Snowblower Snowblowers

[rbargeron]

Thanks for the advise....I just found a used L5030 Kubota with a front mount hydraulic snowblower....it has a factory cab but has 2200 hrs....the price is in my price range.....18,500...

Sounds cheap - also relatively high hours - maybe used commercially. Some points to consider: does the tractor look well-kept or beat? sheet metal straight? rubber ok? any leaks ? air filter(s) intact? oil filters ever been replaced? any clutch engagement noises?
is the front blower wider than the rear tires? Does the tractor have a wet kit? Any worn sprockets, leaking gearbox. hydraulic leaks, etc.? If you post some pics the eagle eyes around here usually raise good points. Good luck and have fun figuring out what you want. I have an Erskine 6-ft front mount (rear pto driven) for sale but I'm in MA. Take care, Dick B

 

[smfcpacfp]

Now is the perfect time to shop for a snowblower. If you wait until near when you will need it, none will be available. There is little doubt that a snowblower is the preferred way to handle a lot of snow that stays a long time - the type we get on the south shore of Lake Superior. If you get a lot of snow you will also want a front facing blower to avoid the pain and visibilty issues associated with a rear facing blower. A heated cab is a must for me since I may have to snowblow 20 to 30 times a year.

You weren't too specific as to where you lived, but the less snow the less serious equipment that is needed. If your snow comes and goes several times a year, I would consider a plow - fast but problematic where the snow just keeps piling up. A rear blower would be OK if you only had to do it a few times a year.

Here is my rig below and a link to a popular video of I made of mine in action tackling more than a foot of snow:

YouTube - Kubota B3030 snowblower

 

[JoeL4330]

you want a blower big enough to cover your track (rear wheel width) and, IMHO, you want hydrostatic drive on the tractor ... this winter we had that 100 year snowfall and a lot of people had to replace clutches on their gear-drive machines...just couldn't attack the big drifts slow enough without riding the clutch...I had no problem.

If you have hills as I do you want 4wd and--my opinion, again--chains on all 4 wheels; and, turfs work best with chains (again, my opinion).

My 4330 (not too different than the 5030 mentioned) had no problems with 50 inches; rear-mounted and I've learned to sit side-saddle. If it's a rear-mount and you have a cab, I would think a rear wiper would be almost essential.

Nice to think about the snow with the temp around 100 F.