Combine converted to snowblower

L2 Gleaner combine converted to a self propelled snowblower
14.00 The blower in action
Cost breakdown.
Combine 2200.00 (less 900.00 for parts sold) 1300.00
Blower 1200.00
Hydraulic hoses 1300.00
Bearings & pulleys 950.00
Misc. 1500.00
Wheels/tires 500.00
Modify rims for correct offset 750.00
Total cost 7500.00

[@josephvanwie6706]

I don't think my comment will do justice to this build. Growing up in the 50's, a project like this would be common place. And many friends and neighbors would have contributed to this glorious build. People didn't have much, but were rich in true friendships and mental acuity. People took great pride in their work and spent their time learning from others and books. This build would have been known to the community and looked at like the Wright Brothers working on the Kitty Hawk. America is no longer that place and time which was the backbone of her greatness. Sadly, men like you are far and few between. Many long hours were spent on her design and build, plus money and bartering. Young men used to flock to builds like this and idolize the builder, then strive to become like them. I salute you for what you have accomplished, and thank you for sharing the build with us. I pray that you are blessed in all of your endeavors.

[@hrodd2]

Thank you for the well thought reply. I agree. I am 68 years old. Growing up my dad and uncles did a lot of their own fabrication. I feel sad when I see what types of equipment are on the scrap heap at the local metal recycler. We used to salvage all that old farm equipment.

[@russelmanary2501]

Awesome job. A lot cheaper than a new one and the tractor to run it. Should make short work of snow. Hydro drive gives you a great range of speed

[@hrodd2]

thank you.

[@billupstateny9151]

Cheaper only if someone possesses the fabrication skills, tools, time, & shop space as this gentlemen seems to have. Plus needing the used $$ combine w/ some value, & the willingness to cannibalize. Hydro is convenient BUT a front PTO tractor w/ a power shift transmission would also do nicely w/ this blower. Front PTO & 3 point linkage is becoming more common in the USA, many used European tractors imported here contain this combo feature. A popular importer is JB Tractors in his neighboring Millersville, MN

[@billupstateny9151]

@@hrodd2 It seems obvious you enjoyed this project. Folks might be amazed @ the # of man hours invested. Did you keep track ❓Some portions required a helper ❓ Doing something a person loves is not viewed as a burden but we still should equate the inputs against what other activities could have performed w/ this effort to improve our lives, & generate income. A farm usually has many projects requiring winter maintenance.

[@hrodd2]

@@billupstateny9151 Honestly i really did not keep track of hours. But it was a lot. But, hey we work for free, right? Perhaps better for me if I am in the shop instead of the bar or casino.

[@chadnelson8259]

You`re gonna have a lot of new friends this winter...nice work. Bailing wire will not be your friend!

[@hrodd2]

yup, pizza & beer!

[@jazzerbyte]

Wow - what a machine! In many ways the combine offers a good base for that project - the rear engine mounted high is out of direct snow spray that might build up the the air cleaner. And of course the cab position as you noted. Hope to see this run in a deeper snow!

[@hrodd2]

Yes, forecast for this evening is 8+ inches. She may be put thru the paces then

[@SPCLPONY]

That sure is a snow removal beast! You planned so well, and left yourself room for improvements. Have you considered a salt or media box and spreader on the rear? Looks like plenty of room back there. I was even thinking about a pick up truck box or a flat bed for tools, equipment, etc. Great idea and execution on your build! Good luck and have fun with it!

[@olenilsen4660]

You realise that he lowered the engine, right? I don´t think it´s a problem, more like an advantage to stability. Anywhere around the engine is hot anyway, so I figure snow spray is no problem unless you could aim directly at the intake. I love this machine, this build! I even see some possibilities for later upgrades, like pressure control depth gauging and edging wings, for instance. Great project! Edit: when I think about it, maybe that "chaff drum" in front of the radiator is no longer needed when it´s doing winter chores? No harm, of course. (Sorry I don´t know the right name for this, It´s not my native language). You made a cool looking air limiter for it, though!

[@lukassawatzky604]

@@SPCLPONY I don’t know where you’re from. Or where @hrodd2 is from but I’m from an area of Canada that doesn’t use broadcast spreading very much. Perhaps it wouldn’t be very useful?

[@SPCLPONY]

@@lukassawatzky604 I'm in rural New York on the Pennsylvania border. We use salt on our roads in NY, and cinders in Pa. The Township's allow residents to get a bucket or two of cinders during the winter. It helps with traction on driveways and steps. One can also buy bagged rock salt or calcium that we use with a walk behind spreader on our sidewalks.

[@sparkythebuilder]

Farmer ingenuity!

[@hrodd2]

thanks, yeah we do what it takes at times!

[@jamesshonk565]

That ol girl is great. You did a fantastic job.You will be able to rescue all your neighbors with that thing.

[@hrodd2]

Thanks 👍

[@BOPotstill]

This would be on the Prairie Farm Report if that was still a thing! Nice work!

[@bxb590]

Add a cab heater with blowers on the glass and window wipers. You will appreciate it on the cold winter days.

[@hrodd2]

Have that already

[@chrisdaniel1339]

The operator's cab is perfectly positioned to see the area surrounding the machine, around the blower, and any obstacles that need to be avoided. Very nice conversion.

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@petrikarkela6800]

Well, I think it should be higher. The view is not the best right now. Make an upgrade so that the cap can be moved up above the chute.

[@TheMajictech]

Be sure and post up more videos of this beast, I could watch it run all day.

[@hrodd2]

Plan on that asap

[@jimmotormedic]

That's genius! Right now a thousand guys are looking for an old combine that you just helped double the price of! I was just made for it!

[@michaelbailey2207]

I have my string running F , my son and grandson are on this 😎

[@Nitrohog2006]

This thing is going to go viral, keep posting content on all of the platforms and cash in! I love seeing obscure builds like this!

[@hrodd2]

Thanks

[@tomriggs3926]

That is quite a fabrication project. Forty years ago, in northwestern Indiana, I saw a 3pt snowblower on a Uni Harvester chassis. It was driving down a county road so I didn't get a close look. I never thought I'd want to drive backward all day, on a tractor, to clear snow.

[@donbraden8533]

That was one of the best hand made snow blower machines i have seen so far your #1 #2 is a pick- up truck outstanding job on your build really enjoyed watching it in action 👍👍🇺🇸😎 from Ohio

[@hrodd2]

Thank you. I did get it painted last summer. Also currently working on adding RWD. However, have only used it once this season. We have been experiencing an extremely mild winter.

[@onebadsavage26]

Must be so satisfying to see your ideas come to function so well. You couldn't even buy a new 10' snow blower to $7500. Well done.

[@hrodd2]

Yeah, when I was watching the auction for the blower the suggested retail for a new one was 18K

[@ciejere405]

You know u gotta great running machine when it purrs while working, this thing is harmony to my ears

[@hrodd2]

Thank you for the kind remark. This season it is going to get rear wheel drive. More time in the shop, however should be a huge improvement

[@ricklarouche4105]

Old fashion farm know how still lives! 🎉

[@bluethunder1951]

Fantastic job on repurposing the old combine. I have a skid steer with a hydraulic snowblower like yours it to has the swivel shoot and deflection hood. It’s five feet wide same width as my tracks, Im thinking on adding a set of wings to give it just a few more inches in width, also to catch any snow from sneaking out the sides, nothing worst than having to go back for just a small windrow of snow. You did an awesome job of narrating the video it was perfect on explaining what you did and why. Have a great new year and hope to see it in action again. 🍻

[@hrodd2]

Thanks. If we have some ridiculous snow fall I may add some more video content.

[@mrbeefhbw]

This has got to be the most cobbled together redneck engineered monstrosity I have seen in quite some time. It's fucking glorious and I'll take five.

[@hrodd2]

well, it does work. Thanks for the comment

[@kensnyder9372]

Best use of and old combine yet ! A lot of moving parts in one of these..........lol..............

[@ermancroney3805]

That is a huge win win!!! Every place wrestling with a lot of snow needs a machine like that!

[@BenKoser]

Impressive build! You’ve definitely got an impressive skillset. I feel like the biggest downside is that it’s so efficient, your “play time” with it is limited! Good stuff and I hope it fares well in tonight’s storm.

[@hrodd2]

Yeah, we do not "play" with snow, we just put up with it. But it does help to have good equipment

[@ryanpowell9522]

Add some car tire side walls to your fan blower to give it a bit tighter fit.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@douglasmayherjr.5733]

I hate to see a nice L2 cut apart, but it lives on as an awesome snow removal machine. They always had a nice comfortable cab. Great Job, Thanks for sharing.

[@MadHatter764]

What a beast...and casually mentioning hardcore hacks like shortened the axle and added an extension to clear the oil reservoir shows that this guy is very skilled.

[@hrodd2]

Thank you for the compliment. Looks like I can retire it away for the summer.

[@The_JEB]

this is awesome, about the only thing that would make this even better would be some 5inch wings on the side of the blower at a 30 degree or 45 degree angle to keep any access snow from spilling over and out of the shoot.

[@markfrye9178]

You did such a great job of seeing things neat and tidy with the whole project!

[@Vectrum0013]

great job, looks amazing, the town will be calling the next blizzard you get

[@AllisChalmersMN]

Wow that thing is awesome! I could use something like that today! That ole girl needs some deep snow to work in. Great work!!

[@brianuhing2657]

I like how you took your time and thought ahead. I also like the fact that you can control the blower speed. That's got to be a plus.

[@raynyhus2026]

Very good use of older equipment.

[@leinie6683]

Nice reuse of good old machinery. Great work. There is nothing better than a front mounted blower for moving snow. Place it where you want, no worrying about running out of space like with blades.

[@hrodd2]

You got that right!

[@andycrawford8671]

I think someone is having way too much fun! Nice job.

[@hrodd2]

ya think? Who said moving snow was fun?

[@headhunter4488]

Love to see people use their heads to make things. Yours is very amazing and practical.

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@jondavidmcnabb]

This machine could pay for itself in a month if you get a couple good contracts in the local area. Good Lord is it incredible and over powered. Such a thing of beauty.

[@hrodd2]

thanks

[@robwhite3241]

There’s some pretty cool stuff people make out of old l2 gleaners. I’ve seen a sprayer and a rock collector and now a snow blower!

[@marshallmaclean7111]

What a great build, well done

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@MBarker397]

That is a beast! You did an awesome job. Please upload more videos with it in action, if you can.

[@harryfatcat]

Brilliant! Very creative and effective use of resources. I love seeing people thinking outside the box!

[@djbort]

Love the ingenuity! Great project and thanks for sharing!

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@paulanderson262]

I'm very impressed. I always thought of doing something similar, but don't have the skills you have. Lowering the engine was a great idea so you can see backing up.

[@elliottlandco2776]

Snow Gleaner! I have wondered for years if a self propelled swather or combine would work, and you’ve answered that! Nice fab work!

[@irishsgm3076]

Great Job Ray! That is simply amazing work! Looks like you'll need it today and tomorrow with 14" + of snow forecasted along with 30 mph + winds!!!

[@hrodd2]

Thank you

[@jagerandres5808]

looks like my now retired neighbors combine. he would farm 500 acres with that combine every year. only him and one of his friends worked on his farm. it was amazing what those 2 guys could accomplish

[@russelltatro2835]

Brilliant use of an old Gleaner, when I lived in Tennessee there were many of them sitting around retired, They should be shipped north, great machine for the snow blower, amazing.

[@hrodd2]

A lot of that old equipment can be repurposed. Thanks for the comment

[@maxsdad538]

Looks like something my dad would have built... and been mighty proud of. 😂😂

[@lorenmeyer5290]

WOW THAT'S AWESOME! You did an amazing job to figure out all the drive's! Happy Holidays y'all!

[@hrodd2]

Thank you 🤗

[@homemadetools]

Clever; we don't see this very often. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@hrodd2]

Thanks for sharing!

[@waynegalvin4639]

Nice fabrication! That machine will save you lots of work.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@badzbradzgoodyz6477]

Great build! I enjoy watching people that used their great minds.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@xlerb2286]

Good way to reuse an old combine. Back when Dad was still farming he had a Gleaner L2 Windrow Plus combine. Loved that machine, was great in its day.

[@hrodd2]

Thanks for the comment

[@jefferyakers4496]

Great job, I always wanted to do something like this with a swather and make sure you put a heater in the cab.

[@hrodd2]

Initially I was going to use a swather, however after I picked up the blower it was obviously too large for a swather, so I went with a combine.

[@SmokinLoon5150]

EXCELLENT WORK! There are 100's of thousands of old Gleaners out there that can "easily" be repurposed. Now that you have the blueprints per say you can have some fun! Sell your designs, make some cash, and off you go to be a snowbird! :)

[@hrodd2]

Yeah, that's the plan in life, isn't it? Thanks for the comment

[@ron827]

BRAVO 👍👍 Wonderful planning! You did a GREAT job of repurposing that old Gleaner and it had to be VERY rewarding to see snow coming out of the chute and headed to the next county. Please post another video of it really earning its keep which could be soon as the Marshall area could get 9"-16" Tuesday.

[@hrodd2]

Thanks, shall see what mother nature sends us!

[@VikingShipExplorer]

Great project. We tried to find a snowblower big enough to fit in front of our Massey Super 92 which also has a heated cab, but to no avail. Instead I put a 12 foot home made snow blow blade from an under ground fuel tank and the piece ended up being 3 feet tall by 12 feet long. I couldn't believe how much power this combine had. I still wish it had a blower, but for now we push snow. Loved the video and Great job on getting this beast to where it is now. This is simply awesome.

[@hrodd2]

thank you for the comment. Yeah, whatever it takes!

[@wycks-5095]

wow this could be a money maker in my area.... only thing i would do is add the screw in studs on tires would eliminate tire spin/ slipping ..... hmmm might be a great project in my future... thank you for the video sir

[@von492]

Awesome snow machine Ray! Your engineering and fabrication has re-created the best blower possible. The mods to the main frame and cab look great. The power delivery to wheels, auger & blower is exceptional! Great Job, thanks for sharing Ray👨‍🌾

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@rongray4118]

Love the tires on the blower - smart deal!! I will be heading that direction as I am rebuilding the 1973 Mercedes Benz Unimog 406!

[@TheEbikefisherman]

Just WOW! Amazing repurpose job! That thing is a BEAST!

[@hrodd2]

Thanks, as i was building it I kept my friends posted, cause honestly who knew how successful it was going to be? So early on I started referring to it as "The Beast" LOL

[@bruce5285]

You built the ultimate snow removal machine and it looks really really cool...OEM like.

[@hrodd2]

Thank you

[@plumber_cayle]

Cool build. Would love that up here at my acreage in Saskatchewan. Great video. Hope to see you create something new. It reminded me of Prairie Farm Report with all the farmers custom builds.

[@Cr125stin]

Awesome build! I really enjoyed this. I’m happy I randomly got this recommendation, it good to see that KZbin is recommending such a recently uploaded video too

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@billroberts3864]

Ray, you have great engineering/fabrication skills and now have a very efficient, warm in the cab snow blower. it looks like you can handle the 'big one' with no problems. Happy New Year and blessings to you.

[@hrodd2]

Thank you. Well it will help make winter tolerable!

[@avoidtheherd7066]

Great concept and fab job! Also works as a snow pusher/box plow if you need to move/consolidate smaller piles to the disposal area.

[@frankcurley]

I have never seen anyone do that before, great effort! And it works well too.

[@hrodd2]

There is a video of a gentleman in Canada that converted an IH rotor combine to snowblower. I have read that they are easy to convert as he reused the gearbox that would normally run the rotor to power the blower. The Gleaner was easier than I anticipated to convert. Thanks for the comment

[@windirono5409]

This is awesome! Great to see new life and purpose into equipment. Definitely would like to see it in some deeper snow.

[@hrodd2]

Will do!

[@peterbonaccorsi3445]

What an awesome build.Thank's for sharing.Enjoy!

[@Hrodd2..]

I'll appreciate you for being active on my channel 🔝🔝🔝DM ME ON TELEGRAM with the above username, I have something for you....

[@TheDistur]

I've seen similar projects but never saw the mechanicals up close. Thanks for the look into how it works.

[@hrodd2]

Your welcome. It is so easy to make videos too long, however I tried to attempt to as simple explanation as possible on major items

[@keithluethje2590]

Nice build! Looks good! Looking forward to seeing more vids!

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@paulbateman3654]

What a good use for an old combine. Great video.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@paultheisen5290]

Paul from Iowa, Great Job. Good use of a Good Older Combine

[@hrodd2]

thank you. Yeah, save that old iron from the scrap heap!

[@davidnielson1960]

Great job on converting the old combine into a snowblower it turned out great

[@Hrodd2..]

I'll appreciate you for being active on my channel 🔝🔝🔝DM ME ON TELEGRAM with the above username, I have something for you.

[@jerrygroen8163]

Reworking and recycling and fabricating is fun work . Great job Ray

[@hrodd2]

Thank you

[@williamlindsey4148]

A really good idea . The end results were very interesting. It is really nice when a project comes together.

[@hrodd2]

Thank you

[@ronmason1710]

This is a great repurposing of an item that might have ended up in the junkyard. Wish I had the knowledge to do something like this.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@JohnDoe-jq5wy]

GREAT STUFF 🙂.... THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CREATING AND ALIGNMENT

[@dawillis6438]

That's badass!!!!!!! Congrats on the build

[@brettmorton7365]

Wow, there's a lot of work gone into that! Especially like the custom offset for the front wheels.. well done sir.

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@williamfgreene6855]

Wonderful conversion, great results....good job👌

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@donaldmatthies6026]

That's a very impressive build! Liked and subscribed. Thank you for taking time to film, edit and post this video.

[@hrodd2]

Much appreciated!

[@45Ninjat]

That's a fantastic way to keep an old harvester alive!

[@justinsmith5654]

It's so cool to see how many uses there are for combines after the harvester mechanicals get wore out, they really have a lot of life in them and the rear steer makes a good maneuverable platform.

[@hrodd2]

4 sure

[@cdmalton1806]

Awesome build, everything was done in a logical straight forward manner.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@patrickgroenewegen]

Awesome! I’ve wanted to do this for 20+ years, still haven’t gotten to it. Did keep an old gleaner just for the purpose. Maybe someday yet. Though I’ve often though the new idea unisystem power unit would make a good conversion. Flexible, 4wd, setup to send power in multiple directions. Someday….again great job! Very very well done!

[@hrodd2]

Thank you for the comment. Yeah, previously I had a small Yanmar with no cab and 5' blower. It actually worked really well, but I was getting tired of the cold and rear facing. Getting too old for that!

[@M60A3]

The previous machinery dealer we went to before it closed had old Gleaner combine series like N, L, F, series, there was one time he also had a old Allis Chalmers 4wd-305 tractor.

[@brucelund849]

Great job! I always have wanted to build one myself out of a NHTR 86. Lot of good ideas with your build. Really like how you seperated the auger from the blower fan. That should take a lot of the stress out of the gear box. Hope it works as great as it looks!

[@hrodd2]

That's what I was thinking. Thanks for the comment

[@jaybeliever1479]

Yup. Looks like it moves a lot of snow. Good job!

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@stephenskierski5633]

Wow what a great way to repurpose an old combine!

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@timessl904]

Very cool video. Excellent fabrication and design work. Thanks for sharing

[@hrodd2]

Thank you very much!

[@1coppertop]

Thats the right size snowblower for that driveway. Well done. The View from the cab must be great.

[@hrodd2]

yes, thank you

[@matthewsmith988]

Excellent job. One of a kind machine and person. Thank you for posting.

[@hrodd2]

Thanks for watching!

[@philhosier9185]

Great job with the mechanicals ! Very impressive !!

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@Mike44460]

Now, all you have to do is remember to start it once a month and move it around so that when the snow gets here, she'll be ready. The City of Buffalo could stand to have a few of these. Top shelf project!

[@hrodd2]

Thank you. I keep her in the shop, so it is ready to go when needed.

[@michaelnelson9140]

Retired gleaner tech here. Outstanding job! The perfect platform for a large, and comfortable snowblower. Problably gets decent fuel mileage to, as the load shouldn’t be that much. Snow harvester!😝

[@hrodd2]

Thank you

[@honestspirit56]

The beast blower ! Awesome build!

[@stevejorgensen8123]

Very nice, great work. I built one out of a Massey 410 gas. I did not do as much as you did, it did work, but the front end was too heavy and I had to steer with the brakes. over time, one of the brakes broke and it had other problems, so now it sits out back waiting for the salvage yard. Again, great job on the build and it looks like it will last a long time.

[@Hrodd2..]

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[@jacksak]

Absolutely fantastic ingenuity!

[@carlsmith2826]

Your snowblower creation is so cool!

[@hrodd2]

thank you

[@jamesazahn6842]

With so much of your time and expense into your newly refurbished snowblower machine. It would be a shame not paint it, in order to protect your investment, and too, to look as incredible as it functions. Since you worked so very hard on it. "Thanks", for sharing the American know how of ingenuity vedio of your snowblower machine!

[@hrodd2]

That was supposed to happen prior to this season, next year. It is in the plan

[@99unclebob]

Nicely done Happy New Year, I am quite familiar farm Tractors/Combines I worked for Versatile Farm Equipment back in the late 70's through the 80's so i remember allot of those components and systems you took apart and recycled, hydrostatic drive is really nice , so easy to control the speed, this is all well planned out and built and especially i love the cab , easy to enter/exit and you got the best seat in house, more important you can see all your components that are important, very cool , when you were operating it towards the end of the video ,it reminded me of the old Allis -Chalmers rough terrain forklifts that were basically a tractor turned around, I played with my share of those a bit having worked in the forklift industry for a few years, good times, your neighbour to the north in Manitoba , hope you get the snowstorm and get to play with your new home built behemoth of a snowblower, its pretty cool 👍oh yes, i agree about the cab, no more sore neck/shoulders i did my share of that for my uncle and dad when they got into their 70's, it was a nasty job in deep snow and high winds , cab is king

[@hrodd2]

Thanks Bob. Yeah, everything you said is true. SO far I am very happy with the result.