Snow Removal

[Cheesebeast]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for some opinions on which route to take in purchasing a tractor. The two options I have open right now are a used Massey Ferguson 283 2WD or a used L series Kubota 4WD model. I would have to get an FEL for the MF, but the Kubota comes with one. The question I have is which would be better for snow removal. The MF, although it is a 2wd, weighs 6000 lbs. The Kubota weighs approximately 2000. I live in a hilly area, if that matters.

Thanks,
Cheese

 

[gerard]

As reluctant as I am to even be thinking about snow on this 90deg summer day, I think you'll be happier with the 4wd. While a bigger tractor with loaded tires may pull just fine on level ground I think it loses some of that when going up hill as the extra weight actually works against the traction (ie in addition to pushing/pulling the snow it also has to move the weight of the tractor) Don't know how big a driveway you have but I don't think you'll be happy "plowing" with a loader. Lots of previous posts on this - consensus - loader is great for stacking and pushing banks back, not so good at removing the 3inch snowfalls. Plan on a backblade or snowblower for either tractor. (I use 4wd L2500 w/ loader and 7ft backblade and rear chains along with R1 tires. Works well and I get a lot of snow)

 

[dieselpwr]

Cheese.

As a point of referance I used to have a 2WD tractor that weighed roughly 10K with the loader & weighted tires. I now have a NH TC45D 4WD which only weighs about half that with the loader on. I use a primarlily use a back blade for snow removal & I can actually do better in the snow with the smaller tractor. The 4WD really helps you keep going the direction you want too. I can say that my machine in 2WD @ about 5K# is next to usless for moving snow. Put it in 4WD & it is great. I don't know how a 2K# machine would do but I think if it is 4WD it will be ok. You just have to plan on moving less at a time when it is heavy & wet.

Troy

 

[Joesgoats]

I've got a L3710HST with R1 tires, 4wd and a FEL. I used it extensively this past winter removing snow from our 800' driveway. The main disadvantage to a FEL for this use is that the bucket fills up and then you are basically pushing the snow, rather than getting it off the ground. As a result it take a bit longer.

On the other hand, I shared a Deere with a blade strapped to the FEL (no hydraulic control) and that was only marginally better.

I'd definitely consider 4wd. There is a huge difference in traction between 2wd and 4wd with or w/o chains.

Joe

 

[HR_Mutt]

Cheesebeast
one more vote for the L series with 4wd/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
regards
Mutt

 

[DVerbarg]

Cheese,
The perspective I have is based on experience with the TC45D and a MF275. The TC45D is 4wd and weighs roughly 5000#. Used this last winter for snow removal while building a house. Worked fine until we had a couple big snow falls. When using the 3pt snow blower it was hard to drive the blower into the snow that had started melting and refroze over the period of a week (using the TC45D). Just did not have the traction to drive the blower into the packed snow. The MF275 (2wd) did not hesitate to do the same job. However, once the drive was done, and I kept up with snowfalls promptly, the TC45 had no problems.

DaveV