Hi All,
I don't have a 72" Deere blade for my 2520 but I would love to try one. I have a 60" Curtis loader plow that I use for a 450 foot paved driveway that has 4 turns and is sloped. (I'm on the side of a mountain, it's not a gentle slope) I also use it to clear the front lawn to park the cars while I plow the driveway, the road around back and paths from the house to the woodshed. I have used it for the snowiest on record in NH, in anything from a dusting to 1" of slush to 2+ feet of heavy wind blown snow with 3 and 4 foot drifts.
My Curtis weighs far more, hangs out farther and sits higher than the Deere setup. I can take full passes with it, I can bank the snow, I can push the banks back. In short, it works. Is it perfectly matched to the 2520 and 200cx? No, not at all. Is it better that a walk behind Ariens? Yep, by a couple miles.
Pros:
Fast, I can plow in high in snow less than a foot deep
Rugged, it's built like a tank
Easy to swap out with a bucket
One tool for both plowing and banking
Cons:
It's heavy
It has leverage over the loader
It leaves little rust lines from the shoes
It's easy to roll up unfrozen grass and to wack the house/barn when turning. (don't ask how I know these things)
It's not green
One of the issues stated here is that too big of a blade will push your tractor around and yu'll loose steering, yep, if you try to go uphill making a full cut, you will get that every time if you float the loader. Simple solution, pick up the blade about 1/2 inch, 700 Lbs hanging off the loader arms puts a lot of weight on those front wheels. Another way is to leave the cement filled
ballast box off the tractor if you have loaded tires, no weight off the back picking up the front. Another complaint is that you loose steering and have to use steering brakes, isn't that what they are there for? That's how I was shown how to use them.
Is it better than a front blower? for me, yes. For you? only you can answer that. Would I buy the 60" Curtis again? No, I would go with a wider blade, maybe 66 or 72. The 60 is just a wee bit small when angled and going around corners. Would I trade for a 72" Deere setup? In a heartbeat. In my poor slobs opinion, it's better to have a little too wide than a bit too narrow.
Last year I plowed with no chains, empty tires and a cement ballast box and had no issues. Did it slip a little? yep, when it got cold and ice formed on the driveway, other than that, not an issue with 4wd. This year I have 4 link chains, loaded tires and a 60" Meteor blower for the back, I have become the snow destroyer...
a bit long but still only 2 cents,
Tom
