Bucket vs. Snow Pusher

[DKCDKC]

Bucket and blade may be a waste of time for those in areas of heavy, winter-long snows. Here in Virginia snows usually come infrequent enough that the piles of snow melt to almost nothing before the next snow. On those occasions where we did have massive, close snows, I have still be able to usually push the snow back enough to allow drive room. For those in more temperate places like Virginia, I don't see that an expensive snow blade or blower makes economic sense. For the cost of one of those I could have my drive cleared by a pro many times - certainly more times in my life that I might have difficulty doing it myself with FEL and blade.

 

[flyingcow]

Bucket and blade may be a waste of time for those in areas of heavy, winter-long snows. Here in Virginia snows usually come infrequent enough that the piles of snow melt to almost nothing before the next snow. On those occasions where we did have massive, close snows, I have still be able to usually push the snow back enough to allow drive room. For those in more temperate places like Virginia, I don't see that an expensive snow blade or blower makes economic sense. For the cost of one of those I could have my drive cleared by a pro many times - certainly more times in my life that I might have difficulty doing it myself with FEL and blade.

very good point.

 

[flyingcow]

i got a crazy good deal on my tractor a few yrs ago. But if i was to dream, I might look at the biggest compact with a front mounted blower and put a back blade or a box blade to drag away from doors.

 

[toxic]

Remember that a bucket will be solid but a pusher will have a trip mechanism of some kind(at least most of them do). Not a huge factor if it's just for your own property as you'll know all the bumps and dips. However if it's for commercial use you never know what unmovable object is buried under the snow. It's not overly fun going across a parking lot at 8mph then catch that hidden manhole cover with the solid bucket, take a guess how I know. :duh:

 

[PANHAPP]

A snow pusher is mounted solid there is no trip mechanism. I just built a new set of skids that will lift the cutting edge about an inch for a lot I'll be doing that has a lot of tar repair lines.

 

[trwtow]

im trying a pusher this year

 

[jb62901]

I run a blade on the front and blower on the back. With a 900' drive I plow it to the middle on the way down and on the way up. Then blow it off the drive. Also have rear blade and FEL. Best of all heated cab.
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[oldbones]

I've got both, and use both. That being said, I can move twice as much snow and 3x as fast with the pusher. When it builds a berm on the outside edge, I just take a smaller bite on the last pass to cut the berm away. JD 5303 mfwd (my little toy) using 6' FEL bucket, vs using 8' x 30" x 30" pusher. I do have a Cat II quickhitch with 700 lbs of suitcase weights hanging on the back, though.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

This is slightly beyond the scope of the question, but here's my 2 cents' worth: I clear only about 100 feet of paved drive way with an occasional need to do a bit more. I started with a cub and a plow. By the end of a bad winter, my driveway was down to 1/2 the original width. I went to a 15 horsepower Bolens diesel with a blower. That was great and cleared my driveway well except when we got rain into the snow before I could get to it and it became slush...that didn't work well at all. Now I have a FEL. In a deep snow, it takes a bit to make a first pass through; but once that is done, the job goes pretty smoothly and quickly.
Two days ago I had to clear the first snow of the year. It was heavy, wet and miserable. The FEL did the job that neither of the others would have done.

 

[pinetree10]

im trying a pusher this year View attachment 347122

That thing is cool. I have the same tractor and I'm surprised you can move that much snow with it all at once.