100-H: A hydraulic-drive snowblower for wheel loaders with a 33-inch fan and 100-inch width across the front of the attachment.
- Model 33-100-P: A PTO-drive snowblower for 130- to 150-hp tractors with a 33-inch fan and 100-inch width across the front of the attachment.
- Model 36-106-P: A PTO-drive snowblower for 150- to 350-hp tractors with a 36-inch fan and 106-inch width across the front of the attachment.
