"My Ck4010 se with factory cab gets around with loaded R4s, and we had about 4x your 100” of snow last winter.
Not a lot of ice here, though." f1
My driveway is unpaved, and in bad shape. I can not run the mower from one end to the other without crash, thus it's over-grown, rubs the undercoating off my Honda Civic.
To prepare the driveway for the snowblower, first snow of the season instead of the blower, driving backward, I angle the bucket (FEL) chin up, bucket on float, and mash the snow down in forward, to a surface the blower can slide on. It's not a panacea. The LP delivery guy goes nuts, needs crampons to haul the delivery hose up to the submarine. The delivery hose is on a spring-loaded spool.
R4's may the most fabulous thing since sliced bread. I simply do not know. But it's a very expensive experiment if it doesn't work. Turfs work FABULOUSLY, on the driveway, on the road, on ice & snow, and believe it or not, even on turf !
"I can't figure out why someone would want to trade one of those good old Fords for a new just about anything.... unless you just want to try something different." rS #15
It is 100% NOT " just want to try something different. "
A tractor is a tool.
I've been allowing myself to be snowed in, sometimes for weeks at a time. I'm 65, retired, and have already had to go to the hospital once on emergency basis. I've learned how to store enough food at home so I won't run out of that. But I'm still snowed in! DANGEROUS !!
I love my Ford 1520, BUT !! It's not easy to start below freezing, and gymnastics are required to prevent the NO OIL PRESSURE idiot light from staying on for half a minute before things loosen up in there, & the light goes out.
I don't like the raw diesel mist that leaves my clothes smelling like a tractor. Can't be good to breathe.
BUT !! Worst of all, getting snow blow-back in the face. I want to put a permanent stop to that !! And the solution only costs $30,000.oo
What a frick in $bargain ! ! !
If you don't understand, you've never gotten snow in the face like that. It's not only unpleasant / painful. It's permanently disfiguring, AND EASILY PREVENTABLE !! It has absolutely nothing at all to do with ... "just want to try something different."
I'm already too old to run that tractor at 5 Fahrenheit, and I'm not getting any younger. My parents each lived into their 80's. So if I'm going to buy a new tractor, I might as well have benefit of it for my last 15 years, instead of only my last 3.
It's about the same amount of $money, but it's 500% of the benefit.
AND FINALLY !! This is a Tier #3, no re-gen !! That may mean absolutely nothing to you, or to guys that run TFO 8 hours a day. For 12 years, I've been running my 1520 at or near idle during 3 seasons. It saves an ENORMOUS amount of fuel. And that's a big deal, because I fuel it from a 5 gallon jug, which requires ridiculous gymnastics, and significant muscle strength & coordination. I don't like spilling diesel fuel, I've got a ground-water well. But I may only run it for a few minutes, and that plays havoc w/ Tier #4.
Because of my "gentleman farmer" tractor use pattern, New Holland tells me their Boomer may simply shut down, requiring $$expensive remedy, because theirs is Tier #4. That is 100% unacceptable. And I don't know if Tier #3 will be available much longer. Best to strike while the iron's hot! This is my chance. I'll make the salesman an offer next week.
