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R322TX Snow Blade Not Discontinued?

9K views 78 replies 6 participants last post by  LLigetfa 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Not sure if or when it got discontinued but now that I bought the rider and I start researching it, it is not to be found on the Husqvarna site. Probably there is some stock somewhere but not anywhere nearby. I don't know if they will be discounted to clear out or if the rarity of them will drive up the price.

So far I have only found one third party snow blade and even that looks like it might no longer be available. I found the following link but when I go into their shopping cart, it is not there.
https://nordicplow.com/articulating-mower-plow-1
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hmmm...I've got one on order with my dealer. The same one who said the R322TX does not exist.

So I probably will get a phone call in a few days telling me the same story...I'll keep you posted. They are pulling it out of the western Canada distribution if it still exists.

You should bug your dealer about the snow cab part number ;-) I'll trade you for a blade lol.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
I don't generally like to bug the dealer. They tend to get some notion in their head that you really want it and price it accordingly. Speaking of price, let me know what they are asking for it. They look to be a tad pricey in the US and I'm used to seeing jacked up Canadian pricing so I probably won't want to pay full list.

I'm looking at a Swisher snow blade without the mount for $99 and thinking to fab up my own mount. I am curious what the R322t mount looks like to ummm... borrow some ideas. I've been googling for pics and watching YouTube videos for ideas.

The Swisher mount is for ATVs so would need a lot of mods.
https://www.swisherinc.com/categories/atv-utv-accessories/48-snow-blade-kit.html
 
#12 ·
I'm looking at a Swisher snow blade without the mount for $99 and thinking to fab up my own mount.
...
The Swisher mount is for ATVs so would need a lot of mods.
https://www.swisherinc.com/categories/atv-utv-accessories/48-snow-blade-kit.html
OK, so I purchased the snow blade at CTC locally but they did not have the mount. Next closest CTC store had the mount so I ordered it online and will have it shipped to me. It too was on clearance for $99. So far I am still way ahead on price at $200 plus tax and shipping. I'm thinking I can get my neighbor to weld up the mods to get it to fit my Swedish Rider. The going price for welding is a case of beer.

Anyone know the weight of the OEM Kova snow blade? This Swisher is heavy and I hope to not have to adjust the springs every time I switch between the mower and the blade. Adding ballast if it is too light would be easy but if it is too heavy to lift with the lever, working around it could be a challenge. Of course that would depend on how far out front it hangs which I may have some control over since I will be mod'ing it to fit.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Where di you get $669.95 from?
Alberta Forest and Garden
https://www.abforest.com/inventory/2018-husqvarna-966415901-calgary-ab-t2a-2n9-2304663i

I stopped in at my dealer today and confirmed that it is not a discontinued item. He said he could get one to me in a week but at full list price of 719.99 since he eats the shipping.

I asked him to get me a copy of the owner's manual so I can see what all is involved in changing over from the mower deck to this blade. He had it up on his screen and I asked he email it to me rather than print it. It was not in my inbox when I got home so I searched for and found it on the UK site.

When the deck is removed, the belt and tensioner stay on the tractor. The deck lift lever is used to raise and lower the blade and the belt drive clutch is automatically engaged when the lever is lowered but I guess since the belt is slack it doesn't engage. The deck height adjuster is used to angle the blade.

I planned to use the snow blade to push the leaf pile where I dump the sweeper so I'd be switching back and forth between mower and blade. Up until now I've just used a rake and snow shovel except one time I asked my neighbor to push my pile with his Kubota SCUT.
 
#10 ·
Got my snow blade today as well. It's boxed up but I will try it out hopefully on the weekend to see how it goes on/off...
I tried searching YouTube for a video that shows how it installs but could not find one so I downloaded the manual for it instead. Looks to be easy enough but perhaps not as easy as the deck since it has no wheels and it does not look to have an easy balance point to grab it so that the back part raises to engage the frame. I see the snow thrower has little wheels on the back for that purpose but then again, it is much heavier so it needs them.

My storage building has a dirt floor which it would not slide so easily on so I'd probably put down wood skids and/or use a P-handle dolly to move it into position. For my Craftsman mower deck, I put down wood skids to slide the deck in/out and a P-handle dolly to move and store it.

Post some pics of the blade once you have it mounted.
 
#13 ·
When I got the snow blade home and out of the package, it was not quite as advertised. First off, it is bright yellow whereas online it showed an all black unit. I'm not too pleased at having to stare at a bright yellow plow illuminated by the bright LED headlamp. I'll know better once I have it mounted and use it.

It also is not branded as Swisher but rather as PowerBlade. I hope the mount I ordered separately will fit up to it. Everything looks to be the same as far as the shape and bolt pattern so time will tell. I will have to modify the mount anyway to fit the R322TX so if need be, I can make it fit the blade.

I took off the mower deck to get a feel for how much it weighs and how it balances. The 112 Combi is 55 kg which is considerably more than the bare snow blade. I found shipping weight specs of 39 kg on Amazon so I'm guessing that I will need to add about 20 kg of weight to it if I want to keep the same spring tension that the mower requires.
 
#14 ·
By CTC are you talking Canadian Tire?

The Kova blade is not light either...mine is still in the box but when i dragged it in the garage it was pretty heavy. If I had to guess, I would say about 100lbs.

I have to admit I ended up getting a smoking deal on my blade. I'm not sure if the store messed up when they invoiced me, but I ened up getting it for $450! I was expecting $699. So color me happy! ;-)

Of course, having to wait now another week or 2 before I can ride my machine again sucks...(its waiting for the mechanic to get back from holidays until next week) but that's the way she goes.

I will try at least to take it out of the box tomorrow and get you some photos of the blade attachment points to give you something better to go off.

Take care,
 
#15 ·
Yes, CTC is Canadian Tire.

Wow, you got a good deal. I look forward to seeing the pics. If I could have got one at that price I probably would not be mod'ing a mount meant for an ATV.

Speaking of mount, I picked it up at the Purolator depot today. I have not opened the box yet and won't have time to test the fit until Saturday.
 
#16 ·
I assembled the Swisher mount today and attached it to the blade. It was a perfect fit so the blade must have been OEM'd by Swisher.

I mocked up the marriage to the tractor using wood blocking, clamps, and wire. It fits between the receiver rails with 1 - 1/4" gap on each side. I just have to make an adapter to go between the mount and the receiver. I measured it all up and made a material & cut list that I will take to my metal supplier on Tuesday.

As for modifications to the existing mount, I just had to move the two springs that go from the blade to the mount 3 inches inward so they clear the receiver on the tractor when the blade is angled.

I made a temporary connection to the receiver so I could test the lift. The blade is lighter than the mower so after I get it properly mounted, I will need to consider how much ballast weight to add to the blade so that it has the needed down pressure to scrape packed snow.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Yes, but I would prefer to avoid constantly changing that adjustment every time I switch between the mower and the blade. I plan to use the blade to push my leaf pile during Fall sweeping and that overlaps with mowing. Where I dump the sweeper, the pile sprawls and needs to be pushed, which I mostly do by hand with a 30 inch wide snow pusher.

Adding weight should help with traction when pushing snow. I know Husqvarna makes wheel weights that go on the inside of the front wheels but I'd rather not go that route. I've also seen a weight that slips over the rear bumper for some models but have not seen one listed for the R322TX. If need be, I could fab one up.

P.S. Come to think of it, probably I should have less weight when pushing leaves to not cut into the ground, so removable ballast would make sense. I have 50 pounds of barbell weights that I use for various purposes.
 
#22 ·
I've also seen a weight that slips over the rear bumper for some models...
I don't understand why Husqvarna makes it so hard to find parts and accessories on their site. The Canadian and US sites are particularly sparse. More can be found on various overseas sites.

Here is a picture of the rear weight slipped over the existing bumper but even on the SLE site I cannot find a listing for it to get a part number. Basically we need take a screen shot to the dealer and argue whether or not it exists. {sigh}

 
#19 ·
Not sure if this may help or not with blade mount ideas.
IPL Manual and Owners Manual for Kova snow blade 966 41 59-01
used on the 300 series Riders.
The IPL can be found on the first link.
The link for the Owners Manual for 966 41 59-01, you'll have to search the list of manuals,
but I when I searched it was at the top of page 2.

http://service.webec.husqvarna.net/documents/HUSI/HUSI2010_AAaa/HUSI2010_AAaa__1063977-61.pdf

https://www.husqvarna.com/ie/parts-accessories/attachment-front-mounted/snow-blade/966415901/
 
#20 ·
Thanks @b12 for the link to the IPL. The owners manual I had found earlier on the UK site.

I'm undecided whether or not to put handlebars on mine to help with changing the angle. Probably I would not want to have the handlebars in my line of sight.

I think I will be able to change angle without reaching forward out of my seat by just steering while dragging the blade in reverse. I will probably take ideas from the angle release mechanism actuated by the height adjuster lever.
 
#21 ·
More on changing angles, when I watched a YouTube video of the Nordic plow I mentioned in my OP, I saw the operator change angles on the fly but not sure how it is done.


I also saw another video where the snow blade had handlebars but they were really short so were down by your feet as opposed to being in your face. The operator never changed angles in the video but probably he could do it with his feet or simply by steering while dragging the blade in reverse.
 
#24 ·
My R322Ts rear bumper look like that, heavy cast iron thing, it came stock.
The R322TX has a different bumper ?
The rear bumper on the R322TX is not that massive. It is cast as one piece with the entire rear frame. Is your's removable? The IPL for the R322T shows only the same slim bumper that my R322TX has so assumed that to be an add-on weight.
 

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#30 ·
I've got a good contact at Husqvarna technical now who even contacts Sweden on my behalf when I was asking about the factory cab thing.

Perhaps I'll contact him to see if there is North American availability on the counterweight. I think for the few extra bucks an OEM part would be much nicer as it would come painted and look better than rigging something up IMO.

I'll keep you posted...
 
#31 ·
@Fredartic in another thread wrote that his dealer is selling him one for his new R322TX so either it is NOS or it is not really discontinued as that link states. I am not so vain and more about function over form especially when the cost difference strokes my frugality.

Speaking of frugality and function over form, I got the metal I will need to adapt the yellow Swisher plow. Add another $53 to the tally. While I won't paint the entire blade, if I find the yellow backside too blinding, I might paint just the backside. Considering the price of paint does not depend on the colour, I'd like to find the same colour grey that the metal parts are but so far nobody offered advice on what stock rattlcan colour might be close. Supposedly one can order online or through a Husqvara dealer, the matching paint. I suppose black would do as well on the blade but not for touching up.
 
#78 ·
While I won't paint the entire blade, if I find the yellow backside too blinding, I might paint just the backside.
I was wondering if the factory paint had any hydrophobic properties but it looks like it doesn't. Looks like I will need to brush the snow off before putting it away.

2485731


Meanwhile, I am working on a guard to keep snow out of the angle mechanism so it doesn't freeze it up. Still considering adding a deflector flap to reduce the amount of snow over-topping the blade. If I do find rubber belting for it I might get extra and modify my snow thrower impeller as well.

It is a PITA to clean the snow out of the angling mechanism. Best way now is to remove the plow and flip it over. I was contemplating getting a Li-ion powered leaf blower since I really don't want to fuss with a 2-cycle gas blower in below freezing temps.

If I had a large enough shop compressor with a flexible hose and decent blow gun, I'd use it. My 4 gallon compressor only delivers around 3 CFM and the hose does not flex enough in the cold. Time will tell how well the guard (and maybe deflector) work to keep snow out.
 
#32 ·
I don't understand why Husqvarna would eliminate the rear bumper counter weight.
It's certainly helpful to have that counterweight when plowing snow, but a counter weight is useful when mowing
on hills too.
I'm glad I have the rear bumper counter weight on some of the hills I mow.

Here's an old thread that I think supports the importance of
the R322T rear bumper counter weight on a hill, in this situation the counter weight should have been heavier.

Read post #37 of this thread link.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...na-r322t-awd-mower-any-4.html?highlight=R322t
 
#33 ·
Today I took the rider and the snow blade over to my neighbor and together we fab'd up the adapter. The 3-sided frame is made with 1" square rod with a 13/16th round rod on the 4th side. The round rod sits in the short slots at the back. We welded short stubs of 5/8th round rod to the square stock and they slide into the two long slots.

We also fab'd up a pivoting arm with a roller to pull the angle release lever. The mower's height adjuster releases the angle pin.
 
#34 ·
We needed to have it fully assembled and mounted in place on the rider to fabricate the angle release so after we wrapped up I had to try the blade pushing my leaf pile. It worked very well.

I will need to take it all apart to chip off the welding slag, grind off the rough spots, and wire wheel off the mill scale to prep it for paint. I'll take some pics and post them after it is all painted. I'm tempted to remove the yellow painted curved metal blade from the frame to paint the back side of it black so it doesn't glare from the headlight.

I will need to wait for snow before I can dial in the attack angle. This plow has 4 positions the attack angle can be set at. 1 is laid back while 4 is forward in a steeper angle. I have it on 2 now and it did not dive into the mud when pushing the leaf pile.
 
#36 ·
There was a planned power outage today and I didn't want to run the generator to power my angle grinder so I started chipping off slag and touching up welds with hand files. I was going to start painting some areas but I could not find any black paint. The wife must have used what I had.

I did a lot of leaf cleanup with the sweeper today so my compost dump area needed to be pushed together. Again, the blade made quick work of it. I am very pleased with it.
 
#37 ·
As promised, I uploaded some pics to Google Photo at the following link.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zkeiMFwzB7bhNVT26

The pics should be self-explanatory for the most part but I did post a few comments. While most folks probably would not be adapting a Swisher snow blade to an R322TX, what might be f interest to some is the PTO clutch block-out plate. It is made from notched out 1" angle iron of which a portion goes into a long slot. I planned to hold it in place with two bolts but I didn't have the right size tap to cut threads in the larger hole. If there is interest, I can remove it to take pictures of it at different angles to show how it is notched out. I probably should paint it a bright colour so it stands out as a reminder to remove it.

When lifting the blade with the PTO blocked out, you don't encounter the additional resistance of the clutch spring so lifting the blade is much easier. Also, I see no point in disengaging/engaging the PTO every time you raise/lower the blade.

Lastly I posted a couple of pics of the blade pushing my leaf pile. One cannot tell from the pic how dense the pile really is.
 
#38 ·
Lligetfa...one word, WOW! Very good job. Looks better than OEM! Looks like you even rigged the blade height adjustment to unlock and lock your angle tilt?

I just got my blade hooked up last weekend and was able to try it while my machine was in and out of the shop (**** thing starts like crap and smokes like a chimney). The Kova blade worked ok. The angle adjustment is pretty slick how you can use the blade height control to lock and unlock the tilt angle.

The handlebar location for the actual adjustment of the angle is a bit odd...to far forward if you use it lots. Also, the blade cutting edge is welded, not bolt-on/replaceable like your looks like. And the blade ground pressure was not enough to do more than skim the top. I had to use my knee on the steering wheel to keep it driving straight while applying forward pressure on the angle adjust handlebar so it would actually clean scrape the concrete.

I'm gonna do some cutting and welding to mine as well. I'm going to make an adjustable handlebar that sits much closer to the rider. If everything goes good I might change the handlebar adjustment to something with a u-joint and have a rotary adjustment for the blade as I hope on running a cab...and that big lever running into the cab would not work. I also want to tilt the blade down a bit so it does more scraping that it does now without having to adjust the preload weight on the back (or I'd have to adjust the spring pressure each time I put the blade on what is a PITA IMO)

I hope my work turns out half as good as yours!
 
#39 ·
Looks like you even rigged the blade height adjustment to unlock and lock your angle tilt?
That is correct. I am hoping that I will be able to change the angle without leaving the seat just by dragging the blade while turning.

I was concerned whether the blade will be heavy enough but it seems to be. I opted to use solid rod rather than hollow tubing for the adapter frame. I will know better once I have snow. I plan to bolt a pair of pegs on the backside of the blade where I can hang barbell weights if I have to. The top edge of the blade has a row of holes where a rubber flap can be bolted on. If I decide to do that, that will add weight as well. I can use thicker flat stock to hold the rubber strip if I want more weight. It was important to me for the snow blade to weigh as much or more than the mower deck so that the springs don't need to be readjusted every time I swap them.

Yes, this blade has a bolt-on cutting edge.

This blade has an adjustable attack angle so I can make it bite more if need be.
 
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