jyoutz
Super Member
A front blade is great for plowing snow on pavement. For gravel a reversed rear blade is the best solution.
My setup is a KS66 blower and a back blade.
This is only my 2nd winter with this rig and I really didn't need the blower last year. My area used to get around 115" a year. We have been well below that the last couple of years. But we do occasionally get walloped. This year has much more snow then last, I think we are currently at 50 inches or so.
My experience so far is that a front blower of this size isn't really needed below 8 inches. It works fine, but its overkill unless you get ALOT of snow. Most of my use has been back blading snow to the end of the driveway, then turning around and blowing the pile. Something I could easily do with the bucket.
I do have snow fences setup for the length of the driveways I plow as the wind is really bad here. Without those, I would likely need the blower more.
My primary snow removal is the back blade. I have gravel, so I keep the feet down all the way so that the blade is up about 2 inches. This seems to work well unless the ground is really soft, but then its still not awful. I then drag the back blade behind me in the normal gravel/dirt position and when I get to the end; I lift, pull forward, drop, and push back the pile into the lawn. A lot of guys use the back blade 'backwards' as it doesn't mess up the lawn/gravel when driving forward. But since I don't have a bucket (cause the snowblower is mounted) I found backing into the pile at the end of the driveway with the blade backwards was messing up my gravel and lawn.
Another thing I like about the blade facing the regular way is I can really scrap down heavy blown-in snow. But as said above, i am really still learning to 'use' my new equipment. Winter has changed and I previously had a plow truck.
But anyway, to the blower.
If you use dollies, I dont think the front blower isn't too difficult to unhook or attach. I have a pole barn with concrete I work on cars in, so having the blower mobile when it isn't being used was important to me. What I found best was two sets of furniture dollies. Two larger ones for the blower and two small ones for the frame.
For the blower, I place the outside edge of the dollies on the edges of the snow blower, just inside the shoes, and then slide a 1x4 on the back of the dollies under the square box portions of the blower unit (just in front of the round support tubes). I do not use the retractable foot. I find this is balanced really well and i can move the unit around with ease. This thing weighs like 700 pounds, you ain't moving it with our wheel or equipment.
Then I slide the two smaller dollies under the frame/cradle. Remove the rear shaft, then use one of those smaller jacks to lift the front by the 'hump', pull the pins and lower onto the dolly. Then, use the jack on the side of the cradle to take the weight off the pins and drop down to the dolly.
You don't need to use the dollies for the cradle, but I find its easier to get the jack under there if you do. I think it takes maybe 10 mins to hook up if the loader is already off. I am still young and strong enough to do this without the dollies under the cradle, but I try to work smarter, not harder.
Hopefully something above is useful.
This is only my 2nd winter with this rig and I really didn't need the blower last year. My area used to get around 115" a year. We have been well below that the last couple of years. But we do occasionally get walloped. This year has much more snow then last, I think we are currently at 50 inches or so.
My experience so far is that a front blower of this size isn't really needed below 8 inches. It works fine, but its overkill unless you get ALOT of snow. Most of my use has been back blading snow to the end of the driveway, then turning around and blowing the pile. Something I could easily do with the bucket.
I do have snow fences setup for the length of the driveways I plow as the wind is really bad here. Without those, I would likely need the blower more.
My primary snow removal is the back blade. I have gravel, so I keep the feet down all the way so that the blade is up about 2 inches. This seems to work well unless the ground is really soft, but then its still not awful. I then drag the back blade behind me in the normal gravel/dirt position and when I get to the end; I lift, pull forward, drop, and push back the pile into the lawn. A lot of guys use the back blade 'backwards' as it doesn't mess up the lawn/gravel when driving forward. But since I don't have a bucket (cause the snowblower is mounted) I found backing into the pile at the end of the driveway with the blade backwards was messing up my gravel and lawn.
Another thing I like about the blade facing the regular way is I can really scrap down heavy blown-in snow. But as said above, i am really still learning to 'use' my new equipment. Winter has changed and I previously had a plow truck.
But anyway, to the blower.
If you use dollies, I dont think the front blower isn't too difficult to unhook or attach. I have a pole barn with concrete I work on cars in, so having the blower mobile when it isn't being used was important to me. What I found best was two sets of furniture dollies. Two larger ones for the blower and two small ones for the frame.
For the blower, I place the outside edge of the dollies on the edges of the snow blower, just inside the shoes, and then slide a 1x4 on the back of the dollies under the square box portions of the blower unit (just in front of the round support tubes). I do not use the retractable foot. I find this is balanced really well and i can move the unit around with ease. This thing weighs like 700 pounds, you ain't moving it with our wheel or equipment.
Then I slide the two smaller dollies under the frame/cradle. Remove the rear shaft, then use one of those smaller jacks to lift the front by the 'hump', pull the pins and lower onto the dolly. Then, use the jack on the side of the cradle to take the weight off the pins and drop down to the dolly.
You don't need to use the dollies for the cradle, but I find its easier to get the jack under there if you do. I think it takes maybe 10 mins to hook up if the loader is already off. I am still young and strong enough to do this without the dollies under the cradle, but I try to work smarter, not harder.
Hopefully something above is useful.
OP
MesaAZguy
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2016
- Messages
- 114
- Location
- Ozark, MO Formerly Mesa, AZ
- Tractor
- Kioti 2620 Cab current, Yanmar 1802d former
Thank you, that is very useful information. Having moved from the desert to MO, tractor operations there were/will be different with the need to learn snow removal/relocation.
