Snow B-7800 & B-2910 snow blower

[RayMunising]

Hi Stanley,
Yes a b3030 does sound like a nice setup.

When we bought the property I knew the long driveway was going to be expensive to install & keep clear of snow. I budgeted 18K for a tractor but I don't think that's going to do it. I've got a year to 1) save more of my pennies, 2) win the state lottery ... I better start playing! or 3) get adopted by some RICH person (any takers?).

Ray

 

[RayMunising]

Thanks Tom! Pleeeeease keep us posted with your experiences with snowblowing with your machine!!!!! I hope you get some serious dumps so you can test her out (I say that only because I'm sure your 4310 can handle it)!

From what I've heard I think a b3030/L3130/JD4310 is what I should be looking at. The L3130 is overkill but if the difference in price is small then I might consider it.

I still need to decide on HST or GST but that is just a personal preference kind of thing and I'll have to decide that for myself HOWEVER I sure would like to know what kind of ground speed you go when doing serious snow blowing because the slowest ground speed with the GST is 1mph. If I decided to go with the GST and need to go slower than 1mph I'd need the creeper gear so that's kinda important.

Thanks again,
Ray

 

[srs]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Yes a b3030 does sound like a nice setup. Ray )</font>

Ray, With the amount of snow that you will be getting I can't imagine NOT getting a cabbed tractor. From everything I've read about using a snow blower you will certainly get quite a bit of snow blown into your face. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Gonna get old real quick! Of course you pay more for a cabbed tractor but the comfort features will most certainly be enjoyed for many, many years. I've been snowplowing here in Maryland for many years using my pickup truck. Of course we don't get anywhere near the amount of snow you get but I've put some long hours in behind the wheel. What makes it nice is the fact that I plow in my flannel shirt, lunch box next to me, radio/cassette player on, and the never ending cup of hot coffee. I can't imagine anybody who gets as much snow as you will (wish I did) would want to be out in the blowing snow and fighting it. Seat time in the tractor should be fun, and not a cold miserable experience. I realize too that you can always add an after market cab (Sims, Curtis, etc.) but it's not the same as a true factory cab. Just my 2 cents worth but I think you really ought to lean toward a cabbed tractor. Easy to spend your money anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[srs]

Ray, forgot to mention. You'll get many opinions on this /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif but in my opinion the Hydro is the only way to go.

 

[Kipper]

Ray,

I know this is a Kubota forum, but keep your options open. I live in MQT and was shopping for a tractor. Our farm purchase fell through so I never got to pull the trigger.

There are other options around. JD just outside of MQT and there is a Cud dealer in Skandia (10 miles south of MQT), a Kioti dealer in Crystal Falls (another hour SE of MQT) and a Farmtrac in Iron Mountain (same area as the last one).

Michigan Sales in MQT deals Kubota, talk to Bruce. I think he gave me a decent price on a B7800 ($16,200 out the door with FEL).

JD dealer I would avoid. He seemed very uninformed and difficult. They sell many more quads and Snowmobiles than tractors so I think their focus is different.

Chuck Jr. at Bergdahls sells Cub. I was looking at the 8000 series so I really couldn't advise one way or the other. Though, I did like him.. good'ol yooper!

Steve Holm at D.A. Macpherson's sells Kioti. I liked the Kioti line and was probably going to go with them. You'll be another 45 minutes away though. I think you get a little more for your money with Kioti. My opinion only!

I never did get a hold of the Farmtrac dealer, even though I tried?!?!?

Oh ya, there is a Century dealer in Rock (40 min south of MQT) and New Holland is in Menomeny (SP?) 2hrs south of MQT.

Kubota, Cud said they would do all pickup/delivery during the warranty period (in MQT area, that might change when you add another 45 miles??). Kioti was free initial delivery.

On to opinions about clearing snow. In my subdivision some people clear their driveways with lawn tractors! In my opinion you'll need more than that for 1/4 mile. It sounded like you'll be building?? Take into account that the tractor you get can do alot of the clearing and road building for you. Also, you'll have 15 ac, who know what you'll want to do later.

Hope I didn't babble too much! Good luck!

 

[RayMunising]

Hey Stanley,
I hear ya. There's a couple of "must haves" in my mind ...

1) Reliable. A tractor sitting in the shop is of no use to me. Not only is it a pain to get the tractor to and from the shop but in the meantime it isn't keeping my driveway clear. There's a reason I've bought nothing but Toyotas for the last 23 years (actually I went out on a limb and my current car is a Honda). I expect if I do the maintenence that 99.9999% of the time when I turn the key the car/tractor will start and do what it's suppose to do.

2) Front blower. Maybe I could handle backing up now but it certainly wouldn't be fun and as the years pass it's going to get nothing but harder.

3) Cab. I enjoy the winter and snow but while snowblowing I want a cab. No matter how much you like the winter if you have a convertible you don't drive with the roof down and I have no desire to blow snow at all hours and weather conditions without a cab!

4) Capable. That's where I need the most help. I want a tractor that's capable of doing the job without undue hardship on me or it.

5) Good dealer. As long as the tractor brand has a good reputation I don't care what color it is. I do care that the dealer is not a jerk, is knowledgable about what he's selling and has a good service department. I won't buy from anyone without those qualities.


As far as the cab goes I'd like to make that myself! I've built everything from a house to fine furniture and I think it'd be great fun to do. I'm sure I could build something really nice (hardside/laminated glass/heat/wipers/lights) for under $1K. The factory cab is 5K I think? That's outrageous! It does come with air though which will be as useful to me as a freezer is to an Eskimo LOL!

Ray

 

[RayMunising]

Hi again Stanley,

I know HST is probably the way to go but before I rule out GST I want to give it a try. I like the idea of shifting on a tractor. I can't say why. I like a manual transmission in a truck too. Anyway, from what I know of it (which isn't much) the GST seems like it'd be as easy to operate as the HST (which I have on my garden tractor) the primary difference is it's a mechanical power transfer with a fixed number of gears vs the infinite speeds the hydro provides. I see + and - to both.

Since I've got 1/4 mile drive most of the time it wouldn't matter which trans I have (kinda like a manual or auto trans in a car when driving down the expressway). If there's a drifted spot I might have to drop into a lower gear with the GST (move the handle) or with the HST I'd let up a little on the foot peddle. Not much of a difference. So it really boils down to the ends of the driveway.

My driveway will come off the end of a dead end road. The snow plow will undoubtedly leave me a pile so downshifting will be necessary (again no big deal). I'll be able to make a wide turn in the road to turn around (there'll never be any traffic).

At the house end of the driveway there will be some jockeying around required but not too much. A couple of forward/reverse shifts and that should do it.

Since shifting with the GST is easy the only downside to it (as far as I know so far) is you (the operator) have to pick the appropriate gear to be in and move the shift handle to that position instead of pushing down on the hydro peddle.

Maybe I missing something but I don't see the GST as having a disadvantage. I've got to try it. Price wise if I have to get a ceeper gear with the GST (so I can go slower then 1mph) the difference in price will be very small.

Still more to learn,
Ray

 

[RayMunising]

Hi Kipper!

HOLY WHAH a real live yooper, eh!!!

Thanks for the SUPER info on local dealers!

I'll happily pay more for a good dealer selling tractors that have good reputations. That's why I'm focusing on Kubota and JD. I think NH has a good reputation too. I know you pay more for the "big names" but it's usually worth it in the long run. I'll have to research the other brands you mention although if you couldn't get a hold of the farmtrac dealer to discuss purchasing a tractor I think that pretty much says enough to me to put him out of the running. I want somebody I can count on if I have a problem.

I'll talk to the JD dealer when the time comes but if I get the same impression of him as you got he won't be selling me a tractor either. I think there's a JD dealer someplace near Escanaba that I could try too (did you?). Maybe he'd be better since that's down in farm country (or as much farm country as the UP has to offer).

I've decided (I think) that'll I'll leave the driveway clearing and house excavating to big equipment. It'll save a lot of time and LOTs of wear and tear on whatever tractor I buy. The land I have is all wooded and rolling. It's on the side of a hill and the driveway will have about a 6% grade. Fortunately the driveway will be on a very old logging road so it's fairly clear but I'll still need some stumps (10"-12") removed and a lot of clearing for the house. Could a CUT do it? Maybe but certainly not easily. Big equipment can without thinking twice. On other parts of the property it's rolling and on one side is a 50' deep ravine. The tractor I buy will pretty much be confined to driveway duty. I may take my little garden tractor 2 tracking (LOL) but the big tractor needs to stay where it'll safely keep it's 4 tires on the ground.

If I bought a FEL I could build my own drainfield and backfill the basement but I'll have to put pencil to paper to see if that makes sense to do. Actually I backfilled the basement of the house I'm living in with my little garden tractor and a blade!

I will buy a box scraper to maintain my driveway (washouts) and provide weight for traction but that's about it. I just want this tractor to do basically one thing ... clear snow. I want it to do it for the next 25-30 years and I want it to do it well.

I can't thank you enough for the information!!!!
Ray

 

[Kipper]

If your only purpose will be clearing the driveway you may want to consider plowing with a truck.

I don't want to tell you how to spend your money BUT... $18K seems, to me, like alot to spend on a snowblower. You could put that money twards a nice truck with a plow. Plowing will be faster, and have a CD player & heater built in.

We live on a "private" road about 1/4 mile long with 7 others houses. All the neighbors pitch in $100 each for another neighbor to keep it clear. Takes him no time at all with a 3/4 ton Ford and plow.

Yes, I do believe there is a JD dealer in Esky.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[RayMunising]

Push the snow with a pickup? But Kipper what does your neighbor do with the snow???

18K for a snowblower sounds like a lot of money to me too but I figured you do what you gotta do. A truck w/blade would be great if it'd do it. There'd be LOTs of advantages to a truck rather than a tractor BUT I didn't think that was an option. How in the world does your neighbor do it? I don't see how you push snow with a blade when you have 3 feet on the ground!!! I don't get it but sure would like too!

I was talking to an excavator up there about putting in a driveway for me and he thought a good way to move the snow would be to get one of those 7' wide snowblowers you mount to the front of a pickup truck. Hanson makes them I think... around $8K. But he warned never drive into town with it on or I'd find I'd have more friends then I'd know what to do with LOL!

After checking into them though I decided I didn't like the idea of driving around with this HUGH thing attached to the front of my truck plus the thing weighs a lot and projects out quite a ways so I thought that'd really put a lot of wear and tear on the front of the truck.

At any rate ... can you tell me how your neighbor does it? My driveway will be through a woods but I could clear trees to either side of the driveway for some distance. I assume at the start of winter your private road is VERY wide and by March it's probably pretty narrow?

Any insights you can offer is much appreciated because the idea would really work out well for me $$$ wise but I don't see how it'd work at all functionally!

Ray