GC17xx tractors, clearing snow with the bucket.

4get gto · Sep 4, 2019

Imold said:
I have a 60 inch complete snow blade setup from a older Polaris ATV I do not use anymore so I am going to convert that to attach to my bucket on my GC1705.

Jim.

I also have a 60" atv plow that I made up. Maybe this will give you some ideas ..

Imold · Sep 4, 2019

Thanks 4get gto. That’s kinda what I was thinking but attaching to the loader but until I get a soft cab for the 1705 I will probably be using this setup one more year.

Jim.

4get gto · Sep 5, 2019

Imold said:
Thanks 4get gto. That’s kinda what I was thinking but attaching to the loader but until I get a soft cab for the 1705 I will probably be using this setup one more year.
View attachment 619795

Jim.

Gotta wonder why you think you'd might prefer the 1705 over the UTV..?

ray66v · Sep 5, 2019

Ripkid said:
I've used my 1720 several times this last winter to clean up a large turn around area by our pole shed, & also to widen the 300' plus driveway leading to it. It's all gravel so we try to plow it a couple inches high with the plow truck & then drive it/pack it down. Unfortunately though it's in an area that drifts pretty high so I needed to do a lot of bucket work. My tires though are filled and I also leave my backhoe on. I must say I've had pretty good luck using float while plowing fairly fast in high, ramming up piles of snow, then lifting & dumping them. It seems to work well, & handling/traction is fine. I pile snow as high as I possibly can then push the upper half of the piles as far back as I can & them pile some more. I end up with some huge mountains of snow for sure. (We're just North of Madison Wisconsin) Sorry that might not really help you much regarding plowing/bucketing "without" weight, but depending on how deep your snow gets, or how much slope you might be working on, I would think at a minimum you'd want your tires filled, & possibly a ballast box too. Its actually very nice having the ballast of the backhoe during heavy bucket work, but I too would like to have the whole thing as short as possible some times. I think I'll probably be shopping for a box/weight set up soon... Good luck!!

Which tires do you have? R4's?

GeneV · Sep 5, 2019

Ripkid said:
I've used my 1720 several times this last winter to clean up a large turn around area by our pole shed, & also to widen the 300' plus driveway leading to it. It's all gravel so we try to plow it a couple inches high with the plow truck & then drive it/pack it down. Unfortunately though it's in an area that drifts pretty high so I needed to do a lot of bucket work. My tires though are filled and I also leave my backhoe on. I must say I've had pretty good luck using float while plowing fairly fast in high, ramming up piles of snow, then lifting & dumping them. It seems to work well, & handling/traction is fine. I pile snow as high as I possibly can then push the upper half of the piles as far back as I can & them pile some more. I end up with some huge mountains of snow for sure. (We're just North of Madison Wisconsin) Sorry that might not really help you much regarding plowing/bucketing "without" weight, but depending on how deep your snow gets, or how much slope you might be working on, I would think at a minimum you'd want your tires filled, & possibly a ballast box too. Its actually very nice having the ballast of the backhoe during heavy bucket work, but I too would like to have the whole thing as short as possible some times. I think I'll probably be shopping for a box/weight set up soon... Good luck!!

Thanks for the input, Ripkid.

GeneV · Sep 5, 2019

I asked the guy on the snow edge video about his setup. He's running w/o rear ballast, unloaded tires, and no chains...and he says he does fine. He's on a bobcat scut, I think those are little heavier than my tractor, but I think I'll be fine with mine as well. I could always pop the backhoe back on for ballast if I need to.

Ripkid · Sep 5, 2019

R4's yes... Sometimes the fronts tend to slide/push, which is one of the reasons I started to pick up the speed, but it does rather well actually...

Imold · Sep 5, 2019

4get gto said:
Gotta wonder why you think you'd might prefer the 1705 over the UTV..?

I have two properties about 11.4 miles apart and I was thinking of keeping the 1705 at my home on the lake and in the garage this winter until I get my shop built on the other property plus the utv starts pretty good in below zero temps when sitting outside, not to sure the 1705 will be as easy to start after sitting outside.
Just had a chat with the wife last night about the Original Cab and it looks like we are going to see about ordering one in early November or late October.
I would put a heated cab on this but for the cost I can get a lot of other things for the 1705 and still be ahead of the game plus it drives like a bus when trying to maneuver it around.

Jim.

ray66v · Sep 6, 2019

Ripkid said:
R4's yes... Sometimes the fronts tend to slide/push, which is one of the reasons I started to pick up the speed, but it does rather well actually...

I figured.

I plow in low with my turf's, and it is pretty much unstoppable.