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Tips on hooking up the snow thrower on the massey mf12

10K views 68 replies 7 participants last post by  DH1 
#1 ·
I wanted to see if I could get some tips on getting the snow thrower hooked up on my MF12. The snow blade isn't so bad and I can man handle it a little better but these snow throwers are a beast and aren't too easy to move.

I know I am missing the bolt the goes from the lift linkage to the snow thrower frame to raise and lower it and I know it is supposed to slide so the blower has room to lift up as you are going along.

If I can get everything hooked up I figure if I don't get that bolt made I will just keep the blower down and not make any sharp turns with it. I won't be able to control the chute right now because the cable is snapped. I have the rod/handle to adjust it though, just gotta run a new cable. I am going to dig the blower out and move it in the garage and start working on it tonight.

Is there any secrets as far as actually getting it on to the tractor?
 
#2 ·
The part that goes between the thrower and the lift is an "L" shaped part. Mine was missing too. I took an extra "C" shaped lift part for a mower deck and cut one end off. It fit snuggly into the tube on the thrower and works great. The secret I found when mounting the thrower, is to lift the rear frame assembly with a floor jack, in order to align the pins. Laying on your back and lifting it manually is really tough.
Do you have the same style thrower as I do?
 
#3 ·
Mine is just like yours, probably almost identical condition as well. I am going to dig it out tonight from under all this snow and try and get it hooked up. It has the belt to go to the pto but I might have to get a new one as I don't know it's condition.
 
#5 ·
Someone needs to just shoot me. My dad checked with the old man down at the end of the road that had a mf12 that he sold but still had the snow blower and tiller. I kept putting it off because of lack of funds and here he gave it away to the junk man. I need to go draw some bath water.......
 
#6 ·
Todd,
Do you have any pics of the mounting system? I have the blower in the garage with the heater going. I have a second piece looks like some sort of mounting bracket. Will post pics in a little bit.
 
#7 ·
NUTNDUN said:
Todd,
Do you have any pics of the mounting system? I have the blower in the garage with the heater going. I have a second piece looks like some sort of mounting bracket. Will post pics in a little bit.
There is a bracket that mounts to the front axle pivot and the mower deck hangers. Then the blower frame mounts to that bracket with two pins and the third attachment point is the lift point.
I think you can attach some sort of helper spring system in the front near the bumper, but with my electric lift, it isn't needed on my tractor.
Sorry no pics, I wish I knew that you needed help yesterday morning, I could have taken lots of pics as I attached mine. Oh well. If you need pics, I can run out to the shed and snap a few. I'm not sure how much snow is packed up under the tractor right now?
 
#8 ·
I think I am getting it. I got that plate mounted to the front axle and am mounting the arms back to the deck mounts but it is a tight squeeze. I forgot I had gotten a 620 manual here is a link to it but these manuals don't help all that much but I guess I can't complain as it got me started LOL

http://www.nutndun.com/mf/manuals/MF620SnowThrowerManual.pdf
 
#9 ·
NUTNDUN said:
I think I am getting it. I got that plate mounted to the front axle and am mounting the arms back to the deck mounts but it is a tight squeeze. I forgot I had gotten a 620 manual here is a link to it but these manuals don't help all that much but I guess I can't complain as it got me started LOL

http://www.nutndun.com/mf/manuals/MF620SnowThrowerManual.pdf
That manual is what I used, to mount it the first time. It's funny, when I was mounting it the first time, I looked at the manual and I was thinking... this thing is crap. Now that I mounted it, I look at the manual and it makes perfect sense to me. LOL. If you need help or some pics just let me know.
 
#10 ·
Well I had to jack the tractor up a little to get it slid under. I have it slid under and close to position but for the life of me can't figure out how this belt is going to work.
 
#11 ·
NUTNDUN said:
Well I had to jack the tractor up a little to get it slid under. I have it slid under and close to position but for the life of me can't figure out how this belt is going to work.
Do you have the attachment drive hooked up to the PTO? The belt from the blower mounts to the attachment drive, which then runs to another belt that goes to the engine.

You can, sort of, see it on this huge pic.

 
#12 ·
I got it figured out, I have the output drive due to the mower deck. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out the belt and I keep running in and out of the house to look at the manual and low and behold after I RTFM I found it LOL.

Now I gotta get something worked up for the lift and the springs. I have the springs but no chains and no tabs so I am going to get a small piece of swingset chain for now to run across the bumper and then hook to each spring on each side.
 
#13 ·
I am proud to report it works. I did a little piece tonight to test and she blew like crazy. Threw the snow at least 15' if not more.

Here are a couple pics. Just gotta get the helper springs hooked up somehow and make the rod for the lift. Todd or anybody know what size bolt they used for their lift rod?

Grey Chemical compound Atmospheric phenomenon Snow Freezing
 

Attachments

#14 ·
NUTNDUN said:
I am proud to report it works. I did a little piece tonight to test and she blew like crazy. Threw the snow at least 15' if not more.

Here are a couple pics. Just gotta get the helper springs hooked up somehow and make the rod for the lift. Todd or anybody know what size bolt they used for their lift rod?

View attachment 396 View attachment 397 View attachment 398
What bolt? Are you talking about where it attaches to the mid point lift?
 
#15 ·
Ya, I forgot to measure the opening in the lift rod of the blower. I am guessing it is either 3/8" or 1/2". I am planning on stopping at tsc on the way home and picking some bolts up to make my own. I also need to do something with the helper springs as I couldn't move it LOL
 
#18 ·
NUTNDUN said:
Ya, I forgot to measure the opening in the lift rod of the blower. I am guessing it is either 3/8" or 1/2". I am planning on stopping at tsc on the way home and picking some bolts up to make my own. I also need to do something with the helper springs as I couldn't move it LOL
That is not a bolt. It's a L shaped pin. I think the factory one was threaded on the bottom (top of the L) with a nut for adjustment, but I have found that the nut is not needed.
 
#19 ·
I knew it was an l shape due to fitting inside the tube but I am not sure what diameter it needs to be. Thank you for the info on the nuts for it though. I figure as long as it gets it off the ground to make sharper turns that is all that matters.
 
#20 ·
I forgot to ask, am I correct that to lift it requires the opposite direction then normal with the lift arm since it is on a pivot and needs to be pushed down?
 
#21 ·
NUTNDUN said:
I forgot to ask, am I correct that to lift it requires the opposite direction then normal with the lift arm since it is on a pivot and needs to be pushed down?
Yup, that is right. I drives me crazy, every time I go to lift it, I go the wrong way. Not sure on the diameter. I can measure it when I get home. Do you have an extra C shaped attachment part that is used with a deck or plow? That is what I used.
 
#22 ·
I had one a c shaped one that I cute the one bend off of to make the L but it is a little too small for the hole in the lift tube. I am guessing the L pin I have is 5/16 and there is a good bit of play but it might get me by. I just know with not having those helper chains not hooked up it is darn near impossible to hook up. If I don't hear from ya on the size bolt before I leave work I will just get one 3/8 and one 1/2". One of them is bound to be the right size. I am going to see if I can even do the chains the way they show them in the manual, I think tsc sells a chain like what is shown in the manual and I can make my own angle pieces and drill a hole for the chain to pass through and use a pin to hold it until I make a slot to allow it to set in.
 
#23 ·
NUTNDUN said:
I had one a c shaped one that I cute the one bend off of to make the L but it is a little too small for the hole in the lift tube. I am guessing the L pin I have is 5/16 and there is a good bit of play but it might get me by.
That is strange. My old C cut to an L fit pefectly. It was just a little loose, which it needs to be in order for the blower to float with the terrain.
Also, did you check your skids? Mine were set way up high, it would seem that the previous owner had a dirt or gravel drive. I set the skids all the way down for my paved drive.
 
#24 ·
tweidman said:
That is strange. My old C cut to an L fit pefectly. It was just a little loose, which it needs to be in order for the blower to float with the terrain.
Also, did you check your skids? Mine were set way up high, it would seem that the previous owner had a dirt or gravel drive. I set the skids all the way down for my paved drive.
I am going to check skid height tonight when I lube it. I think they might be close as when I did the little area in the grass it cleaned it right down to the grass but then the grass would give way a little so on the blacktop it might not get as close. The reason my L or C piece is so sloppy is because i never had the original even for the mower deck. I had to make one and that ended up being the size bolt I made it out of. I am gonna fix her up tonight though.
 
#26 ·
Thank you Todd, I stopped and got a 3/8" and 1/2" bolt just in case and they also had the cable for the chute and chain for the helper springs. I also got a 4' piece of aluminum angle to make my own chain hooks to mount on the grill support. I got it all done and it works like a champ, the chute turns and it lifts fairly easy. I wanna do the same thing you did with the power lift. I have a feeling this 12 is going to turn into a pulling tractor and if you sell your other 12 hydro or I find another one that will become my show piece and do all machine.
 
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