Snow Attachments Blower or plow. Which is best?

[green raider]

must admit:using rear mount blower is hard on my neck.green raider

 

[vtsnowedin]

the only people who could think a blade is better than a blower, have not used a blower yet.

No a front mounted, on the loader arms, with power angle from the third function is better for clearing long drives or roads. Much faster and easy on the neck. You can go right along in a mid gear up and back and be back in bed in an hour. The blower guys have their days of course like breaking out roads that have a full winters snow packed into them or moving snow banks back after a big drifting event but most days a front blade is faster hence better.

 

[Boondox]

the only people who could think a blade is better than a blower, have not used a blower yet.

It depends on your conditions. Here in the Green Mtns of northern VT we get a lot of snow, but it builds up gradually for the most part. None of that lake effect stuff. In 20+ years of clearing our quarter mile of dirt road, I've wished for a blower just twice. Typically when I plow there is less than 5-6 inches and I simply angle the blade (love my remotes!) and drive forward in mid range.

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

You mentioned issues with snow rolling off the wrong side of plow when loaded up. Have you looked into adding wings to the plow? They make a world of difference.

I thought I made a big mistake spending the money on the Curtis plow for my RTV after first using it. Was nice to plow going forward but was narrower than the back blade on my tractor and snow just spilled over unless I only took half a blade width at a time.

Got some cheap $200 wings off of eBay and modified them to fit the small moldboard. Takes about half the time now. Couldn't be happier. When the piles build up I grab the tractor an push them back with the FEL.

Pics of the mod are at the link below.

 

[green raider]

when the wind is blowing even 3-4 inches of snow can turn into 2-3 foot drifts.Piles up fast.After years of pushing,the blower makes life easier.greenaxe.

 

[oosik]

As you can see, different strokes for different folks. When I worked, if the snow was really deep - which it almost never was - I would get up at 2am and clear the driveway(mile long, gravel). Now that I'm retired - who cares, I've got nowhere to go, no time table. Besides, in the 30+ years here and since all my vehicles are 4WD - there has only been one time that "getting out" might have been questionable. That was the ONLY time the snow has ever drifted.

If I lived where we got a lot of snow and/or drifting and I had to be to work every day - I think a front mounted hydraulically driven blower or a blade would be about the best. On a mile long gravel drive, such as mine, a blower that requires going in reverse is only exciting/fun for about the first hour. After three plus hours, as mine would take, all the fun was gone and your stiff neck/shoulders were all I was thinking about. And trying to remember if I still had some JD to ease the pain when I finished.

 

[hutchman]

I have supplied the hydraulics and helped on a few different units. Very few tractors have the hydraulic capacity to drive a blower. Most would need to have a pto driven power pack built. All the ones I have been involved with have had the pto driven unit. CJ

Manual says my rear remotes will do 8-9gpm

 

[vtsnowedin]

Manual says my rear remotes will do 8-9gpm

That is nowhere near enough.

 

[hutchman]

That is nowhere near enough.

The largest flow Prince PTO pump I can find is 21GPM. If that isn't big enough, I guess pulley size or planetary speed gears would need to be used. It would be a balancing act to get the right speed AND torque. I know I'd have to use an external system because I think I read somewhere that it would require a lot more hydraulic fluid than the tractor can hold in it's internal system in order to keep the fluid temp down.

 

[vtsnowedin]

The largest flow Prince PTO pump I can find is 21GPM. If that isn't big enough, I guess pulley size or planetary speed gears would need to be used. It would be a balancing act to get the right speed AND torque. I know I'd have to use an external system because I think I read somewhere that it would require a lot more hydraulic fluid than the tractor can hold in it's internal system in order to keep the fluid temp down.

Here is a blower that needs 15 to 20 GPM so that might make a match. There are several threads here where people have gone through the process. PTO pump on the back with hydraulic tank on 3PH for counter weight and hoses run along the loader arms.
72" Loftness Skid Steer Hydraulic Snow Blower Model 721ES / 721EM