Tractor Repair: hydraulic motors, flow control valve, tractor hydraulics

Question
I'm thinking of mounting my 3-pt snow blower on the front of my 3320JD and using a 540RPM hydraulic motor for power. Can the main or aux tractor hydraulics be used as a power source for the blower motor?

Answer
Hello,

   Yes, you can run the unit with the aux. hydraulics as long as you get enough oil flow to run the snowblower fast enough.  I don't know what the gallon per minute rating of your pump is.  It might take experimenting to get it the right speed also.  A larger motor will have more power , but will turn slower with the same oil flow, and a smaller motor will have less power, but will turn faster with the same oil flow.  You might need a flow control valve to adjust the speed.  Also, there's a chance your hydraulic oil might run too hot without adding an oil cooler.  You would have now way of knowing without trying it, and seeing how hot the oil gets.

  Your other option is to us a pto driven pump on the back of the tractor, and having a separate oil tank just for this pump so the snowblower would have it's own hydraulic system.  Then, if the motor was the same size as the pump, it would turn the same speed as the pto.  Also, you would have the aux. hydraulics available to raise and lower the snowblower and turn the discharge chute.  Sounds like that might be a better option, but of course that's just my opinion.  Sounds like a good project.

                         Good luck,

                            Arnie