Rear blade for snow removal

[leningrad]

6 foot. I have a Deere 4410. It came with a 84" and all id did was push the rear end of the tractor around. It depends of if you have weights as well. I had my AG tires filled and it would still push the tractor around.

I think it also depends on the shape of the blade. I know the one pictured above has the flat blade that is bent. This is the way some are made because it is cheaper and was how my 84" was. My landpride has a curved round blade and the snow rolls off it like a wave. Way better design and requires less power to push the snow and will throw it off to the side. That is based on my experience using both on the same tractor.

The other note, is make sure you can rotate the blade 180deg while on the tractor. There will be times you want to rotate the blade 180 and drive backwards. There have been other recent posts on here about not being able to do that with some bladed while on the tractor.

Is there any truth to curved vs flat and bent as to performance?

 

[radios1]

We have 60" and 72" ready to roll. Several 84" are in production, tacked and waiting for solid welds. If ordered this week, one could probably ship next week and be there the following week. That's my best "crystal ball" estimate!
Travis

doesn't it make more sense to mount the blade on the FEL, so the tractor tires don't have to ride over the snow and ice?.

 

[Fallon]

doesn't it make more sense to mount the blade on the FEL, so the tractor tires don't have to ride over the snow and ice?.

To some degree. I've had 1 rear blade, 2 SSQA blades as well as other rear impliments. A loader is not a dozer, no matter what you put on it. Loader arms & rubber tires are really flexible compared to dozer arms & tracks. I tried filling in a trench with my SSQA plow once & gave up after a few feet as everything but the dirt moved way to much.

For lighter snow they work good though. The visibility & not getting high centered in the drifts is worth it though in many cases.

 

[Thomas]

I'd go with 7' offset they are nice also when ditching.

 

[oosik]

When I bought my current blade - Rhino 950 @ 1050# & 96" wide - two major factors were considered. How wide would the blade cut when offset AND angled. Why angle the blade - obvious. Why offset the blade - move snow off the driveway while the tractor is still ON the driveway. Offset and angled my 96" blade will cut a 78" path. Almost as wide as my rear tires - 80". The weight of my tractor - 10,100# - will pull this setup thru the deepest snow I've yet seen here.

I've found that only the heaviest of rear blades will do any summer maintenance. My driveway dries out and becomes concrete after the spring rains.

Just about any weight of rear blade will clear winter snows. If you will be doing summer driveway maintenance and have a rock hard driveway - look for the heaviest blade your tractor can handle.

AND it does little or no good to "get heavy" by going with a wider blade. By saying "heaviest blade" I mean weight per foot. My blade is 131# per foot of width. There are times when I wish it were heavier.

 

[Kyle241]

Depending on the amount of snow you get, a rear blade on a long drive may not be ideal. For places that get a lot of snow, a blower is best but that is not to say you cannot do it with a blade, just that you will have to do more work to move snow banks as they build up. A rear blade though does have other uses than a snowblower so that is a big plus. A blower, not so much.

 

[oosik]

That is absolutely true - Kyle. The one time absolute max I've ever seen here is around 10" to 12". Even if it is a "wet snow" - I can still clear the driveway with my current setup. My driveway is a mile long, gravel. If I got snow depth like back East or the Upper Peninsula - I'd have some sort of front mount blower. Or a second home in southern AZ.

With my previous tractor I had a 3-point blower. I had 28 years of clearing built up berms - driving in reverse. NEVER again. My current setup allows me to whisk away any berms with my rear blade and no nasty tire chains. I'm happy.


View attachment 636349

 

[s219]

I have a l3901 and am using it to clear my 1000 ft driveway with the bucket currently, not ideal! I am looking to get a rear blade but am conflicted on a 6ft or 7ft? What would you chose for size with my tractor in mind?

I have the same chassis (L3200) and use a 72" (6') blade, which I consider to be the minimum that will work -- when angled, it still covers my tracks. Be aware that the blade acts like a rudder in heavy/deep snow, so I'd be wary of going wider than 72" since you won't gain much benefit and it may be counterproductive.

If you use a rear blade, I'd make sure to clear snow before it gets too deep. I can do 8-10" of powdery snow with ease, but deeper than that (or heavier/wetter) and it's less effective. Having lived in Vermont, I know you get a lot more snow than me, so I'd say be prepared to clear for every 8-10" of snowfall and don't wait until a storm tails off. If you had to deal with 16" or more, the blade won't be very effective.

If you have a gravel driveway, put a pipe over the blade's cutting edge to prevent it from scraping your gravel.

 

[fried1765]

That is absolutely true - Kyle. The one time absolute max I've ever seen here is around 10" to 12". Even if it is a "wet snow" - I can still clear the driveway with my current setup. My driveway is a mile long, gravel. If I got snow depth like back East or the Upper Peninsula - I'd have some sort of front mount blower. Or a second home in southern AZ.

With my previous tractor I had a 3-point blower. I had 28 years of clearing built up berms - driving in reverse. NEVER again. My current setup allows me to whisk away any berms with my rear blade and no nasty tire chains. I'm happy.


View attachment 636349

"Or a second home in southern AZ".

Yup!
I solved that problem 25 years ago.
Winters in Florida!

 

[Fallon]

This is what 1" of snow ends up looking like here in Colorado... 75% bare ground & a foot & a half drift of pretty dense snow. Multiply that by a foot or more of snow & you end up high centered. Places that get snow without wind have it much easier. Back blades & rear pull blowers are a lot more feasible there.