I'm also thinking a heavy rear blade will help rear wheel traction. I've never used a 4wd tractor so I'm not sure if I'll need chains.
Front snow blower and rear blade?
- Thread starter RCbondo
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I'm also thinking a heavy rear blade will help rear wheel traction. I've never used a 4wd tractor so I'm not sure if I'll need chains.
atsah
Elite Member
I bet you will in WY..
If I were getting a new set-up of that size I would consider a set-up like Piloon with a hydraulically angled front blade mounted to the loader arms- maybe not as rugged as direct mount but has the advantage of being quickly removed to allow loader use during the winter. Then a rear blower at least 6 inches wider than the tractor.
So small snows you push then occasionally blow to make them go away. I had a front blower on a B3030 and it seemed really slow -i think that the rear mounts are both more efficient and more ruggedly built well as being tons cheaper. The best argument i could see for a rear blade is too also smooth the drive periodically. If you were to get a rear blade get the heaviest you can and consider top and tilt to get it out of the way. The B2650 is fairly small and low for a cat 1 hitch so you are limited as to moldboard height and lift without TNT- The kubota front blower also does not lift very far on those tractors which could also be an issue.
I am concerned about losing the loader with what I am considering. But after 25 years of November through April snow removal in the elements with rear blower I am ready for a cab and front mount blower. With a heavy offset rear blade and chains I should be good. The blade will help with drifts, occasional buffing out, and the spring slush.
Any idea how high the B2650's front blower actually lifts? Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't aware that was an issue. Sometimes I do need to lift the blower and take multiple passes at a deep snowfall.
Any idea how high the B2650's front blower actually lifts? Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't aware that was an issue. Sometimes I do need to lift the blower and take multiple passes at a deep snowfall.
when i was shopping i found that the biggest blade i could stuff on it was a woods HBL-72-2 - it does offset but not hydraulic- it was too tall for the hitch w/o TNT so I got that. It still was only 500lb or so, so the scraping was ok but not great. Too, when offset it would shove the tractor sideways pretty readily. I ended up moving to a rear pull on a JD3720 just to get more capability. You could combine a cab with a rear blower- just saying. As to lift on the front blower- maybe a foot or less- hopefully someone else will chime in. Are most of your snows bigger dumps or small events- that might skew the decision.
Remember that b2650 is a good bit smaller than the Tractor you sold and things like rear blades like size.
Remember that b2650 is a good bit smaller than the Tractor you sold and things like rear blades like size.
oosik
Epic Contributor
View attachment 616446. My Kubota M6040 with the Rhino 950. It's eight feet wide and weighs 1050 pounds. It offsets, angles & tilts. One or two or all three at a time. I use offset & angle to blade the snow off my driveway. Doing summer work on the driveway - I most usually go straight behind and angle or not angle. This is just about all I would want mounted on the M6040. I didn't get hydraulic offset, angle, tilt. I only have one rear hydraulic valve and it controls the hydraulic top link.
It will also do a 180 reversal. Good for those first fall snows when the driveway is still soft.
This blade is VERY, VERY heavy. Short story. When I first got the blade - pulled the pin to offset. The tractor was on a slight side slope on the driveway. So I start to push the blade to one side. No joy - I can not budge it. So I give it an ALMIGHTY heave. It moves about three inches in the direction I'm pushing. It stops - reverses direction - before I can react - the blade has slammed me down onto the driveway and run right over the top of me. My salvation - I had the 3-point fully raised.
I could feel the cutting edge slice right across the top of both thighs. It cut my jeans but only left a red line on the top of both thighs. I weigh 225# and am reasonably strong. If I pull the offset pin and the blade drifts to full offset because I'm on a slight slope. It's a whole lot easier and safer to just move the tractor to a level spot. Rather than trying to push the blade back to dead center.
Live & learn.
It will also do a 180 reversal. Good for those first fall snows when the driveway is still soft.
This blade is VERY, VERY heavy. Short story. When I first got the blade - pulled the pin to offset. The tractor was on a slight side slope on the driveway. So I start to push the blade to one side. No joy - I can not budge it. So I give it an ALMIGHTY heave. It moves about three inches in the direction I'm pushing. It stops - reverses direction - before I can react - the blade has slammed me down onto the driveway and run right over the top of me. My salvation - I had the 3-point fully raised.
I could feel the cutting edge slice right across the top of both thighs. It cut my jeans but only left a red line on the top of both thighs. I weigh 225# and am reasonably strong. If I pull the offset pin and the blade drifts to full offset because I'm on a slight slope. It's a whole lot easier and safer to just move the tractor to a level spot. Rather than trying to push the blade back to dead center.
Live & learn.
The new tractor is primarily for snow removal. The FEL on the DB780 did come in handy at times in the summer for various projects around our property. I'll add the FEL to the B2650 for summer in the future when I need it. We don't get any ice and our snowstorms can be up to 18" overnight. I don't even bother moving anything less than 6" and let it accumulate until I think my wife's Subaru won't make it up the drive.
mikescruggs
Silver Member
I have used a rear blade for a couple years along with the bucket on the FEL....bad for your back if you keep turning around. I am using a front mounted snow plow (HLA) and a rear box blade and can change to a blower for the larger storms, but I loose a little weight. The front blade is a 90" blade and on straights it works great. Cornering with deep or heavy snow it pushes the front of the tractor. This is on a Kubota L4240 with R1 tires, Trygg chains on the rear, and loaded tires. The box blade has 8 8x8x16 blocks filled with concrete, so it is about 800 lbs total. I switch to the rear blower for deep snow or clearing paths which have not been plowed all year. I try not to look backwards and if I do I switch sides (I still feel the damage done years ago).
My Dad runs a B3000 with a front mounted blower. It is a sub frame so he has to detach his FEL. He runs a rear mounted land pride blade with angle hydraulics and manual tilt/shift. He uses the blade for light storms or to clean up the windrow of snow from the blower to cut down on passes. It works well for him. He has loaded tires and H pattern chains from tirechain.com...in expensive and decent for limited use of just winter storm clean up. He has a cab and uses his mirrors and likes it.
The new tractor will be a M7060 Cab with blade on the front and possibly a 8' blade on the rear (definitely the box or snowblower I have now). The tires are the radial R1 loaded (cast centers too) with Trygg chains on the rear and studs on the front. There are studs on the front because chains would likely hit when I am in the woods. I would only run chains on the front once the ice sets in anyway. The studs will be installed with just one or two per bar and can be added to if necessary. I'd like to go to a 8' plow on the fel and 8' rear blade with the hope to off set it to either cut the snow bank down or push it further back. Maybe on the first pass I could off set it opposite and push both ways. I will try the mirrors, but likely add a double backup camera with a monitor. I'll keep the old snowblower (not quite as wide as the tractor is) to see how it really handles the deep or heavy snow.
There was a question about mounting the blower...the FEL mounted ones will required extra hydraulics (normally used with SS). Most front snow blowers run off a mid mount PTO and are on their own sub frame. The blower is lifted by a small hydraulic cylinder. You dismount the FEL to use the subframe. Another feature of the subframe is you can add a plow or sweeper to it too.
Good luck,
Mike
My Dad runs a B3000 with a front mounted blower. It is a sub frame so he has to detach his FEL. He runs a rear mounted land pride blade with angle hydraulics and manual tilt/shift. He uses the blade for light storms or to clean up the windrow of snow from the blower to cut down on passes. It works well for him. He has loaded tires and H pattern chains from tirechain.com...in expensive and decent for limited use of just winter storm clean up. He has a cab and uses his mirrors and likes it.
The new tractor will be a M7060 Cab with blade on the front and possibly a 8' blade on the rear (definitely the box or snowblower I have now). The tires are the radial R1 loaded (cast centers too) with Trygg chains on the rear and studs on the front. There are studs on the front because chains would likely hit when I am in the woods. I would only run chains on the front once the ice sets in anyway. The studs will be installed with just one or two per bar and can be added to if necessary. I'd like to go to a 8' plow on the fel and 8' rear blade with the hope to off set it to either cut the snow bank down or push it further back. Maybe on the first pass I could off set it opposite and push both ways. I will try the mirrors, but likely add a double backup camera with a monitor. I'll keep the old snowblower (not quite as wide as the tractor is) to see how it really handles the deep or heavy snow.
There was a question about mounting the blower...the FEL mounted ones will required extra hydraulics (normally used with SS). Most front snow blowers run off a mid mount PTO and are on their own sub frame. The blower is lifted by a small hydraulic cylinder. You dismount the FEL to use the subframe. Another feature of the subframe is you can add a plow or sweeper to it too.
Good luck,
Mike
Recently sold my 2014 Massey gc1710 and bought a 19’ gc1723e. On the 1710 I ran a 5’ rear blower and the bucket with rear chains.
On the new machine I will run a front mount 50” blower and a rear blade. Drove 9 hours round trip for a used front blower, at half price of new.
I do 1400’ of main drive (private roadway) and another 200’ of house drive, plus the neighbors that I help out. I am so looking forward to not having to sit sideways on the tractor especially because half of the 1400’ is up hill at a 35 degree angle.
On the new machine I will run a front mount 50” blower and a rear blade. Drove 9 hours round trip for a used front blower, at half price of new.
I do 1400’ of main drive (private roadway) and another 200’ of house drive, plus the neighbors that I help out. I am so looking forward to not having to sit sideways on the tractor especially because half of the 1400’ is up hill at a 35 degree angle.