Clearing snow w/ front loader

[drag_slick]

This was recorded where I live. We're having a record setting winter so far. 52" of snow at the and of December. I've got 900' of crushed concrete road and I'm using a New Holland T2220 with a FEL and a Meteor snowblower and both are needed. FEL breaks up the rock hard wind blown snow so the blower will bite in and pulls down 8' tall drifts so the blower can get rid of it in short order.

 

[Ford850]

FEL breaks up the rock hard wind blown snow so the blower will bite in and pulls down 8' tall drifts so the blower can get rid of it in short order.

Can you tunnel through them?

 

[coachgrd]

I see there was a 10 car wreck on 90 last night. Got 3-4 inches last night. Heading out this morning to clean up.

Yep, buddy of mine sat behind that pile up for 3 hours last night. Usually home 4:00, got home at 7. Have not heard of of any fatalities, which is good.

 

[coachgrd]

coachgrd, how much snow have you had this season? What's a normal snow event for you, and what about a big one? The little BX tractors don't have much clearance so if you have a couple feet of snow on the ground, your movement will be limited to what you can clear ahead of you.

Not sure of total thus far, but I would consider a 6-8" overnight snow fall a "dusting." There are times every winter where we'll have 1-2' snowfall over 24 hour period. I get a bit of wind across my drive so I've never had 2' actually laying in the driveway but I have had 12-16".

I'm in a very rural area. If I were forced to clear with a front loader, the property owner across the road has said I can push snow across the road an pile it on his side. This makes me think that if forced to clean with the front loader, maybe it won't be as time consuming as I'm thinking...certainly not as fast as my 455 w/ blower, but quicker than if I had to scoop, dump, scoop, dump, scoop, dump.

Incidentally, I just talked to my local JD dealer. Evidentally, if I jumped into something like a used 1023, I'd need another $1300 in gear to hook up my blower. That's a bummer.

 

[Rustyiron]

If your talking 12-16" I'd go for a loader mounted pusher box on your new tractor! :cool2: My (slightly exaggerated) picture of "lake effect snows" has been embellished over the years by the evening news and was the reason for my blower suggestion earlier. Pusher boxes are amazing especially if you can shove it right across the street.

 

[cford36]

Let me throw something else into the mix. What other brands have you considered or have dealers reasonably close? I have been looking to replace my JD for the past 2 years and finally ordered an LS after a lot of research and time at the Louisville Farm Show where I got to look at every possible choice out there. You will get much more without paying the premium for the name or color of the top names. You might then have the extra for the blower. Something to consider.

 

[cford36]

If your talking 12-16" I'd go for a loader mounted pusher box on your new tractor! :cool2: My (slightly exaggerated) picture of "lake effect snows" has been embellished over the years by the evening news and was the reason for my blower suggestion earlier. Pusher boxes are amazing especially if you can shove it right across the street.

I also have looked at snow pushers recently. For what he will spend on one he can get a used blower or close to it. Cheapest I was finding for a good one was $1300 for a 6'.

 

[MossRoad]

...Since I have had the tractor we have not had a major snow event,...

In the 15 years I've had ours, we had ONE bad winter where I ran out of room along both sides of the drive to stack snow... it was 6' high X 15' wide by 150' long and we couldn't see past the piles to back out onto the street. That year I had to bucket it out to the back yard one sunny day, just to make room for more. That is the only time I wish I really had a blower here. I still toy with the idea of getting a blower off a lawn tractor and putting a hydraulic motor on it on my FEL arms.... a blower that lifts almost 5' in the air could be quite fun!

 

[MossRoad]

....certainly not as fast as my 455 w/ blower, but quicker than if I had to scoop, dump, scoop, dump, scoop, dump.....

That's not how we do it with the bucket. Push one straight path right down the middle start to finish. Once you get some snow built up in the bucket, it acts as a wedge V plow and you open up the drive for the tractor pretty quick in one pass. Turn around push down one side till the bucket starts filling, then turn in towards the right side and push it as far off to the side at a 45 degree angle as you can. Dump and back out, then do the left side. Alternate side-to side in a herring bone pattern working your way back home. You're done in two passes. Grab a donut and warm beverage. :thumbsup:

 

[coachgrd]

Let me throw something else into the mix. What other brands have you considered or have dealers reasonably close? I have been looking to replace my JD for the past 2 years and finally ordered an LS after a lot of research and time at the Louisville Farm Show where I got to look at every possible choice out there. You will get much more without paying the premium for the name or color of the top names. You might then have the extra for the blower. Something to consider.

I've really just started looking. At this point, JDs & Kubota. Any specific LS model you can point me to?