Snow Equipment Owning/Operating rear blade snow removal

[EastTractor]

Hi, I have a couple of questions to ask about using a rear blade. I recently purchased a 60 in KK rear blade for my Kubota B7510 to use for light grading and snow removal. It is an offset /tilt model. I noticed that when I angle it to push snow to either side, it tends to gouge my gravel driveway. I can certainly change the tilt of the blade to compensate, but then I need to readjust it if I want to use the blade in the non-angled position, which means getting on and off the tractor. The question is: can I simply loosen the bolts that tilt the blade so that it “floats,” making it always level with the ground instead of gouging the driveway or attempting to get off and on the tractor to tighten and loosed the tilt bolts?

I would also like to know if someone had used/bought/fabricated skid shoes to use with a rear blade on a gravel driveway. They worked great on my old JD 318’s front snow blade. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Ford850]

If it gouges when you angle the blade, then you need to adjust the toplink. Park on a level surface and raise your blade about 1" off the ground. Now angle the blade and if the forward corner/side of the angle blade touches the ground, extend the top link until that corner is 1" above the ground. Once it is adjusted properly you should be able to swing the blade to any angle and it will stay level to the drive.

 

[Gilford]

When I plow snow, I leave out the tilt pin so the blade can float from side to side to follow contours in my driveway. I also added some return springs so the blade cannot tilt uncontrolably if there is a clump of snow stuck to one side of the blade when when I raise the blade from the ground. If the blade is allowed to tip to one side because of an inbalance of snow stuck to the blade, you cannot lower the blade while the tractor is moveing, or you will really cause a gouge.

 

[Matt_W]

I have a woods RB60 with the same features. I always pull the tilt pin so it will float with the crown of the road and that helps. This is my second year plowing and I thought I was doing good plowing until the snow melted to reveal how much gravel was beside the road.
A ski/shoe/gauge wheel wood certianly help.

 

[dirtworksequip]

Matt, read my post "199 mph Wind" it will tell you how to get that stone back on the road where it belongs.

Sincerely,
Dirt
I'm not far from you in Wheeling,WV. What part of Pitts are you from?

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon East Tractor,
You could mount skid shoes on the back bottom to keep the blade from gouging. My neighbor spot welded a piece of pipe on the bottom of his to prevent it from digging in.

Up here once the ground freezes solid you dont have to worry about gouging

 

[Matt_W]

Matt, read my post "199 mph Wind" it will tell you how to get that stone back on the road where it belongs.


Sincerely,
Dirt
I'm not far from you in Wheeling,WV. What part of Pitts are you from?

Thanks Dirt for the tip I would have never had thought of that. But first I need to buy a leaf blower and also my driveway is about a 1100' long!
Wheeling is not far at all, I am near the airport, Moon Township area.

 

[dirtworksequip]

1100 feet isn't that bad, I had to do both sides of 3000 feet.

You would be right off of rt22 then? I'm just a stones throw from you then.

 

[Woody_NH]

I would also like to know if someone had used/bought/fabricated skid shoes to use with a rear blade on a gravel driveway. They worked great on my old JD 318’s front snow blade. Any help will be appreciated.

Skid shoes do work on a gravel drive. I have them on both my truck mounted snow plow and on my 84" Landpride rear blade. Without the shoes you will be moving gravel along with the snow especially when the gravel is not frozen.

 

[zuiko]

You can also run the blade backwards for snow. It won't dig in at all them. That's what I did before I got a 3pt blower. I very rarely had to run the blade forwards... only if there was some thaw/refreeze ice buildup that I needed to try to get rid of.