Snow Attachments Blower or plow. Which is best?

[B Colton]

I'm getting ready to buy a Kubota B2650. Trying to figure out if I want to buy a snow blower for it. I already have a 42 HP with an 8 foot blade. This works very well but is time consuming. Does the snow blower work well with this tractor and will it save time moving snow in a wide area? With the blade it is back and forth many times as the snow falls to the side. When it's below zero I want to be done fast! I have 3 long driveways to clear.

 

[George2615]

Welcome to TBN............

A snowblower is slower than a plow but throws the snow further and doesn't leave piles that freeze.
Its slower because you have to give the blower time to chew the snow and spit it out the chute.
Snowblower is great for paved areas but on gravel driveways I always spent more time replacing shear pins. On gravel drives before it's frozen the blower has a tendency to pick up stones even with the shoes all the way down. If the stone gets between the auger and the metal it stops and busts a shear pin.
Of course you have to watch how you blow the snow if it is windy out or it will blow right back on you.

 

[nybirdman]

IMHO;snowblowers can only be justified if you get 150 in./yr.or more.They are more expensive,slower and more wear and tear.I use a front 8ft.and a rear 7ft.for my snow removal chores.
Blowers without a cab would not be fun at all.

 

[RickB]

I have both, wouldn't want to be without either. If I HAD to choose, the plow would stay and the blower would leave.

The plow is MUCH faster for me, and the blower gets used when the banks get high and space is limited. It sits all winter as many years as it gets used.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Welcome colt from Western pa, I agree with the previous posters. If you have gravel, skip the snow blower. Do you plan on running tire chains and or loaded tires? We have a bx2370 with a blower on a paved driveway and it works beautifully.

 

[GManBart]

Welcome to TBN!

The one thing that has been left out of this discussion is whether you have a place to push the snow time after time? If you don't, your driveway will narrow each time you get snow. If you have a big area to push the snow into, a plow is great because it's fast. If you don't have that area, a blower will be slower each time it snows, but will prevent you from having to move the snowbank with your FEL every other snowfall, which is likely faster overall. I have a 7.5' plow for my truck, and it's great for moving the snow fast, but I want a thrower for my Massey so I don't have to deal with moving the banks multiple times each winter (and I'm doing that from the warmth of the cab on my backhoe).

 

[Budweiser John]

I have both, wouldn't want to be without either. If I HAD to choose, the plow would stay and the blower would leave.

Yes, I agree with RickB. Depending on the snow depth and drifting I will often use the FEL to windrow the snow and then use the blower to blow the wind rows into the yard attacking the windrows from the end. The biggest advantage of the blower being the snow is blown over a wider area minimizing wind blown drifting back onto the cleared areas.
The biggest down side of a TPH blower (and no tractor cab) is visibility and having to continually operate the unit looking backward.
The blower came as a package deal when I purchased the tractor so it's not going away but any snow fall less that 4 or 5" I simply pop on the tractor and use the FEL for the removal task.
A front mounted blower with a cabbed tractor might be a different story however.

 

[Steve_Miller]

I have a 6' FEL blade and a 5' blower on the back. Used the blower twice in the previous 5 years, but this year couldn't have done without it (10' of snow this past winter).

Steve

 

[FatTire]

I agree with above posters (sort of). When I'm in a hurry I always go with the plow. BUT, when the snow is really deep (or stiff) the plow just can't do it. And if there is a lot of snow already on the ground, or the prospect for another storm, when plowing I leave the snow where I can get to it with the blower so that I can come back later and get it away from the driveway. Gravel driveways are a problem for both blowers and plows, but its unavoidable. Try not to dig in much, and buy some gravel or roadbase when you need to . I would not base my decision to plow or blow on the gravel. Since you already have a plow, I'd want a blower....

 

[GManBart]

The biggest down side of a TPH blower (and no tractor cab) is visibility and having to continually operate the unit looking backward.

There are 3pt snow throwers that allow you to drive forward....pull-type is usually what they're called, but some companies call them "inverted" snow throwers. They're extremely common in places that get serious amounts of snow.

A front mounted plow blade on the FEL and a rear pull-type snow thrower is considered by many folks to be the ultimate combo.