How useful is a snow blade - front or back?

[JackDWaller]

These comments most certainly are helping to ease the uncertainty before I get after the project. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel if I were to tackle a rear blade whereas something for the front, unless it was simply a push bucket would probably take me all winter and cost a lot.

Some suggestions regarding construction format and features that are well worth it, would be appreciated. Also specifics such as Oliver1665 has given are really helpful! Is 90% of the plowing done with the blade angled and is the best angle around 20 degrees. Could the angle aspect be done with spring loading to help cushion hitting an object - from my experience with my old JD model G I typically hit things that were off to the side - well except for a humungous rock that I caught with some rippers I had mounted right under the belly - stopped me dead, instantly and did some tooth damage.

I imagine it is OK to build this thing heavy from the point of view of ballast?

I don't really fancy the the pivot far enough back to rotate a 6 or 7 foot blade (or is it a good idea to have the blade way back - now I'm thinking it makes sense to park it (iMatch) after use rather than driving it into the garage). Are skid pads required or desirable on gravel?

I could picture a bucket digging in. Has anyone ever added some kind of a simple deflection plate with skids right at the front of the bucket for pushing like a blade? Maybe that's a dumb thought?? Still lots of questions in my mind. A big thanks to everyone for responding!

Jack

 

[RoyJackson]

Are skid pads required or desirable on gravel?

I could picture a bucket digging in. Has anyone ever added some kind of a simple deflection plate with skids right at the front of the bucket for pushing like a blade? Maybe that's a dumb thought?? Still lots of questions in my mind. A big thanks to everyone for responding!

Jack

Frankly, you can probably buy a rear blade cheaper then building one. Look at your local ads and Craigslist.

As I'd written in my previous post, if you can plow (driving forward over the snow first) with the convex side of the blade...well, I didn't need skid shoes on my old blade. But if you plow with the concave side, skid shoes would be advisable. It will dig in with the concave side. Or, as many have done, you can slot a length of pipe to slip over the blade's edge.

As far as the bucket digging in...drop it flat on the surface, then curl it about an inch to keep the cutting edge off the surface.

 

[nybirdman]

I use a front FEL mounted converted truck plow and a seven ft.rear blade.Try not to push snow with a rear blade,this is hard on the three point.Lots of reading here on front mounted snow plows.With your tractor,about six ft. on the front and maybe seven on the rear.

 

[cttractor]

On a dirt or gravel driveway, you NEED skid shoes if the concave side will face the direction you're plowing. As Roy indicated, you don't need it if the convex side is forward. And I do the same thing he mentions of curling the bucket up an inch or so to prevent digging into the ground.

I also agree that it's cheaper and easier to buy a blade than make one. If used, you could likely pick one up for $200 - $400. A good quality 6 foot rear blade new would be more like $700 - $800. The only reason I would build is because I'd enjoy the project and want something I otherwise couldn't buy, not to save money when you could get one so cheap. And it's also true that a 3PH is designed for pulling, much less so for pushing and can't take as a large a force pushing.

As for weight, my 6 foot rear blade (Woods) is about 270 pounds (there's no need to add additional weight). I did put the iMatch bushings on it and pick it up right from the ground without leaving the seat. But I do have to get off to raise the parking stand and adjust the angle. The pin that locks the blade angle is a sheer pin (3/4" diam. mild steel), so you don't need to worry about modifying it to add a spring.

 

[JackDWaller]

Seems there are not too many blades in my neck of the woods - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since I've been watching pretty faithfully. Generally they get sold with the tractor. A certainly, it would have to be a local purchase since shipping is expensive. Also I believe our prices are higher. I was not kidding when I said I overspent just getting the tractor and mower new. My loader was used but barely and I paid roughly half price so that was great, but I'm financed for over $12000.

So, given that I have almost all the steel from collected scrap including a near new 7' blade and since I do enjoy fabricating there really is no choice. I'll probably have more questions as I go no doubt. From the comments here, and searches and reading, I think I can get started. The problem with reading old forum material is that it's like getting lost in a black hole if you're interested in mechanical stuff!

Jack

 

[Yooper75]

If you like building and fabricating, why not find an old Western 7'-6" snow plow that someone is getting rid of and build a blade to mount on the loader? They can be had fairly cheap and can be used with either the power angle cylinders or angled manually.

 

[JackDWaller]

Yooper75, at this moment not having any contacts locally, and just watching Kijiji for some months since deciding I "needed" a CUT, I have not run across these potential lower cost purchases that are being aluded to. Maybe I just need to be patient and hold off until I am more aclimatized to this world.

Here is a pic of a front blade made locally - $1200

I did come across a post making reference to Princess Auto and I have been a fairly frequent customer (in August a 20 HP, $550 discontinued gas engine went into my old Craftsman lawn tractor and saved my day - had to machine and fab a second shaft drive and go to a 1" shaft from 1 1/4") but haven't been there since getting into this CUT purchase etc. So that's one step I'll take, to start watching their flier adds and visiting sections of the store I wasn't typically visiting (and not always being in such a hurry).

I have been "snowed" under with jobs that have been put off for a number of years for reasons I won't go into. One bing a major landscape block retaining wall and staircase that the JD 2320 has now backfilled with soil (stolen from an area of my yard where I wanted to create drainage).

Have I mentioned how blown away I am with my tractor. Now I know what was missing in my life.

 

[cttractor]

I didn't realize there are significant price differences between the U.S. and Canada. Well, as the price goes up, the motivation to build rather than buy certainly can grow. And as I mentioned in a prior post, sometimes, we build just because it's an appealing project. Whichever way you go, you will appreciate having a blade available -- good luck!

And I agree, these are great machines!

 

[aczlan]

We have used the following machines for snow removal (in order of usefulness):
BX2660 with a front blade and a cab
B7500 with a loader
L3830 with 6' rear blade

The BX2660 is the best machine unless you need to push banks, it doesn't have quite enough weight to push back hard banks of snow.

The B7500 is great for pushing back banks and "carrying" (pushing for a distance) snow, but is slower than the BX and because it uses a straight bucket, you end up doing a herringbone pattern to get the driveway cleared.

The L3830 is our haying tractor and it will move a lot of snow with a rear blade, but our blade is manual angle, so you frequently have to get off and change the angle. It works great in deep snow or to pull on banks of snow.

Aaron Z

 

[Egon]

Usefullness of snow blades is pretty dependant on the size of the machine they are attached to.:thumbsup: