3320 Questions re: Snowblower

[letour93]

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated...everyone here has been a great help over the past several months...I have learned a great deal being this is my first tractor so I hope the next series of questions I post will get some feedback as I seem to be hearing mixed comments from various dealers so I thought I would turn to the forum...

1. I am a happy JD3320 owner with a 300CX FEL and I love it, I also run with a Frontier 60" bush hog, rear blade and a wallenstein chipper. Now with winter fast approaching the need turns to a snowblower, with just over 1000 feet of driveway I was given a few options all rear mount. Walco was one, the other was Frontier and the third was Agro something sorry I will have to update this post a little later with the name of the third unit I looked at...any comments on any of these units would be great...all 60" units with hydraulic chute control...

2. I was asked by another dealer (different from the one I purchased the 3320 from) what I was using in my tires or if I was running with a ballast box I said neither and he was quite shocked to hear that as he said we will not let a 3320 leave our lot unless the tires are loaded or a ballast box is installed especially with the FEL as the unit is quite "tipsy" I must admit there had been a few times when working with the loader I was getting some pretty good movement from the rear end so my question to everyone is should I get the tires loaded and moreso his he telling me the truth about having all 3320 loaded or fitted with ballast box before leaving the dealership...

3. The last question is how wide of a blower should I run with? The Agro unit was a 72" the other two were 60"

Thx in advance for all your help with these questions...

 

[gunmaker]

In addition to rimguard or beet juice in the tires, or a loaded ballast box, you could install wheel weights. You should have some weight on when operating the fel, it's just safer!
You could also consider JD's front mount 59" snowblower. It'll save neck ache.
JD's 366 front mount plow is another alternative that will keep you drier and save the neck.

 

[kennyd]

2. I was asked by another dealer (different from the one I purchased the 3320 from) what I was using in my tires or if I was running with a ballast box I said neither and he was quite shocked to hear that as he said we will not let a 3320 leave our lot unless the tires are loaded or a ballast box is installed especially with the FEL as the unit is quite "tipsy" I must admit there had been a few times when working with the loader I was getting some pretty good movement from the rear end so my question to everyone is should I get the tires loaded and moreso his he telling me the truth about having all 3320 loaded or fitted with ballast box before leaving the dealership...

I will only comment on this since I have no experience with snowblower's. Using rear ballast is required when using the FEL. It not only increases the amount you can lift safely, but also will keep the front axle from becoming overloaded. Most good dealers will not sell a FEL without a ballast box or an implement for rear ballast. In the manual for your loader it will list the required type and amount of ballast required.

Getting tires loaded is a personal choice-it depends on what you use the tractor for. I choose not to have mine loaded because one main use for my machine is mowing, but I do have a ballast box filled with concrete that goes on the I-Match when I used the loader.

If you are using a FEL without ballast-you are endangering yourself and your machine. Please read your manual! (RTFM

 

[Killer_B]

I run a 60" rear blower on my 3320. With the wheels in the narrow position it does a pretty good job clearing a wide enough path. However, I think a 72" would be better. You may have to go a little slower, but even on sharp curves, you would not be running over the snow bank.

Best of luck,

KB

 

[DrainPondDesign]

Hi,

If it helps, we run our 3320 without filled tires and with a JD ballast box full of sand, placing some 2" PVC pipe in the sand makes nice sockets for rake & shove handles. FEL loads are carried low & slow, wheels set at their widest position & fronts inflated to the high end of their listed range for the FEL load. We also use the weight box with the front mounted blower & tire chains front & rear. If the tires extend past the width of your snow blower it doesn't matter, the tires just smush the snow & you get it on the next pass.

The front mounted blower has a lot of leverage & in the float position the skid shoes in a rut can steer the tractor desipte front wheel angle, just raise the blower to get the weight back on the wheels & steering returns. I don't know if this is a problem with rear mounted blowers but it's something to watch for.

If your drive has drainage ditches use snow stake markers to keep from dropping a wheel into the ditch, my comfort limit is about 10 degrees on the tilt gauge.

Stay warm this winter

 

[letour93]

Thx everyone for your input...even though I do not have a ballast box I do have rear implements that I leave on if I am using the FEL..either the rear blade stays on, or the 60" bush hog or sometimes the wallenstein chipper...

 

[Mech]

Another option for snow removal is the Frontier FEL blade. I have the blade on my JD 790's 300 loader and have a hydraulic angle it on it. I know a number of people haven't been happy with theirs but it's what I use and it works very well on my 900ft dirt driveway. Its a lot cheaper than a front mounted snowblower which would be my other choice. I wouldn't want a rear mounted on my 790 because I only have 2 reverse gears and that's not a lot of options when using a rear snowblower.

 

[JasonMac]

I have a 74" Blizzard Blower on my machine (3720 Cab). I love it, and I wouldn't have a front snowblower on my tractor. Regardless of what everybody says about neck ache etc...I've never had neck ache running it. I just sit sideways in my seat and let my left foot do the hydros, and go like ****... Why I personally wouldn't want a front blower is because I wouldn't want to give up my loader bucket too. In the winter I use my loader just as much as I use my blower to peel up packed snow, or to move other snow banks etc. If I had it off in the winter because I had a front blower, I would wish about ten times a day that I hadn't taken off my front loader. All In All, you get the best of both with a Loader/RearBlower combo...I would go with a 72' or 74" Blower to cover your tire tracks, and so you aren't limited to doing only straight lines. Because if you go with about the same widths as your tires you can't turn without driving over the untouched snow.

 

[JasonMac]

I have a 74" Blizzard Blower on my machine (3720 Cab). I love it, and I wouldn't have a front snowblower on my tractor. Regardless of what everybody says about neck ache etc...I've never had neck ache running it. I just sit sideways in my seat and let my left foot do the hydros, and go like ****... Why I personally wouldn't want a front blower is because I wouldn't want to give up my loader bucket too. In the winter I use my loader just as much as I use my blower to peel up packed snow, or to move other snow banks etc. If I had it off in the winter because I had a front blower, I would wish about ten times a day that I hadn't taken off my front loader. All In All, you get the best of both with a Loader/RearBlower combo...

 

[Nuru]

Got a 366 blade, thinking of extensions from Northern Tool, to add some inches to the swath. I had a boom mounted blade, and did not like it at all, the length of the unit was a bit much for me.