# Bercomac 48-inch Northeast snowblower review/pic



## seekay

I recently bought a 48-inch tractor-mounted blower from Bercomac, following a lot of research online.

(And managed to do something dumb with it within the first three uses -- see other thread about the bent impeller)

It was hard to find good and complete information about the Bercomac before we invested the nearly $2,000, but it seemed like it was one of the best machines available. We have to maintain a 1,000 foot laneway plus our driveway, and while people have traditionally plowed the road, it's pretty narrow and the banks get to be a problem. Therefore we said - let's get a big blower with a tractor.

We ended up attaching it to a 23-horsepower Husqvarna 2348LS from a local dealer who also sells the Bercomac units via special order.

The Northeast model weighs around 300 lbs. You can supposedly go as low as 17HP with one, but I think 20 and up

(Now's as good a time as any to put this warning in: It takes a good while for Bercomac to ship its products from Canada. The blower came in a few weeks but the chains for the tractor took nearly six. You could always get chains someplace else though.)

The blower requires a subframe -- adaptable to many makes of tractor -- that from what I gather can take some time to put on. We ended up having the dealer do it for a fee. They also delivered it as part of the bargain.

We went with the electric lift option on the Bercomac. It works great. A little pushbutton mounts near the steering wheel and runs the winch. You can adjust the blower height very finely by just nicking the button.

For rear counterweights -- believe me they are 100 percent necessary -- I mounted some weightlifting plates on a 5/8" threaded steel rod that I fed through one of the holes on the rear hitch and clamped with a washer and lock nut. I have about 100 pounds on there and am looking to modify the design to add a bit more.

The Bercomac-branded suitcase weight kit is very expensive at $300 or so. I recommend a workaround like I did, even though their kit looks nice.

Performance: It works just as advertised. Throws powder very far, 50 feet easily. Wetter stuff, haven't had much of a chance yet, but what little I did it worked very well.

I was marching through a foot of powder last week at 5 mph, with no engine lugging. The Husky started to growl a little, though, when I went at a bank about 18 inches high. You just gotta take it slow.

Everything about the Bercomac is heavy-duty; they took no shortcuts. Looks like at least 12-gauge steel and maybe more. The gearbox, the augers, the housing are all built like a tank.

But like any snowblower, it is not immune to rocks.

I stupidly attacked a bank without checking for major impediments beforehand and paid the price. A huge rock bent one of the impeller fins (but the bolt didn't shear!) and it took a couple days and some serious sweat to figure out how to bend it back.

The Bercomac warranty for homeowners is one year. But short of a product defect, you're pretty much on your own. For example, the gear box and other parts are technically covered, but aha - there's a clause that says the shear pin system is only a precaution and not a guarantee. So yeah, not much of a warranty.

That said, this thing shouldn't break down much - if it does you probably did something stupid like me.


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## larrylaverne

real nice,how high can you raise the blower? i was gonna get the john deere blower for my jd lawn tractor but the lift was only about 4 inches and didn't want to chance it going on and off the trailer so i settled for a walk behind


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## seekay

It goes up about 5-6 inches I think. Maybe a little more, I haven't measured it. 

Supposedly it's easy to unhitch the blower once the subframe is attached.

I'll find out in the spring I suppose.


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## Rubicon 327

That is a mean looking set up right there! 

Good Luck!


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## 2COR517

Nice looking unit. Glad you were able to fix it before the next snow.


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## Two Seasons

Nice setup. Will you be hard-cabbing the tractor? Wind is a factor here as I'm sure it is up in Maine. After all, these old bones need to stay warm, plus the cigar has to stay lit


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## seekay

I'm gonna make a few more runs before I see about the cab.

I have a nice ski mask, snowmobiling-style pants and other garb. the road i'm blowing is heavily lined by trees so the wind wasn't too bad the first few times out. I was almost warm, believe it or not.

If the cab was free I wouldn't hesitate but after dropping a bundle on the unit, and other stuff, don't mind waiting.


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## Matt400

Do you think you will like it better than a plow? I would have thought 4x4 would be needed for something like this.


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## seekay

It has been a mixed bag so far. The machine is really powerful and will cut through 2-foot drifts like crazy. In fact I did that for a while last weekend, they were all over our driveway due to wind.

I had a lot of traction issues at first, but after some trial and error, practice at planning turns and cuts, and some fine-tuning of the tire chains, I think those problems are pretty much done with. I did the road in about 15 minutes last week, just went up and back once.

We are thinking about getting a blade for the truck next year though as an adjunct or backup. It may be quicker to take care of the shorter snowfalls.

The main reason for the blower is to ensure the road remains open. With a plow the banks just keep creeping in.


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## MtnCowboy

I hope you keep us posted on the Berco and tractor. I mostly use my ATV/plow to keep open a mile long mountain road, but right about this time of year I need to start following the plow with the blower because there's nowhere to pile snow along the road. I can kick snow off the road to a point with the ATV, but with 8' of snow/year there is no way to keep the snowbank from growing to 3-4 feet. I've used a 1996 Craftsman GT/blower with Kohler 18.5 twin and it really annihilates the snow -- but slow. Over the years rock has beaten the blower up pretty badly and I'm looking at either a new GT/blower or a blower for the ATV. A neighbot once had a big JD 4x4 tractor with a Wood's 3-pt. blower, but driving backwards on a steep, icy road had drawbacks of its own.

You know: wheel weights, liquid in the tires, sandbags and chains will give you plenty of traction. My road is up to a 10% grade and I don't have many problems. In the photo, what looks like old wet asphalt is a couple inches of ice on black crushed basalt. Anyway, I'm interested to hear how your rig works for you.


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## MtnCowboy

As for your impeller pin not sheering, I regularly get a rock in the impeller that stops the entire unit without sheering a pin. Auger is a different story; I go through 2-3 auger pins in two miles. I'll take a blade anytime, but sometimes a blower is needed. Mine has saved my bacon a few times.


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## seekay

I will definitely keep you posted. There hasn't been that much snow here in Maine this year. Nothing for more than two weeks since a sizable one over New Year's, and nothing much in the 10-day.

Re: traction. I think once I put Rim Guard or washer fluid in the tires, my traction issues are done. Last time out was fine except for one small spot on the road where it's a 7-8 percent grade, and there was ice. My goal is no slippage at all if possible though.

Winter has been pretty smooth so far. My neighbor has a blade so he does some pushes and I do cleanup and cut the banks back, in terms of the road. As far as our long driveway goes, not bad at all. We got 2-3 foot drifts due to some blizzard conditions in the New Year's storm but the Bercomac was able to take them down - of course I mostly did half-mouth cuts.


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## ford6.9

This may sound silly but ill ask. I have a 36" snowblower which feels as if it needs more weight, How would I go about filling the tires with washer fluid or something along those lines?


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## Badgerland WI

You should be happy with the performance of the Berco. We just completed a custom build (first of its kind) using a 54" Berco Blower with 24hp pony motor.

Here a link to video footage: *Mini Blower Truck*

Keep everyone posted on your progress this season.


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## crawford_d

*more weight*

If you need to weight to increase traction I would suggest filling tires with foam long before washer fluid. Doesn't takeavery large tire sizeat all to gain so much wt. that you will not be able to lift the wheel when filled. Good luck!


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## Matt400

Foam? what kind of foam has that much weight to it and do you still use air?


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## lawnproslawncar

Can you get some side view pics and maybe some of the subframe.


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## crawford_d

*foam*

I don't know how to answer your question as to what kind of foam. Foam the lawn mower guys use to prevent having flats. No you never have to add air to a foam tire again, that's the advantage. But in your case you might check with a big tire shop that can foam fill ties and get a cost estimate and wt. estimate. It's expensive but isn't't corrosive like fluid filling and is quit heavy as what you are looking for.


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## seekay

lawnproslawncar;963847 said:


> Can you get some side view pics and maybe some of the subframe.


Sure no problem, but if what you want is lots of detail on the subframe assembly (or any of the other parts) I would be happy to scan in the relevant pages in the manuals and either e-mail or post them.


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## lawnproslawncar

I was thinking of one for our ingersolls but they need to be up to abuse. Can't have chinsy subframes that are gonna crumble in the worst conditions


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## ConnorExum

seekay;945940 said:


> It has been a mixed bag so far. The machine is really powerful and will cut through 2-foot drifts like crazy. In fact I did that for a while last weekend, they were all over our driveway due to wind.
> 
> I had a lot of traction issues at first, but after some trial and error, practice at planning turns and cuts, and some fine-tuning of the tire chains, I think those problems are pretty much done with. I did the road in about 15 minutes last week, just went up and back once.
> 
> We are thinking about getting a blade for the truck next year though as an adjunct or backup. It may be quicker to take care of the shorter snowfalls.
> 
> The main reason for the blower is to ensure the road remains open. With a plow the banks just keep creeping in.


Maybe you should go to S.A McLean's in Limerick ME and check what he has to offer. He could hook you up with a Snow Blower the size of a small house! No seriously the guy sells these older Bombaider tracked vehicles with cabs and you could put a snow blower this size perhaps slightly bigger on one of them and have a blade in a small convenient package that is both rugged and agile for your application. They are tracked and skid steer so the turning radius is zero, or more accurately just the length of the vehicle. Also they are short vehicles the one I saw was no more than 8-9feet long.

Here check them out at the very bottom of the webpage: http://www.s-a-mclean.com/

If you could hook up your existing blower to the vehicle that would be a real cost saver. The plow would be easier to hook up to them.

You know what I hate about snow blowers is the blow-back on the operator. I hate that. We have a snow blower and I never use it just for that reason. That and the fact it is only self-propelled model so it has like a 28inch max wide auger.So it takes forever to do things.

Nice rig..


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## seekay

ConnorExum;965775 said:


> Maybe you should go to S.A McLean's in Limerick ME and check what he has to offer. He could hook you up with a Snow Blower the size of a small house! No seriously the guy sells these older Bombaider tracked vehicles with cabs and you could put a snow blower this size perhaps slightly bigger on one of them and have a blade in a small convenient package that is both rugged and agile for your application. They are tracked and skid steer so the turning radius is zero, or more accurately just the length of the vehicle. Also they are short vehicles the one I saw was no more than 8-9feet long.
> 
> Here check them out at the very bottom of the webpage: http://www.s-a-mclean.com/
> 
> If you could hook up your existing blower to the vehicle that would be a real cost saver. The plow would be easier to hook up to them.
> 
> You know what I hate about snow blowers is the blow-back on the operator. I hate that. We have a snow blower and I never use it just for that reason. That and the fact it is only self-propelled model so it has like a 28inch max wide auger.So it takes forever to do things.
> 
> Nice rig..


Hey,

Sorry for the late reply but I was busy remortgaging my house to get one of those miniature tanks you flagged!


Just kidding.

Those machines look real good but after dropping a decent size chunk of change on the current setup the household budget can only afford a blade - maybe.

Pics of the subframe and side of the vehicle are en route


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## ConnorExum

seekay;967121 said:


> Hey,
> 
> Sorry for the late reply but I was busy remortgaging my house to get one of those miniature tanks you flagged!
> 
> 
> Just kidding.
> 
> Those machines look real good but after dropping a decent size chunk of change on the current setup the household budget can only afford a blade - maybe.
> 
> Pics of the subframe and side of the vehicle are en route


I completely understand it sounded as if you wanted to upgrade in your last post. Yeah, S.A Mclean is on the high side for his stuff. I've seen those vehicles for about 3K. I don't know what he would want.


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## Cansnowblower

I have used the Bercomac on a 660 Yamaha Grizzly for two years to clear the 1 mile private road to my lake property, but it was really too much for the ATV especially on the hills.
Bought the Tracker for Can$400 including new snow tires this summer and with a little TLC it runs great. The body is a little rotten but should last as a snow removal vehicle for years.
As you can see from the photos, I've made it "quick disconnect" and everything is fully controlled from inside.
This winter is much more civilized with a heater, radio and lots move traction.


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## MtnCowboy

Cansnow: How "fast" can you go in heavy snow and how does the unit handle rock? Engine size on the blower? I've got a mile road too, mountainside and 10% grade in spots. A heated cab and radio sound great in a storm ... or better, while removing snow at night in freezing rain. I'm surprised the 660 wasn't up to it. My little 18.5hp tractor will bomb up the road with the 48" blower (300lb) raised or down. Maybe it's all in the gear ratios. In any event a heated cab sounds good

My main issue is rock. I have to plow down to rock or the road becomes a skating rink, so any windrowed snow I need to blow is loaded with rock. I'm afraid using primarily a blower, even a truck mount, would take eons to open a mile of road with a foot of wet snow.


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## Cansnowblower

MtnCowboy,
The blower has a 20 hp Honda, I'm not sure how much the whole thing weighs but the 660 was really light on the rear and would loose traction on the steep hills. I'm sure chains would help but I never tried them.
My road is gravel and its not a problem except for removing the paint, anything bigger than a baseball will break the shear bolts. I get my kits to walk the road and pick up any rocks, tree branches before the snow comes.
As far as speed, it really depends on the snow and how much! Normally I have the Tracker in low 4x4 and low gear and travel at about 5 mph. I can go to the end of the road and back in about 1/2 hour.
Next project is to build a salter/sander for the back so I don't have a repeat of last year, see photo.


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## MtnCowboy

Cansnowblower- 5mph would be great if that's a foot of wet snow, which the junk we get often. I've been looking at Berco's for 4 years. I hate snowblowers but they do get the job done. I feel your pain regarding the ice - see photo posted earlier in the thread! Last year I spun out (Jeep GC) on ice and ended sideways, bumpers- to- the snow banks on both sides of the road. The front wheels were chained and I was in 4WD low and that was the problem: all the wheels turning equally but with the front gripping and the back spinning. The rear-end walked around. That's why they say chain all 4, or the front going uphill and the rear down. I use black traction sand which absorbs solar radiation , helping to melt ice while providing traction. But a long stretch of road is in permanent winter shade, so there I use whatever sand is cheapest. I've been advised not to use salt on gravel - something to do with damage to the underlying, packed road bed. Don't know if that's accurate or not.


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## Cansnowblower

Keep your eye on ebay for used Bercomac. I found mine and it had only been used once by a guy that was not very handy. He had it installed on a Gator by his dealer, however they had not done a very good job. First time he used it the drive belt snapped a couple of times and he picked up some rocks and tree limbs and went through all of his shear bolts. He was so fed up he sold it and contracted someone to clear his drive.
I pulled it apart and realigned the motor and drive belts and have not had a problem since. The chute rotation motors can be a problem as they get water in them and then freeze, I have put a layer of duct tape around the joint area and filled the drive/gearbox with silicone grease which seems to work.
Mine came with the 60" extension box see photos http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=42969&page=58 however I would not recommend this as it tends to bend and is a little flimsy compared to the rest of the unit and I have since removed it.
I need to get 2 sets of chains for the Tracker


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## seekay

MtnCowboy;971453 said:


> Cansnow: How "fast" can you go in heavy snow and how does the unit handle rock? Engine size on the blower? I've got a mile road too, mountainside and 10% grade in spots. A heated cab and radio sound great in a storm ... or better, while removing snow at night in freezing rain. I'm surprised the 660 wasn't up to it. My little 18.5hp tractor will bomb up the road with the 48" blower (300lb) raised or down. Maybe it's all in the gear ratios. In any event a heated cab sounds good
> 
> My main issue is rock. I have to plow down to rock or the road becomes a skating rink, so any windrowed snow I need to blow is loaded with rock. I'm afraid using primarily a blower, even a truck mount, would take eons to open a mile of road with a foot of wet snow.


I hear you loud and clear about the rock. It's a chief concern of mine.

Myself and the neighbor have a hybrid system. They plow and then I cut back the banks to keep the road open.

One half of the road is much rougher in terms of loose rock than the other. I have to be extra careful on that end. Already learned my lesson about chewing into banks there.

But now that we've had several large storms, this is less of a problem. The rock that got picked up is deep back in the banks, and the snow pack is preventing much from coming up off the road.

For the most part I am blowing clean snow, about 12-18 inches wide at a time on each side of the road.

It stinks that you have to scrape so deep.. so you don't even have a snow pack?

If you do have a snow pack my advice to you is to use the plow for the first few storms and only get out the blower when the road starts getting too narrow.

The plus side of this system is that you get to stay nice and warm in the truck, do the plowing during the storm, and come out to do the banks once it clears up, and on your preferred schedule.

Flip side to this: snowblowing the mile-long road?

I think 5mph with a foot is pushing it, especially with wet snow. maybe 3 mph, which is still a walking pace.

But if you were to go out and do powder ever 6-7 inches? Sheesh. As fast as you can go.

Under the right conditions these Bercomacs are comically powerful. This video is no exaggeration or rigged demo at all:


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## MtnCowboy

I'll definitely check out the video when I get on a faster computer w/ better connection. I've used the ATV/plow and little tractor/blower in a variety of ways over the past 4 winters - before that it was a truck/plow and JD tractor with 3-pt blower for several years. We tend to get 1-2 big dumps (2'-3') and some snowfalls in the 3" -12" range. Sometimes it's champaign powder and sometimes "Cascade concrete." Some methods of snow removal work well in some circumstances but not others. I resisted plowing down to rock, but others around here do it and it seems to be the only way to keep ice from building up. Last year some folks were rocking overtop the ice on their roads rather than chaining up.


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## ConnorExum

MtnCowboy;974782 said:


> I'll definitely check out the video when I get on a faster computer w/ better connection. I've used the ATV/plow and little tractor/blower in a variety of ways over the past 4 winters - before that it was a truck/plow and JD tractor with 3-pt blower for several years. We tend to get 1-2 big dumps (2'-3') and some snowfalls in the 3" -12" range. Sometimes it's champaign powder and sometimes "Cascade concrete." Some methods of snow removal work well in some circumstances but not others. I resisted plowing down to rock, but others around here do it and it seems to be the only way to keep ice from building up. Last year some folks were rocking overtop the ice on their roads rather than chaining up.


What about liquid deicers?


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## MtnCowboy

I was under the impression liquids were primarily pre-snow treatments for pavements, at least the highways here are treated that way: various chlorides plus a molasses based adjunct, I think. I'm hesitant to use anything but sand because I'm in remote forest and a lot of wildlife uses the road in winter. Although I use salt water on road shoulder weeds - it doesn't kill them, rather deer and elk are attracted to the salt and eat the weeds. At least this year - so far - I've got patches of gravel showing through snow and ice and have only had to chain-up twice.


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## Matt400

seekay;963359 said:


> I will definitely keep you posted.
> Re: traction. I think once I put Rim Guard or washer fluid in the tires, my traction issues are done. Last time out was fine except for one small spot on the road where it's a 7-8 percent grade, and there was ice. My goal is no slippage at all if possible though.


Any update?? curious how well its working for you.


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## seekay

Matt400;997459 said:


> Any update?? curious how well its working for you.


In terms of the machine? No problems. But then again it hasn't snowed in four weeks, which is amazing.

I have not filled the tires yet so can't update you on the traction situation.


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## Matt400

More in terms of the overall package, would you rather have a plow and be in a cab or on a bigger tractor?


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## seekay

Well here and there I have wondered if it would have been worth the extra $1,000 to upgrade the tractor to something with a Vanguard commercial engine, locking rear differential and beefier transmission. 

I do have a lot of open fields that I want to do ground-engaging stuff with. For that though, I plan to get an older very rugged tractor vs. trying to do it with a garden tractor, even a real nice one.

Would rather have this Husqvarna last a good while just mowing some grass and blowing snow.

In terms of the snowblowing experience, it is a blast, now that I have the traction. It's maddening if you don't.

Would I rather be inside a warm plow truck? Maybe at times. Especially in the middle of a bad blizzard, it would be preferable to plow a few times and then do cleanup later with the blower.

Remember that the main reason we bought this setup vs. a plow truck is our narrow road, with its lack of places to put snow as winter goes on.

Right now my neighbor plows and I cut the banks back. The wife in particular is extremely antsy about snow, so I don't ever get the chance to go out there first and beat her to it.

She's out there when there's 2 inches on the ground, and goes back out every 3.

Kind of annoying if you ask me but what can I do. 

The nice part is that I can do my 150-foot driveway at the end of the storm, even if the snow is real deep, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to be honest.

Gas consumption is pretty good. About a gallon an hour. I can do the 1,200 foot road plus the driveway in about an hour and change (presuming say 8 inches of snow).

I might get a cab for next year. This year the cold wasn't an issue with a ski mask and some nice warm snow pants. I'd prefer to maintain as much visibility as possible so maybe I won't get a cab.

I was also considering getting a homeowner plow for our small SUV for occasional use.

To summarize here are pros and cons:


Pros: 

-- Nearly unstoppable snow-throwing power
-- Can do it at my convenience
-- Fun
-- No buildup of snow on the road or anywhere else that would cause a problem
-- No gravel in the lawn like a plow would cause (would have to push onto the lawn to make sure there's enough room for piles as season goes on)



Cons:

-- Hard to turn around in narrow quarters. You have to plan things out carefully.
-- Lots of trial-and-error to get the traction you need
-- Not cheap -- $4,000-plus -- for a setup without a heated tight cab
-- added anxiety over a plow from the fear of chewing up an unseen rock in snow or snowbank.
--


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