2520 Snowplow size?

[jcmseven]

I have always thought weight helped hillside traction in snow, until I moved here. When I was plowing with my 4520 which weighed a lot, I slid sideways down my my drive once and gently came to rest against an oak tree. This was the most harrowing of several slides. I never went faster than 5 mph and only the box blade, which I was using for ballast in back, ever contacted the tree. No matter what I did, including dropping the 84" front blade, the box blade, etc., the tractor slowed none. Ever since then I have really disliked R4's in snow. I realize that having a compact tractor is not just about snow removal, but my 595 X series made any of my compacts even up to the 4520 look like little softies in snow. There is a chain which I saw that resembled the "duo ladder" that claimed to have a smooth ride and limit driveway damage. It did not have the V style wear bars and I feel might be best for my application. I am also thinking of chaining up the front tires also. I can attest to chains under heavy equipment gouging asphalt. Our neighborhood plow guy runs a Dodge 3500 on our main roads and come spring every turn and back up he made can be evidenced by innumerable divots in the pavement. I would like to avoid this if possible.

John M

 

[beenthere]

......... double links with V-Bars on every crossbar link, and with 1,000lbs in the ballast box, they took some serious chunks out of my dads driveway last winter! ..........

Ok, then you were trying to push something that would not move.
With that weight and that traction, it wasn't good for the asphalt nor the tractor. IMO
And...I don't advocate v-bars for tractor chains on asphalt.

 

[Deadman]

no it was moving the snow easily, but the V bars just beat chunks right out of the driveway. Its old pavement, but in good shape.

He then took the weight box off, and the damage was minimized. :thumbsup:

 

[rtm038]

I bought a used 54" set-up for my 2520 back in 2008. After plowing with it for the 2008-2009 season, I decided to have a local welder widen the plow to 5.5', increase the plow height another 4 inches and push the A-frame out a few inches. For a few hundred bucks, it did the trick, however this year I'm cutting down a 7' Meyer plow to either 6.5' or 6' and building my own lift frame similiar to Beenthere's set-up.

 

[Deadman]

That looks perfect. So did you have to lengthen the JD Quick hitch because of the extra length blade when angling it? I'm assuming it would hit the tires and not angle real far.
Does it push that 5.5 plow easily, or was it a struggle in like 8 inch snowfalls?
Did you use chains, and does the plow push the tractor sideways when you angle it?

Sorry for all the questions, but that looks pretty close to what i was thinking of doing!

 

[rtm038]

So did you have to lengthen the JD Quick hitch because of the extra length blade when angling it?

I added to the A-frame because I thought the blade might hit the tires when angled all the way to the right or left and/or the outer tip of the cutting might drag along the ground when the blade was in the raised position and angled to the right or left, but I found out after the fact that it probably wouldn't have been an issue.

Does it push that 5.5 plow easily, or was it a struggle in like 8 inch snowfalls?

Yes, it pushes the plow with ease, even uphill with a full load of snow. I pushed a lot of snow last year and never had a traction problem and my driveway is pretty steep.

Did you use chains, and does the plow push the tractor sideways when you angle it?

No, I never needed chains and the only time the plow pushed the tractor sides was during a big storm that dumped almost a foot of snow in one event. I was at work during the storm and had to start plowing all 12 inches.

 

[Deadman]

Thanks man,

What state are you in? Just curious on your snowfalls.

I assume you plowed in Low range all the time, is that right? I know Hi range just isn't made for working on the 2520.

I gotta find myself a plow n quick hitch here soon! :thumbsup:

 

[rtm038]

Thanks man,

What state are you in? Just curious on your snowfalls.

I assume you plowed in Low range all the time, is that right? I know Hi range just isn't made for working on the 2520.

I gotta find myself a plow n quick hitch here soon! :thumbsup:

Yeah northern NJ. Our snowfalls vary year to year. Some years we get a lot of snow and some years we don't. I plow mostly in low range, but I will in high when doing some light clean-up work.

 

[bxowner]

Here's an older posting I started when I had my 2320 and 84" plow blade:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-owning-operating/131881-2320-cab-plow.html

To answer what you're probably thinking: yes, the 2320 handled the 84" blade without any problem whatsoever. But, I was plowing level ground, including my road - with the only exception being my driveway, which is a slight grade uphill. Always ran it in low range. Also, had serious chains, as you can see in the picture.

The cab was perfect for my application - condensation never froze on the inside, I suspect because the tractor was stored outside.

I really like rtm038's solution, especially if you can't find an inexpensive blade locally. I would certainly suggest adding a couple of upgrades while it's at the welder's shop: (1) a pair of "real" skid shoes - preferably the ones that adjust, available from any plow manufacturer and (2) posts on the top corners to allow attachment of fiberglass markers. It's amazing how you can lose sight of the ends of the plow in deep snow, especially at night.

 

[Deadman]

^^^^That looks perfect.
Is the JD quick hitch holding up ok?