New Guy Needing Advice on Purchase

[jenkinsph]

I would recommend a 35 hp tractor with turf tires and chains. A front blower, rear blade and a mid mount mower would be a good combination for your needs. It is my opinion that fels are very handy to have but are not a good choice for mowing tractors as they require too much ballasting. Snow chains work well on turf tires in the winter since the chains don't fall inbetween the lugs. If you do decide to go with a fel and the ballasting required then I would plan on adding another dedicated mower or your lawn will suffer.
I know that is more money but it is obvious that most of what you need is a good mower and snowblower combination, adding the fel compromises the set up.

 

[Carl_NH]

Bobby.

The R4s on grass are fine unless you do sharp turns. I think the 3PT blower would be good and the FEL on the front would balance out nicely. Then in the summer the FEL (Quick attach bucket removed) with the 6-7' mower would be a nice balanced setup.

I would also get front and rear Hydraulic remotes at time of purchase and wait on filling the tires until you see how it works for you.

Good luck in your search..

Carl

 

[PandDLong]

Using a snowblower is a good way to go. I have one this year for the first time and have found it much quicker and easier than blading (as I did for many years) and you don't need to worry about the banks, which can start to get in the way in a year with heavier than usual snowfall and also become traps for drifting snow. With your frequent wind, are drifts a problem? I would think a pull-type blower would be challenged with drifts, a traditional rear mount or front-mount solves drifts. I did my driveway today - about 250 meters, it was -24 Celsius and it was pretty quick, one pass in each direction (only a one-lane road) - no cab and no problem with getting cold. I didn't have any issue with the snow blowing into my face today but I will be adding a plexiglass shield so it isn't a problem on a windy day.

With a FEL, you may or may not need filled tires / wheel weights. Depends on your terrain, how much weight you try to lift and what you put on the 3PH as a counterweight (and that you should do). Lots of posts on this topic and local experience is a good guide.

I would be concerned with your total weight for finish mowing. A CK35 comes in at 3100+ pounds, add on a FEL and cab and you will be pushing 5000 pounds, many mow with that but your local soils and condition are a factor and if it is wet, you will probably be unable to mow. If your area has a wet period during the growing season, the grass may go wild while you wait for it to dry out enough. A smaller tractor may suffice for your main needs and would be worth checking out.

My 2 cents

 

[bobbyspaghetti]

So I ended up buying a Kioti ck35 with cab and industrial tires with a FEL. I have only put 5 hours on it trying to practice all the controls and holy monkey was I not aware of all the actions of shifting gears, forward and reverse, clutch, FEL controls, split braking, and steering but I have gotten a little better while pushing some snow around. I also added a stereo and speakers to the unit as well as a couple of reverse lights. The tractor so far does not seem to be a very efficent snow mover as my drive way is compact snow and I have no weights or loaded tires. I will have to invest in something and have started a thread with questions in the snow removal section main issue seems to be traction (no surprise with no weights, industrial tires,no chains, and my road conditions)

Tractor seems good so far other then I had the dealer install a block heater in the tractor before picking it up and during the first half an hour of driving the block heater ejected and dumped all the antifreeze out. But tt was an easy fix as I just installed a frost plug in the block and installed an inline lower rad hose heater instead.

I think I will need to come up with a rear weight but am thinking a snowblower in the winter may be what I will use no idea of a summer weight yet.

I thank everyone for their comments and I can't wait to see if I end up with buyer remorse or if this little tractor will do what I hope it can.

 

[94BULLITT]

Congrats on the tractor. I recommend have the tires loaded when the tractor has a loader. If you are having trouble in the snow you may want to get a set of chains. Tirechain.com has some good prices. Alot of guys on here build their own ballast. They build the 3 point hook up and set it in a form and fill with concrete.