CTL's In the Snow?

highmark · Dec 11, 2011

how are you finding the CTL's in snow?! i am getting conflicting reports on its abilities.

i have the bobcat salesman telling me they FLOAT?! others saying they plow through the white stuff, others saying they are terrible and to invest in a winch.

im thinking they would not fare well. given their weight and rather low ground clearance, im thinking 2 ft of snow is as much as i would want to push it.

thoughts?

new to this world...so be kind people, be kind....lol

LWG · Dec 11, 2011

That's all correct. They will float over snow. The ground pressure is lower than tracked machines. But because of that lower ground pressure, they don't have the pushing power that a wheeled machine has.

A lot depends on the tracks. Bridgestone, I think, has some tracks that are designed for ice and snow. There have been some good reports about them. With worn tracks, I think you'll have trouble pushing snow. Your tracks will just spin.

There are big, cast iron cleats which bolt over the tracks, but the last time I called the factory wasn't making them anymore.

I have a T200 I've used in the snow. It's okay, but not ideal. In fairness to the machine, there was a lot of ice, and nothing short of chains or studs would have been much better.

Martian · Dec 11, 2011

Properly ballasted it will go through. If you get over 2 feet regularly I would invest in a snowblower for the tractor. Either that p
Or you just act like the snow is dirt and use the FEL to scoop and move. Can be time consuming but it works.

excav8ter · Dec 12, 2011

I use my CTL all year. I find that the terrain affects the ability of the machine to get around more than the snow. I have Solid Deal B-pattern tracks on my Takeuchi TL130 and they push quite well in the snow. I was quite surprised at how well it does when pushing snow piles back and stacking snow.

PAfarmer · Dec 26, 2011

I used one in the snow for the past few winters.... I run two suitcase weights on either side for a total of four and hang a huge hydro angle snow blade from the front and have zero issues with move large amounts of snow. My driveway is 1800 feet long and drifts badly. The JD CTL powers right past all of it. The track design does make a difference but when properly weighted there really isn't much that can stop it.....A wheeled skidsteer is good but a tracked machine can be used 12 months out of the year. My .02.......Get A ENCLOSED CAB, THE HEATER AND THE RADIO MAKE MOVING SNOW FUN again.....

kaz11 · Jan 4, 2012

Solideal Tracks work awesome in the snow!!!! Its a specific patter and compound designed for snow. We sell close to 35 sets a year and the feedback is all positive.

Johndeere3720 · Jan 4, 2012

I have experience with worn tracks in wet snow. However if you get down to the gravel below, even with the 4' of snow we got, the Deere CT322 just plowed right through it.