Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow clearing

[Eaglebait Ranch]

I have a rear blade, but I prefer using my landscape rake (since I can't afford either a snow blower or a plow attachment). Something that has really helped me this year (I have a Kubota 3400) is adding Calcium (whatever) to my tires. It has been the best overall $230 investment I have made, and I got to use it moving snow the last 3 days. Wow! What a difference in traction, handling, etc.

 

[AKfish]

i'm experimenting with a graphite paint product this year. the farmers use it on combines and such to help keep things flowing. i've already painted my backhoe bucket to see if it will help the wet clay empty out. next is the bottom of the mower deck, front face of the back blade and inside of the FEL bucket....

amp

Sounds very promising.... what's it called? And who sells it? Thanks.

AKfish

 

[KarlJD3520]

The pros who plow use a product called Fluid Film by Eureka which is a spray rust proofer and lubricant and is Lanolin based. It helps snow slide off blades, impellers, chutes and keeps grass clippings from sticking to mower decks. It keeps tools from rusting. Once you start using the stuff, you will find hundreds of uses for it. The stuff is kind of pricey if you buy it in the single aerosal can running about 7 bucks a can at the local John Deere dealer, but you can usually find it cheaper in cases or by the quart or gallon. You can email the company and they have been very good about sending out samples for you to try just mention you are light agricultural and do mowing and snow removal.

Fluid Film

Previous discussion about Fluid Film on the forum:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/111053-fluid-film-mo-deck-whats.html

 

[Conservation]

I could use some help here too with snow removal. I am getting frustrated at this point. I have a JD 1050, 4WD. I have about 1/4 mile of lane gravel, and the lane is poorly designed. We will fix the lane in upcoming summer months since it is the lowest point anywhere, and the snow piles there and is difficult to move anywhere. But for now, we are stuck with what we have.
The JD now has tractor tires on the front, which helped, but still has turf on the rear, and they are wide. The only way to change that is buy new rims and tires. I have chains on the rear, which also helped some. I have a small bucket on the front, which is OK for some things, but not really the lane. I have a blade on the rear. The entire combo just doesn't work well for removing snow. If you angle the blade to get it off the lane, as soon as the blade gets into anything deep, it kicks the rear of the tractor over, and leave the snow in a big pile. Even the front doesn't dig as well as I had hoped. Traction seems to be my biggest issue.
So what suggestions do you have? I haven't found weights for it. I think it could use front and rear to be honest. I have a bunch of lead pigs availble, but don't know how to mount them to the tractor (on the rerar at least). I have thought of liquid filling, but hear there are drawbacks to that also. Do I throw out the chains, and get new rims and tires and chains for the rear? I'm desperate here!

 

[BigD23]

We have about 6" of snow here this morning...Suppose to be going away later on this week, but, I'm gonna help it along today...Orange power!

Don

 

[WayneB]

I think we had about 10" by yesterday morning and then it seemed to snow most of the afternoon.

Blowing a path to the cellar door, mainly all down hill so I have to do this every storm or I might not be able to get back up the hill!

Today it is snowing again and the local weather report is an estimated 8 to 20 inches depending upon location. I guess I can expect close to 20 inches. Some are talking about a repeat of last year! It seemed like we had two storms a week through out the winter really makes one wonder how nice it is in the no-snow zones of the country!

 

[Conservation]

Wayne. How is that cab on your rig? Was it expensive? Does it work well to keep you warmer? It it hard to keep the vision clear? I would love to fab one up for my 1050 JD. I need to get it able to move snow properly first though.

 

[ampsucker]

in response to the coating question:

it's called EZ-Glide graphite based coating made by Van Sickle paint company out of Lincoln, NE. i get it at the local Orscheln store (hardware and farm supply) but you could probably order from them direct or find a nearby distributor...

i'll start a new thread later to report how it works.

amp

 

[smfcpacfp]

The best way to go in my opinion is a front mounted blower. Here is a movie of my blower moving a foot or so of wetheavy snow:

YouTube - Kubota B3030 snowblower​

 

[hondo964]

Conservation,

I have the younger brother to the 1050 - the 950; it's the middle child as there is an 850 too. In any event, I've got turfs with 4wd and it has been fine this winter clearing snow with the fel and a rear blade. I basically use the fel and then give a finish touch with the blade (I set the screw so that the 3 point only goes down to the desired level and I think you have the draft sensor control which would be a bonus). I just got the 950 this past summer and I believe the back tires are liquid filled but I don't know how to check for that yet.

I've had no need for chains yet and that's been with at least 6 or 8 inch snow falls....haven't spun tires in the least. You don't give much detail (and I don't have near the length of a drive) but I would suggest using the fel and when it begins to fill and bog down, veer off to the side and leave the snow there. When you get to the deep part of the drive, clear it on a 45 degree angle. Sounds like you need liquid in the back tires.