B7610 snowblower question...

Stoweski · Apr 28, 2006

Hi all,

Even though it's spring I'm starting my investigation on a snowblower for my B7610. The most obvious, and most expensive option is the $2500 front snowblower attachment that Kubota sells. I've been told that in order for the blower to attach, a sub-frame must be attached first. This lowers the ground clearance of the tractor and also limits the FEL. Anyone know if this info is correct?

My second option from the dealer is a RAD Blizzard 54" rear blower. The only concern I have with that is I have to drive the tractor in reverse.

My driveway is 1400' long and is partly flat and partly a steady uphill grade. I'm favoring the rear blower because of price and the fact that I can leave the FEL on to scrape the bottom of the driveway since the scraper blade on the blower will have to be raised because of the gravel. I'm also favoring it because of the $800 savings.

Does anyone have any experience with the rear mounted blowers? Is it a real pain? Anyone think it's worth the extra $800 for the front blower? I don't care about being in an enclosed cab so that's not an issue. I do think it might be easier to drive in reverse because of where the reverse pedal is located. Oh, and anyone actually use the FEL for a gravel driveway? That is the cheapest option for me but it seems like it would be a pain with anything over 6" of snow.

Thanks for any input!
Keith

dholly · Apr 28, 2006

Keith - you must remove the FEL for snowblower use, although you can leave the subframe and (I think) the male quick attach hitch on the tractor (after removing the blower/female quick attach hitch assembly) for FEL work. The subframe really doesn't hang down low enough to be any kind of a problem IMO, and you can easily remove it simply by untwisting the front clamplock and pulling one rear pin. The only hardware permantly mounted onto your tractor are the 2 rear mounting ears. You must remove the subframe for MMM use.

Personally, I balked at the high cost of the front blower and blowing snow backwards is not for me. Instead, I bot just the quick attach subframe and retrofitted an old Fisher plow blade. Figured if that didn't work out, at least I already had the necessary subframe for the front blower. Plow worked so good this winter I doubt I'll pony up the $ for the blower now. For a few pics of the subframe, search up the thread "B7610HSD Snowplow Retrofit" in the Attachments Forum. Might help you some.

JayT · Apr 28, 2006

You have all summer to find a used blower. Mine was about
$800 very lightly used. A 55" JRW with an electric rotator.
I still prefer the plow on the front for speed, but the blower is very handy.

1400' would be a long ways to maintain in reverse, for my neck anyways.

Good Luck

NY_Yankees_Fan · Apr 29, 2006

Keith,

Today take your tractor out and go backwards down the entire length of your driveway 3 times. Do not go fast, low gear, and slow. Then let us know how your neck feels. OK now figure you are 10 years older and then think how your neck feels. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Also figure on a some sort of a cab, unless you like to freeze your butt off! I had a rear blower and sold it and went with a front blower. I am so glad I did. If you go with the snowblower option a cab is NOT a nice thing to have, it is a MUST, a 1400' drive is a lot of seat time. I first had a golf cart cab I modified to fit the BX for $125. That worked well, I then stepped up to a Sims soft sided cab, now that is the way to go.

This topic has been discussed many many times, if you do a search you will find many hours of reading.

At the end of the day how much $$ do you have to spend and how conferrable do you want to be when you do snow removal? Does it snow a few times a year or every week? do you get small dumps, or big dumps, all this needs to go into the decision process.

THE best time of year to look for snow removal equipment is NOW, you will find good deals on equipment dealers do not want to store until fall. I picked up a 54" Puma blower in May for $1000 used it for 2 seasons and sold it for $1000. That same blower was selling for $1300-1500 in the fall.

Good luck, you are not alone we all have had to make the same decisions. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RoyJackson · Apr 29, 2006

I'm not sure they make one small enough for your Kubota, but Puma manufactures pull behind blowers...saves your neck as well leaving you use of your loader.

These are a little cheaper then a front mount, but not much.

herringchoker · Apr 30, 2006

Keith
I have a B7800 with FEL and rear blower, but the 2 driveways I do are nowhere near the length of yours so I don't mind looking backwards. Both driveways are gravel and I use the FEL for light snowfalls and scraping down where I don't want ice buildup on a grade. If I set the blower and bucket angles just right I can minimize gravel pickup but I always manage to pick up some.
Tom makes 2 real good points: for blowing snow, a cab is a MUST (I built my own and it is heated); and try 3 trips backwards on your driveway and then decide.
You're planning ahead, that's good. I bought my blower in July (many years ago) and got a real deal on it.
One thing I think you will find whether you go front or rear blower.... that little B series has tons of PTO power.
Good luck with it!

MadDog · May 1, 2006

I have a B7800 and a rear pto Puma. I do my own driveway and eight neighbors so although none of them are nearly as long as yours, the aggregate is reasonably long.

I am 66 and I haven't had any problems (neck or otherwise) using the rear-mounted snowblower. I find that sitting slightly sideways is pretty comfortable and enables me to keep an eye on both directions. After a heavy snowfall I am usually outside clearing for about an hour.

I have hydraulic chute and deflector control and I haven't found that I needed a cab.

Hope this helps.

Bob_Young · May 1, 2006

As part of your planning, Stoweski, consider the direction of the prevailing wintertime winds in your area. If there are stretches where you might be forced to blow snow into the wind (due to neighbor's land, nearby road, houses, etc) you will most surely want either a cab or a very good snowmobile suit and a helmet. Might even be best to do those stretches with the FEL or a front blade.

1400ft. is alot. Not as long as the 4000ft. runway I used to clear, but long enough to eat up lots of time and a surprising amount of fuel with the class machine you'll be using. I don't envy you.

My experiences with blowing snow are mostly negative--
Good rig, no cab: slow, cold and boring
Bad rig, no cab: slow, cold and frustrating
Good rig, good cab: slow and boring
and if the snow is heavy and wet, it might not work at all.

The idea of blowing snow is very appealing and the act itself is very picturesque but, to "Git 'er done", use a blade.
FWIW
Bob

NY_Yankees_Fan · May 2, 2006

( where you might be forced to blow snow into the wind )

My neighbors driveway is 25' away from mine, SO I have no choice but to blow snow in the opposite direction. If the wind is blowing and I am blowing into the wind, NOT FUN. So I will adjust my statement IF you EVER have to blow into the wind, you will WANT a cab. If you can blow with the wind then all you will need is warm clothing.

If you have less then say 6-8" of snow a front blade will be faster, if you get more then a say 12" a blower is best as far as speed is concerned, every option has its trade offs. The FEL only option is the slowest option. A rear blade with front blower would give you more options.

Are you having fun yet? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bob_Young · May 2, 2006

It's hard to beat a good 4WD pickup truck with a blade on the front and 700 lbs. of sand in the back. You can make the 1400' run quickly and if you get a bad storm you can make a few passes while it's still coming down to keep it from getting beyond the ability of the plow.

Plus there's the cab...the heat...the windshield wiper...the radio...the thermos of hot coffee...the sandwich....

Gotta adopt the survival mindset /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Bob

Passaconaway · May 2, 2006

We live in the mountains of NH and I use a B7610 (no cab) with a B2660 Kubota front blower to clear our 1200' gravel driveway and am very happy with the results. The only time it seems to take any longer than plowing is if the snow is very heavy. The biggest plus is there are no snow banks to thaw and muddy the driveway in the spring. I built a dolly for the blower with 2 partial sheets of plywood screwed together and some wheels I bought at Home Depot. It's easy to remove the blower onto the dolly and roll it into the corner of the garage. I keep the skidplates maxed to minimize gravel bite. Take a picture of the auger locations with the digital camera so you'll remember their location on the shaft when you break shear pins. Get a snowmobile suit and some ski goggles and you'll be warm enough.

dholly · May 2, 2006

( Plus there's the cab...the heat...the windshield wiper...the radio...the thermos of hot coffee...the sandwich....)

...the DMV registration... the required auto insurance... the storage space...

I know exactly what you're saying and, believe me, I considered it carefully. Ultimately though, I felt the cost to have another vehicle parked out back outweighed the benefit of simply mounting a decent sized blade on the Kubota.

Griffey · May 2, 2006

I have the B7610 with the front mount 2781 blower with hydro shute rotator. I also have a Curtis hardside cab with a heater. Now all of this may not be necessary, but if you get a lot of snow it sure is nice. Backing up can be a pain. The cab is so nice when the wind starts blowing the snow around, which is most of the time.

I can take the blower and sub frane off and put the loader on in less that 15 minutes. It seems like every time gets a little easier.

I will try to attach some pictures so you can see what it looks like.

Griffey · May 2, 2006

Another picture

Obviously you can't use both the loader and the blower at the same time. This was a pic from the day of delivery.

herringchoker · May 2, 2006

Maybe I'm getting old and soft. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I plowed from 25 to 30 driveways for 4 winters with no cab and then for another 17 years with an unheated cab. I sure do like my heated cab now!

Stoweski · May 2, 2006

Thanks for all of the responses! They are definitely getting me thinking.

Here's my deal. Living in what I call 'upstate' NY, we often get a few large storms a year (this year being the exception). Four years ago, when I moved in, we had someone plow our driveway. They came a few times, charged $50 a 'hit' and had a happy day. It was nice because I didn't have to bother with the driveway or the maintenance of the truck. The problem? The one day the guy didn't show up. I was at my parents for Christmas. We picked up 30" in one storm. I got back home and found that the 1400' driveway was covered with 30" of snow and a 5' snowbank at the bottom from the plow. The best part? I had to WALK up the entire driveway to get to the house to call someone. Luckly my neighbor had a Kubota with a rear blower and bailed me out. He's gone now.
Anyway, I purchased a Simplicity 38", 13HP walk behind snowblower. I figured I love snow (avid DH skiier and 'Mr. Winter') so I wouldn't mind spending an hour outside blowing out the driveway. Yep, that worked for three years then I got sick of it. My arms remind me of Hulk Hogan's now because of hanging on to the handles for dear life. The blower would tug and grab whenever it could. Needless to say it was a big PITA.
That's when I decided to go to the tractor. Besides the 100's of other uses, I could use it for taking care of the driveway.

To answer some of the questions out there...
I live on 18 acres of woods (hey, gotta heat my house somehow!). My nearest neighbor is about an 8 iron (150 yards) from the END of my driveway (more like 1/4 mile from my house). Oh, that's my only neighbor for about 1/2 mile. The other side is nothing but reservoir. I can blow snow anywhere I want.

As I said before, I'm an outdoors kind of guy (I'd rather live where Passaconaway lives!!!) and I spend most of my time outside in the winter (while there's daylight anyway). The summer is another story (bumper sticker on my truck... "Summer Sucks".) I don't have a lot of wind out here in the trees and having dealt with an hours worth of work each time I used the Simplicity with blowing snow in my face, I have appropriate clothing for the job. Hey, I like roughing it, what can I say?

Oh, and on a final note, I do not want to plow anymore. I had just regraveled the driveway before the plow guy came and pushed about 10 tons of gravel into the woods in one season. I'm done with that. I was seriously thinking about a truck with a plow but I want more gravel on the driveway and not in the woods.

I appreciate all of the responses. Keep 'em coming! Right now I am leaning towards the front blower but not getting the cab.
I noticed that nobody has mentioned doing their WHOLE driveway with a FEL. Guess that's not a good option.
Thanks again!!!
Keith /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

NY_Yankees_Fan · May 3, 2006

( I noticed that nobody has mentioned doing their WHOLE driveway with a FEL. Guess that's not a good option.
)

IF you have a few inches of snow you can use a FEL. BUT if you have more then a few inches the bucket fills up fast and you do a lot of dumping which is very slow process. If you have a lot of time on your hands and do not mine a LOT of seat time you can use the FEL.

kingoflawns · May 3, 2006

Go front blower, my last tractor B7500 had the front 2 stage 2650, she blew the snow 50 feet @ 2500 rpm, she also had a curtis cab. New tractor B3030 has the 2782 front blower and factory cab, no review on the 2782 yet as we had a lame winter. I notice weekend warriors like to brag about running open station, try running the tractor year round to make your living, you will want a cab,trust me on this.

WayneW · May 5, 2006

My driveway is about 1000 ft long, part oil/stone and part paved. Since my 7610 is able to use the BX snow blower, I tried that first. It was about $1000 cheaper than the B2781 B series blower/hitch. It is lighter duty (weighs less) than the B model, but has been great for the past 2 years. Plus, with the BX "quick hitch", it switches from a blower to front blade in like 13 seconds. I'd like to pick up a front blade for it someday to deal with the "slush" storms we get here from time to time.

It has performed very well. As the fellow in NH mentioned, the only time that it takes me longer is when the snow is very heavy and wet.

(warning. small rant) I plowed with an truck for many, many years. (16 or so) In my case, it sucked! royally. If you have a flat driveway, than it's fine. Combine the steep hill, with ice, snowbanks, fogged up windows, and windshield wippers that work marginally - and you end up with STUCK. Many times. The kubota is 100 times better in every way except speed in clearing. (though actually, it takes less time. No need to dig out a stuck truck, dust off the snow from the old truck, wait 20 min for it to warm up). Even though I have no cab, it's still better. Besides, like you, I love the winter. Pair of ski pants and I'm good to go.

I'm also going to put in my vote for a front blower with a long drive. Haven't tried a rear blower to be fair. But with the long drive and a large parking area to clear, the front blower (and hydo tranny) allows me to go back and forth very quickly, similar to plowing. (I lift the blower in reverse)

PILOON · May 5, 2006

Here is my take:

Pickup with 8' blade takes about 15 mins to do.
Tractor with 60" blower about 45 mins.
Same tractor with 6' blade and the blower about 20-25 mins.

Cab is must, rear blower no problems.
My blade gathers snow to a side that I need only one blower pass.

FEL is essentially useless as any amount of snow makes the front so light that you have no steering and also it tends to jack the front up due to the high loader pivot points.
Our quantities of snow here are such that snowbanks get 5-6ft high and hence the drives get so narrow that there is no more place for more snow.

My blade/blower has proven to be the ideal compremise as I maintain the width without snow banks.

Also high banks mean that even a small storm (say, 5") result in drifts that are as high as the snowbanks.

Downside is the tractor takes forever to go to the next drive vs the truck that gets there fast.

If you do mount a blade, mount the pivot points low in a straight line push as I did.
This configuration allowed me to plow even in top gear, high range flat out (about 10mph on my Mt180D) making the plowing part very fast with only the one slow blowing pass.

And a heated cab is a must as well as a radio.( Boring!)
Also a good supply of water, don't know why (and I'm not alone) but a warm cab and diesel smells make for a very thirsty driver.

PS: I paid only $400. for my 60" blower in May 2 yrs ago, so this is correct time to shop.