Going back to using the pickup for snow.

[tcreeley]

In central Maine we always get snow. When we first moved here and I was young, I shoveled the drive. Then I got a Bolens snowblower and used that.
I got hold of a 1948 Farmall Cup with a blade and that worked pretty well. I picked up a Snowbear plow from Sams Club and used that for a few years. On my third electric winch - I looked for another tractor.

I bought a used NH TC30 and mounted the snowbear plow to the bucket. With chains it did a fine job, But I got too lazy to put the bucket on one year, and left it off every year after. The bucket works great. The tractor is always plugged in and starts no problem. I used it for my two drives and the drive to the barn.

But it is cold. Normally that just means dressing warmly but this summer I started toting an oxygen tank around with me and I feel the cold more. So just last week I had a used 8' Fisher HD plow mounted on my 2003 Chevy 2500HD. I can turn up the heat, defog with the AC, and plow in comfort.
What needs extra clean up - there is always the tractor for a warm day.

- And as things go, my wife and son can step in to take a hand with the truck - ...... using the tractor - don't quite have the knack!

 

[finn1]

I use the truck (F450 dump) at the shop. Faster than the tractor with blower, plenty of room to push the snow, and not much to back into.

Home and guest house property are better cleared with the tractor (front mount blower, heated cab with wipers and defrosters). I run out of snow storage area by January if I use the truck, necessitating moving it with a bucket on the tractor or skid steer, can’t get the truck next to the deck to remove the piles shoveled off the deck, and the trees along the drive have bumper induced wounds.

All other things being equal, I prefer the truck because it’s faster. Unfortunately, all other things aren’t equal, so I bought the tractor.

 

[Rustyiron]

TC, your going to feel like your driving a large ocean going freighter, but she'll have a heated cab:thumbsup:
(but I know what your saying:drink You've earned it, and like you said, wait for a sunny day and put the icing on the cake with the tractor.

 

[majorwager]

TC
Plowing is hard work for a truck transmission. Does your truck have a locking rear differential? Believe past posts indicate driveway surfaces are NOT PAVED. IN THAT scenario, tire chains on a pick-up have more impact than on a tractor w/ front wheel assist. Drawback arises if truck is used for on-road errands at the same time.

The plastic style chains can be an alternative as they allow reasonably smooth road travel up to 40 mph. My issue w/ truck plowing is visibility. Feel like looking over a mountain to see what the plow is doing. We get spoiled w/ tractor line on sight but certainly enough seat time w/ a truck plow brings familiarity w/ visibility.


Flex-Trax™ GoClaws and SnoClaws Safer, Quicker, Easier and Simply Better ! but not inexpensive, however.

 

[nyone]

Useing a tractor with out a cab to plow is terrible compaired to a truck. I use to use my ford 851, it had enough power and chains but when the wind gets going it gets cold fast.

You should get a back drag blade for your truck plow. It makes the extra clean up even less. My home brew one will scrape right to pavement with the snow piled upto the headlights.