3720 with snow blower for 1500' gravel driveway?

[RoyJackson]

Adding on to AKFish's questions...will you have to mow along that drive? I'm wondering if your drive way right-of-way extends to the fences shown in your third picture.

I'd also consider a rear blade (7' or 8') for the lighter snows. With that gravel drive, you'll definitely want skid shoes.

BTW, you might want to consider snow fencing too. That's flat land with no windbreaks...drifting snow might well be a problem.

 

[Sharp Ranches]

A front mounted blower on a 3720 will work well for handling drifting snow that would fill in between plowed snow berms on the side. A rear blade will more quickly move snow to the side for handling 6 inch or so accumulations. A FEL mounted snow plow blade (with its high moldboard) will handle deep accumulations very well but will eventually build high snow berms at the side that cannot be pushed wider and could become filled in with drifting snow in wind swept areas. I snow plow and rear blade a six mile access road to the ranch, but have had to bring in a blower to handle bad drifting situations about one out of every five years that can no longer be plowed once the side berms get too high.

 

[Gator6x4]

If someone else was paying for the purchase, I would buy the Toolcat. If I was buying and also paying I would buy the JD, Front End Loader, Front Mount Snow Blower and a Rear Scrape Blade. Make sure when buying the rear blade you can rotate the blade and use the back of the blade to freshen up gravel in driveway.

 

[xkbal]

I've got a 1/2 mile gravel driveway that winds through the trees. I have a cabbed 3720 with the 59" front mount blower and I looked at the toolcat before buying it. My opinion only;

-couldn't justify the extra cost of the toolcat, would be nice if money was no object
-3720 is a great tractor, a little narrow and tippy but if you add spacers to the back wheels it makes a big difference.
-love having a front mount blower, especially for our long winding driveway, I don't have to worry about the banks narrowing the driveway as winter progresses.
-that said I couldn't recommend the Deere front mount blower as it''s a poorly designed blower for this tractor. Don't know about the Lorenz you're looking at.
-can't say I've had issues with the slow speed of blowing some have mentioned, basically I do one pass up and back and it's done

In short I would go with my same setup again minus the Deere blower and go instead with another, better built, front mount blower.

Al

 

[grsthegreat]

One thing i learned when i had my rear mount snowblower......dont get it TOO large. They recommend one only a few inches wider than your rear tire width. If it gets too wide, they beef up the steel and the tractor may not have the HP to power it thru heavy snow.

I did WAY over 1500 feet of snow plowing every year for the past 16 years always driving backwards. It wasn't too bad when i was younger, but after last season my back told me "thats enough fat boy". So my new tractor is a cabbed version with a loader mounted blower and a front plow. There quick connect so can swap out in a minute or 2 (but ill have to put on coat and gloves....danget all). If your in the process of building a house..dont blow all the cash on tractor. Have you checked around with the neighbors to see what there doing???

Id worry about drifting up there also. I'm in the trees so no drifts, but my neighbor down the road get 4-6' drifts in the wind.....where ill have 8-10" on my roads. It sucks to be them hehe:laughing:.

 

[Dave2425]

Thanks to everyone that has replied! I appreciate all of the info.

We are moving from a 2 bedroom rental townhouse and need to buy a lot of stuff so we're trying to get the most bang for our buck. After reading through the thread, I think the tractor, loader and blower combo is probably the best bet right now. We are also thinking about buying a pickup so I might be able to put a plow on that if needed.

Dave

Couple of questions... before you decide on tractor versus toolcat or blower versus blade and front loader. What other chores are you likely to have on your new place? Future plans for your acreage?

Answers to those questions could lead you a clearer decision.

AKfish

We'll have 40 total acres of which most is pasture/hayland. The original owner had it set up for horses but we don't have any interest in that. A neighbor currently hays it for his horses. I may be interested in buying a mower in the future.

Adding on to AKFish's questions...will you have to mow along that drive? I'm wondering if your drive way right-of-way extends to the fences shown in your third picture.

Yes. I've attached two more pics of the property that give an aerial view and show the layout better. Our driveway is at the end of a 1/4 mile gravel township road.

 

[beenthere]

Is that 1/4 mile twp road run east/west? And your drive runs due north from the end of that 1/4 mile twp road?
Will the twp plow that road or will you have to keep it open (or sit tight until they do it)?

 

[Dave2425]

Is that 1/4 mile twp road run east/west? And your drive runs due north from the end of that 1/4 mile twp road?
Will the twp plow that road or will you have to keep it open (or sit tight until they do it)?

The 1/4 mile township road runs east/west (from the highway to the railroad tracks in the pic). Our drive then extends 1000' feet east/west from the end of the township road until turning north for 400'. The township will plow their road but there might be times when I need to clear it before they do so my wife can get to work.

 

[AKfish]

Very nice lookin' hay ground! (I'll be down for the 2nd cutting...) :laughing:

If you're EVEN considering mowing that much acreage... well, you shouldn't - not with a 3720.

Work out a percentage or lease agreement with a neighbor and keep a good wax shine on that cabbed, 3720 sitting in the garage!

AKfish