Iowa ethanol lobby starts 2016 campaign to regain influence

Fuel Fix ^ | January 22, 2015 | Associated Press

[thackney]

Renewable-fuels advocates are promising to spend millions putting ethanol back in the debate for Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus next year as cheap oil and setbacks in biofuels policy make the additive less central to voters.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, backed by state corn-grower and renewable-fuels associations and the Washington-based biofuels lobby Growth Energy, on Thursday formed America’s Renewable Future, to make the Renewable Fuels Standard an issue in the 2016 race. The Iowa caucus is set for early January.

“We are designing it to look like a presidential campaign, but the RFS is our candidate,” said Eric Branstad, the governor’s son and a group organizer. “We’re going to be talking to people” and making the presidential candidates respond, he said on a conference call.

[rottndog]

for = form

[woodbutcher1963]

I was thinking about buying a Honda 9/28 track drive snow blower. The first 100 feet of my driveway is about twenty degrees. The total is over 150 feet. They are available on Craigslist for $900-1200. I have heard they are the best machine you can buy today. Nothing made today has the metal gauge thickness like the old machines. My other Honda machines do not seem to have the issues with the fuel like the Briggs and Tecumseh engines, carbs do.

There is a one in southern VT advertised for $1200 that the guy says has about 12 hours on it. It looks brand new in the pictures. They are $2500+ retail New. I made him an offer a couple weeks back for $900. He never replied.

Any opinions?

[headstamp 2]

The only thing I’d be concerned about with the tracked machines is maneuverability and how easy are they to move around for storage when they are not running. Wheeled machines can pivot and free wheel when they are not running.

I have a relatively tight maneuver area where I store my machine.

If you can just pull into where you store the unit under power, I don’t think it would be an issue but also consider maneuverability when using it in tight places. I would try one first at a dealer if you could. I used an old TORO tracked unit a few times and didn’t care for it. That’s by no means an opinion on the Honda though.

[woodbutcher1963]

Good point, I never thought about that.
The only thing I was thinking about was how often those tracks and rollers wear out and how much do they cost to repair.
There is a Honda dealer close to my office. Maybe I will give one a test drive. Appreciate your input.

[headstamp 2]

In all honesty, the tires they are using now on the blowers are a huge improvement over the old machines.

I put later model snow knob tires on my ‘69 Ariens and the traction was like night and day. I’ve abandoned the tire chains completely. The machine has a hub lock for when blowing snow also.

Look into those too and weigh the cost and advantages.

Have fun. I may be looking for a new machine this year too. My old girl is just getting really tired. I know a new machine would be a lot faster and throw the snow farther than this machine.

[woodbutcher1963]

I was looking at this machine for sale locally here in Nashua:

http://nh.craigslist.org/for/4848963358.html

I have the same machine built by Simplicity/Alias Chambers in 1976/77. The one in the add has the engine replaced with a 10hp Tecumseh Snow King. Mine has a 8 hp Briggs & Stratton with the before mentioned downdraft carb. I had to put chains on mine just because of the slope of the driveway. The tires/rims on this machine are only 6” diameter. The new machines all have bigger wheels, like you stated.

I think the best machine would be a machine like this with a HONDA 9-10 hp engine.

[woodbutcher1963]

Another little thing you can do to make the snow fly farther is sand the inside of the shoot. Then repaint it. Lastly, apply car wax.

Another alternative would be to spray the inside of the shoot with PAM cooking spray. Anything to reduce the friction will make it go farther.

This is track drive machine I made the guy an offer on:

http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/4851420238.html

This machine was just posted today:

http://nh.craigslist.org/for/4863943099.html

Maybe, I should save my money and buy one of these instead:

http://worcester.craigslist.org/grd/4827818233.html

:)

[EternalVigilance]

“Now, legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on, and so on. All these plans as a whole — with their common aim of legal plunder — constitute socialism.”

— Frederic Bastiat, the Law, 1850

[headstamp 2]

Kinda high for a machine that old.

I wonder if it’s a thrower or a blower. (Single stage or two stage) Can’t see if it has the blower wheel behind the augers.

I’m guessing its a thrower because its chain drive and looks exactly like the thrower on our Simplicity tractor. The auger in front spins very fast, very dangerous.

The throwers aren’t as good as the blowers.

[headstamp 2]

They don’t look very maneuverable unless under power.

I’ll take the Kubota. (grin)

[woodbutcher1963]

The Simplicity is a two stage blower. They are chain and shaft driven. The main front impeller has a space in the middle about 4 inches wide. The secondary impeller has three hard rubber paddles mounted on a flywheel that scoop the snow out of the front impeller housing and throw it up the shoot. It will also pick up and throw a rock through your neighbors window(another reason why they stopped making them). The drive shafts are inch solid steel. The sprockets are welded to the shafts. The secondary impeller sprocket is 6” diameter that drives the front impeller shaft with a 3” diameter sprocket. Therefore, the secondary impeller spins at a rate 2x the front impeller. Everything needs to be greased and lubed.

It is a Wickedly dangerous machine. There is not another snow blower design built like it to my knowledge. I think they were a huge liability issue.

[woodbutcher1963]

http://www.partstree.com/parts/?lc=simplicity&mn=1690255+-+Sno-Away+1008%2C+8HP+28%22+Two-Stage+Snowthrower&dn=17553

“Kinda high for a machine that old”

He said he would sell it for $400. The engine is worth $200-250.

[AU72]

It is a Wickedly dangerous machine.

Sounds like a fully automatic catapult. Great for your everyday siege warfare.

[headstamp 2]

Ok, I get you.

Our unit for the front of the tractor was simply a high speed auger with a scoop in the middle that threw it up out the chute. It was necessary to run it at high speed to do that.

[headstamp 2]

Check it out good and make sure it’s “tight”.

Rough service all those years for a piece of equipment.

May have missed a few light winters but not many I’ll bet.

If it looks good, pull the trigger.

[woodbutcher1963]

We had a “snow thrower” like that on the old Cub Cadet. It did not work that great either, especially on wet heavy snow.