Correct angle of snow plow for proper plowing

[pat32rf]

I laid an 8' 2x4 across the front of "John" and with the help of a coupla eyeballs figured that a 7 1/2' blade looked about right...

 

[franklin2]

I'll second that opinion.

I will vote chains as a must. In my experience, bobcats/skidsteers do not push snow well at all. The ones I have seen that were pushing snow had chains on all 4 tires. I think part of the problem is they have no suspension, so that means in many situations you only have two wheels giving traction. And that can change from one tire to another on uneven ground.

We have one with the rubber tracks at work, and it won't do anything in the snow, and that's on pavement.

 

[gwiley]

I will vote chains as a must. In my experience, bobcats/skidsteers do not push snow well at all. The ones I have seen that were pushing snow had chains on all 4 tires. I think part of the problem is they have no suspension, so that means in many situations you only have two wheels giving traction. And that can change from one tire to another on uneven ground.

We have one with the rubber tracks at work, and it won't do anything in the snow, and that's on pavement.

I run my Bobcat 773 with heavy ladder chains on the rear tires and it works well - the 2 miles I plow have grades too steep for the state to be willing to maintain and I have no problems with chains on 2 tires. Chains on all 4 tires will probably wind up breaking chains because of the way the machine steers (skidding) and since I have no slipping I don't think you would see much benefit from the extra pair.

With no chains you WILL end up where you don't mean to go though.

 

[uncleaddy]

I have a Kubota BX2200D with a 58" wide blade that angles to about 28 deg. that I built about 6 years ago. See the attached pics. You may notice the blade is angled forward. Works great. The valve is from an Old Monarch belt drive snow plow pump set up. I picked up several of the valves at an auction for practically nothing. I don't think anyone knew what they were??

 

[skyhook]

uncleaddy, it looks like you have no "cross over valve" for your cylinders,
how does that work out for you. Or am I missing something again...lol

 

[franklin2]

I have a Kubota BX2200D with a 58" wide blade that angles to about 28 deg. that I built about 6 years ago. See the attached pics. You may notice the blade is angled forward. Works great. The valve is from an Old Monarch belt drive snow plow pump set up. I picked up several of the valves at an auction for practically nothing. I don't think anyone knew what they were??
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Most plows I have seen on small tractors run a piece of square tubing from the plow mount back underneath the tractor to the rear hitch. We bought a cheap blade setup for a small John Deere at work that did not come with that piece, and the tractor guys added one.

 

[uncleaddy]

Yup, your right. I don't have the cross over valve . Don't really need it. The tractor isn't stong enought to bend anything I have hit??

 

[woodchipper]

One foot wider than your wheel tracks is the norm. No less. Hydraulic angle adjustment if preferable to fixed. One reason is that when you push to a bank, you will straighten the blade while on the move, and on final approach from the bank. Way less stress on both the blade, and the machine.
You will play betweem zero and thirty two degrees. It all depends what you are plowing, and your snow conditions. On a wide parking lot, around ten degrees to make windrows. when pushing straight, better have side plates, as they help contain the snow as you travel forward. Try to get a "back blade" installed on it. It is designed for back dragging (plowing in reverse). Efficiency is the name of the game! Chains on your rears to start with is recommended. Wait and see before considering the front ones as well. Get the trip edge kind, not the one where the whole mouldboard trips, because you will loose a lot of snow everytime it trips, and also it could be useless against a hard and crusty top layer.