Snow Equipment Buying/Pricing Heavy Snow load removal suggestions

[Snowman2764]

I live in northern New York on the Tug Hill Plateau on the end of Lake Ontario. We routinely get lake-effect snow bursts of 1 foot per hour of leaving us with 3 to 4 foot to deal with in the AM. I currently plow with an old F250 and a western plow. I have to plow 550 ft of paved driveway which has a large turnaround.

Can anyone suggest a tractor / loader / blower which can handle these conditions? I will also use this tractor to brush hog app. 15 acres and do small excavations.

 

[RobS]

I live on the eastern shore (region) of Lake Michigan so I know what you live with, though we don't get quite as much as you. For that much snow, I'd shop for a blower first. I've seen some "tall" blowers with two rows of augers. Assuming you can find something, then shop for a tractor to power it. If you can't find a double row blower, look for the tallest one you can find.

I don't have a blower, but try to keep up with it when I know we're getting hammered. It is interesting, for sure.

 

[driver444]

As far as the tractor, I'd look for a good deal on a used full size diesel ag-tractor. They're all over the place, and its the cheapest way to get the required horsepower to run one of those double auger blowers in 4 feet of snow. That absorbs ALOT of power.

 

[RayMunising]

Check out the 960-FM here:

Skid Steer Attachments - Erskine Attachments, Inc.

8 foot wide. 3 foot deep. It'll scare the snow out of your driveway!

 

[john_bud]

Look for a tractor with cab (and heat!) in the 90+ hp range. 2wd will be ok with chains and wheel weights. Auctions, dealers, craigslist, ebay even are places to look. Asking at the local feed mill may be helpful too as they sometimes have a for sale board. Try and get one under 5000 hours and if you would be smart to have a mechanic from a dealer check it over for you. Offer the mechanic 100 bucks cash money for an "after work job". You will be able to get a mower in the 10' to 15' range. Depends on the stuff you mow. Thicker, taller is narrower.

The double row blower would be ideal, but a single row with a board across the top would work too for those days you go over 3' of snow. Or you can just run it twice. The cost difference is not small.

jb

 

[PlumCrazy814]

I would also suggest 4WD in a tractor.

I had a 4WD 30 hp IH284 compact diesel with ag tires, a FEL, and a 7' drag blade that never got stuck. I also used it to mow grass and do small excavations. I wouldn't recommend that tractor now due to parts availability issues. It also only had a rear PTO.
My drive is about 150 ft long and averages 14 ft wide, unpaved.
Four foot snowfalls are rare here, but do happen. When the snow got deep, I would drive along plowing the top off with the FEL and dragging the blade. For up to about 2 ft snowfalls, I just used the blade. I kept the 7' blade to use on my JD2305 and am hoping for the best.

FEL is a pain in the butt to use to clear snow, but it does work. As others have stated, a front end snow blower is better from what I have seen if you have a paved drive.

If you are going to store it outside, you may want to invest in a high BTU kerosene bullet heater. I got water in the hydraulics in the IH that I could never seem to get out and it would freeze up. 1/2 hour blowing on it with a 110,000 BTU bullet heater unfroze it in the most severe weather.

 

[radioman]

Hi - I am familar with tug hill area as i used to go snowmobiling there. One of the best places to go since there is always enough snow. My folks live pretty close there too in the snowbelt area in CNY. To clear that much snow, with a kubota, i wouldnt go anything less then L series with a cab. Or you could go with MF 1500 series. My father has MF 1525 with FEL to clear snow in pennelleville area as they get alot of snow too. He also maintains 30 acres with the tractor bushoggin and finish mowing, cutting firewood as well. Good luck with tractor hunting.

 

[George2615]

I'm a little south of you and would suggest a 30-35 HP tractor / loader 4 WD and a front mount snowblower. I use a Mahindra 2615HST 4WD with industrial tires and had a 64" 3PT blower for my snow removal and it does a great job. The nice part about having a tractor with a loader is that by mid February when your truck has made 8 -10' high immovable snowbanks you can move them back with it. A snowblower would work great on a paved driveway blowing the snow back eliminating banks. I just sold my 3PT 64" PUMA snowblower to another member but only because I plow gravel driveways and shear pins don't get along with any loose gravel that gets into the augur. Check your local area for tractor dealers near you and shop around. Having a close dealer makes it nice for service and parts.

 

[kernal]

Last time I was accross 177 there was an old Massey with a cab and blower for sale. Near the deer farm. Looked as if the owner got a newer one.

The little 2305 and the front blower worked very good on the 2 1/2 foot that fell up there a couple weeks ago. Depending on how fast you want to clear the drive, and your budget, I'd be looking at a John Deere 3000 series, with a cab and front blower.

We have a 6 foot Smyth blower on the back of a Ford tractor and it works very well also.

 

[WayneB]

I live in northern New York on the Tug Hill Plateau on the end of Lake Ontario. We routinely get lake-effect snow bursts of 1 foot per hour of leaving us with 3 to 4 foot to deal with in the AM. I currently plow with an old F250 and a western plow. I have to plow 550 ft of paved driveway which has a large turnaround.

Can anyone suggest a tractor / loader / blower which can handle these conditions? I will also use this tractor to brush hog app. 15 acres and do small excavations.

Short of moving south (below Syracuse) I would suggest that you look at something like the Kubota Grand L 3400 or larger. Then add a front loading snowblower and get a rear blade for scraping. The cab enclosure is certainly nice and it is wonderful (so I am told) to blow snow wearing a tee shirt.

You could go with a rear mounted snowblower and a power angle front blade. During those less than six inch snow falls the front blade works great and is much faster than a rear blower.