I suspect I'm being fed bad information from a dealer. He either is not very knowledgeable about the products he sells or he wants to talk me into equipment he already has in inventory so he doesn't get stuck with it in the off season.
I routinely ask questions that I already know the answer to. This tells me if I can trust the person that I'm dealing with (I learned this years ago dealing with cars). This guy didn't pass my test, so I don't trust him, but he did plant some doubt in my mind.
So I have a few questions:
1. Do you have to remove the snow blower subframe to mount the front end loader?
2. Do you feel the blower subframe is in your way when doing other tasks, (bush-hogging, road grading etc)
3. Do you feel the front mount blower is worth the extra money over the rear?
4. If your tractor and blower was stolen, would you replace it with another kubota front mount?
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About your dealer and his issues;
He did not bother to tell you driving any size mule takes practice practice practice and the more practice you have the more familiar you are with a car or tractor.
1.ON some brands and some models the bloody thing has to come off.
2. unless you have brush guard they are magnets for crap in heavy brush and the tractor can and will get hung up at times especially in ditches. (been there done that with simple belly mount mowers)IT does happen.
3. No way in HE double hockey sticks. The other thing he did not bother to enlighten you on is that most front mounted snow casters are limited in mounting to a specific machine and may no be useable on an upgraded trade.
AND they have little resale value.
a A rear mounted snow caster can be mounted on an upgrade without spending more money as you would have to on a replacement front mount snow caster.
4. I would not, I would buy an all weather cabbed unit with a rear mount and automatic transmission if I had the money/income.
a. you may have lot of bad weather times with heavy wet snow being so close to the Atlantic coast and a snow caster with rotating drum that bypasses the chute and spout eliminates clogging and casts the snow much further.
b a snow caster with a higher horsepower prime mover is the only way to overcome instances of heavy wet snow occurances or repeated passes with a smaller power unit during the snow event.
Keeping a tank of diesel fuel at the homestead is a must especially in the winter months as 275 gallons of treated diesel fuel cut with kerosene and filtered by a RACOR diesel cylcone fuel filter is your friend as it eliminates the water and crap down to 2 micron if desired and the filter cartridges will filter 10,000 gallons of diesel(if there is water in the fuel the cartridges will mushroom and plug and eliminate any water entering the injection pump of the tractor).
Most front mounts have a smaller cross auger area and fan whre this is not the case in most all rear mounts.
As I mentioned before if you invest in a tractor with a cab and a mid point PTO you can purchase a Pronovost Front PTO Hitch with a reverseing gearbox that allows you to mount a snow caster and for example a flail mower
to mow with. The front three point hitch will allow you to mount landscape rakes, back blades, post hole diggers- mounting and using a rotary cutter and using it safely is problematic as the rotary cutter may need to have the mower reversed strictly depending on the discharge gaurding and front chains or rubber flap to prevent impacting and throwing things which is non issue with flailmowers mounted in the front or rear.
a. If you invest in a tractor you can purchase one with a swivel seat that allows you to turn to the right in the seat or buy high end swivel seat up grade.
b. The rear mounted snow caster is riding on the ground preferably with caster wheels to prevent digging in when turning or sucking up mud.
c. the minute you let off the pedal the rear mounted snow caster creates enough drag that it will not runoff unless you have an extremly steep angle of attack and ice.
d. lot of of folks use mirrors and our member 4shorts has a back up camera with his mule and he loves it as it has great clarity in all conditions.
EDIT:
e. The biggest thing he did not inform you of is lower ground clearances wth front mounts and that in not good thing with unpaved areas.