Snow Winter is coming snowblower question

[Rob-D]

I have over a mile of dirt road to maintain and I have a B7800 with a 60" rear mount snowblower with front loader and it has been perfect for maintaining a wide road with no snow banks. The snowblower is a JRW (Canada) and it is a terrific machine. I paid $1700 for it new in 2003 and other than a few shear bolts I have had to do nothing other than normal maintenance to it. It is a heavy gauge steel and the auger is solid.

The front end loader adds the needed ballast - plus it makes moving snowbanks where the State plows the main road easy and it is nice to be able to scrape areas where I don't want to scape with the blower. I don't use chains and have never been stuck.

You plow a mile looking over your shoulder? That hurts already and its only August!

I wonder how many people have used both front and rear blowers and which they prefer?
I have only used the front blower myself.

Rob

 

[biffnh]

Rob,
Running backwards is not all that bad. The blower works so fast that the job gets done fairly quickly. Having a front one would be nice, but I use the bucket quite a bit as well and the combination I have seems to make the work of getting the snow off the road with no banks real nice. I've not had a mud season problem since I started using the blower - snow melt along the road is minimal.

 

[rut3556]

probably the same for rut3556's PUMA

Indeed it is... right down to the skids.

 

[leonz]

just to help the folks with the rear blowers- JC whitney has wireless back up cameras with LCD monitors for $99.00 usd tax and frieght to help with the stiff neck issue- maybe a right fender mount for the monitor and left fender for the camera(license bracket) they they have a huge selection of models and brands.

 

[radair]

I have a rear-mounted 60" Meteor on a BX23 and clear a 1/4 mile long steep gravel driveway. I too wrestled with the question of a front blower and rear blade or a rear blower with FEL. I'm happy with my choice. I try to alternate which side to look back and give my body a balanced workout. Bottom line is I need the FEL for snowbanks at the road and clearing near the garage door and it was over $1000 cheaper for the rear unit. A no-brainer for me. I don't find the front end too light but I don't have an angled plow, which would react differently.

 

[bitseeker]

I have a rear-mounted 60" Meteor on a BX23 and clear a 1/4 mile long steep gravel driveway. I too wrestled with the question of a front blower and rear blade or a rear blower with FEL. I'm happy with my choice. I try to alternate which side to look back and give my body a balanced workout. Bottom line is I need the FEL for snowbanks at the road and clearing near the garage door and it was over $1000 cheaper for the rear unit. A no-brainer for me. I don't find the front end too light but I don't have an angled plow, which would react differently.

For reference, a BX23 and front-mounted blower easily walks through the County's roadside snowbanks, and allows me to blow the bank off to the side where the plow does not return the snow next pass. I also remove the county road bank, against the plow's direction for a hundred feet or so to make a notch so the next plow's pass drops snow off there, rather than in my clear-to-the-pavemant driveway.

I find that with a blower and remote chute control, I can clear everything without a blade or bucket.

 

[Von]

I have a B2710 which I got in 2001 with a FEL and rear blower. Used it a few years like that and it was a great improvement over using a back blade and FEL on my B8200. Then someone on here had a front blower and wanted to trade for a rear, so he could use his loader as well to muck out his horse stalls. I drove the 70 miles to make the swap as fast as I could! and have never been happier. The front blower wins hands down as the best of choice. I don't even bother with the rear blade anymore, it just sits in the hedge row now. I am in the lake effect snow belt and get about 150" of snow a year, that starts in early Dec. and is here to early April! So I know a thing or two about moving some snow. Without a blower the banks get so high after a while you can't stack it any higher and it just cuts down your cleaned out area. I have a 90'x140' ice rink in the back yard and with the blower I can keep the whole surface clean and the banks way back with the snow blower, something I could never do with a back blade and FEL. Plus backing up is a pain in the *** as well as the neck! Now finally I got a like new Curtis cab off of Craig's list, so I don't have to bundle up and come in soaking wet anymore!