BX24 Plowing Advice

[Jabroni]

This little tractor is an animal in deep snow here in central MA. My problem is that often while plowing with the 2763 blade, the front tires lift off the surface, and I start to go wherever forces want me to. I'm in 4WD, with the differential lock set, turf tires, backhoe on, and floating the plow blade with no down force other that the weight of the blade. Sometimes, steering is pointless. Any advice? Smaller "bites"? That initial path out of the garage is often comical.

 

[Ken_CT]

I have the BX23 with the front hydraulic plow. I found that if you plow at a faster speed the side slip is less. Also, in the winter, I put on a pair of front bar tires which I loaded with windshield washer fluid to give the front more weight. My drive is pretty long, and on the straight runs I keep it in high gear so it will go faster. If you do this always wear your seat belt. Ya never know when there is something under the snow, that can slow you down really quickly. I have a process stone drive for the long part, and have shoes on the blade that I take off once everything is really frozen solid. It is not a pretty sight when you see sod rolling off of your blade. The more seat time you get, the better you get at plowing efficiently.

Ken

 

[Zick]

Your backhoe is probably making your front end a little light with just the plow on there. I know on mine when I had my ballast and plow on together, if I stopped in reverse too fast the front would lift up easily.
I actually don't even use the ballast or chains when plowing, but I have a nice flat driveway. We just got about 10" dumped on us this weekend and had no problems.

 

[easygo]

Take off the hoe or figure out a way to add another 200lbs (or so) of weight onto the front. Don't add the weight to the plow, but you want more weight over the front axle.

 

[LBrown59]

This little tractor is an animal in deep snow here in central MA. My problem is that often while plowing with the 2763 blade, the front tires lift off the surface, and I start to go wherever forces want me to. I'm in 4WD, with the differential lock set, turf tires, backhoe on, and floating the plow blade with no down force other that the weight of the blade. Sometimes, steering is pointless. Any advice? Smaller "bites"? That initial path out of the garage is often comical.

I have this blade on my BX1500

I have the BX23 with the front hydraulic plow. I found that if you plow at a faster speed the side slip is less. Also, in the winter, I put on a pair of front bar tires which I loaded with windshield washer fluid to give the front more weight. My drive is pretty long, and on the straight runs I keep it in high gear so it will go faster. If you do this always wear your seat belt. Ya never know when there is something under the snow, that can slow you down really quickly. I have a process stone drive for the long part, and have shoes on the blade that I take off once everything is really frozen solid. It is not a pretty sight when you see sod rolling off of your blade. The more seat time you get, the better you get at plowing efficiently.

Ken

I have bar tires on both my BX23 and bx1500.
I have the BH on the BX23 .
Tires aren't loaded.
With either tractor I just slightly lift the blade or loader bucket if the tractor tries to go side ways.
For front wheels that try to spin i realese some of the down pressure .

 

[radioman]

Pretty buch of the time if you angle the blade , it will shift you off to the side. when plow is straight, it tends to go where you want until it starts to bog down with too much snow and it needs to be shed. basically its all about planning ahead when making the push and knowing your driveway and how your machine and you can compensate for it. I do know that wieght is the issue here- for 2 seasons i ran with no liquid ballast and i was spinning out when my poor man plow is full of snow. When I loaded my tires with rimgaurd, I noticed I was pushing straighter and further now. (experience? maybe a part of it) Like ken said-loading the tires makes the world of a difference. I just cant speak for the front wieght as my front are not loaded and the rears are.

 

[sqidget]

I had the same problem untill I took the backhoe off. Weight is a good thing, but hanging that far off the back can be detrimental. I loaded the rear tires and it has been fantastic.

 

[dodge man]

I've noticed sometimes with my front end loader that it will work better when not in float. I will just put a little downward pressure on it and let it ride, and get better front wheel steering that way. The float seems to work better when back dragging.

 

[638]

You really don't want to run float with the front loader. Due to the geometry of the loader, it will always lift the front end as it loads up with snow, etc..

 

[stuarth]

I took the BH off my BX25 and no more problem. It is now the same as the BX2230 I had that did not have a hoe.

 

[LBrown59]

I took the BH off my BX25 and no more problem. It is now the same as the BX2230 I had that did not have a hoe.

All the BX 2XXX series are nearly alike except some have BHs and some don't.

 

[sw03]

unless it changed, the frames on the smaller models was not the same...

 

[LBrown59]

Didn't know there were any smaller models of the BX2000 series.
As far as I can tell all the BX2000 series are the same frame and size.
What smaller models are you talking about.


L . B .

unless it changed, the frames on the smaller models was not the same...

 

[ayelvington]

Next year buy chains and use a back blade. Works great in NW PA...

 

[LBrown59]

This little tractor is an animal in deep snow here in central MA. My problem is that often while plowing with the 2763 blade, the front tires lift off the surface, and I start to go wherever forces want me to. I'm in 4WD, with the differential lock set, turf tires, backhoe on, and floating the plow blade with no down force other that the weight of the blade. Sometimes, steering is pointless. Any advice? Smaller "bites"? That initial path out of the garage is often comical.

No tractor steers very well with the front wheels jacked up off the ground .
reduce the down pressure on the blade and lessen the angle.

 

[LBrown59]

Next year buy chains and use a back blade. Works great in NW PA...

He already has a front blade.
My bx23 with unloaded bar tires does fine in snow.

 

[Egon]

No tractor steers very well with the front wheels jacked up off the ground

Individual brakes for steering?

 

[radioman]

Next year buy chains and use a back blade. Works great in NW PA...

chains on blacktop is not the greatest idea. you slip more then you get traction.

I know what you mean about the float mode digging in with heavy snow. It makes the FEL arms seems to bunch up after you push a few feet and the blade is really full. I found that that pushing it into float mode to let it find the ground first then take it out of float and tap it so I can feel the blade is off the ground but still touching. As I go along, I keep my hand on the FEL control to keep lifting it up a hair at a time due to all the snow rolling pressure pushing the blade down to the pavement. I find I need to do this more over the yard then on driveway.

If you dont see how this really helps -- do the procedure above and after pushing heavy deep snow for more then 10 ft, then stop. note the position of the blade, then back up. You will find the blade "pops" up off the ground. All the weight of the snow is pushing down on the tires for the best traction but if there is no lifting force, you are going to get the bunched up feeling no matter if front blade or FEL.