Is this going to work?

[Catfish Man]

Just a thought here...would you have to add chains to all four wheels to keep the rolling diameter the same so the front axle gears don't get chewed up? The front and rear tire diameters are set up so the front actually pulls the back by a few percent. When I plowed a lot I kept chains on all four wheels of the pickup for that reason and plowed as much in 2WD as possible. I'll add that my truck never left the snow of the farm.
One other thought I already mentioned is to try to find someone with the exact setup you have to see how it works for them. When I lived in big snow country, it was all about HP and lots of guys didn't have enough. You will likely have warmer and wetter snow and that will handle differently than cold and fluffy. Just my two cents here.

all the dealers are telling me only to run chains on the back because of warranty, they don't want to load the front tires either. After the warranty is out I will re-evaluate whether I need them or not.

 

[JoeL4330]

Different part of WV here, but long, long, steep, steep driveway. No problem for my L4330 and 7' blower (rear)...loaded galaxy turfs and chains on all 4 wheels (for ice, mainly)...I believe the key is hydrostatic drive so even if nominally underpowered, you can attack big, hard drifts slowly, slowly. Anything with a clutch and be prepared to replace it if you are underpowered (as you will be, it sounds like)...My second piece of advice is poor man's cab: get a canopy (large and removable) and throw a $100 golf cart cover over it ...a little duct tape here, a bungee there, and your are good to go, and so easy to remove when you want your open-station back.

And, a plugged-in block heater ensures the tractor is ready to go when you are (and, I have a trickle-charger on the same plug).

As for novices driving backward, at the speeds you will go, no sweat ...and, younger necks are less aggravated by looking backward ...as for little driving experience, the less frontward driving experience you have, the better: fewer bad habits to unlearn when going backward ...less is better, here, (IMHO). And, with hydro, any backing error is ever so easy to correct (assuming 4-wheel chains).

One other thing I would do, as a favor to my alternate drivers, is to put in reflective wands (before the snow flies) along the side to mark the driveway, especially at any zig-zags ...flat white expanse of snow can be very confusing...and, if you are only blowing, not plowing, you can set the wands in tight.

if you are contemplating any night-time plowing, work lights front- and rear-facing are pretty essential ...but, while it's generally advised that you "plow with the storm", I don't think that applies to blowing. The next day is almost always bright, and sunny.

Finally, learn to relax if it takes an extra day to get out. This is supposed to be fun!

 

[Catfish Man]

I would really like to go with a 84" rear mount blower so I can get a higher hp tractor for about the same price.

But the wife is adamant about the front mount. The boys won't be living at home much longer, so a lot of the snow removal will fall on her.

 

[aczlan]

I would really like to go with a 84" rear mount blower so I can get a higher hp tractor for about the same price.
But the wife is adamant about the front mount. The boys won't be living at home much longer, so a lot of the snow removal will fall on her.

Has she seen a rear mount pull type blower? Something like: SNOW BLOWER Rear Pull - Tractor 3 PT Hitch Mt - 7.5 Ft | eBay
That would allow you to blow going forward without the limitations of a front blower. You could even put a loader on the front to help with big snowbanks.
Another option would be a Lorenz or Erskine front mount kit.

Aaron Z

 

[tcreeley]

Listen to your wife re front snow blowing if you are expecting her to clear snow. Get a cab and heater. She'll be out there for hours and freezing. You just can't keep that warm on an open tractor because you can't move around enough to warm up and stay warm like when you work outside. Hydo sucks hp -8hp drop I've heard. Buy bigger. Loaded ag tire. Expect her to get stuck. People always find a way. Plan out your strategy before hand!
Good luck. The wind can easily catch blown snow and bring it back across your face, cutting visibility and alertness.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Catfish Man,

You said you were new to snow country, so what are you doing this winter for snow removal?

 

[Catfish Man]

I had a deal with a guy to keep it cleared, but it hasn't worked out to good. He has health problems.

Luckily it has been a very mild winter.

 

[RFB]

I plow and blow over 2 miles of road at 3500 to 4500 elevation with multiple clearing passes, sometimes 12 hours worth in a day.

My experience:

HST only for blowing. It is capable of infinite speed variations while maintaining full pto rpm without slipping a clutch. Full pto rpm is crucial to avoid chute clogging; always spool up before attack, and spool down only when fully clear of snow.

MFWD/4wd, loaded R1's, H chains on all four if on ice.

You will not stay warm on an open cab while blowing; if your wife is going to be the majority shareholder for the duty, spring for the cab. She will love it regardless of the extra $$.

I use a B3000HSDCC with a front blower and rear blade for light duty around the ranch. I use a GL5740HSTC with a 7.5 power angle FEL front blade and a 7' Loftness rear blower for road clearing. Your wife wants the front blower; that makes that mandatory.

Power, traction, and comfort. You wife will be better able to perform the task if her comfort level is optimized.

 

[Hollow]

Have you considered a front 3pt?

http://mkmartin.ca/products/front_mount.php

Beaver Valley Supply Company - MK-Martin 3 Pt. Front Mount Kit & Snow Blades

Zuidberg also makes them, they're a little more expensive but the front PTO is independent from the rear.

http://www.frontlinkinc.com/

 

[aczlan]

Have you considered a front 3pt?
Beaver Valley Supply Company - MK-Martin 3 Pt. Front Mount Kit & Snow Blades

The downside to that kit is that it requires a mid PTO. The ones I linked earlier work off the rear PTO which would widen the selection of tractors that will work.
Having a front 3 point and PTO could make bush-hogging interesting in the summer and could allow you to get a sweeper or other such fun implements to put on the front.

Aaron Z

 

[Hollow]

The Zuidberg gets its power straight from the engine and has it's own clutch, completely independent.

 

[Catfish Man]

OK maybe I'm missing something here, I don't see a need to re-invent the wheel.

The eskerine front mount blowers look awkward to me, they are more expensive than the kubota blowers, and they tie up the rear pto. It makes much more sense to me to leave the rear pto open for a spreader.

I haven't priced the 3 point front mount blowers that were linked here, but I don't see the point. The kubota's i'm looking at already have mid pto and a good mounting system for the front mount blower, sweeper, blade etc.

I guess some folks are trying to push me in the direction of other tractor brands. I'm past that at this point, I have talked to every dealer around, and I get more tractor with more features, for X amount of dollars with kubota than any other brand within driving distance of me. Why would I want to piece together something else? Another concern of mine is I don't want to get stuck with something where parts are hard to come by, must be ordered from the internet etc etc.

I'm not trying to knock anybody's choices and as I said, maybe I'm missing something. But if you throw this stuff at me, you are gonna have to explain how it will save me time or money over the kubota system.

 

[aczlan]

OK maybe I'm missing something here, I don't see a need to re-invent the wheel.
The eskerine front mount blowers look awkward to me, they are more expensive than the kubota blowers, and they tie up the rear pto. It makes much more sense to me to leave the rear pto open for a spreader.
I haven't priced the 3 point front mount blowers that were linked here, but I don't see the point. The kubota's i'm looking at already have mid pto and a good mounting system for the front mount blower, sweeper, blade etc.

If the ones you are looking at have a mid PTO, go for it. The reasons I pointed out the other systems are:
1. You could get a wider blower (6' wouldn't clear the track width on our L3830, not sure how it will on a L42xx and you will want to have some way to clear past the wheels)
2. You aren't restricted to models that have a mid PTO.
3. I wasn't sure of the pricing of one system vs the other
If the Kubota system will work for your needs, by all means go for it.

Aaron Z

 

[Hollow]

I guess some folks are trying to push me in the direction of other tractor brands. I'm past that at this point, I have talked to every dealer around, and I get more tractor with more features, for X amount of dollars with kubota than any other brand within driving distance of me. Why would I want to piece together something else? Another concern of mine is I don't want to get stuck with something where parts are hard to come by, must be ordered from the internet etc etc.

I don't think anyone (or at least not any of the posts I've read) is trying to push you into a different brand, Kubota makes as good of tractor as anything on the market. The biggest concern I would have with the Kubota your looking at is the size, that's a long driveway and a small tractor. Sure it can clear it but if your in a hurry to get to work our your children to school and have to clear the drive before you can leave???

The reason I posted what I did was to show you some options that you might not realize are out there for you. I thought you were here to get other people's opinions, am I missing something? For instance, with the Zuidberg you can mount any 3pt attachment you have for the rear on the front; blowers, shredders, scraper blades, pallet forks, spreaders, PTO generators... I've even seen someone (all be it a large tractor) put a turning plow on the front and a disc on the rear and was doing two jobs at the same time. You said you would be taking it in the woods so I might assume you hunt? If so and you plant food plots you could put a disc on the rear and a spreader on the front and knock out your planting in one pass instead of having to return home to swap out implements...

 

[dstig1]

The thing you are running into here is that everything has compromises. For example: A mid PTO driven blower does not have the same flexibility of one mounted on the FEL and driven off a PTO pump, like some of the Erskines. But they are a lot cheaper than the FEL ones as they are simpler.

People are giving you options and choices. What you choose depends on your needs and pocketbook, and the tradeoffs you are willing to make. There are ALWAYS tradeoffs...you just need to pick the ones that are the least disruptive to the way you will use it (or think you will use it).

Mid-PTO dirve blower with added wings should cover the width, and that should work OK, IMHO. I don't think the L4240 is undersized, but bigger is always nicer for big tasks. I think you are in the right zone now, vs the B-series you started with.

 

[Hollow]

I don't think the L4240 is undersized, but bigger is always nicer for big tasks. I think you are in the right zone now, vs the B-series you started with.

I didn't see the post about the L4240, that should work much better. :thumbsup:

 

[RFB]

Since the L4240 is in view, what would it hurt to look at a GL5740? The xx40 series is pretty close in price, but the extra HP can make a big difference. Also take your wife and let her ride/drive the a GL5740HSTC (cab). She might make the decision for you

At least examine it for the cost and attribute comparison.

 

[crazyal]

I have the Ag tires set to the wide position and the 6' blower width is only a problem on some of the sharper corners. Even then it's not hard to clean up any snow that the inside tire pulls int to drive. With HST backing up is real easy. I had thought about adding wings but it really wasn't worth the work to me.

Now that I've had the blower for 2 years I'm finding that I don't really want larger. My driveway is about 10' wide in most places. That's one pass down and one pass back up and done. A 7' blower is not going to speed you up since you most likely have to make the first pass at a slightly slower speed since you'll have more snow going into it. Then on your way back up you'll have less so you may be able to go a little faster. The places where I park that are wider only take a minute or two.

I haven't loaded my tires yet but it's a must do. I have a 55 gallon drum full of cement for the 3pt hitch. Without it you can quickly get into trouble if you're not in 4wd. The weight of the fel or blower when up going down the hills will take the weight off the back tires and you'll find your rear tires sliding as you pick up speed. It's not an issue for me, just quickly go into 4wd but for a wife or kids, they may not think fast enough.

A cab would be nice but cabs and woods don't mix well so I opted to go open station. Sometimes I just wear a hat, sometimes a hat with ski goggles (not too often), and on rare occasions I wear a snow machine helmet. I have a set of military issue gortex pants and jacket that the snow doesn't stick to. But the thing I have found with the snow blower is it can handle pretty much everything mother nature throws at it so I can wait until the next day to clear the drive, usually by then the wind has stopped blowing.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Asking advice about purchases on the Internet is like going into a store to buy a simple product and ending up buying the deluxe product. I remember once asking about buying a simple video camera for taking family snapshots while scuba diving. I think it ended up with recommending $15,000 setups that would be good for taking high definition movies on the Discovery Channel. Many of the people have given you good ideas but they are all over the place and to be honest, I would be confused as to what to do.

I'll repeat my credentials for giving advice since I don't find snowblowing advice from people from the south to be particularly credible. I've been snowblowing for 30 years and we get 10 to 30 feet a year, so I think I understand what is needed for snowblowing.

In looking at your original post, I think your original idea is just fine. If you came up with that configuration on your own, you obviously know what you are doing. I suggest you go with that tractor if it is still available. It is certainly within your budget since you suggested it and it will do a fine job on your driveway. It may take a little more time than a bigger high-powered machine.

I look at snowblowing a little differently than you do, perhaps. I enjoy getting out and snowblowing even when the weather is horrible. Like many others here, I truly suggest that you get a cab or a tractor built with a cab. With a cab snowblowing is fun, without a cab snowblowing is not fun. I have done it both ways. Your wife might look forward to snowblowing with a cab. Without it, it will be a task that she probably will dread. I don't think you will find one person who has ever snowblowed, who would tell you that they wouldn't want to have a cab where they can stay warm and dry.

Many of the people have given you good ideas but they are all over the place and to be honest, I would be confused as to what to do. Go with your original plan because it was a sound one

http://youtu.be/4HVU21qLUV4

 

[Catfish Man]

I have the Ag tires set to the wide position and the 6' blower width is only a problem on some of the sharper corners. Even then it's not hard to clean up any snow that the inside tire pulls int to drive. With HST backing up is real easy. I had thought about adding wings but it really wasn't worth the work to me.

Now that I've had the blower for 2 years I'm finding that I don't really want larger. My driveway is about 10' wide in most places. That's one pass down and one pass back up and done. A 7' blower is not going to speed you up since you most likely have to make the first pass at a slightly slower speed since you'll have more snow going into it. Then on your way back up you'll have less so you may be able to go a little faster. The places where I park that are wider only take a minute or two.

I haven't loaded my tires yet but it's a must do. I have a 55 gallon drum full of cement for the 3pt hitch. Without it you can quickly get into trouble if you're not in 4wd. The weight of the fel or blower when up going down the hills will take the weight off the back tires and you'll find your rear tires sliding as you pick up speed. It's not an issue for me, just quickly go into 4wd but for a wife or kids, they may not think fast enough.

A cab would be nice but cabs and woods don't mix well so I opted to go open station. Sometimes I just wear a hat, sometimes a hat with ski goggles (not too often), and on rare occasions I wear a snow machine helmet. I have a set of military issue gortex pants and jacket that the snow doesn't stick to. But the thing I have found with the snow blower is it can handle pretty much everything mother nature throws at it so I can wait until the next day to clear the drive, usually by then the wind has stopped blowing.

it's good to hear from somebody that has the exact same setup that i'm looking at,

for where we live, in the winter I think the tractor will probably stay in 4 wheel drive