First time plowing the driveway with tractor, had the Snow Edge mounted on bucket.

[GeneV]

First, the rachet rake's snow edge. Overall impression, it did what it was designed for, let me plow snow with my bucket without scratching up the blacktop. I watched the one video they have on youtube for some pointers, and did the same thing they were doing with it...curled the bucket down and more or less pushed the snow along to it's final destination. Also back dragged snow here and there. Plowing with a bucket obviously leaves windrows you gotta come back for, but probably my unrefined technique didn't help that either.

A few takeaways I got from first time plowing with the tractor itself:

1. R4 tires are totally fine for the task if you have 4wd. I read all sorts of pov's about this topic, how r4's suck in snow, you gotta chain them up if you're not rolling on turfs, you need ballast, yadda yadda. You know what, nope, none of that. Did I fishtail in the front a little when the bucket was loaded? Yes. Did the same happen to me before with turfs on my gt when I plowed with it? Yes. So there you go. Also, I got a side drive that slopes down at a steep angle, which I was never able to plow before with my 2wd garden tractor on r3's, because I was not able to drive back up the driveway. With this tractor on r4's in 4wd, I plowed that side drive, and drove right back up no problem at all. Huge win for me coz that side driveway is handy, but before I wasn't able to use it when it snows.

2. You DON'T need rear ballast (at least the way I was using the snow edge with bucket curled down), if anything quite the opposite. Again, after reading various posts on tbn and elsewhere, I was thinking I'd be hurting without a ballast box or something of the sort. Well here's the thing, like I said up there in point 1, I'd occasionally fishtail up front when the bucket got too full. So let's say I had extra weight handing off my tail, would that help with the front fishtailing, or increase it? I'd say increase it.

 

[seville009]

regarding chains and ballast, it all depends on what type of snow you’re plowing. A few inches of fluffy snow on non-icey pavement underneath isn’t a problem.

however, when you’re doing it in the middle of a Nor’easter or blizzard, i think you’ll find that you’ll be glad you have chains on.

 

[LouNY]

First, the rachet rake's snow edge. Overall impression, it did what it was designed for, let me plow snow with my bucket without scratching up the blacktop. I watched the one video they have on youtube for some pointers, and did the same thing they were doing with it...curled the bucket down and more or less pushed the snow along to it's final destination. Also back dragged snow here and there. Plowing with a bucket obviously leaves windrows you gotta come back for, but probably my unrefined technique didn't help that either.

A few takeaways I got from first time plowing with the tractor itself:

1. R4 tires are totally fine for the task if you have 4wd. I read all sorts of pov's about this topic, how r4's suck in snow, you gotta chain them up if you're not rolling on turfs, you need ballast, yadda yadda. You know what, nope, none of that. Did I fishtail in the front a little when the bucket was loaded? Yes. Did the same happen to me before with turfs on my gt when I plowed with it? Yes. So there you go. Also, I got a side drive that slopes down at a steep angle, which I was never able to plow before with my 2wd garden tractor on r3's, because I was not able to drive back up the driveway. With this tractor on r4's in 4wd, I plowed that side drive, and drove right back up no problem at all. Huge win for me coz that side driveway is handy, but before I wasn't able to use it when it snows.

2. You DON'T need rear ballast (at least the way I was using the snow edge with bucket curled down), if anything quite the opposite. Again, after reading various posts on tbn and elsewhere, I was thinking I'd be hurting without a ballast box or something of the sort. Well here's the thing, like I said up there in point 1, I'd occasionally fishtail up front when the bucket got too full. So let's say I had extra weight handing off my tail, would that help with the front fishtailing, or increase it? I'd say increase it.

YOU didn't need ballast or chains THIS time.
I hope that you can make a winter season without chains or ballast.
Of course if you were plowing with a two wheel drive garden tractor you have a fairly easy drive to plow.

 

[jbrumberg]

GeneV- I am happy to read that your first experience managing early season snow was a + event. I await future posted experiences of your snow management as Winter sets in.... Things can change...... Sometimes quickly.

 

[LD48750]

GeneV- I am happy to read that your first experience managing early season snow was a + event. I await future posted experiences of your snow management as Winter sets in.... Things can change...... Sometimes quickly.

As stated, he got by with a 2wd GT.
He will do fine. Until he doesn't then he'll do as he did last year.

 

[oosik]

Yes - it's good experience to be able to plow without chains/ballast. However - as winter progresses - don't take unnecessary chances.

 

[CobyRupert]

File under: "Works great until it doesn't."

Good luck!

p.s.: How does the front end fishtail? Just exactly what kind of fish are you talking about?

Are you saying the steering gets ineffective? This means weight is being lifted off front tires either by bucket lifting it (you're not in float) or you are in float and pushing forward against resistance (snow). In these cases the tractor has less traction (only 2 tires) so ballast weight on rear would increase rear traction.

Be careful pushing (or dragging) on front edge of bucket with bucket curled. The mechanical advantage of the bucket to bend the hydraulic curl cylinders when the force of a tractor is pushing on them is great.

 

[Rob in wny]

I'm also a new tractor owner, plowing for the 1st time. JD 4200 w/ fel, New turfs. I was pleasantly surprised how well it pushed heavy wet snow without chains or ballast. I do think some ballast would make it better. I'm planning on putting together a ballast box for use when picking up heavy loads.

 

[GeneV]

Are you saying the steering gets ineffective? This means weight is being lifted off front tires either by bucket lifting it (you're not in float) or you are in float and pushing forward against resistance (snow). In these cases the tractor has less traction (only 2 tires) so ballast weight on rear would increase rear traction.

Be careful pushing (or dragging) on front edge of bucket with bucket curled. The mechanical advantage of the bucket to bend the hydraulic curl cylinders when the force of a tractor is pushing on them is great.

It's a good point with the bucket curl, I am being careful there. My theory is since the snow edge adds a 3" ridge to the bottom lip, and that ridge is what takes the brunt of the snow buildup until it spills over into the bucket, NOT diving into the snow at a 20ish degree angle can be putting strain on the curl cylinders.

I think some loss of steering is really the drawback to the snow blade. because that ridge is constantly loading up with snow, it's forcing some snow buildup under the bucket, hence raising the front enough to loose some steering control. There's no loss of traction in the back tires, I'm not spinning out in back, hence adding ballast to the back won't help that. Adding ballast to front might, but I don't need it personally, I'm not worried about it. I gotta perfect my technique, but so far I notice a quick way to recover steering is to pop outta float and raise the bucket a little.

 

[GeneV]

As stated, he got by with a 2wd GT.
He will do fine. Until he doesn't then he'll do as he did last year.

Thank you! People, let's read more carefully, I've been plowing for years already, just not with a 4wd tractor. I've seen this snow and that snow, and this ice and that ice, and everything else.

 

[GeneV]

I'm also a new tractor owner, plowing for the 1st time. JD 4200 w/ fel, New turfs. I was pleasantly surprised how well it pushed heavy wet snow without chains or ballast. I do think some ballast would make it better. I'm planning on putting together a ballast box for use when picking up heavy loads.

See, what I'm thinking is, plowing with the bucket is a whole other animal compared to plowing with the bucket with the snow edge mounted, because the snow edge adds that 3" ridge to the bottom. I could see adding rear ballast would help plowing with the bucket as is.

 

[GeneV]

Here's a vid I made. I guess I had the bucket set at closer to a 45 deg angle.

 

[CobyRupert]

It's a good point with the bucket curl, I am being careful there. My theory is since the snow edge adds a 3" ridge to the bottom lip, and that ridge is what takes the brunt of the snow buildup until it spills over into the bucket, NOT diving into the snow at a 20ish degree angle can be putting strain on the curl cylinders.

Nice video!

It's likely pushing snow with bucket curled will never bend the curl cylinders. It's when the curled bucket hits a solid object with the full force and momentum of the tractor behind it that cylinders will bend.

 

[GeneV]

Guys, this is what I'm talking about, the 3" ridge added under the bucket lip, that's what's loading up with snow before it starts piling into the bucket, hence it alters the geometry of how force is applied to the bucket.

As far as nailing solid objects, well we all know our driveways and where to be careful. I wouldn't use a scut loader to plow somewhere unknown, whether with bucket or plow. It's too risky, if you ram something solid with the edge of your bucket or plow, you'll have bigger problems than bent cylinder rods...you may get bent loader arms to contend with.

 

[bridge4]

Nice video, driveway looked plenty slick to me. Obviously not ice yet, but was slushy and wet looking and you were cruising! With such a flat driveway I really don't see you having much issue w/ 4wd unless you get hit with a monster storm.

 

[DennisFolsom]

Nice video. This setup should work fine for you. I don't run chains on my JD4600 (bigger tractor), but I have filled rear tires and an 800 lb weight on the back. My drive is not as flat as yours, but not too bad a grade either. I do find that, under some conditions, I have trouble pushing uphill. I do almost all of my pushing downhilll, from my house toward the road. There certainly are times that chains would help, but I have been getting by without them for several years now.

 

[shovelmike]

I bought and installed a pair of Edge Savers for my loader bucket to help avoid tearing up my asphalt driveway as I clear snow this Winter, that asphalt work is too expensive.

 

[GeneV]

I know those edge savers work great on gravel driveways. How they working out for you? I had 2 issues with them on asphalt that kept me from getting them. First is, I was worried that they themselves would scratch up the asphalt. Second is their purpose, to keep the bucket slightly elevated above the gravel so that you don't gouge it out, leaving a little base of snow. No such concerns for asphalt or cement, you could scrape it down to clean with a plastic/rubber edge, so why not?

 

[GeneV]

Nice video. This setup should work fine for you. I don't run chains on my JD4600 (bigger tractor), but I have filled rear tires and an 800 lb weight on the back. My drive is not as flat as yours, but not too bad a grade either. I do find that, under some conditions, I have trouble pushing uphill. I do almost all of my pushing downhilll, from my house toward the road. There certainly are times that chains would help, but I have been getting by without them for several years now.

Yeh, same with me, I could plow down my sloped side drive, tough going plowing opposite way. But hey, at least I could now make it back up that side drive, I'll take that as victory!

 

[shovelmike]

I know those edge savers work great on gravel driveways. How they working out for you? I had 2 issues with them on asphalt that kept me from getting them. First is, I was worried that they themselves would scratch up the asphalt. Second is their purpose, to keep the bucket slightly elevated above the gravel so that you don't gouge it out, leaving a little base of snow. No such concerns for asphalt or cement, you could scrape it down to clean with a plastic/rubber edge, so why not?

We haven't had enough snow here yet for me to try them out, if it snows a lot I figure I can did out the drifts with the loader. Once you get down to less than an inch on the asphalt the he sun wars it enough to get rid of the rest pretty quick.
I will definitely be letting you all know how it works out. I also have a 6 ft 3 point mount blade.
I am certainly open to advice and guidance from those more experienced, I'm new to loaders.