Snowblower Dilema

   / Snowblower Dilema #1  

Catman1

Silver Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
101
Location
Colorado
Tractor
Ford 535, Kubota M8540
I am purchasing a new Kubota 4330 from a local dealer. At first he quoted me list price. I then told him a price a received from a dealer further away and he match the price after consulting with the owner, (about $1200 less).

We have had very bad snow storms lately here in Colorado. I get bad drifting from the high west winds which drift a foot or two of hard snow over the driveway, even if it has only snowed an inch.

In 10 years of living here at this located, this has never happened this bad. This could be a freak year or it can go on for another 5 years. SO what to do.

I can clean the drifts with a my FEL on the Kubota. I have a 400 yard driveway that goes downhill at a 10 to 12 degree slope. This would entail dumping the snow on the side and building up really high piles (not good as the arear is tight and when the snow melts, the driveway surface gets mauled by the running water downhill. Plus when I am out of town a few days, my wife would have to plow and she would not hack the FEL.

A front end snow blower would do well here. It would also prevent me and especially her from driving backwards with a rear blower on those steep hills (and doing it at night).

I went to my salesman and asked him the price to add Kubota's front blower with hydraulic chute rotation. He said about $3500 as would take a lot of work. He later faxed me the quote and here it is:

72" front mount blower $ 2250
Hydraulic chute rotation $ 1642
Mid PTO Kit $ 310
Quick hitch kit for PTO and blower $ 1330
Drive line kit for both $530

Labor to install all $700

I can see the need for the PTO, hitch, and drive line to make the blower work. It just seems that these are "Retail" prices. Are these prices reasonable?

This is winter and he may be taking advantage of this. I may just have to buy as priced or pass on it to later when it may be to my advantage and not winter. I will just had to gut out the drifts and clean with the FEL. My wife may be stuck for days when I am gone.

A rear blower that works going forward may be an option from another maker but I don't know if that would work well driving into 1 or 2 foot drifts.

Any recommendations or other options?
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #2  
You don't have a older kid you trust who lives close by to do it when your gone or a neighbor? That way you could buy a rear blower which is cheaper. Let them borrow it for their use as payment.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema
  • Thread Starter
#3  
It would have to be a really trustworthy kid to trust him with a $30,000 tractor. Very few and far in between. I haven't seen any yet. They love their Ipods more.

The road is real twisty and steep and snow driven by 40k winds is not conducive to driving backward up and down the slopes.

BTW, I learned to fly in Pipers. Love'em.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #4  
Catman1 said:
I went to my salesman and asked him the price to add Kubota's front blower with hydraulic chute rotation. He said about $3500 as would take a lot of work. He later faxed me the quote and here it is:

72" front mount blower $ 2250
Hydraulic chute rotation $ 1642
Mid PTO Kit $ 310
Quick hitch kit for PTO and blower $ 1330
Drive line kit for both $530

Labor to install all $700

I can see the need for the PTO, hitch, and drive line to make the blower work. It just seems that these are "Retail" prices. Are these prices reasonable?
He quoted you MSRP prices right out of the Kubota price book.

Are they reasonable? In my opinion, no.

Any factory option like this is over priced to begin with and they think they got you locked in if you want a front blower. They may be an aftermarket blower for this tractor that will save you some money on the blower/chute rotator but you will have to look around and this time of year is not the best time to do that. Good luck.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #5  
Pay a guy to come buy with a 4x4 and a blade do the drive and be done. Too much money/equipment for such a minimal use.

Plenty do people running around with jeeps and a snow blade on the front, heck some would do it for a case of beer I bet.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #6  
Seems like a lot of labor when they are likley getting full boat on the blower already. Ask for 10% off the blower or free install and see what they say. A rear blower allows the loader to stay on the tractor, allowing both options, but going backwards can be a problem.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thanks guys for the info and pricing check. Tractor will get a lot of use other times of the year as I have that 400 yard road to rework after the winter destruction and keep in shape plus a new 700 yard road and 100 acres to take care of. There is a lot of yard work and landscaping to do.

I currently have a Ford 545 that is very hard to add a blade or box scrapper to as it has no 3 point hitch and doesn't go anywhere in the snow and on icy hills. Only 2WD. The FEL on the Kubota can handle the snow and drifts. If the dealer wants that much and will only sell retail, I will look for something else later.

When it snows here, very few people have machines to do their plowing and those that do are very premium to the rest. My 4WD truck can handle the snow with it's plow but the instant drifts are another matter. You need a heavy machine. We live out in the boonies and you need to be self sufficient.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #8  
I have the same situation as you with a sloped decent to the road. I bought a used rear blower at an auction and keep it attached all winter. I move the snow with the FEL and when the banks get too high, and on a day with better weather, I back into the banks and blow them away from the edge of the drive. It works just fine.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thanks ToadHill. I didn't think of that. That could help with the snow pile build up along the road.

I have looked at the Pronovost Units and they have a front blower that attaches to the FEL. With that you can raise and lower the blower and blow the tops of snow banks down to man size.
 
   / Snowblower Dilema #10  
Kubota front snowblowers are BIG money, i have purchased several. My 2782 w/ hydraulic chute rotator was $4400. when subframe,driveline,hardware,etc were all factored in.
 
 
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