Garden tractor / snowblower

[ChuckinNH]

I would like some accurate input on how well the larger 2WD garden tractors work with snowblowers. Is it really a good solution, or is it more of a frustrating experience? Mine has a limited slip differential which would help I guess. How about 4WD tractors? Though my drive is fairly level, I do have a couple of areas that are sloped that I have to clear, and I have to go "up" first. My larger Kubota seems like overkill for the situation, and I would like a weather enclosure that fits in my garage also. Please don't defend something that doesn't work well. I am happy with your choice as long as you are! My Simplicity is perhaps 850-1000 lbs bare (depending on who,or what specs you believe), and I wouldn't consider something smaller than a JD X500 series for other reasons......

Thanks in advance for your help. I do need something that works as I have medical issues that keep me from pushing things around, etc.

 

[Dutch445]

Chuck,
I'm over near Syracuse , and we get our share of the white stuff.

I use a JD 445, HD garden tractor, 2wd, with diff lock. I have a Curtis
soft cab with wiper, no heat. The 47 blower I have will move tons of snow, and the tractor has been a beast. The rear tires have chains and are loaded, but that's all for any extra weight other than the cab and myself. I find that I only need the diff lock once in a while, as the differential on the transaxle seems to work great in most conditions. Rarely do I find myself out of traction. This setup also has down pressure on the blower. Oddly, the tratcor will push up hill better with the front wheels off the ground, as it transfers more weight to the rear wheels.

I am looking to upgrade to an X475 or newer, with cab and blower. As much as 4wd would be nice for mowing my steep hill in the back yard, I do not NEED 4wd, so when the right machine comes along I won't hesitate to get another 2wd.

I am in my 3rd home with this tractor now, have a good size "U" driveway, with 2 small parking areas for vehicles I clean out. There is a slope in my lot, and up to the road, but I used to have more slope at my previous place and it worked fine there also.

here's a couple pics of the tractor in use:

 

[bontai_Joe]

I've used a Deere 316 with a snow plow with great results for about 30 years. Haven't had a chance to use the snow blower I bought about 5 years ago. I would say that your results with a blower will depend on what kind of snow you get, the more dry and powdery it is the better they work. I base that on my experience with walk behind snow blowers. If it's wet and sloppy, especially the pile at the end of the driveway, the more difficult it is to get the snow removed.

 

[ChuckinNH]

This is great input, thanks! Keep it coming. I do have a loader on my Kubota if we get some real sloppy snow that a blower won't handle well.

 

[Dutch445]

Wet heavy snow, light fluffy, no problem with my setup. I often take
banks back along the driveway and road to lessen the height, sometimes
throwing it over the road to the other side.

(throwing distance may vary with conditions, but not effectiveness of the blower itself)

 

[eepete]

I have a 1990 JD 318, which is a 18 HP rear wheel only garden tractor. It weights 850 ponds, and I have 2 wheel weights on it (+150). I also put 6 40# weights on it (+240) plus me (+199 no matter what the bathroom scale says) for a total weight of 1439#. I put chains on the rear. I have a 47" blower that I've used 3 times in 9 years, but on of the snows was about 2' and I was virtually the only snowblower in the county. Cleared 200' driveway and 1200' private road, then took it to the fire department and cleared them and got rid of the drifts (heavy packed snow). Worked great, density of snow just affects the speed you can work and 318 is hydro tranny.

Because of all the front weight, and being on a gravel drive (unit held up in air), the rear weight is critical. 1st time I used it I didn't have the rear weights and it was hard to get any traction. Adding the rear weights made it great. No cab, I just wear a rubber rain suit so the blown snow falls off me. I also have a front blade for our more "normal" but infrequent snows. The weights give me the push I need there too.

In summary, HP not a problem. Width is what it is and it sure beats a shovel. Traction is the only issue hence the weights. If I ever replace the 318 I'd get a 700 series with 4WD. Small tractor size means great maneuverability. If I lived in the great white north (grew up in New England) I'd get a 2000 series with wider front blower.

Pete (the older I get, the less I miss the snow...)

 

[ChuckinNH]

Good input Pete. Part of the reason that I asked the question is that I do have a tractor the size of a 2000 series, but it seemed like a bit of overkill. My driveway is only 75 ft long, or so, and the paths / shed access that I do are both about the same. One little rise is just enough to give me problems sometimes using my B22620 with loaded R-4's when the snow is a little slick, and I try to push up it with the loader. Chains would cure that of course. I've always been able to drive up it if I'm not pushing snow though.

 

[eepete]

Length and grade of the driveway do indeed have a big impact on the solution. Just for fun, I've used my B21 (21 HP TLB with R4) to push snow with the front loader and the tires slipped. Sounds like chains are a good things for you to try if you stay with the loader route. Then figure out how to get some weight on the back. Weights work and keep things compact, or you can add a backhoe or other heavy attachment at the added price of a longer machine. The B21 had the backhoe on the back for the weight, and 4WD. But as many have commented in these forums, any wheel drive is no wheel drive on slick surfaces and ice. Chains would have helped because they could dig into the gravel drive a bit and they could compensate for the tendency of R4s to either work great or turn into slicks, no middle ground there.

Seems like it's hard to justify a garden tractor for snow blowing if you have the B2620 already, unless there was some other reason (any excuse is a good excuse to buy a new tractor). The compactness issue also comes down to the nature of the driveway and areas around your structures. Chains, weights and snow blower and you're good to go.

There are two funny stories about the 318/snowblower, here's one of them: When I thought I needed weight, I had my wife sit on the back of the tractor, things got better. When I got the rear weight bracket on there, I added just 3 40# weights and showed her/ told here that's all it took to make things right just like in our little test run. Later, I added the other three weights. It's called diplomacy.

I feel very lucky to have the JD318 / Kubota B21 / JD 4520 "fleet". But it's taken 20 years to get to that point, and you've got work to do now. Good luck thinking through your options.

Pete

 

[ChuckinNH]

Good story Pete!

I already have the Simplicity Legacy which is roughly the size of the X700 series, and about the same weight as your JD. You are right, it would be hard to justify the added expense of a new garden tractor just for that............. I could buy a backhoe for less.

 

[Jay4200]

I would like some accurate input on how well the larger 2WD garden tractors work with snowblowers.

Still trying to figure out the snow tossing plan, eh? Hopefully, the blower on the garden tractors work OK, because I'm counting on it. I got a 16HP Snapper w/ 36" 2-stage blower for $400 a month ago, and it's now my primary removal rig for my new 700ft. gravel driveway. Sure, I REALLY wanted a '6 3pt hitch mounted blower for my L4200, but logistics made that impractical, at least for this season.

I have chains on the tractor, and made a weight holder that sits on the hitch mount - hangs an extra 100# or so off the back of the tractor. There won't be any problem with the blower clearing out everything in front of it, as long as the tractor can keep itself moving forward. I don't have any really steep areas, but there are a couple of maybe 5% grades. The tractor isn't all that big or heavy either. It has a weird wheel-drive system - the wheels are driven by a rubber wheel that leans against a spinning disk. Actually, it's the same system that most snowblowers use, so I figure it has to be perfect for running a snowblower...makes sense to me, anyway.

I will have my Kubota at the same property too, so if the Snapper has trouble, I could give it a push with my big tractor .

JayC