Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Rear weight for pushing snow

[snowman]

Bob;

I have a front blower on my B7500 and have the same problem re: steering.

If I have the blower in float, I can't turn much. I either have to raise the blower or back up, aim myself, and then start forward again.

My guess is that reducing your weight on the 3pt won't help you much. Before you spend time shifting around the various weights, try simply taking everything off of the 3 pt, then do some plowing. That way, you've gone to the extreme (nothing on the 3 pt). If the steering doesn't improve much, then you know that the weights aren't the problem.

The main benefit/reason for having as much weight as possible in the rear is to help provide traction when your blade is full of heavy wet snow.

In short, I think, as in my case, steering will never be great when you're pushing something.

 

[glennmac]

Terry, I have a driveway that slopes up from my house to the road, which I have plowed for two winters with a backblade. Sometimes when I am plowing up the driveway with snow on the blade, and sometimes even without snow on the blade, I will spin out........ I have now largely eliminated that phenomenon with a secret, patented, highly-advanced tractor driving maneuver: I plow downhill.

 

[beenthere]

Now Bob, you know what the right and left brake pedals are for. To help steer. Try those pedals out and you will likely find plowing to be a lot more fun. Also, picking up a bit on the front blade will get you out of the dirt a bit, and will also add some weight to the front wheels for steering traction. I wouldn't get rid of any weight on the rear end. Have fun.

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Now Bob, you know what the right and left brake pedals are for. To help steer. Try those pedals out and you will likely find plowing to be a lot more fun.</font color=blue>

I'm mortified to admit that I forgot all about the right/left brake pedals! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif Too many things to remember the first time out, I guess..

Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Also, picking up a bit on the front blade will get you out of the dirt a bit, and will also add some weight to the front wheels for steering traction.</font color=blue>

You know, that raises a question. Being new to this, I'm always startled by how fast the front blade moves. If I do anything more than nudge the lever, the blade slams into the position I'm shooting for. I wonder if the hyrdraulics could be set up for a FEL, and the little blade on the front is so light maybe the hydraulics should have some kind of flow reduction device in them?

I don't know what I'm talking about, of course.. but does this make any sense?

 

[beenthere]

It makes a lot of sense. I put flow restriction in the lines to control the flow to my front blade, for just that reason. Talk to your deere dealer, and ask for some flow restriction inserts to put in the hyd. hoses going to the angle cylinders. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to arrive at the flow rate you want Without them, it takes an extremely light touch as the deere hyd. system has a lot of flow and pressure. For the FEL, the hyd's is engineered just right. For the smaller angle and lift cylinders on my Western plow, it was just too fast.

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Talk to your deere dealer, and ask for some flow restriction inserts to put in the hyd. hoses going to the angle cylinders.</font color=blue>

What about the up and down also? If I lift the blade without really thinking, it SLAMS up and makes a very unpleasant noise as it does so. I think I could also do a lot better job of not digging too deeply if I had a bit more fine control.

Do you just unplug your hoses and insert these restrictors and re-plug? Do-it-yourself kind of thing?

This is great to learn.. I've really had a problem adjusting to the delicacy needed for all of this.

Thanks, BeenThere!

 

[beenthere]

The hyd. coupler needs to be removed (taken apart from the hose) and the flat disc with a pin hole (to start with) added between the coupler and the hose. Best to talk to someone who knows what you are doing, and familiar with the deere hyd. pressures, hose connections, and flow. And yes, the lift cyl. needs it too.

 

[DDT]

Bob,
I had the same problem when I got mine. In time is able to move the lever just enough to love it were you want it. But it takes some practice.
DDT

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

I may end up getting used to it.. in the meantime my JD dealer is looking up the part number to get some restrictors for me. I can try it both ways. Thanks, Bob