Skid steer snow blower on tractor loader?

[shooterdon]

Tempting, but I don't think so. I think the tractor would pack down a 12" snow fall enough that it would be difficult for the pull blower to then pick it up. I also have a number of areas where I really need to be able to go in auger-first. Especially when I need to break open a path to reach the propane tanks for filling. I can be cutting into 3' of snow at that point - way more than the tractor can drive through, even with very aggressive chains.

I keep access to my propane tanks open using the pull blower, and back dragging with the front blade where needed. No reason to let the access path build over multiple snow events. If I had a small area with deep snow, it would not take long to put on the FEL to scoop it out.

But I have only gone through two winters, so I may run into issues down the road.

Maximum snowfall I have handled was 10” and no problems driving over the snow. Like you, I was concerned with what would happen with a huge dump...say 18”. That is not common in my region but has happened (once in last 9 years). IMO the pull blower might need two passes. Worst case, use the blade after blowing if tires pack the snow down too much.

 

[oldnslo]

Most Skid steers have max pressure of 3,000 - 3,500 some newer ones are now pushing 4,000 PSI but they typically require attachments made to handle that pressure.

There is at least one or two members of this site that have PTO driven power packs on the 3PH for the FEL mounted blower. I believe grtsthe8 or something like is one of the members.
Flow in GPM provides the blower speed while pressure across the motor provides the torque.

You would need to run the hydraulic lines down the loader arms and have some quick disconnects up front for easy installation and removal of the blower.

 

[crashz]

You may have some power loss, but I think the maneuverability (adjusting attack angle lifting, etc) is a benefit. And if cooled properly, you may be able to run a big SS brush cutter on the front of the tractor in the summer. I wish I could do that often!

 

[4570Man]

What about buying a skid steer? Less work, and it would retain its value better. Sure it would cost you $30,000 for a good used one but it would be a lot more useful than a power pack is and you could sell it if you ever needed to. A power pack will be a tough sale.

 

[hayden]

What about buying a skid steer? Less work, and it would retain its value better. Sure it would cost you $30,000 for a good used one but it would be a lot more useful than a power pack is and you could sell it if you ever needed to. A power pack will be a tough sale.

I have to confess that I'm one of only two or three people in the world who don't like skid steers. I've used them a couple of times and just didn't care for them. If you are on anything other than a packed dirt construction site, they just tear up the ground. In find I can almost always do better between a wheeled tractor and an excavator.

 

[4570Man]

I agree they’re hard on the ground. I figured that wouldn’t be a big problem on a frozen driveway. If I have to do anything on grass I use my mini x or tractor because the skid is so hard on the ground.

 

[hayden]

I agree they’re hard on the ground. I figured that wouldn’t be a big problem on a frozen driveway. If I have to do anything on grass I use my mini x or tractor because the skid is so hard on the ground.

I also used a skid steer once for heavy snow removal and traction was poor. In general I have found R4 construction have poor traction. Tracks aren't bad unless it's icy. I slide sideways on a dozer once for 30-40 feet before I could spin it around and get it to stop. So far cleated chains on R1 tires seem the best. Pretty much unstoppable as long as the undercarriage is above the snow. And completely immune to ice. So the combination of tractor, chains, and snow blower works really well for me. I just would really like the snow blower to be on the front rather than the rear.

I found a thread a few years ago on this subject and one guy was, how shall I say it, insistent that a Pronovost front blower with mid PTO drive kit was the only solution. Just did a little search and can't find such a beast, so maybe no longer made? I agree that a direct drive off the mid PTO would be ideal in terms of power, but it has to be something that I can remove and reinstall easily so I can switch between bucket/loader and snow blower. The Kubota frame mount definitely fails on that front.

 

[ruffdog]

 

[grsthegreat]

i have a front mount hydraulic blower on my unit. purchased in 2010. works flawlessly since then. i have a rear 25 gal hydraulic powerplant. i had bids for a quality built rear 3 point blower in the 6-7 grand range, but got this unit for about 2x that price.

doesnt matter, as a rear mount would not work for the projects i needed this for. i had to be able to lift it high to clear roof shedding. and a subframe mount would not lift far enough.

 

[dstig1]

While Messicks makes some good points, it is kind of offset by the ridiculous size of the blower they are showing. That thing looks like 8' and it is clearly way too big for that machine. A properly sized unit would be perfectly fine in that setup, as Grsthegreat indicates for his setup. If you are curious about the subframe, I have attached the manual for it as I spent a lot of time looking into this for my Sweeper rebuild/modification that is still underway. My thread for that is in the Build It Yourself subforum here. Should be easy to find if you are interested. The subframe requires you to remove the loader but not the loader frame, and it appears to be fairly manageable IMO. Seeing as I had the hydraulic sweeper already and wanted it on the FEL, I was going that route (plus I go a little nutz with my projects... ). But if you want to buy a complete setup with rear hydraulic power pack and FEL mounted blower, Erskine would probably be the place I would start. It won't be cheap...