Tips for using my Kubota 2250 in the winter

[RoyJackson]

Loaded turf tires and no hills-you can most likely get by without chains,all though they would help for pushing snow.Good Luck and welcome!

I agree...turfs do quite well without chains. You do want adequate ballast on the 3PH though. I think I'd try one season without chains and see how you do.
However, if you do want chains, 4-link ladder chains would be the lowest cost option and with no hills, they'll do well...bit of a bumpy ride on a hard surface though.
As far as the cab...my Deere is an open station and I dress for the work. With me, that's a good hat, warm socks and heavy gloves. Since I'm basically retired, I take a break when I get too cold (not often unless it's a bitter wind).
Can't offer any advice on the bucket...but it's got to be nuts and bolts holding it to the loader frame.

 

[RoyJackson]

Loaded turf tires and no hills-you can most likely get by without chains,all though they would help for pushing snow.Good Luck and welcome!

I agree...turfs do quite well without chains. You do want adequate ballast on the 3PH though. I think I'd try one season without chains and see how you do.
However, if you do want chains, 4-link ladder chains would be the lowest cost option and with no hills, they'll do well...bit of a bumpy ride on a hard surface though.
As far as the cab...my Deere is an open station and I dress for the work. With me, that's a good hat, warm socks and heavy gloves. Since I'm basically retired, I take a break when I get too cold (not often unless it's a bitter wind).
Can't offer any advice on the bucket...but it's got to be nuts and bolts holding it to the loader frame.

Had first opportunity to drive tractor in the show, and yeah, those turf tires are much better in the snow than tractors I've driven in the past. I think for now it will work. If I end up using it for plowing, and have trouble steering I'd probably start with a front set of chains.

CM

Learn to use your split brakes. A jab on a brake helps keep the tractor straight when plowing. A steady push on the brake (for the direction you want to turn) definitely helps it turn at a bend in the road or drive.
It does take a bit of practice to use those split brakes effectively though...

 

[Colonel Monk]

I agree...turfs do quite well without chains. You do want adequate ballast on the 3PH though. I think I'd try one season without chains and see how you do.
However, if you do want chains, 4-link ladder chains would be the lowest cost option and with no hills, they'll do well...bit of a bumpy ride on a hard surface though.
As far as the cab...my Deere is an open station and I dress for the work. With me, that's a good hat, warm socks and heavy gloves. Since I'm basically retired, I take a break when I get too cold (not often unless it's a bitter wind).
Can't offer any advice on the bucket...but it's got to be nuts and bolts holding it to the loader frame.



Learn to use your split brakes. A jab on a brake helps keep the tractor straight when plowing. A steady push on the brake (for the direction you want to turn) definitely helps it turn at a bend in the road or drive.
It does take a bit of practice to use those split brakes effectively though...

Thanks for the split brake tip! I will definitely try that out.

For now, rear ballast is the box blade. It's a pretty heavy one from what I can tell, heavier than the rotating blades I've seen.... Could load it with weight if necessary, concrete blocks or sandbags or something...

 

[chim]

We can't count on having any certain amount of snow here. Most times it isn't all that much, but we've had blizzards. Our main driveway is about 100 yards long, and I do driveways for nearby neighbors. For the first 20-some years after we built I "sucked it up" and dressed as warm/dry as I could. Finally got tired of that approach and built a cab last year.

Lights are wonderful things. For many years I got by just fine with the Walmart or TSC $14.95 55 watt floods. Recently I switched to LED's They have worked better for mowing at night, but they haven't been used in the snow so far. I'd imagine they will be fine. I've had some lights over the years that have been marginal for mowing but gave plenty of light for plowing.

Some guys have reported success with turfs on their 4WD tractors. My only experience with turfs was on a 2WD tractor. With chains on the rears it was almost like 4WD. Without chains it could barely move in the snow.

 

[Colonel Monk]

We can't count on having any certain amount of snow here. Most times it isn't all that much, but we've had blizzards. Our main driveway is about 100 yards long, and I do driveways for nearby neighbors. For the first 20-some years after we built I "sucked it up" and dressed as warm/dry as I could. Finally got tired of that approach and built a cab last year.

Lights are wonderful things. For many years I got by just fine with the Walmart or TSC $14.95 55 watt floods. Recently I switched to LED's They have worked better for mowing at night, but they haven't been used in the snow so far. I'd imagine they will be fine. I've had some lights over the years that have been marginal for mowing but gave plenty of light for plowing.

Some guys have reported success with turfs on their 4WD tractors. My only experience with turfs was on a 2WD tractor. With chains on the rears it was almost like 4WD. Without chains it could barely move in the snow.

We certainly do have quite a bit of lake effect here, blizzards are not uncommon. I haven't lived here for many years, but I know from watching the weather and talking to family that compared to the "good old days" it hasn't been as brutal as in years past. The jet stream has changed, and as such our area is not getting raked with as much lake effect as it once did. Seems that the heavy stuff is actually hitting further south these days.

Haven't found a job here yet. I was looking at those CREE LED lamps on Ebay, and as a big fan of LED lighting, I can tell ya CREE is the best. IF you look at their reflector design, you can see that's where all the power comes from with LED is in focusing the light. I have a few 55W lights already, and that's where I'd be mounting them on the tractor for now, since I already have them.

I think it would be fun to have the plow on the tractor, but it will be colder, that's for sure... Also, it barely fits in our workshop as is, so with the plow on it, it won't fit. We have plans to build a shed to house the tractor in but that would not be completed until summer earliest.

I noticed that it was easy to get the rears spinning in 2wd but took right off with no wheel spin.

 

[GPintheMitten]

With 4wd and turfs, I would try it one season without chains. I've done it very effectively in the past. Yes, use the box blade for ballast. I don't think you will need any more rear ballast than that for snow removal. If you find a decent used 3pt back blade, the combination of fel and back blade is a pretty good snow removal set up. But you could also get use out of the box blade. With a 30 amp alternator, I would use your existing spots from the Jeep. One advantage they will provide is the heat generated from the bulbs will keep them clear of snow and ice. The fact that you have a snow plow on the Jeep, I would plan on modifying it to go on the fel, but I would personally wait until warm weather to do the fab work. Using the tractor this year asis will help you decide how much more to invest in for next season. I cleared snow for years on various tractors without a cab. Dress warm and you can do it. Then maybe next summer you can consider making or getting a cab.

Enjoy your new to you tractor.