JD 112 snow blower lift upgrade help

[JaxR]

I'm working with a John Deere 112 and a 37A snow blower I bought at an auction. The blower works fine but raising it by hand is rough after a couple of passes. I'd like to mount a winch for lifting but I'm unsure whether a front bumper mount or attaching it directly to the blower housing is the better option. Has anyone built a bracket or rigged up a simple solution without stressing the frame too much?

 

[DirtDozer]

A winch is definitely the way to go but don't mount it directly to the blower housing! That's a lot of stress on a spot that wasn't designed for it, and it could cause the housing to crack or bend over time. A front bumper mount is a much better option and is how most people rig it. The best one I've seen uses a small bracket that bolts to the front frame. You could probably fabricate something like that yourself with some angle iron. It's strong and puts the pulling force on the frame where it belongs. You could also just use a strong, beefy front bumper, which could be strong enough and a lot simpler to set up. Just don't attach anything to the grill mount!

 

[mayor_vico]

For max durability and less frame stress, go with a frame-mounted winch with a pulley. The tractor can handle the force better this way, plus you get wiggle room for adjustments down the line. Just be sure the winch can lift the blower weight with enough torque and speed.

 

[JaxR]

This confirms a frame-mounted solution is the right approach. The pulley suggestion is a good addition I'm factoring into the plan. If I start sourcing parts this week, I could have the lift upgrade ready to test in about 3 weekends. For the final connection, what's the best way to attach the winch cable to the blower's lift point without stressing the housing?