- Joined
- Mar 16, 2005
- Location
- Archer Lodge
December 1, 2005
If you're tired of anaemic, one-lung snowblowers
with their slipping drive belts, you might consider Kai Grundt's V8
snow blower which raises the bar on the traditional snow blower in
every respect. With electric start,electric block heater, antifreeze
heater and eight cylinders, it has no drive belts to freeze up and
you'll never get bored with the job as the 454 cubic inch big block
Chevrolet V8 produces 412 horsepower, 430 foot pounds of torque and
can throw snow 50 feet at just 3500 rpm. Nor will you get cold as the
machine has been ingeniously designed to route the engine coolant
through the handle bars, with the rear mounted, enclosed radiator
keeping the operator nice and cozy.
The first point to make is that this is not a V8 grafted on a
traditional snow blower carriage, but a purpose-built unit crafted
around a motor of this magnitude. It functions very much like a
traditional blower by way of operator input and feedback and offers
effortless safe operation.
Maneuvering the massive beastie (it has a total wet weight of 912lbs)
is a snap thanks to the hydraulic-drive 4WD skid steer on independent
walking beams which offers a zero turning radius. It's also as fast as
you like, with an infinitely adjustable speed range on the drive
wheels via dash mounted flow control. At the opposite end of the
scale, it has more than enough torque to pull your car out of the
ditch before the hydraulic motors stall!
Adding to the well-balanced feel of the unit, just 15 pounds of down
force on the handlebars will lift the auger blade off the ground in
order to climb stairs/walkways for ease of snow removal. Safety has
and continues to be paramount with spring return to centre "fail
safe" type directional controls with emergency stop and tether cords.
Safety is one of the key theme, with a flashing blue light (as
required by law in many areas) being the least of the safety
features. No-one will fail to hear you with those twin throaty
exhausts, which come standard with 92 decibels at the controls,
though if the rhumba of a V8 exhaust is music to your ears, you can
obviously go much louder. Even at the standard baffling, hearing
protection is strongly suggested.
The powerful yard machine lights and a dashboard with backlit gauges
complete the package to ease the burden of this normally reviled task.
The custom 42 inch, two stage auger has a Chevrolet 10 bolt truck
differential with spool and a centrifugal auger clutch with shear pin
protection, further adding to the image of this "automotive theme
blower." As each unit is cutom-built, optional extras for the
snowblower are both diverse and outrageous as the base unit - there is
unlimited auger choices from single to multi stage designs and various
motor combinations to suit the religious preferences of the customer
(Chevy, Dodge Hemi, Ford) and such exotica as a V-10 or a diesel
engine or remote starting can be accommodated.
And if, after a while, you feel you've outgrown the 400 horses, this
particular engine is well catered for in the performance modification
area, with Lunati camshaft, Milodon Gear drive, Holley and Edelbrock
components to name a few, and there's always the fuel injection option
too, if you feel you need to throw the snow out of the county or
ensure your seat in the "neighborhood blower blingster hall of fame."
If you're tired of anaemic, one-lung snowblowers
with their slipping drive belts, you might consider Kai Grundt's V8
snow blower which raises the bar on the traditional snow blower in
every respect. With electric start,electric block heater, antifreeze
heater and eight cylinders, it has no drive belts to freeze up and
you'll never get bored with the job as the 454 cubic inch big block
Chevrolet V8 produces 412 horsepower, 430 foot pounds of torque and
can throw snow 50 feet at just 3500 rpm. Nor will you get cold as the
machine has been ingeniously designed to route the engine coolant
through the handle bars, with the rear mounted, enclosed radiator
keeping the operator nice and cozy.
The first point to make is that this is not a V8 grafted on a
traditional snow blower carriage, but a purpose-built unit crafted
around a motor of this magnitude. It functions very much like a
traditional blower by way of operator input and feedback and offers
effortless safe operation.
Maneuvering the massive beastie (it has a total wet weight of 912lbs)
is a snap thanks to the hydraulic-drive 4WD skid steer on independent
walking beams which offers a zero turning radius. It's also as fast as
you like, with an infinitely adjustable speed range on the drive
wheels via dash mounted flow control. At the opposite end of the
scale, it has more than enough torque to pull your car out of the
ditch before the hydraulic motors stall!
Adding to the well-balanced feel of the unit, just 15 pounds of down
force on the handlebars will lift the auger blade off the ground in
order to climb stairs/walkways for ease of snow removal. Safety has
and continues to be paramount with spring return to centre "fail
safe" type directional controls with emergency stop and tether cords.
Safety is one of the key theme, with a flashing blue light (as
required by law in many areas) being the least of the safety
features. No-one will fail to hear you with those twin throaty
exhausts, which come standard with 92 decibels at the controls,
though if the rhumba of a V8 exhaust is music to your ears, you can
obviously go much louder. Even at the standard baffling, hearing
protection is strongly suggested.
The powerful yard machine lights and a dashboard with backlit gauges
complete the package to ease the burden of this normally reviled task.
The custom 42 inch, two stage auger has a Chevrolet 10 bolt truck
differential with spool and a centrifugal auger clutch with shear pin
protection, further adding to the image of this "automotive theme
blower." As each unit is cutom-built, optional extras for the
snowblower are both diverse and outrageous as the base unit - there is
unlimited auger choices from single to multi stage designs and various
motor combinations to suit the religious preferences of the customer
(Chevy, Dodge Hemi, Ford) and such exotica as a V-10 or a diesel
engine or remote starting can be accommodated.
And if, after a while, you feel you've outgrown the 400 horses, this
particular engine is well catered for in the performance modification
area, with Lunati camshaft, Milodon Gear drive, Holley and Edelbrock
components to name a few, and there's always the fuel injection option
too, if you feel you need to throw the snow out of the county or
ensure your seat in the "neighborhood blower blingster hall of fame."
