Homelite 32" Snow Thrower - Manual (Page 5)

Transport the snow thrower in the raised position with the
power take off control in the disengaged position. Ground
speed should be adjusted according to the type and condition
of the road surface. CAUTION: WITH THE SNOWTHROWER
INSTALLED ON THE TRACTOR, WEIGHT ON THE FRONT
WHEELS WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED MAKING
TURNING MORE DIFFICULT UNDER SOME CONDITIONS.
TRANSPORTING THE SNOW THROWER
ENGINE SPEED
The tractor engine should normally be operated at 3/4 to
full speed when using the snow thrower. Operate it at full
speed when throwing deep or heavy snow. Less than 3/4
speed may be used in light snow if a short throwing distance
is desirable.
ENGAGING SNOW THROWER DRIVE
The tractor engine should be operating at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle
when the snow thrower is engaged. To engage the snow
thrower drive, push forward and down on power take off
lever.
CAUTION: IF THE SNOW THROWER DRIVE
SHOULD BEGIN TO SLIP WHILE THE POWER TAKE
OFF IS ENGAGED, DISENGAGE THE POWER TAKE OFF
CLUTCH IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE
SNOW THROWER DRIVE BELT OR POWER TAKE OFF
CLUTCH.
RAISING AND LOWERING THE SNOW THROWER
The snow thrower should be raised and lowered using the
tractor lift lever.
CONTROLLING GROUND SPEED
The best ground speed will vary greatly with the type and
amount of snow being thrown. For most conditions one to
two MPH will be a good starting speed. Refer to the opera­
tion chart in your tractor owner's manual for speed control
settings to achieve the desired speed. Firstgear is normally
used for snow throwing.
THROWING DISTANCE
The snow should be deposited beyond the surface you want
to clear if at all possible. Start with the deflector all the
way up and adjust engine speed so that the thrown snow is
deposited just beyond the far side of the area to be cleared .
If the snow is only a couple of inches deep, it may be nec­
essary to go over the ground quite rapidly to feed snow into
the auger. In this situation the deflector should be lowered
and the engine speed increased. CAUTION: STOP THE
ENGINE AND PLACE PTOIN NEUTRAL WHILE CHANGING
THE DEFLECTOR ADJUSTMENT.
THROWING DIRECTION
The spout control handle is used to rotate the snow thrower
spout to the left and right to control the throwing direction.
Whenever possible, begin snow removal on the upwind side
of the sidewalk or driveway so it is not necessary to blow
snow over an area already cleared.
The chute should be rotated to discharge the snow downwind,
not into it. Always adjust the spout and extension so that
you are well out of the path of the snow stream. CAUTION:
CONSTANT INHALATION OF COLD, WET VAPOR IS EX­
TREMELY DANGEROUS. ON WINDY DAYS, HAVE YOUR
NOSE AND MOUTH COVERED UNLESS YOUR TRACTOR
IS EQUIPPED WITH A SNOW CAB.
MOVING THE SNOW
Light Snow
Snow up to 8” deep can usually be cleared in one pass the
full width of the machine. Face the snow thrower into the
snow, set the throttle at 1/2 speed or more and engage the
tractor power take off completely. When the auger drive is
fully engaged, readjust the engine speed as described under
Throwing Distance. Select the proper gear or transmission
speed control lever setting to give the speeds suggested
under Controlling Ground Speed. Drive the tractor and
snow thrower slowly into the snow. When you have come
to the end of a pass, raise the snow thrower and turn the
tractor around to make the next pass along side of the cleared
area. Allow about 2" of overlap into the cleared area.
Lower the snowthrower, rotate thechuteso thesnowstream
goes downwind, and engage the tractor drive for the second
pass. Repeat these steps until the area is cleared.
HEAVY DEEP SNOW
With very dense snow or snow deeper than the center of the
auger, a different method is necessary.
First Pass
Lower the deflector about 1/2 way and run the engine at full
speed. Raise the snow thrower until the top of the auger
housing is above the top of the snow whenever possible.
Engage the tractor drive gently, drive slowly through the
snow. Readjust the deflector if necessary to obtain the
desired throwing distance. Renieiiiber to stop the engine
before adjusting the deflector. At the end of the pass, turn
around as described under light snow, except go over the
same path with the snowthrower in the lowered position.
In some cases it may be better to back up every few feet
and clear the snow down to the ground surface, so the tractor
tires are not running in deep snow.
Subsequent Passes
Use the same procedure as for light snow, but substantially
increase the overlap into the cleared area. In other words,
take a narrower slice of snow than the width of the auger
housing. Judge how wide a slice to take by watching the
snow stream. It should continue to flow freely from the
chute. If it does not, slow the tractor ground speed or take
a narrower slice of snow. Any time snow stops flowing
freely from the spout, use reverse to back away until the
snow thrower clears itself and then inch slowly into the
snow. You will soon get the feel of how fast to go, and how
wide a slice to take.
FOREIGN OBJECT IN THE AUGER OR PLUGGED CHUTE
If the auger stalls or the chute plugs, disengage the tractor
power take off control immediately. Stop the engine, set
the parking brake and remove the foreign object or clear
the spout. Always stop the engine before working near or
on the auger or spout.