FINALLY... go to use my snowthrower! WooHoo!!!

[Jinzo Ningen]

I plunked down $1200 for the 48" GH snowthrower for my '97 721D back in 2011, and it sat hooked up & ready to go - and unused - thru the past two very mild winters. I was beginning to think I had wasted some major money. Well, this winter so far has had some of the heaviest snowfall in the past 15 years. I finally got a chance to start my GH in cold weather. (I must admit that I was a little spooked about possible problems with cold temps and my diesel engine. You have to get the glow plugs good & hot and crank a bit longer than a gas tractor, but that's been the only difference.) Well, the Hopper and I have been thru 4 workouts in snow from 4" to as deep as 20+ inches (today) and man, oh man! I have to say that this machine & thrower combo is freakin' awesome! What a beast this rig is. Got a neighbor with a big Deere that has a little 32" thrower on it and he barely putts along without it bogging down, and I'm running the Hopper wide-open full speed much of the time, pushing stuff that's ranged from powdery all the way to heavy & wet, with only minor engine bog down. I just slow my ground speed a bit until the revs pick up and I'm at it again.

Seriously guys, if you have a frontmount GH tractor and have considered a thrower but are hesitant about spending the cash and you live in an area where you get significant amounts of snow... buy it! Consider it as an investment in timesaving AND personal injury elimination! My back is in pretty bad shape nowadays and I cannot imagine shoveling all the snow we've gotten so far this winter ...and there's at least 6-8 more weeks left! The GH thrower is ridiculously easy to mount. I received no instructions or paperwork (long story) with mine, but walked around it a couple of times and figured it out myself and had it hooked up & ready to go in less than 15 minutes. After your first time using it to clear out your driveway or clean off your sidewalks you will wonder how you EVER got along without it. So much nicer than fighting a walk behind unit, and it sure as hell beats a shovel!

My biggest challenge was getting an outfit that kept out the snow and kept me warm. Through trial & error, I have a pullover fleece balaclava, a Thinsulate cap with earflaps, a pair of Fox brand snowmobile pants that I originally bought for riding my motorcycle in cold weather which just happen to be water & wind proof, heavy packboots, an insulated pullover coat, my wife's old skiing goggles and heavy gauntlet-style winter gloves. After a few sessions I realize that I need multiple layers for my hands or heated gloves / mittens since my hands are the only part of me that gets cold now. Maybe mittens with extra long gauntlets that have pockets for those hot hands packets would be perfect. I looked at electric gloves or mittens, but cannot justify $125+ for them. I'm not doing brain surgery or anything complex, just pushing the levers forward & back, so liners and mittens will be my next trial.

Anyhow, I wanted to thank the folks here who offered their suggestions and advice before I bought the thrower. You were right guys. The Grasshopper front mount set up with a snowthrower for winter just ROCKS!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[BWH]

"Been There/Done That" and I was as amazed of the performance of the Grasshopper & Snow Blower as you were!

Your next consideration for purchase may have to be a cab for your Grasshopper, I have seen them on 700 series Grasshoppers before and they fit very nice and tight. I have been told that a GolfCat heater meant for a golf cart fits nicely providing very nice climate control in the cab. Best news I have seen two of them the last couple of years on e-bay for under $200.00

 

[PTWhopper]

I was glad to see a recent experience just like my own. I purchased a used 723T with 412 snow blower, cab, and 52" PowerLift deck this past Wednesday. We just moved to an acreage 5-months ago and have been researching ZTR's for mowing...then the snow and large drifts hit. The wise lady of the house thought we should purchase a machine that did more than just mow. Whoo-Hoo!

I picked up the components on Wednesday. Thursday morning I hit the 2.5' drift that had dumped on the double garage side of the drive that had not been shoveled by hand and 5 minutes later I was looking for more snow! Friday afternoon I cleared the fresh drifting snow on the 1/4-mile gravel cul-de-sac. I have since adjusted the blower to better accommodate gravel. This thing kicks butt!!!

I do have a question. My spout is electrically rotated. It seemed to have a lot of friction during rotation so I disassembled to investigate. The spout was bolted to a heavy planetary gear, but simply sits on top of the blower frame work. The manuals I have do not depict the power rotation option. Is this the normal setup? My powered spout feature was added after the initial purchase.

I am really impressed with Grasshopper at this point.

 

[Jinzo Ningen]

You are in a similar situation to mine. I got my Hopper used, too. After 20+ years of insisting on nothing but a Deere for yard work, I got an offer that I just couldn't resist on the 721D. I have 10 acres, and mow almost half of that. My Deere GT235 has a 54" deck (the biggest it would fit) but even so, I would spend over 3 hours each time I mowed. I enjoy being outdoors and mowing is relaxing, but I still wanted to be done quicker. The 721D that I bought had the monster 72" deck and it was diesel powered, so that sealed the deal. After just a couple of times mowing and learning the handling ropes of a ZTR, I was converted. If you love your Grasshopper for removing snow, just wait until you mow with it! It is the Cadillac of ZTR mowers. Not only is it a super-beefy machine that will withstand many, many years of yard & snow chores, but you can get a better cut while going faster!? It cuts better wide open than my Deere did crawling along. (Don't know how the Hopper engineers accomplished that, but God bless 'em!) My lawn looks great - every time! My mow time dropped from 3 hours to just under 90mins! Not only that, but it actually makes mowing more fun, somehow. I planned to keep the Deere around for ugly mowing: along the road, ditches and cleaning up the walking trails in my little patch of woods. But it's just sat for the last couple of years. I guess I need to clean it up and sell it this Spring.

Others here have recommended a cab enclosure, but aside from the extra hassle of installing & uninstalling it, I simply don't have the storage space for it. My garage is packed FULL and my wife & I have to side step around things to get to & from our vehicles as it is. Maybe someday when I can afford to put up a pole barn. I envy those that have them, because I am sure it makes the task a lot more enjoyable. I really LOVE how awesome the Hopper has performed removing the huge amounts of snow we've gotten this winter so far. Took away all the apprehension I had about investing in the snowthrower. My hesitation turned into delight my first trip out into the cold. I know I'll never pick up a snow shovel again!! LOL:thumbsup:

 

[PTWhopper]

After yesterday's first use of the snow blower I decided to make a few adjustments for my specific environment. I made a minor design change to the way the spout was mounted on the planetary gear and did the same to the spout turret actuator chain tensioner bracket and gear box shield. Finally I adjusted the "skids" for our gravel cul de sac. I couldn't believe it, we received 2" of drifting powder today that was perfect to test out my recent mods and adjustments. It amazes me how hours and hours of manual labor have been turned into 40-minutes of play time.

As you point out...can't wait to attack the green of summer!

 

[tydaddy]

I realize this is an old thread, but figured you guys all have blowers so maybe you could help me out. Just got around to mounting my electric lift/electric spout 512 snowblower and plugged it all in, and nothing works. Fuses are all good. The powerfold deck works without issue. I just ordered the electrical troubleshooting guide, but hoping it's just something simple that I'm overlooking. Any ideas what to start troubleshooting or advice. I also hooked up my 60" hydraulic dozer blade, and that too didn't work. I could hear the relays clicking when I'd press the toggle switches, but nothing else. I replaced the relays, and no change. I'm hoping it's something stupid, a switch or a safety wire or something. I'd love any input!

Thanks!