Questions regarding Land Pride SB1064 snow blower

[HowardTractor]

I just bought an SB1064 new from Messick's. I got it home and adjusted it for my quick hitch. It had the top hitch pin in the low position and the left and right hitch pins in the high position, so I am guessing this has not been attached to a hitch. It looks like this was assembled at the dealer but not run and maybe sat in the warehouse for a while, but not sure. It looks like the grease points were hit, but the build up of grease looks old. The chain is slightly rusty and seems like it has not been lubed in a while. It has the manual chute and outer skid shoes. I am going through the book and seeing what I need to do before engaging the PTO.

A definitely have a couple of questions that maybe you all can help with:

1. What type of chain lubricant to use. The book says commercial chain lubricant. Recommendations?
2. Are there different types of skid shoes, the book alludes to this. This will mainly be used on a gravel drive. What is the best skid shoe type / configuration?
3. There is mention of inner skid shoes, what are their purpose compared to the outer ones?
4. The skid shoes are set to their highest which I guess is correct for gravel. Am I supposed to have the full weight on the skid shoes while running? It seems like they would totally dig up the gravel, unless frozen.
5. With the skid shoes, it doesn't work great for attaching and removing with quick hitch. I need to throw a board down under the main support to keep it from rolling forward. Is that right?
6. Anything I should be aware of prior to flipping the switch? (I was hoping the dealer would have this thing all prepped for me and I would have time to learn how to maintain it, but it doesn't seem so.)

Thanks.

 

[DustyRusty]

I used chain and bar oil on the chain on my Kubota snowblower for years. The factory chains are what is known as an "O" ring chain which means that it has tiny "O" rings that keep the factory lube inside the rollers of the chain. It is the best type of chain, but eventually, it will wear out and need to be replaced. When mine wore out I replaced it with a standard chain and it worked as well as the factory chain. I purchased a 10' length and made up spare chains so if I broke one I could replace it during the snowstorm and be back to blowing snow without having to go to the dealer to get a replacement. I also suggest that you have plenty of spare shear pins on hand and the tools to change them with you when you are blowing snow. Lastly, using a white marker pen, align the shear pins at 12 o'clock. Then using the marker pen, draw a line on the shaft somewhere it is exposed, so you can turn the shaft to the 12 o'clock position and match the auger to that to make the broken shear pin location easier. I have found that many times the part of the pin stays in the hole, and you need a small drift pin to push it out. Finally, make sure to grease the auger grease fittings. The grease is to keep the shaft from rusting and seizing to the augers. A diagram on the inside of the auger box shows the correct placement of the augers when replacing shear bolts. Also, check the gearbox for proper oil levels. If the Allen screws are difficult to remove, heat them with a small propane torch to weaken the bond of the Locktite that the factory puts on them during assembly.
Since I am not familiar with your new snowblower, I can't comment on the shoes or your other questions. The answers should be either in the manual or ask the salesman who sold you the blower.

 

[skeets]

I dont know where you are in the Keystone, but one thing you might think about. When/if it snows this year, before you run up and down a gravel drive way, 2 things to keep in mind,,, 1 EXTRA SHIER PINS !!!! you will need them, and #2 wait until the ground freezes, let the snow and ice pack in the gravel. Then your shoes will ride over the gravel and not pick it up and maybe jamming the blower and,,,,, remember the shier pins ? And you might think about a piece of PCV pipe cut down the middle so it fits over the cutting edge and will,, hopefully ,, not dig in to any loose gravel, but ride over it. Sounds silly but it works sometime. In the chute, spray plain old PAM, or any spray cooking oil down the chute , it will keep wet snow from sticking. I hope something from my blathering on here helps.