Impeller kit on snow blower?

[R Clark]

I have a 10-year old Troy-bilt 2-stage snowblower.  It's one of the larger models; 30-inches wide with 357 cc engine.

The motor has always been strong and easy to start. I've never been able to bog it down when moving snow around here.  However, the machine really doesn't do a good job of throwing the snow out of the way and it certainly doesn't throw it the distance I think it should.  I've run other, smaller 2-stage machines that throw snow better.

I almost unloaded this machine a few years ago because I mainly use my ATV/blade combo, but there are times when that 2-stage machine is a great help, particularly when moving drifts that are just too much for the ATV to push through, and it is useful right up next to the house and the garage where the ATV is awkward.  I'm going to keep it, but I want to improve its performance.

I need to adjust the drive mechanism and was surfing YouTube vids on how to do that.  I came across a vid touting the installation and use of "impeller kits" on 2-stage machines.  I had never seen or heard of an impeller kit before, but supposedly they improve snow throwing distance by closing the gap around the impeller and not allowing snow to accumulate there.  This is also supposed to improve performance when moving heavy, wet snow.  I'm going to look into them further.  

Do any of you have experience with impeller kits on snow throwers, good or bad?  I'd love to hear about your experience if you do.

[Snipe Hunter]

I have a 10-year old Troy-bilt 2-stage snowblower.  It's one of the larger models; 30-inches wide with 357 cc engine.

The motor has always been strong and easy to start. I've never been able to bog it down when moving snow around here.  However, the machine really doesn't do a good job of throwing the snow out of the way and it certainly doesn't throw it the distance I think it should.  I've run other, smaller 2-stage machines that throw snow better.

I almost unloaded this machine a few years ago because I mainly use my ATV/blade combo, but there are times when that 2-stage machine is a great help, particularly when moving drifts that are just too much for the ATV to push through, and it is useful right up next to the house and the garage where the ATV is awkward.  I'm going to keep it, but I want to improve its performance.

I need to adjust the drive mechanism and was surfing YouTube vids on how to do that.  I came across a vid touting the installation and use of "impeller kits" on 2-stage machines.  I had never seen or heard of an impeller kit before, but supposedly they improve snow throwing distance by closing the gap around the impeller and not allowing snow to accumulate there.  This is also supposed to improve performance when moving heavy, wet snow.  I'm going to look into them further.  

Do any of you have experience with impeller kits on snow throwers, good or bad?  I'd love to hear about your experience if you do.

I made my own impeller extenders with some heavy rubber and stainless bolts and backer plates. That was the popular hack at the time. . I have a Snow King motor on an Ariens blower. Honestly, it helped some. Not what I was hoping for. Nothing is a replacement for more horsepower. I get more snow/ice hung up on the impeller itself than before but much less on the housing around the impeller. So a little good with the bad. I left less than 1/16" clearance between the impeller and the housing. It was about 1/4" before. The upside is that I clean out the impeller housing a lot less when moving wet snow or the stuff the plow pushed up against the curb that gets real dense. It moves that a lot better. I've tried lubricants inside the housing and on the stage 1 blades and it works great for about 5 minutes.
My biggest problem is still the snow sticking in the chute. Fortunately, we moved closer to the bay and it snows less here and my driveway is narrower and shorter. Problem solved. If that Snow King motor wasn't so indestructible, I'd replace it with a bigger motor. I've never had a gas motor on anything as reliable as the Snow King.

I still have some of that rubber and would be happy to send you some. Those kits weren't around when I did mine 20 years ago.

[R Clark]

Thanks, Neil.  I think I have some of that kind of stuff around the shop.

I truly think the engine on the Troy-Bilt is big enough.  If there's only a little snow, say, 2" or so, then the machine will hardly seem to throw it very far at all, maybe even just 4-6 feet.  However, if I push into a pile of snow or a drift, then performance is better and it will move that snow closer to 20 feet.

When I  lived in town, the elderly widow next door had a bit MTD 2-stage that I used when clearing her place.  That machine would blow the snow from her driveway across the street and over the fence of the neighbor.

The parking area up by the house is an irregular shape, about 70' x 75' in size.  Since that blower will only move the snow a short distance, I end up have to move it multiple times.  Sometimes I think I'm moving the same piece of snow up to four times to get it moved to the side.  When there's a significant amount of snow, I can only do so much with the ATV and blade.  I have to have that snow blower running and moving the snow a fair distance.  Drifts like the picture below make moving snow multiple times a real chore.

[attachment=46383]

Sometimes, when the wind is "just right" drifts like this up in the parking area can be 30-40 feet long.  The arrangement of the house, shop building, and machine shed set up a "bowl" arrangement where the snow swirls around drifts into impassable barriers.  Some areas of the concrete will be scoured clean right next to 30" deep drifts that seemingly stretch forever.  I don't mind moving snow, it goes with the territory.  But I do want to be efficient about it.

[Snipe Hunter]

The driveway at our old place was 140 yards. If I let the snow get much deeper tan about 10 inches, I was in trouble. So I had to blow during the storm. We got 50 inches in less than 48 hours in 2010. I was out there just about all the daylight hours keeping up with it. I had never dealt with snow like that before we lived there. The 1st time it happened I started too late and had to pay a guy to clear it with a loader. $100.. but I tipped him another $100. A farmer did it for us and quite a few others on our street. When I paid him, he reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a roll of bills with a rubber band around it the diameter of a softball. Happy to see him and happy to see him making money.

[R Clark]

I looked closer at the impeller yesterday.  It's a 3-blade design and the gap between the impeller and the surrounding housing is just under 1/2".  In light snow the snow the impeller just pushes it aside and not out the chute.  I  heavier/deeper stuff, more snow goes out the chute, but I think that wide gap is limiting the distance by dissipating energy instead of directing it out the chute.

I'm going to go ahead and make the mod.  If it works, great.  If not, then I'll remove it and move on.  

Now I need to find the time.  My interest has already moved on from snow removal and ahead to thoughts of fishing.  I put new fenders on the boat trailer last week and now I'm installing new electronics.  I want to go out on the water as soon as the ice is out.

[Dumb_Polack]

I looked closer at the impeller yesterday.  It's a 3-blade design and the gap between the impeller and the surrounding housing is just under 1/2".  In light snow the snow the impeller just pushes it aside and not out the chute.  I  heavier/deeper stuff, more snow goes out the chute, but I think that wide gap is limiting the distance by dissipating energy instead of directing it out the chute.

I'm going to go ahead and make the mod.  If it works, great.  If not, then I'll remove it and move on.  

Now I need to find the time.  My interest has already moved on from snow removal and ahead to thoughts of fishing.  I put new fenders on the boat trailer last week and now I'm installing new electronics.  I want to go out on the water as soon as the ice is out.

You try Turtle waxing the chute???  That does help out somewhat.  (also do it to yuor shovels so the snow doesn't stick there either)

[Snipe Hunter]

I looked closer at the impeller yesterday.  It's a 3-blade design and the gap between the impeller and the surrounding housing is just under 1/2".  In light snow the snow the impeller just pushes it aside and not out the chute.  I  heavier/deeper stuff, more snow goes out the chute, but I think that wide gap is limiting the distance by dissipating energy instead of directing it out the chute.

I'm going to go ahead and make the mod.  If it works, great.  If not, then I'll remove it and move on.  

Now I need to find the time.  My interest has already moved on from snow removal and ahead to thoughts of fishing.  I put new fenders on the boat trailer last week and now I'm installing new electronics.  I want to go out on the water as soon as the ice is out.

My gap was closer to 1/4". The rubber pads closed to maybe 1/8" to 1/16"

[R Clark]

You try Turtle waxing the chute???  That does help out somewhat.  (also do it to yuor shovels so the snow doesn't stick there either)

Not Turtle Wax specifically, but dry-lube silicone spray.  I haven't had an issue with a clogged chute for a number of years.

[brianwelch]

I have an older 28" 8hp MTD I inherited from my dad. After struggling with some heavy wet snow I searched out and found YT videos showing the wiper upgrade, and picked up some neoprene to give it a shot. The lack of snow, and the promise of spring continues to interrupt my interest in the project.
Looking forward to hearing how yours turns out
Thanks

[R Clark]

I have an older 28" 8hp MTD I inherited from my dad. After struggling with some heavy wet snow I searched out and found YT videos showing the wiper upgrade, and picked up some neoprene to give it a shot. The lack of snow, and the promise of spring continues to interrupt my interest in the project.
Looking forward to hearing how yours turns out
Thanks

Until this past week, we haven't had much snow, either.  A warm spell already made that 8" disappear.  I'll do the mod, but it might not get really tested this year.

My gap was closer to 1/4". The rubber pads closed to maybe 1/8" to 1/16"

I definitely need to close the gap on my machine.  I don't know why they would engineer such a gap into my machine.  I think this gap is the real cause of my dissatisfaction with the machine's performance.  Maybe they decided the machine needed to be a little more rock tolerant?  A wider gap would do that; I've never broken a shear pin in the 9 winters I've had the machine.  I only have concrete up near the house.  The rest of the area is gravel and asphalt millings.  I don't use it scrape the area clean; I have it raised 1/2" off the ground to keep the scraper bar from digging up gravel.