Buying Advice Gravel driveway snowplowing and maintenance -- small tractor recs or alternatives?

[scratchandgrit]

Hey y'all,

I'm looking for some advice on what to look for given my pretty uncomplicated needs. I have a gravel driveway that's about 1500' long, and need something to do basic maintenance (box blade) and snow plowing. I live in Virginia, so we're not talking about a ton of snow -- maybe a few 3-4" events and one 6-18" event at most during a typical winter. Prefer to spend less than $3k (hopefully inclusive of buying the attachments, but not sure if that's reasonable).

I've casually looked at old tractors like 8Ns, but that seems like overkill for my needs AND I'm not really looking for another perpetual "project", so I'm not sure that's a good way to go. What about an older garden tractor? Any particular makes and models I should consider? Should I be looking for something with a three-point hitch (or is that uncommon on smaller garden tractors)?

Sorry, these are noob questions, but even after doing some basic research and reading, I'm left with more questions (and not even sure if they're the "right" questions!). :confused2:

(BTW, I have a Craftsman lawn tractor that works fine for mowing, but it's truly a lawn tractor/riding mower, and isn't designed for any significant ground-engaging attachments.)

Thanks for any advice!

 

[varmint]

For years, I have cleared snow from about 750' of sloping gravel drive. I first used a 5' rear blade and a front loader bucket, but now I have a front blade with hydraulic swivel. Depending on how rough your drive is, you probably want to float just above it, since a blade, even with shoes, will want to dig in. Where we are in MD may be a similar climate, but we have had 30" snowfalls more than you'd think!

You might want to look at a small tractor, like a Kubota B2620 (not that it would be right for you, but it would be a starting point for looking) or something similar perhaps older, with a loader and rear blade. Ideally, a front blade, but you would want either the Kubota frame mount, or a SSQA loader. Such a set up would make snow removal almost pleasant. A box blade, also, for maintaining the drive. Now that our lane is paved, plowing will be a snap. There are many good small tractors, but I am partial to Kubotas, having had three and excellent experience with them all.
A small, 20-30 hp tractor, with 4 wheel drive, and a hydro transmission, will be ideal. You shouldn't even need chains, unless you get a lot of ice underneath the snow. Remember, with climate change, weather will getting worse, not better. My so-called avatar photo shows our present set up. With a heated cab, I would be having fun in the snow!

 

[George2615]

For the price range you have I think you are going to be very limited in available tractors.
That's about going price for an 8n in good shape. You might even find one with a loader.
A 1500' driveway would take a long time to plow with a garden tractor.
If you are fixed on price you could look for a garden tractor with a snow blower and a homemade soft cab but most won't have 3 pt.
Check your local CL for tractors.

 

[dodge man]

I agree, you probably are going to have a tough time finding much for 3k. You might want to double that budget, or even triple it. Do you have other uses for a small tractor, such as landscaping, moving wood, mowing etc? I bought a small tractor and don't know how I got by without it.

 

[TJP89]

Your budget is a little tight for a full tractor. I paid 3500 for a Farmall H with 3PTH and 72" belly mower in very good condition. I then put about another 1500 in hydraulic upgrades and electrical conversions, and paid 250 for a new cheap snow blade. When it went down for the 3rd time, I was fed up, and bit the bullet for the 20K Kioti. The ironic thing is I finally got the H up and running, and now use it as my primary mowing machine, and haven't had a breakdown for a year. I use it for light hauling, mowing, and a backup and second tractor to the Kioti. I think I could get away with using it as the main tractor, but who knows.

The point of all this is, even though my needs are much more than yours, an OK tractor with implement will likely be more than 3K. I'd up the budget a little, and look at a newer used SCUT with a rear blade. A loader is nice, but not required here, and the lack of one would save you a grand or so. 4WD with a 3PTH on an used Kubota BX would do the trick nicely, but would cost you more like 6-7K. But it would be a long term investment, well worth the money. Also, with a older tractor, you never know it something major is going to go, or, more likely, it will be a constant stream of small vital things, that eat up money and prevent work from being done.

 

[scratchandgrit]

I agree, you probably are going to have a tough time finding much for 3k. You might want to double that budget, or even triple it. Do you have other uses for a small tractor, such as landscaping, moving wood, mowing etc? I bought a small tractor and don't know how I got by without it.

Not really, no. That's the problem, really -- if I had other uses for it, I could maybe justify the $10-15k price, but that's just too much for something that would be used for basic driveway maintenance and 2-3x a year snow plowing. That said, it might be worth the extra money to not have to deal with what will likely be constant headaches with an antique tractor...

 

[scratchandgrit]

The point of all this is, even though my needs are much more than yours, an OK tractor with implement will likely be more than 3K. I'd up the budget a little, and look at a newer used SCUT with a rear blade. A loader is nice, but not required here, and the lack of one would save you a grand or so. 4WD with a 3PTH on an used Kubota BX would do the trick nicely, but would cost you more like 6-7K. But it would be a long term investment, well worth the money. Also, with a older tractor, you never know it something major is going to go, or, more likely, it will be a constant stream of small vital things, that eat up money and prevent work from being done.

6-7k is definitely more than I want to spend given the use cases, but it might have to be a reasonable compromise given the lack of options available in my current budget. Not seeing too much locally on used BX's, but will keep my eyes peeled. There is a dealer up the road a bit from me that sells lots of Kubota equipment; not sure what their used inventory is like, and suspect they'll be priced high, but might be worth a look?

 

[varmint]

I glossed over the $3K pricing, because once you figure out how much commercial plowers will want to clear 1500' of drive (I got pricing of $700 to clear 18" of snow from my lane, half the length of yours) and how much time it'll take you with crappy machinery, the price of a decent tractor will begin to make sense. Keep in mind that if you buy something quality, like a clean used Kubota, and take care of it, it will hold its value, so you aren't really throwing your money away. Plus, you will probably find lots of uses for a tractor, once you have it.

 

[George2615]

On the other hand, 3K will get your driveway plowed by someone else for quite a few years.

 

[scratchandgrit]

I glossed over the $3K pricing, because once you figure out how much commercial plowers will want to clear 1500' of drive (I got pricing of $700 to clear 18" of snow from my lane, half the length of yours) and how much time it'll take you with crappy machinery, the price of a decent tractor will begin to make sense. Keep in mind that if you buy something quality, like a clean used Kubota, and take care of it, it will hold its value, so you aren't really throwing your money away. Plus, you will probably find lots of uses for a tractor, once you have it.

Yeah, and really, the ability to plow is more of a "nice to have" than a requirement. I've lived at this property for 5 years now and haven't bothered plowing. Until we get into the 18"+ snows, I just tend to drive through it and don't worry about it. It's just when it doesn't melt for weeks and turns into hardpack snow and ice that I wish I had plowed! The main use would be maintaining the gravel driveway... about half the total length is downhill from the road, so heavy rains tend to wash everything down over time; I need a way to fix that every so often.