Finally got to use the blade!

[Allenpatterson]

Be careful with this. You could end up with not enough down travel to follow the contours such as slight convex surfaces encountered while plowing.

I have a blade and thrower and each has a different length lifting rod. The first rod I tried, the longer one, would only lift the blade about 2" max off the ground. So then I tried the shorter lift rod, an 1-1/2" shorter, and it lifted the blade a nice enough height up. I soon realized when plowing that it would lift off the ground at anything but level grade. Lifting rod too short. I ended up building another lift rod a 1/2" longer so the blade could at least better follow the slight convex contours it encountered, or if the front wheels ride up over wet clumps of snow and allow the blade to drop slightly below level grade.

I too have two different length lift rods from the snow thrower and the blade and tried the same thing. Snow thrower rod was too short to let the blade down far enough but yet the lift rod for the blade doesn't give as much lift clearance. Need to make one like you and settle on somewhere in the middle of the two lengths.

 

[rarseneault]

I too have two different length lift rods from the snow thrower and the blade and tried the same thing. Snow thrower rod was too short to let the blade down far enough but yet the lift rod for the blade doesn't give as much lift clearance. Need to make one like you and settle on somewhere in the middle of the two lengths.

I never had the thrower on yet, but the rod that was with the thrower was the shorter one. It lifted the blade a nice height, but wouldn't let the blade drop below level grade. I made my new lifting rod a 1/2" longer than this one. I just used what I could scrounge up, a piece of 1/4" X 1" flat bar and welded two bolts to it and drilled them for the R clips. If you want more lift, drill another hole below the one in the lift bracket on the blade mount. Maybe leave about 1/4" of metal between the two holes. I may try this myself as it would be nice to get a little more height for back dragging. I have hydraulics, so lifting the blade won't be an issue with the extra force required to do this.

 

[Allenpatterson]

I never had the thrower on yet, but the rod that was with the thrower was the shorter one. It lifted the blade a nice height, but wouldn't let the blade drop below level grade. I made my new lifting rod a 1/2" longer than this one. I just used what I could scrounge up, a piece of 1/4" X 1" flat bar and welded two bolts to it and drilled them for the R clips. If you want more lift, drill another hole below the one in the lift bracket on the blade mount. Maybe leave about 1/4" of metal between the two holes. I may try this myself as it would be nice to get a little more height for back dragging. I have hydraulics, so lifting the blade won't be an issue with the extra force required to do this.

My older brother has been experimenting with lift rod length the past couple months with his 149 and blade. I think the guy he bought the blade from messed up and gave him a lift rod from a narrow frame tractor so it was way too long. He's just been making them up from scrap rebar trying to find the sweet spot to obtain a bit more lift while still maintaining enough drop height. We'll eventually get everything all tuned in on them and by then it will be time to pull the blades off and put the mower decks back on.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Way back in the 1990's I was thinking I could improve the lift of my QA42 snowthrower on my 125 so I made an adjustable lift rod to easily test different lengths.

Here's the adjustable lift rod installed:

Here's a drawing of the lift rod, the washers are welded to the rod, a second washer is placed on the back side before installing the hairpin clip:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's an improved version that I drew up but never made:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the end after extensive testing I settled on a length that gave good lift but allowed some down travel. I then measured it and it was exactly the same length as the stock lift rod. Go figure. Now, it's entirely possible that the blade or snowthrower that you have somehow got the lift rod mixed up, especially if you bought it used.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Years ago Steve Blunier posted a way to set up the tractor for measuring the length lift rod for a blade to get a decent amount of down travel but still have good lift. He posted photos of his setup. Park the tractor on a level surface, like a garage floor, on top of 2x lumber. Lower the blade so it is resting on the garage floor not the 2x, then with the lift in the lowered position measure the center to center distance between the lift rod mounting holes.

 

[eweiss]

Ok thanks and I’ll post a few more photos.
Have to give credit to my son for the engineering and welding. I just said I’d like to add some wings to the plow blade for snow and he said ok, bring the blade over.

doesn't that make it a scoop? Will the blade angle to plow to one side?. If it doe's the snow will collect in the blade instead of clearing to windrow

 

[Allenpatterson]

Way back in the 1990's I was thinking I could improve the lift of my QA42 snowthrower on my 125 so I made an adjustable lift rod to easily test different lengths.

Here's the adjustable lift rod installed:

View attachment 141977

Here's a drawing of the lift rod, the washers are welded to the rod, a second washer is placed on the back side before installing the hairpin clip:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
View attachment 141978
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's an improved version that I drew up but never made:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
View attachment 141979
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the end after extensive testing I settled on a length that gave good lift but allowed some down travel. I then measured it and it was exactly the same length as the stock lift rod. Go figure. Now, it's entirely possible that the blade or snowthrower that you have somehow got the lift rod mixed up, especially if you bought it used.

Looks like your 125 has an IH windbreaker installed on it, I'm very jealous!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Looks like your 125 has an IH windbreaker installed on it, I'm very jealous!

Yes it does when set up for winter snow removal duties. I have not been using it for snow removal in recent years and my present snow removal tractor, a 2004 JD X585 (it has 4wd and hydraulic lift) does not yet have a cab and I certainly miss it. Here's the 125 a few years back:

 

[Allenpatterson]

Yes it does when set up for winter snow removal duties. I have not been using it for snow removal in recent years and my present snow removal tractor, a 2004 JD X585 (it has 4wd and hydraulic lift) does not yet have a cab and I certainly miss it. Here's the 125 a few years back:

View attachment 141983

I bet that 4 wheel drive green machine makes for a nice snow rig!

 

[kmcconaughey]

I bet that 4 wheel drive green machine makes for a nice snow rig!

Excuse the green diversion...

Yes it really is. We have three of them in the family now. I own one and my mom has two. My dad, he passed away in 2007, had bought one new in 2004 to replace his aging Cub Cadet 2072. He had his optioned with the rear PTO and CAT-1 rear lift. I picked one up a few years ago that has a serial number 4 numbers away from the one I picked up. Last fall we bought a third one a 2003 with a loader.

My mom's with the cab and snow blower:

Mine with snowthrower:

 

[bcarl]

Here’s my setup for now. I need to get something a bit more handy for rear weight as I’m constantly worrying about backing into something. I also wore down two shoe’s. Luckily I had some spares.

 

[Allenpatterson]

Excuse the green diversion...

Yes it really is. We have three of them in the family now. I own one and my mom has two. My dad, he passed away in 2007, had bought one new in 2004 to replace his aging Cub Cadet 2072. He had his optioned with the rear PTO and CAT-1 rear lift. I picked one up a few years ago that has a serial number 4 numbers away from the one I picked up. Last fall we bought a third one a 2003 with a loader.

View attachment 141984

View attachment 141985

My mom's with the cab and snow blower:

View attachment 141986

Mine with snowthrower:

View attachment 141987

I don't mind seeing a little green and yellow, wouldn't mind owning and older 300 or 400 series garden tractor in the future along with the cubs (no racism towards other tractor brands from me ) I actually grew up using a pair of JD 4020 diesel's with the synchro range transmissions for many jobs on my step father's small dairy farm and that made me a fan yet to this day. That loader looks like it could come in very handy coupled with the 4wd option!

 

[Allenpatterson]

Here’s my setup for now. I need to get something a bit more handy for rear weight as I’m constantly worrying about backing into something. I also wore down two shoe’s. Luckily I had some spares.

View attachment 141992View attachment 141993View attachment 141994

Awesome snow set up! My blade needs the shoes replaced and a new blade edge once warmer weather is here this year.

 

[snicklas]

Kraig,

Nice machines. We had a neighbor that had a JD212, that was the first one to till the garden at Mom and Dad's place 40+ years ago. It was what got Dad looking for a Garden Tractor vs a Lawn Mower. They had one of the Gold Sears Lawn Mowers (not a Suburban) when Dad got the 1st Cub. Not long after, the Sears got an new home, and that Cub took over. It was a 105, and not long after, he traded the 105 for the 149.... being a life long Cubber... that being said....

I have been watching Tractor Time with Tim on YouTube. He has "Johnny" a 2020 JD 1025R with a bunch of toys.... (loader, back hoe, mid mount mower, and much more). I wil say, if I was starting from scratch.. I would seriously look at a 1025R or maybe an Orange BX series....... very capable machines... and basically not much bigger than a Super....

 

[kmcconaughey]

I've watched a bunch of Tractor Time with Tim videos, I would love to have a 1025R, it would fit nicely between the three X585s and the late 1990's JD 5210 that we have at the farm.

 

[snicklas]

Nice!!! That's Johnny 5's older brother.....

But,

Tim would dissaprove of the box blade....

 

[mconway]

here's my cheaper than dirt lift rod that i use on my 109 with the blade.....1/2 inch threaded rod with two clevis ends from mcmaster carr....works good for me

 

[dschwandt]

Turned out a few of these just for the hell of it to see if I could do it.
Turned out pretty good I think.
Then turned some threads on the lift rod to fit them.
Good exercise for the 9A

 

[Allenpatterson]

here's my cheaper than dirt lift rod that i use on my 109 with the blade.....1/2 inch threaded rod with two clevis ends from mcmaster carr....works good for me

Great idea for a lift rod!

 

[Allenpatterson]

Turned out a few of these just for the hell of it to see if I could do it.
Turned out pretty good I think.
Then turned some threads on the lift rod to fit them.
Good exercise for the 9A

View attachment 142065View attachment 142066

Nice machining