Help choosing the right tractor for snow removal at a strata

snownovice · Sep 27, 2022

Hey there everyone. I am a property manager, and I am looking to purchase a lawn tractor with snow removal attachments for one of my properties. The scope of work is pretty tame compared to a lot of other posts; we're located in Vancouver, BC, and will only need to remove snow from the sidewalks and the driveway, which is quite wide, fairly long, and sloped downward to an underground parking garage.

I'd greatly appreciate some advice on which tractor and attachments to buy. I was told that we'd need something similar to the John Deere x570 series at a minimum, but I want to make sure I'm not getting scammed by the dealer before I look for quotes in that price range. Obviously cost savings is important, but I also want to avoid buying a tractor that ends up being useless. Some guides I've seen online have recommended models like the Troy-Bilt TB42 42-inch 420cc Auto Drive 7-Speed Side Discharge Riding Lawn Tractor or the Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro Series Kohler Hydrostatic Gas Front-Engine Riding Mower (Lt 42 In. 18 Hp), but to be honest I'm not really sure what I'm even looking for. Any advice on what tractor specifications you think I'd need, as well as some good ideas for the attachments would be most appreciated!

RjCorazza · Sep 27, 2022

snownovice said:
Hey there everyone. I am a property manager, and I am looking to purchase a lawn tractor with snow removal attachments for one of my properties. The scope of work is pretty tame compared to a lot of other posts; we're located in Vancouver, BC, and will only need to remove snow from the sidewalks and the driveway, which is quite wide, fairly long, and sloped downward to an underground parking garage.

I'd greatly appreciate some advice on which tractor and attachments to buy. I was told that we'd need something similar to the John Deere x570 series at a minimum, but I want to make sure I'm not getting scammed by the dealer before I look for quotes in that price range. Obviously cost savings is important, but I also want to avoid buying a tractor that ends up being useless. Some guides I've seen online have recommended models like the Troy-Bilt TB42 42-inch 420cc Auto Drive 7-Speed Side Discharge Riding Lawn Tractor or the Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro Series Kohler Hydrostatic Gas Front-Engine Riding Mower (Lt 42 In. 18 Hp), but to be honest I'm not really sure what I'm even looking for. Any advice on what tractor specifications you think I'd need, as well as some good ideas for the attachments would be most appreciated!

Some specifics:
How much snow in your area. Max, Minimum, Average, Frequency?
Length of driveway and sidewalks?
How steep is the slope into the underground parking?
I assume this needs to be plowed uphill, away from the garage?

Lawn tractors do not accel in plowing steep inclines, and chains will mark up the pavement. The Deere mentioned is the exception... The other lawn mowers mentioned are light duty residential machines.