Bucket vs. Snow Pusher

[arrow]

Anyone have any pros or cons of using either a bucket or snow pusher? THanks

Your question is comparing two different realms. For moving snow that needs to be picked up and dumped elsewhere, a bucket is the tool. A pusher is much faster than a bucket for two main reasons and that includes "snow buckets" : 1. It is capable of bunching much more snow in front of it and 2. there is no need to "dump" snow as you would with a bucket as a pusher has no bottom. You just keep moving forward and raising the boom of the fel to make piles. The key is to not oversize the pusher to the tractor. 6" of heavy wet snow is more difficult to deal with than 12" of the fluffy type so choose carefully the width, depth and height of the pusher for the snow type indigenous to your area.

 

[SH5]

A lot of good information here

 

[PatMcD]

My driveway is 1000', so I use my old plow truck for that; there really isn't a faster, more efficient way to get snow out of an area you don't want it.
However, up around the dooryard, if you don't have a hydraulic "V" plow that can corral the snow, it takes a long time to clear an area. Plus, I have crushed stone, which if you're not careful with the plow controls, can make for a real messy cleanup in the spring. Up here, we plow out huge areas to make room for the entire season of snow; parking area, lawn, and everywhere you can get a lane through the trees.
I have been using the tractor bucket in float mode to clean the lawn off, but if you don't have it set just right, you are peeling up a 6' wide, 6" deep section of the lawn.

Solution: the snow pusher. It's 8 feet wide. Snow doesn't pill out the sides. Snow doesn't get compacted in the bucket or need to be dumped out of it. Cutting "edge" is rubber and adjustable for height. Drop it in float mode and with the long side shoes it rides on, it's just about impossible to dig up the crushed stone driveway, lawn, or anything else.

The bucket has it's place: I use it to move snowbanks if I haven't anticipated a large enough area. But the pusher is easily 5 times as fast for clearing a large open area with less mess.

I bought an 8 foot Tarter. A guy local to me bought it from TS a couple of years ago and never used it. $1100 later it's mine.

 

[JerryK]

Front blade on small tractor with added 3/4" plastic wings for pushing snow. Works for prep'n drive for big snow blower. Build up a little cover for the Afton stone drive. Split 2" steel pipe on cutting edge of both. If you just go with plowing the snow with a blade, make sure you start the season by pushing the drive wide enough to store all the snow thru out the winter. It will quickly close in on you if you get a bad winter.

 

[Fielding]

If you are pushing in a straight line into a pile, nothing even comes close to a snow push. I have halved my clearing time and fuel cost since owning one, compared to the same size snow bucket.
Its amazing how much time you waste duping and resetting your bucket, even if you can do it while backing up for the next pass. And in sticky wet stuff the bucket slowly packs off leaving less capacity each pass. Also if i wanted to i could clear more area with the push as i am nowhere near as fatigued using it. Once your tilt is set, its just; down, float, up, backup then repeat.

I clear over gravel and grass on an acreage, i usually keep about 2 acres clear with a John Deere 3038e with a 6' Express Steel pusher. I have 750lb of ballast on the back, and built a 100lb bumper and brush guard for the front. No Ballast in tires, but dual tire weights in each. Tire pressure in rears is 16psi, front max Psi. With this combination it clears like a pro and only pops a wheelie in really heavy snow, but it keeps pushing.

I set the rubber cutting edge 3/8" higher than the bottom of the shoes, using a steel bar and a piece of plywood for a shim. Set like this it cleans without scapling grass, or piling gravel.

This is my third year with the Express Steel snow push and I have no thoughts about switching to another attachment, just wish i had a cab and a heater lol!!