Snowblower Snow Removal with a B3200

   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #1  

WarrenPFJr

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2013
Messages
33
Location
Catskills, NY
Tractor
Kubota B3200
Hey All,

I'm looking for some input on snow removal with my B3200. I live in the Catskills and have been using the FEL to clear my 1000 ft gravel driveway and pathways to the animals/wood pile. There has to be a better way, I probably spend at least 2hrs each snowfall of 6 inches or better clearing. Right now Im considering a plow for the truck, it would be nice to stay toasty warm but the driveway is also a bit tricky with retaining walls, hills, nooks and cranies where visibility could be a bit difficult.

I passed a local farm selling an old rear mount snow thrower and never thought of that as an option until now. The unit for sale is 7 ft ($1,500), which is probably too big for my machine but it got me thinking of a snow thrower vs a truck plow. A plow set up for the truck with cost around 3k, I don't want to spend 10k plus on a front mount blower (thats just not in the budget).

I have a backhoe and FEL on the B3200. I have never taken either off in the 6 yrs I have owned the tractor. So swapping implements could also be a factor, my FEL is not quick disconnect and I have a system where I need the FEL all winter to bring in wood. ( I burn a lot of wood and bring it to the house on pallets).

So my several part question:

1. Is the B3200 worthy of such a snow throwing attachment, am I better off with a blade or something else or do I continue to look at a plow for the truck?
2. If I do go with a snow thrower what are the pros/cons of a rear mount pull vs push
3. Is there an economical thrower to mount on the FEL? Driving forward seems much easier than driving backwards.

Thanks in advance for the input!
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #2  
I have a 54" rear mount blower for my B7500 that works fine for my purposes .... BUT ..... I don't have the backhoe swap to deal with so my 3pt hitch is always available. I usually mount it about Halloween and leave it on attached until late April.
The nice part about a blower is that you don't have snow piles to deal with. The disadvantage to a 3pt blower is have to do the snow clearing in reverse.
293928d1356197547-pictures-your-snow-weapons-kubota2-jpg
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #3  
I take the backhoe off my T1030 so the machine is more useful for mowing & snow removal. I leave it off most of the time because it isn't a tool you need often.
A snow thrower handles just about any amount of snow where a back blade is usually more work and seat time.
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #4  
Front snow plow/rear back blade are the cheapest options.Research FEL mounted snow plows in the snow removal forum of TBN.A six foot front mount manual snow blade should work fine with your tractor.Maybe even a snow plow used on a side x side ATV would work.
A decent seven ft. Medium duty back blade will move a lot of snow.
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks for the quick responses guys! Although I do use the backhoe often, I have no use for it come winter so swapping it out seasonally for a blower makes sense. I am liking the idea of not having snow banks, by winters end I usually run into problems of where to put the snow even with the FEL.

I have no experience with a snow blower. Whats the rule of thumb for sizing? My FEL is 5' which is enough to clear my tires. Are blowers heavy/power hungry? Does a B3200 have enough power to handle something larger like 6' or 7'? Picking up the used 7' blower I saw for $1,500 is starting to sound like a good deal. What do I need to think about to determine if it would work with my machine?
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #6  
Your tractor isn't big enough to handle a 7' snowblower. The rule of thumb is about 5HP/foot. There are some exceptions, but our 7' snowblower is a little too big for our L3830...

Aaron Z
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #7  
Snowblower isn't fast really but it is awesome.....especially with the narrow, long, gravel driveway where you just run out of places to pile the snow. It just chugs away shooting the snow out into the woods.

I have a driveway like that and using the bucket takes way too long. I use a plow attached to the bucket for 6" snows and snowblower for greater amounts.

IMG_8296.JPG

If your driveway has the open areas where you can pile snow then I'm sure putting a plow on your truck is best.
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #8  
Your Kubota has 23 PTO HP which would be a good fit for a 60" 3PH snow blower. You could probably squeak by with a 72" snow blower too. My personal opinion is an 84" blower would be too much. Even with a 72" blower, partial width passes may be required.
If your tractor is an open station, you will likely get covered with snow occasionally. This is the only reason I ended up trading my very nice Deere 4400 for a 4520 with a cab.
I think the best combination for snow removal is, as others wrote, a FEL mounted plow and a rear snow blower.

As far as your backhoe...my 4520 also has a backhoe and it isn't a difficult task to remove and re-install it. Just make sure you drop it off on level ground and I strongly suggest putting a couple of boards under it rather then right on the ground.
Your first time removing (and installing) will take a bit of time, but after that...piece of cake!

BTW, I also suggest you locate ALL the 3PH components before dropping the 'hoe off!
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thanks Guys! I appreciate all the feedback and very quick responses.!


Yes, the more research I am doing the more I am leaning towards a 3ph snow blower. My gravel driveway is long, through some thick woods and with some tight curves and a steep hill in one spot. I usually have to make some stock pile areas with the FEL so a plow may not work as well as a snow blower. If the blower is rear mount I do still have the FEL to work on the giant banks the town often leaves me with too.

My tractor is open so it sounds like Ill need a good pair of ski goggles and a trash can cover shield for my off hand.

Any tips on what to look for when purchasing a snowblower? Brands, features do's and dont's?
 
   / Snow Removal with a B3200 #10  
My tractor is open so it sounds like Ill need a good pair of ski goggles and a trash can cover shield for my off hand.

Any tips on what to look for when purchasing a snowblower? Brands, features do's and dont's?

Ski goggles work great! A good quality wind and water resistant jacket and hat help out too. And definitely keep your hands and ears covered! As far as the hat with goggles, a "Mad Bomber" type hat worked great for me when I had an open station tractor. The hat is less important with a cab, but tinted goggles still help out a lot if you clear snow during a sunny day.

Snowblower...well, I went with a used 74" Woods brand with manual chute rotation. With an open station tractor, manual rotation is fine. I bought the snow blower used when I had a open station 4400. Worked great!
When I went to my cabbed 4520, I'm going to have to convert the snow blower to a hydraulic rotation or replace the blower with one that has hydraulics already installed.

As far as the blower...I bought mine from a dealer for $1400 (used) and I saw quite a few on Craigslist...missed a nice Meteor 60" unit for a really good price too. Not too much that can break except shear pins unless one does something really stupid. I do suggest using Pam or something similar to keep the snow from sticking to the chute. Wet snow is sticky and it will clog the chute if you don't use Pam or a more generic equivalent.
Brand? I like Woods...but I tend to buy by price, not brand.

One more thing...quick hitch compatibility is really nice with a snow blower. Mine isn't and probably cannot be modified easily. Blowers aren't as much of a PITA to hook up as a rotary cutter to hook up, but they aren't too far behind...
 
 
 
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