Snow Attachments Snow Removal Options for my CUT

[HunterdonPaul]

I know TBN'ers get real excited when there is an opportunity to get their tractor out. I was wondering what the options are for clearing driveways of snow. The obvious thing is to use the front end loader - I don't think this is an efficient way of clearing a foot of snow or less though - do you need chains? For people in Buffalo who seem to get 3 ft of snow at a time, it might seem like the right thing to do.

So what do you use? What is the approximate cost? A snowblower seems like a cool choice except that I don't know that I could justify 2-4K to clear the driveway 2 or 3 times a year.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[MikePA]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Paul, check my response in the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=genoperating&Number=214552&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=>Check Your Grill</A> thread. I respectfully disagree that using the FEL is inefficient for a foot or less of snow. We had between 8" and 9" of snow this past week and my FEL worked very well. The less the snow, the longer you can push with the FEL before you have to dump a bucket full.

It was also interesting to watch the contractor clear the parking lots at work. (Funny the things that catch my eye now!). Where I work is a campus environment, with large parking areas and sidewalks. They use vehicles with plows to do the sidewalks, i.e., they push the snow into the roadways between the lots. While they also use dump trucks with plows on the roads, backhoes are also used frequently to plow the roadways in addition to relocating the piles of snow. So, using a FEL to plow snow is not limited to tractors or where the only purpose is to transport the snow to dump it somewhere. I had a front mounted plow on my garden tractor and found it to be an inefficient way to remove snow, at least on the areas I have to clear.

The other issue with plows is you have to have someplace to push it. This would seem kind of obvious, but sometimes it's overlooked. Over the years I used my garden tractor, I had to guess how far onto the lawn I was going to push the snow in order to leave enough area to push the next snowfall. In my experience, I use the FEL almost as a plow anyway, except with a FEL you also have the capability to pick the snow up and move it if you have to.

For those people who live in an area that gets a lot of snow, a snowblower makes sense, but spending a couple thousand dollars on a 3ph snow blower, or the more expensive front mounted version, doesn't make sense for me. Frankly, I'd rather spend $800 or $900 on a walk behind snowblower if I needed one.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Paul,

I have a 3pt snowblower, a 54" Puma, I paid $1000, for it and use it on my BX2200. Also have a FEL, the snow blower was much easier to use and did a better job. The FEL was good for getting close to things, but the snowblower was faster as one pass and the snow was gone. With the FEL you had to go back over the same area to get the spill over, taking 3-4 passes to do what the snowblower did in one pass. Only down side was the blowing snow from the blower.

Paul I am on the other side of the mountain from you, let me know if you want to see the Puma in action!

Tom

 

[paccorti]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Paul,

We just had about 9" here in N Virginia. I plowed my driveway and our road (about 1 mi long) with a 7' Landpride rear blade with gauge wheel. It worked very well and very fast. I'm not sure what my limit would be (3' of snow might be a bit much). Of course I think any piece of equipment would have a hard time with 3'! As others have pointed out the loader is useful too.

Peter

 

[hayden]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

3PH snow blowers aren't that expensive. $1200-$1600 will do it. A Puma 54" for $1000 I think is a great deal (in another reply)

 

[hayden]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Where's you get that price? That's great!

 

[gordon]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

On my Kubota I've got the same setup for the rearblade and it works well. For the amount of snow we get in this area I can't justify the cost of a snowblower. Front end loader is used for the deeper drifts or to cut the banks from the state plows. Of the driveways that I do there is only two that are blacktop.

I attached a picture of my blade that I took last year. Note the skid shoes are turned up. Last year we got less snow than we got in the storn this past week.

Gordon

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Recent storm we had 8-10" of snow. Have a front blade for the tractor but didn't have a chance to put it on. Make a long story short I used the FEL and it worked great. Almost wish I hadn't bought the blade. Drive 100' long or so, paved and most of it fairly level. Have R4s with just the ballast box on and traction was fine. If we got the snow they do in Buffalo I would probably opt for the blower.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

Hayden,

Picked up the Puma in April 2002. I got a list of dealers in New England and Upstate NY from Pronovost, and started calling and checking the Internet, where ever they get a lot of snow. I called and e-mailed until I found a dealer who did not want to hold it for another summer. Guess with the mild winter of last year this dealer had enough. It is JD green, would have liked the Kubota orange but he wanted $1200 for the Kubota color, same machine. I was in Mass on business and picked it up. The dealer was Orchardhill Farm in Belchertown, Mass.

Guess the spring is a good time to look for a snowblower! Now if I can find a deal on a cab I will be all set.

Tom

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: Snow Options for my CUT

A snowblower seems like a cool choice except that I don't know that I could justify 2-4K to clear the driveway 2 or 3 times a year.

That's the approximate cost I was quoted when I looked into buying a BX2200. A chunk of that is to adapt the mid PTO to drive the front snow blower. Sure is a piece of change for 3 or 4 times a year (maybe!).

Now, that's for a front blower setup. A 3pt rig would be considerably cheaper and still have the FEL if you need it. Personally, if I was doing parking lots or other commercial work, the front blower would be the way to go. It would pay for itself in one season. But for home use, a blade or rear blower is the way to go.

I use an old 6' rear blade I picked up for $60.00. It works fine for my 40 or so yards or drive and parking pad. Just using the FEL is too slow, in my opinion. It is good for pushing the piles back though.

Of course, the down side of the blade and a gravel drive is repairing the damage I've done while pushing the snow. This isn't too bad since I don't try to get down the the bare drive...but you will do some damage.