Snow Equipment Buying/Pricing Snowblowers: FEL Mount vs Rear Pull

[TractorTYMe]

Got to use the drone for the 1st time while blowing snow, since it NEVER snows on weekends for me. But I was losing daylight quick.

 

[Hilbilly]

Very cool and thanks for posting.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Very cool and thanks for posting.

What drone are you using?

DJI Mavic Air 2

 

[airbiscuit]

That's great! Are you operating the tractor and the drone at the same time?

 

[TractorTYMe]

That's great! Are you operating the tractor and the drone at the same time?

I did just minor adjustments while stopped with the tractor. Else it just hoovered there for the most part.

 

[Hilbilly]

DJI Mavic Air 2

You're fast! immediately after posting the question I went back to the video and seen in the description that you were using the Air 2, so I edited my post to delete that question. But you answered before the edit took effect.

I've got a Mini 2 and I'm afraid to fly when it is snowing, yet I see all kinds of videos where people are flying them in much colder temps than what the specs state are acceptable. Does your Air 2 have "Follow Me" mode?

 

[airbiscuit]

Your movements are smooth. It looks like you are still happy with your purchase. (your neighbors must be happy too)

 

[TractorTYMe]

Your movements are smooth. It looks like you are still happy with your purchase. (your neighbors must be happy too)

My "neighbors" are all wife's relatives, we live on the same ranch. So 1/4 mile driveway and six houses. The inverted blower makes this job extremely quick, and with an HST it's a breeze.

 

[TractorTYMe]

You're fast! immediately after posting the question I went back to the video and seen in the description that you were using the Air 2, so I edited my post to delete that question. But you answered before the edit took effect.

I've got a Mini 2 and I'm afraid to fly when it is snowing, yet I see all kinds of videos where people are flying them in much colder temps than what the specs state are acceptable. Does your Air 2 have "Follow Me" mode?

It does, but IF mother nature will ever let it snow during the weekend in the daylight. I might get enough time to play with it.

 

[grsthegreat]

I ran my air2s three times in the cold snow….
but the last time the gimbal camera froze up..

Landed just fine, but camera froze. Now i wont fly it when its 15° out again.

 

[fishhead]

OP
good thing you didn't try that Tuesday night. I assume you got the wind in the canyon.

 

[Fallon]

I'm looking at a Mini 2. Small enough to avoid the licensing requirements, but you loose some of the better auto follow modes & obstacle avoidance sensors.

No matter the size of the drone, you need to get your commercial license if you monetize it in any way. Any footage you upload to a YouTube channel that has advertising enabled can trip that. Apparently the FAA has been sending out a lot of friendly reminders & warnings on that to various YouTubers without licenses letting them know further flying without a license will have legal action pursued. If I end up getting a drone, it will be the small one that doesn't need the license & no content I produce would be monetized in any way. Drone license is only $5 every 3 years & not to bad. Pilots license is a test & $175 every few years.

 

[TractorTYMe]

OP
good thing you didn't try that Tuesday night. I assume you got the wind in the canyon.

It wasn't too bad really. It has to hit us straight west to be noticed.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I'm looking at a Mini 2. Small enough to avoid the licensing requirements, but you loose some of the better auto follow modes & obstacle avoidance sensors.

No matter the size of the drone, you need to get your commercial license if you monetize it in any way. Any footage you upload to a YouTube channel that has advertising enabled can trip that. Apparently the FAA has been sending out a lot of friendly reminders & warnings on that to various YouTubers without licenses letting them know further flying without a license will have legal action pursued. If I end up getting a drone, it will be the small one that doesn't need the license & no content I produce would be monetized in any way. Drone license is only $5 every 3 years & not to bad. Pilots license is a test & $175 every few years.

I'm not monitized, never will be. To be monetized, 1st you have to have MINIMUM 3k followers. Then a slew of other requirements, the days of making money on the toob is long gone for most people with a daytime job. My drone is registered with the FAA as a private individual. I use my channel simply to document things that have yet to be documented in TYM tractors mostly.

 

[Fallon]

I'm not monitized, never will be. To be monetized, 1st you have to have MINIMUM 3k followers. Then a slew of other requirements, the days of making money on the toob is long gone for most people with a daytime job. My drone is registered with the FAA as a private individual. I use my channel simply to document things that have yet to be documented in TYM tractors mostly.

Cool, pretty much the path i will be going. Takes a fair bit of research to figure out some of the legalities & pitfalls for drone stuff. Figured I'd pass along some advice to others were thinking about looking at a drone before they got started.

 

[Snowlan]

Vimeo works easily too, Snowfan what rear pull is that?

Erskine 620RP. It’s a 2015 that never sold at a JD dealer and I picked up heavily discounted this summer due to some rust.

 

[Hilbilly]

I posted this video in another thread but think it might be more appropriate in this one.

 

[Snowlan]

You could at tell us more about what you thought about performance and ease of use.

I am really happy with the performance so far. What has worked best for me is lifting the round rear mounted skid shoes right off the ground. The cutting edge is very heavy duty and is flat to the ground (don’t know if most blowers are done that way). The cutting edge is 6” wide so the 6 x 60” plate has way more surface area than the skid shoes. With the hydraulic top cylinder on the hitch I can tilt the blower back and get the leading edge off the ground if I’m picking up rocks, or level it up when there is a good base and clean the snow right down to nothing.

I had no trouble going through 1’ of snow with a crust on top from freezing rain. I had one hill that was ice under the snow and I was struggling with traction to go up hill. I lifted the blower and with that 900lb hanging off the hitch I got up the hill without a single spin and blew that section going downhill.

 

[Snowlan]

https://youtube.com/shorts/BGc-GBP42vY?feature=share

 

[fishhead]

Erskine 620RP. It’s a 2015 that never sold at a JD dealer and I picked up heavily discounted this summer due to some rust.

Thanks