Clearing snow (3 kilometer long wood trail)

[Thomas]

I would be nervous using blower in the woods,my first choice bucket follow by plow.

 

[airbiscuit]

I wouldn't blow in the woods either, but I would on a decent trail/road.

 

[Gordon Gould]

If you get 120" of snow a plow will only work until the banks get get up to the top of the blade and that will be pretty quick because you won't be able to get up enough speed to throw the snow. It will just push up into a berm along the edge of the trail. If you can plow it wide you can use it longer, until the banks pinch in narrower than you plow. I think you are better off just using your bucket. Just keep the trail packed, which is easy to do with little storms but takes time especially for 2 miles worth. Pack it by driving on it and dragging wood or tops over it. I pack them 1-1/2 to 2 tractors wide. That way your tires can hit all the way across and do the heavy packing. And you have some steering leeway. If you get off the packed part your all done. If a storm is to big to pack use your bucket to push it out and back drag with the buck to even it out. Here is one of my packed trails from a couple winters ago. I was running a 30 hp Kubota L3010 on it. And BTW you will need chains.

gg

 

[Dave M7040]

I live north of the St Lawrence river and maintain trails on the farms of my brother and myself. I like an inverted blower. When snow is not too heavy I can motor along at pretty good speed. A much higher speed than you could do with a conventional 3 pt blower. Greatly reduces the time to open up the trails if the snow is not too heavy.

Dave M7040

 

[ruffdog]

Back in the woods in snow country? You need ground clearance and serious chains. Fluid or rear weights too.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Every one has a different idea of what you mean when you say woods trail. These are what my trails look like just so you know how to gauge where I am working compared to what you have.

gg

 

[Quebecguy]

The trails in my sugarbush are fairly rough but I've been blowing them out with the snowblower on the back of my 2 wheel drive International for several decades. I do use ring chains and keep the blower angled so that it doesn't dig in too low. I keep one road up to the top of the bush cleared all winter whenever there is more than six inches or so of snow and then do the rest of the bush just before the sugaring season and occasionally during the sugaring season if we get a blizzard. With two wheel drive it is much easier to blow downhill! I usually tap around 800 buckets.

 

[Jims1025R]

Talk to Bercomac about a snowblower, and a quick attached blade for the front, if quick attach is an option for your loader, and the loader manufacturer offers a blade. I was not so enthusiastic, until I bought one. I'm very happy, plow forward, then blow backward if you need to. I clear an 800 foot driveway in minutes, and tens of minutes if I need to blow the banks.

If the edges of the lane are rough, plow to windrow in the middle, and make one pass with the blower to blow that off to the side - no snow banks to drift in. Three point blowers were a pain with standard transmissions, really only one speed - reverse low = slow work. But with hydrostatic, you can blow at whatever speed backward the engine can power.

 

[MAD777]

I use a 7' manual articulating rear blade to clear 500' rock driveway. Most snows vary from 2" to 10". I have a 25 HP Kioti that makes quick work of it. If 5"or more, I need to takes multiple passes. I have euro chains, couldn't do it without them. The blade is Everything Attachments deluxe 6-way blade.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Just another thought Captm - Welcome to TBN BTW - if you are using your winter trail just to get wood out like I am my legs give out before my tractor. It is a rare winter I can run the tractor on my packed trail every day. When the snow gets deep enough that it is to much struggle on foot to move thru the snow I quit. That usually happens before the tractor quits. But after things settle or we get a rain I start up again.

gg