Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's?

   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's? #1  

Robert_in_NY

Super Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Messages
8,588
Location
Silver Creek, NY
Tractor
Case-IH Farmall 45A, Kubota M8540 Narrow, New Holland TN 65, Bobcat 331, Ford 1920, 1952 John Deere M, Allis Chalmers B, Bombardier Traxter XT, Massey Harris 81RC and a John Deere 3300 combine, Cub Cadet GT1554
I know Bobcat has the 2300 that will accept front mounted implements but I don't remember if they had a snow blower.

But how come Kubota, Deere or any of the others don't build or push a front mounted snow blower for the UTV's? I would think the RTV1100 with its luxury cab would be a fun machine for clearing driveways:) . If they can put a snow blower on a garden tractor they should be able to set one on a UTV.

I have been thinking of getting a front blade for mine (when I finally buy one that is) as with my back being like it is I am looking for something that is more comfortable and my loader tractors are nice but I don't like using the loader bucket for everything and use the box blade 75% of the time so I am always twisting around. Looking forward is much better.

I do know if there was a snow blower for the front of the UTV I would probably sell off the 3pt blower we have (don't use it very much) and buy one for the front of the UTV for when we need to open up a path in the pens or have a good size snow and need to clear the long driveway back to the far pens (half mile drive).
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's? #2  
I would think a hydraulic front mounted blower would work great, Do the UTV have hydraulics? A front mounted RC would be great also in some situations like clearing brush and to mow, just put it in the rear
:)
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
MrJimi said:
I would think a hydraulic front mounted blower would work great, Do the UTV have hydraulics? A front mounted RC would be great also in some situations like clearing brush and to mow, just put it in the rear
:)

Bobcat/Club Car (same company) have a UTV that has a front hydraulic lift that will allow a little bucket and other front mount attachments. I am not sure if it has a hydraulic pump to run implements though.

The RTV has a hydraulic outlet on the back of some 900's if you order the option and also has a hydraulic dump box so it does has a pump but it would depend on the flow rate as to the size of implements it could use.

But then again, Bobcat has the Toolcat which will allow the use of a front snowblower but all decked out it gets kind of expensive:(
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's? #6  
did you see the $4,700 price tag on that blower?
Jim
:)
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
MrJimi said:
did you see the $4,700 price tag on that blower?
Jim
:)

Yeah, it has a good size motor on it and depending on if they built the thrower themselves or bought one to adapt is hard to tell but overall it seems fair for what you are getting. A 3pt blower is a couple grand and you have to supply the power source still. I have no idea what that size motor cost on it but I doubt they buy enough of them to get the type discounts MTD would get on motors.
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's? #8  
It probable comes down to a couple of things. Most of the UTV's have atv type engines with the belt drive and not enough power to spare for running the blower. After you get down to the ones that have the better drive train like the Kubotas you have to get the power up front either by a pto shaft and you would probably loose ground clearance and require the larger engine still. You can use hydraulics but what is a good sized blower going to take, 15-20 gallons per minute plus you will need a large tank and cooler to go with adding to costs that not everybody is going to want to pay for just so afew people can use. The self contained blower may be a decent way to go and can be used on many different UTV's

David
Kb7uns
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's? #9  
The couplers on my Toolcat get pretty warm running the snowblower. As David said, it takes a decent sized hydraulic tank. Also, in very wet snow I can bog it down and that's with a 44hp Kubota diesel running a 66" blower. The Toolcat is 60" wide. UTVs are not much, if any, narrower. I think a separate engine or PTO driven would be the only options. Another thing to consider is a blower is heavy. Not only do you have to carry it around but you also have to be able to push it when it's down. Not sure UTVs are heavy enough to do that.

dsb
 
   / Why don't they make front snowblowers for UTV's?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Ok then, how about a skid unit that would drop in the box of the UTV and hold the motor and hydraulic tank and that would add weight to help push the blower:D

Its ok. I was curious and the points you guys bring up make a lot of sense. I am surprised though as I see little BX Kubotas' pushing front mounted snow blowers and figured Kubota would have set a system up by now for the 1100 at least since most of the RTV's seem to go to people for property use/maintance.
 
 
Top