I have to disagree with some of the things said by another poster here. I can't say about other brands or smaller Kubotas but the l4240 can have the sub frame for the blower on the tractor and still use the front end loader. When you have an idea what you want and go to the dealer ask them how much work and what parts have to be removed, it's probably different between each model.
Secondly I don't see how having less ground clearence is a problem in snow on a driveway. Yes if you were going to use your tactor to skid logs out of the woods in the winter removing the sub frame wouldn't be much fun but if all your going to use your tractor for is snow blowing in the winter then I just don't see a problem. But you can decide, again ask each dealer.
As for fuel use, do SCUTs really use that much for this to be an issue? It's a blower, if it's connected up to your PTO it's going to need to be turned at a speed near 540. So what if you burn an extra 1/10 or so of a gallon each time you clear your driveway. Would you not add a second set of lights to see better at night because the extra load on the alternator would use more fuel? For me this just doesn't make the list of make or break items, maybe you feel differently.
Why I went with the front mount blower is I didn't want to face backwards and I wanted to leave the rear PTO free so I can run a 3 pt sand spreader or a back blade (or so I thought). After seeing how easy it is to remove the blower I'm going to make a front mounted blade that'll connect to the sub frame. I didn't check with Bobcat (they are a rebranded Kioti) but Kioti didn't offer a front mounted blower so an aftermarket blower was the only option.
So my tractor is bigger than you are looking at but here's how to connect it up. First is the sub frame. My guess is about a half to one hour to do. The front grill uard needs to be replaced with a plate that accepts the front sub frame pins. The rear slides into the front of the drawbar under the rear wheels. Then you connect up the PTO shaft to the mid PTO, very easy. Finally you raise the frame up and put in to two pins in the middle and two in the front.
The sub frame has a large tappered tab, maybe 12" wide and 6" think with a latch that locks it into place. To attach the blower you simply move a lever to release the latch and drive forward. Seconds to do. Then you connect up the PTO and the hydraulic lines for the chute and blower lift.
One advantage of the front blower is you can apply downforce to the blower. I got my plow truck stuck once (it's about the size of a town dumptruck with a 10' blade) because the snow had changed during a bad storm. The first 8" to 10" was wetter than the rest and had started to set up. When I got home and started to plow the blade would ride up on the lower layer of snow. The only way I could plow it was to push for about 10', back up, and take a second pass. Because of the hills on my driveway I couldn't always back up and finally got stuck. Because of that experience I decided I would get a tractor with a front blower. It's also why I've changed my mind from getting a rear blade to now having a front blade that I can apply down force to.
That is some serious road clearing and maintenance. I guess you probably have a 7 or 8 ft snowblower for your tractor and that means one trip out and one back to your house?
