looking for snow pusher feedback for 35hp tractor

milkman636 · Dec 4, 2013

I am thinking about trying a snow pusher this winter. My current snow removal setup is a Bobcat CT335 HST with an 84" loader mounted blade w/hydraulic angling and a Land Pride RB3584 with skid shoes on the rear. The 335 has a single rear remote which angles the front blade through some long hoses.

The drive is basically U shaped and about 200' between curb cuts. At the bottom of the U on each side are parking areas (40x40ish) for the garage and barn. The drive also extends past the barn on one side for a little way and I'll park stuff behind the barn occasionally.

The angle blade is good for straight runs, but I think doing the parking areas around the garage and barn and bucking at the road ends would be faster with a push box. My thinking is that I could add a cylinder to the rear blade for doing the straight areas, then use the pusher for any areas that I want to buck into piles.

So how about it? anyone out there with a similar size tractor using a snow pusher? What size and how does it work?

mikehaugen · Dec 5, 2013

What about wings or some kind of removable sides for the plow? Maybe evan get fancy and make hydraulically-retractable wings? Sounds like a fun project and a very useful attachment to me.

milkman636 · Dec 5, 2013

mikehaugen said:
What about wings or some kind of removable sides for the plow? Maybe evan get fancy and make hydraulically-retractable wings? Sounds like a fun project and a very useful attachment to me.

If I had one of the 400 series with the bigger loader I'd consider adding more weight to the front blade. My front blade setup is already close to 600 lbs. and sticks out pretty far from the loader arms, plus I'd need another remote to operate the wings. That project sounds great but I'm afraid it would lead to a tractor upgrade. With a baby on the way in February I don't think I can go there right now, even though it may be the optimal solution.

I've seen some 6', 7', and 8' snow pushers priced reasonably. I am just looking for some feedback right now from other owners about sizing.

3238dpw · Dec 5, 2013

mikehaugen said:
What about wings or some kind of removable sides for the plow? Maybe evan get fancy and make hydraulically-retractable wings? Sounds like a fun project and a very useful attachment to me.

Like this HLA Snow

milkman636 · Dec 5, 2013

3238dpw said:
Like this HLA Snow

That's cool but the smallest model weighs 1300 lbs. I'm looking more at something like these HLA Snow as a possibility. All three models would weigh less than my current front blade setup, so push power just becomes the question?

milkman636 · Dec 8, 2013

Snow flakes in the air right now, just giving this a bump before I go out to put the front blade on the loader. I am starting to think snow pushers are less popular than I expected.

trwtow · Dec 9, 2013

haven't got a chance to try mine out yet

milkman636 · Dec 9, 2013

trwtow said:
haven't got a chance to try mine out yet

What brand/size did you get?

Thought it would be light and fluffy so I didn't plug the tractor in this AM. Oops, did my cement areas by hand this morning and it was heavier than I though and took about 45 minutes. About half way into the job I began to regret my decision.

trwtow · Dec 9, 2013

milkman636 said:
What brand/size did you get?

Thought it would be light and fluffy so I didn't plug the tractor in this AM. Oops, did my cement areas by hand this morning and it was heavier than I though and took about 45 minutes. About half way into the job I began to regret my decision.

6 foot frontier on my jd 2720 played with it tonite only one inch of snow but it sure moves it in a hurry

milkman636 · Dec 9, 2013

trwtow said:
6 foot frontier on my jd 2720 played with it tonite only one inch of snow but it sure moves it in a hurry

I figured it would be fast. Were you able to get a box full?

trwtow · Dec 9, 2013

milkman636 said:
I figured it would be fast. Were you able to get a box full?

nope just not enuff snow yet I do think it will be the way to go over a straight blade

milkman636 · Dec 9, 2013

trwtow said:
nope just not enuff snow yet I do think it will be the way to go over a straight blade

I'd appreciate you keeping me posted with your feedback when we get a more serious snow, the good and the bad (if there is any).

ff1221 · Dec 11, 2013

I do commercial snow removal and ran a 6' HLA 2500 series pusher for 3 years on a Massey 1648 and it worked great. I replaced that tractor with a John Deere 4320 this year with a front mount blower but have ordered the same pusher with a pin in 3ph hook up for the rear.

buickanddeere · Dec 11, 2013

A snowblower gets rid of the snow and works better. Pushing snow just makes berms that makes drifting in worse.

milkman636 · Dec 11, 2013

ff1221 said:
I do commercial snow removal and ran a 6' HLA 2500 series pusher for 3 years on a Massey 1648 and it worked great. I replaced that tractor with a John Deere 4320 this year with a front mount blower but have ordered the same pusher with a pin in 3ph hook up for the rear.

I've considered that exact model. Did you ever feel that it was undersized?

milkman636 · Dec 12, 2013

buickanddeere said:
A snowblower gets rid of the snow and works better. Pushing snow just makes berms that makes drifting in worse.

For a guy without a cab, and no control over the wind, pushing snow can be the better choice.

I've also damaged a snowblower in the past with a large piece of broken concrete that one of my kids probably left at the edge a parking area. The piece was large enough it wouldn't fit down the throat of the impeller, but the auger just picked it and shoved it into the impeller anyway before the shear pin broke. When I started back up after replacing the pin, the bent impeller was scrubbing the housing wall. I had just started clearing what had to be 8 or 10 inches of snow. It was a bad day. So I am not a snowblower guy.

ff1221 · Dec 12, 2013

milkman636 said:
I've considered that exact model. Did you ever feel that it was undersized?

If all you are doing is a long straight push it may have been slightly indersized, it could probably have been 7-8' btu with any cornering the 6' was just right, I was also running 48hp also so a little more umph behind it then what you have available.

milkman636 · Dec 13, 2013

ff1221 said:
If all you are doing is a long straight push it may have been slightly indersized, it could probably have been 7-8' btu with any cornering the 6' was just right, I was also running 48hp also so a little more umph behind it then what you have available.

My intention is to primarily push straight with it. I have some concerns of my own about turning anything more than gradually. What were your observations about how the tractor and box behave in cornering?

ff1221 · Dec 13, 2013

We use the pusher in float and it tends to take the weight off the front end causing the steering difficulties but it's as simple as taking it out of float in the corners and raising the pusher a bit to give the steers some weight back, just doesnt scrape as good. Our biggest problems were in hard corners but otherwise works well, and they'll carry a pile of snow.

milkman636 · Dec 13, 2013

ff1221 said:
We use the pusher in float and it tends to take the weight off the front end causing the steering difficulties but it's as simple as taking it out of float in the corners and raising the pusher a bit to give the steers some weight back, just doesnt scrape as good. Our biggest problems were in hard corners but otherwise works well, and they'll carry a pile of snow.

That sounds just like what I was expecting. Thanks, I appreciate your input. You've got me leaning toward a good six footer.