Tips for Using the Bucket?

[vtsnowedin]

I went out today to clean up a bit since I had the day off. I played around a bunch with the FEL and found that angle of the bucket is very critical. If the bucket is flat or very close to level, I could float but it would sometimes push over the snow. I had better luck using a bit more extreme angle and working the height manually to maintain a fine balance between down pressure to scrape and front wheel traction. I did find back dragging worked pretty well. I could use a steep angle and float to do some reasonable scraping.

Safe to say the plow truck isn't going anywhere soon.

ac

Ayup keep the plow truck but keep the tractor handy and ready. You might not ever get it in NJ but in a bad winter your snowbanks can get higher then a truck can throw snow over the top and you get narrower and narrower each snowfall. Once the banks are about six feet high you need the tractor to buck it back six to ten feet to give the plow truck some room to put more snow. Also the tractor works great twitching a stuck plow truck back out of that place he shouldn't have gone into. All you need is two big storms back to back with some drifting winds between to find yourself with more snow than you know what to do with.

 

[avc8130]

Ayup keep the plow truck but keep the tractor handy and ready. You might not ever get it in NJ but in a bad winter your snowbanks can get higher then a truck can throw snow over the top and you get narrower and narrower each snowfall. Once the banks are about six feet high you need the tractor to buck it back six to ten feet to give the plow truck some room to put more snow. Also the tractor works great twitching a stuck plow truck back out of that place he shouldn't have gone into. All you need is two big storms back to back with some drifting winds between to find yourself with more snow than you know what to do with.

Hmm...well, trust me, ALL of that occurs in NJ. We had it 2 winters ago.

I am very adamant about pushing my banks FAR off into the lawn to keep the driveway wide for successive snow storms. One of my parking areas is fully surrounded by rock wall and the garage on 3/4 sides so the tractor always gets the duty of putting the piles up on the walls to get them out of the way.

You better believe the tractor isn't going anywhere either!

ac

 

[tractchores]

What range are you guys using for plowing? I use the middle range on my kubota or even high if its a light and fluffy snow. I find that I can really cruise around and move a lot of snow quickly doing that. My typical method is to float and adjust the FEL angle to get it to clear to bare pavement and then when I see the bucket get full I just angle off to the edge and dump and then backup and continue. When I get to the end I turn around and do it going the other way (usually using 3/4 of a bucket width so that snow doesn't fall out into the previously plowed area). It would be much faster with a conventional plow to push it to the side, but I find that I still make decent time doing it that way. Obviously for pushing snowbanks back and tight areas the tractor outshines the truck easily.

 

[avc8130]

What range are you guys using for plowing? I use the middle range on my kubota or even high if its a light and fluffy snow. I find that I can really cruise around and move a lot of snow quickly doing that. My typical method is to float and adjust the FEL angle to get it to clear to bare pavement and then when I see the bucket get full I just angle off to the edge and dump and then backup and continue. When I get to the end I turn around and do it going the other way (usually using 3/4 of a bucket width so that snow doesn't fall out into the previously plowed area). It would be much faster with a conventional plow to push it to the side, but I find that I still make decent time doing it that way. Obviously for pushing snowbanks back and tight areas the tractor outshines the truck easily.

I was using M. I seem to use that for just about everything.

 

[lilranch2001]

I have R4's and have yet to have the first issue, and I plow 1000 feet of north south driveway that has a west to east prevailing wind, we have not had any terrible winters in the 3 years I have had it, but I have had to break through 3-4 foot drifts with it.
The Bobcat and R4's dealt with the snow very effectively every time so far....
Knocking on wood.....

 

[lilranch2001]

ya know, I have been wondering after my last post......

So many people have so much problem with R4's traction and other people seem to have none.
I wonder if it is the rubber compound of the different tires that make the difference.

I know Bridgstone Duellers have a "grabby" compound on the outside of the tread, and as the tire wears down, the "grabbyness" seems to go away as the outside compound wears down

 

[avc8130]

ya know, I have been wondering after my last post......

So many people have so much problem with R4's traction and other people seem to have none.
I wonder if it is the rubber compound of the different tires that make the difference.

I know Bridgstone Duellers have a "grabby" compound on the outside of the tread, and as the tire wears down, the "grabbyness" seems to go away as the outside compound wears down

Another thing could be tire pressure. I'm going to feel like a jerk as I type this, but I can honestly say I haven't checked mine since I got the new machine ~2 weeks ago.

ac

 

[JD Bob]

I have a John Deere 300B loader tractor without a float position. The first year I tried plowing with it was a nightmare, it always "dug in" no matter how fast or slow I went. I tried every angle possible with FEL no luck. I remember an old timer always having a regular plow blade mounted inside his bucket of his backhoe. This helps in both creating a "float" position(by having bucket up a couple inches while weight of blade hangs down) and also Keeps the bucket from filling up. I mounted it with quick release pins so I can have the blade off in a minute, for the use of the loader. I also have a heavy box blade on the 3pt. Chain goes from top of loader bucket to "A" frame of plow, so when you need to "back-up" the piles the plow will go as high as your loader will. Works very nice...

 

[vtsnowedin]

One thing I noticed just yesterday. If you stand your bucket on it's edge to push snow forward you get a rumbling sound as it drags on the ground. Move forward and ease the loader up just until it stops rumbling and you can move 99% of the snow without dragging on the ground. Try it.

 

[Carl_NH]

I had better luck using a bit more extreme angle and working the height manually to maintain a fine balance between down pressure to scrape and front wheel traction.

ac

Yes this is essentially the method then raise and dump as needed - glad this is starting to work for you