Snow Brake steering on Snow

[Jibber]

I would venture to guess from your location that you don't get a lot of experience on snow. Unless you have a load in the bucket, raised up to put the weight on the front wheels.. you can lose grip, especially going uphill. While floating the bucket, the moment you start pushing snow the front tires start to lose grip or even rise up. If you don't float the bucket you don't do a very good job of clearing the snow on uneven terrain as I have here. The weight of the snow that you're pushing and the drive of the rear wheels causes it. Simple physics, not lack of experience. Some of the wet heavy snow we get here has more weight than clay. And when you're trying to plow with the bucket it can dam up in front for several feet providing an equivalent in mass to driving into a pile of gravel. Add the fact that snow is slippery into the equation and you may see what I'm getting into. 4wd may be part of the problem. If you've ever had an SUV in snow and gas it while turning you know you go straight ahead.. the tires spin free and you lose steering.

I grew up around tractors... although this IS my first Kubota and HST.

 

[higgy]

I just did my 750 foot driveway today with my 3130 and played with this.

As in te past I use the cruse and diff braking. No problem at all. The cruse will stay engaged untill you hit both brakes at the same time which then disengages the cruse.

My solution to this is when the snow gets deep, I get out my JD 4020, not much stops it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Dane

 

[Tractor_Jim_CT]

Can someone explain what it means to float the bucket and how it's done. I have a BX23 and basically adjust the bucket as near to the driveway as possible..not sure if I have the abilty to float the FEL on my unit.

 

[higgy]

on most kubotas the valve has the capability of being pushed through the down positon and into a detent mode that holds the valve open. This allows the bucket to follow or float along the ground.

Try pushing your lever past the normal down position, you should feel it "click" into place and stay there until you pull it out.

One word of caution, do not use this position to lower your bucket as it will free fall against the hydralics and hit the ground hard.

Most people put the bucket on the ground and then go into float position. This helps not to tear up your drive way or what ever else you are working on.

I hope that is clear as mud.

Dane