Snow Snow removal: bucket, blower, plow?

[grsthegreat]

had 12" snowfall last night. got up at 3am to clear my place and 5 other houses before i head off to work.

 

[Peter 315]

Good for you you can keep the snow . Its 55 here now rain on its way

 

[blackrams]

View attachment 535403:laughing:

OK, I'll admit to never operating anything set up like above photo but, I have to question if the operator can actually see what the heck he/she is doing up front? Doesn't seem too safe to me.

All I use is a walk behind snow blower for sidewalks and a blade on the front of my tractor for my and my neighbors driveways. Have considered a front mounted snow blower for the front but, I just can't justify it with the limited amount of snow we get in central KY. YMMV.

Rams :drink:

 

[Peter 315]

OK, I'll admit to never operating anything set up like above photo but, I have to question if the operator can actually see what the heck he/she is doing up front? Doesn't seem too safe to me.

All I use is a walk behind snow blower for sidewals and a blade on the front of my tractor for my and my neighbors driveways. Have considered a front mounted snow blower for the front but, I just can't justify it with the limited amount of snow we get in central KY. YMMV.

Rams :drink:

Its at a dealer. I think they left it like that to keep it all together

 

[blackrams]

Its at a dealer. I think they left it like that to keep it all together

Yeah, I get that but................. I don't see it as a safe and viable option to do the job. I suppose it depends on how much snow one gets. If I got that much snow, it's time to move. Snow is a four letter word ya know.

Rams

 

[Peter 315]

Yeah, I get that but................. I don't see it as a safe and viable option to do the job. I suppose it depends on how much snow one gets. If I got that much snow, it's time to move. Snow is a four letter word ya know.

Rams

I don't think anybody would try it like that but you never know:laughing:

 

[majorwager]

Ray_66v,
Not sure how much backhoe experience you have? I have a ten ft Long brand 3 point backhoe also with fabricated frame mount adapter on my IHC 484. Frequently remove front bucket in tight spaces, there are no issues with front end lifting in the air. I dont push snow with it anymore using 6 ft bucket because it is a 2WD tractor. Even W/O the bucket, the FEL is adequate balance. If hoe attactment is within 3 point rating, tractor should be in balance with FEL attached. Also had a dedicated TLB with FEL, IHC 2400B 2WD and it was a. beast in snow but a very heavy machine. So feel free to relax. The Long hoe was private label, made by koyker in the Dakotas. Long tractors were manufactured in eastern Europe.

 

[zzvyb6]

Back on the original subject: I have all 3 options available to me. My JD 1070 4x4 has a front mounted Western truck snow plow. I extended arms from the frame and attach the plow A-frame to them. Loader hydraulics does up AND down plus swing left and right. Bar tires plus 6 extra suitcase weights up front on the weight bar helps steering. Loaded rear tires. I can run in high gear anywhere. Once the snow starts getting deep, I go out and start the removal. Very basic operation, simple install and removal. My neck and back feel fine.

I also have a JD F-935 now equipped with a front mounted 47" shaft drive 2 stage blower. ( had to add the PTO reverser to get the proper input direction to the 47 without buying a new gearbox and prop shaft).

Plus the loader. The plow is easiest, fastest and best use of fuel and time. The blower is the most 'fun' because you can place the discharged snow just about anywhere. A little longer time to remove the 72" mower and hook up the blower compared to dropping off the loader to put the plow on.

Tried the bucket once as a snow pusher, just too much tractoring to clear the driveway. So. my vote is the plow. It's more difficult to do close-in spaces and sidewalks, etc. The blower does better there. But, to save, time, fuel and body heat, it's the best system for me for the 3 -4 very large snows we can get all winter. Plus I've been known to do the whole road once I get into top gear. The blower is 1/2 the width of the plow so it takes 3 runs to clear the driveway with a wasted 4th dry run. Just down and back with the plow.

 

[Peter 315]

I would go with the truck plow set up. It will be faster and you can still push the snow banks back.

 

[LD48750]

Around here the state & county both use plows to clear the roads.
I use a truck mounted plow because my tractor is "open station" & I'm too old to play in the snow.
On nice sunny non-windy days I get out the tractor with front & rear plows & clean up & tweek (play) drives, road & parking areas.

Have always thought a blower would be "fun" but never thought we get enough snow to justify one.

Plow truck never leaves the property & earns it's keep in the off seasons hauling wood, pulling stumps, & whatever needs doing.

 

[ray66v]

Ray_66v,
Not sure how much backhoe experience you have? I have a ten ft Long brand 3 point backhoe also with fabricated frame mount adapter on my IHC 484. Frequently remove front bucket in tight spaces, there are no issues with front end lifting in the air. I dont push snow with it anymore using 6 ft bucket because it is a 2WD tractor. Even W/O the bucket, the FEL is adequate balance. If hoe attactment is within 3 point rating, tractor should be in balance with FEL attached. Also had a dedicated TLB with FEL, IHC 2400B 2WD and it was a. beast in snow but a very heavy machine. So feel free to relax. The Long hoe was private label, made by koyker in the Dakotas. Long tractors were manufactured in eastern Europe.

Not sure how much subcompact backhoe experience you have. But, they are very light tractors. And, when you hang hundreds of pounds on one end, it takes all the weight off the other.

 

[majorwager]

Ray 66v

Not sure where this is going. Point made was that the weight of the backhoe implement must be within capacity of three point linkage even with a subframe mount. Also since the backhoe would be used primarily for ballast, doing winter snow removal, an offsetting
Tool or implement would be front mounted. A FEL with bucket or blade or blade alone with subframe mount to raise and lower. The backhoe should then be in balance with the tractor as a unit. If the point is to castigate tractor owners in that catagory, it appears you battle will be entirely uphill.

 

[ray66v]

Ray 66v

Not sure where this is going. Point made was that the weight of the backhoe implement must be within capacity of three point linkage even with a subframe mount. Also since the backhoe would be used primarily for ballast, doing winter snow removal, an offsetting
Tool or implement would be front mounted. A FEL with bucket or blade or blade alone with subframe mount to raise and lower. The backhoe should then be in balance with the tractor as a unit. If the point is to castigate tractor owners in that catagory, it appears you battle will be entirely uphill.

Not sure where you are going. Did you read and understand this thread before commenting?

The problem was stated by others, that with a snow blower, the backhoe makes the front of the tractor too light. Especially up hill. The tractor is out of balance, and hard to steer.

I stated that the problem there is, because the majority of the weight of the snowblower is on the ground when it is being used, that leaves all the weight at the back.

I am not trying to castigate tractor owners in this category, especially since I am one, who as I also mentioned, uses the backhoe for ballast when plowing snow.

 

[majorwager]

Ray66v,

Even with the snow blower on the drive surface, and if there is ability to suspend the front implement in a float position, the front end would still lift the blower in the case you describe. At that point the hoe is counter balanced unless the hoe is not mateced to the tractor. If you read what I stated, the hoe attachment must be rated for the weight capacity of the 3point hithch, without regard for the use of a subframe mount. Is the blower attached to the FEL or mounted on a subframe, driven from the mid PTO. ?

 

[ray66v]

Ray66v,

Even with the snow blower on the drive surface, and if there is ability to suspend the front implement in a float position, the front end would still lift the blower in the case you describe. At that point the hoe is counter balanced unless the hoe is not mateced to the tractor. If you read what I stated, the hoe attachment must be rated for the weight capacity of the 3point hithch, without regard for the use of a subframe mount. Is the blower attached to the FEL or mounted on a subframe, driven from the mid PTO. ?

The B/H is factory. It's frame mounted, designed, and made especially for the tractor.

People who have tried running the blower, or the frame mounted plow, with the B/H on, have reported issues.

Feel free to tell them they are wrong.

As I said, I run a loader mounted plow. I don't have that problem.

 

[PILOON]

Off topic... is that a tri-pacer?

Tripacer is a Piper PA22 aircraft.
Fabric covered over tubular frame. Lycoming powered generally as a 4 place aircraft but some versions were 2 place trainer A/C with lower power.
Was Cessna's competition to the C 172.