Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?

/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #1  

Colby Forest

Bronze Member
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
89
Location
Northern Maine
Need help quick, like now. Making a deal on a M5040 HDC. Need to know what kind of rear snowblower I can put on it. Kubota makes a 74" but I can't get any info on it from their website. Do they make a larger one? Would like to put an 84" on so it's wider than the tractor (min. width is 73"). A Woods 84" needs 60 hp pto, a 5040 has only 45. Does anyone make an 84" snowblower that will go on this tractor?

BTW, what do they mean by tread width? It's smaller than the min. width. The actual tractor with the tires set up the way they are on the lot is 79" Help!
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #4  
Need help quick, like now. Making a deal on a M5040 HDC. Need to know what kind of rear snowblower I can put on it. Kubota makes a 74" but I can't get any info on it from their website. Do they make a larger one? Would like to put an 84" on so it's wider than the tractor (min. width is 73"). A Woods 84" needs 60 hp pto, a 5040 has only 45. Does anyone make an 84" snowblower that will go on this tractor?

BTW, what do they mean by tread width? It's smaller than the min. width. The actual tractor with the tires set up the way they are on the lot is 79" Help!

You don't need to be in a rush to pick out a blower - ANY 84" will work fine. The Woods doesn't need 60 hp - it can tolerate 60 hp. There are a LOT of 7' blowers to chose from once you really start looking. It will be easy to find what you need.
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks everyone for the quick replies.

I'm not rushing on the snowblower, just on the knowledge of whether I could get a 7-footer for this tractor, since the Kubota site only comes up with a 74". Didn't see much point in having a snowblower that won't clear a path wide enough for the tractor. And that's one of the main reasons for getting the tractor - clearing snow. Might've been a deal-killer.

The Woods doesn't need 60 hp - it can tolerate 60 hp.
Here's a novice question: If you put a rear blower on that is recommended for a larger pto, what kind of stress and wear are you putting on the tractor and pto?

Also, does the M5040HDC have a creep mode for loader (and blower) work? It's an 8x8 hydro-shuttle. The Kubota brochure is confusing on that point. Sounds like it comes standard even on the 5040, but in another place it sounds like an option :confused:. I think it's an '08 model.

And one more thing :rolleyes:: What do they mean by tread width? The specs list a range of 52.0 - 67.7 in. for the rear and 55.9 - 59.8 in. for the front (4WD). That's less than the min. overall width. Could it be the range of space between the wheels?
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks Will, for the links. I checked out the Pronovost. Parlez-vous francais? Should've seen me trying to figure it out before I found the English button.:p:D
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #7  
I believe tread width refers to the measurement from the center of the tires.
I don;t have enough PTO for my blower. I just have to slow my travel down when the going gets tough. Listen to the engine, don't let it lug.
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #8  
[QUOTE. Also, does the M5040HDC have a creep mode for loader (and blower) work? It's an 8x8 hydro-shuttle. The Kubota brochure is confusing on that point. Sounds like it comes standard even on the 5040, but in another place it sounds like an option :confused:. I think it's an '08 model.

And one more thing :rolleyes:: What do they mean by tread width? The specs list a range of 52.0 - 67.7 in. for the rear and 55.9 - 59.8 in. for the front (4WD). That's less than the min. overall width. Could it be the range of space between the wheels?[/QUOTE]


Creep Mode does NOT come standard on the M5040, it's an option.

Tread width is measured center to center on the tire.

Stu
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #9  
.......If you put a rear blower on that is recommended for a larger pto, what kind of stress and wear are you putting on the tractor and pto?......... does the M5040HDC have a creep mode for loader (and blower) work? ......What do they mean by tread width?
When a tractor size is listed by an implement manufacturer, it only roughly establishes a pairing of machinery. In this case, the Woods heavy duty blower lists 60-80 hp tractors - but there are wider blowers in the model range, some with dual augers. A 1700-pound snowblower would be a lot of freight behind a 30 hp tractor. In fact, the stress on the tractor and blower is really produced by the resistance of the snow being moved. If you bite into deep snow at full speed you'll need a lot of power. But to blow 6" of snow even a 100 hp tractor will only deliver a small fraction of its available power to the blower. And blowers have shear pins to protect them from being over stressed.

Snow14.jpg


Here's a 7' medium-duty blower in action. The M5040 would handle it perfectly.

BTW creep speed is rarely if ever needed for snowblowing. Even normal low-range 1st and 2nd are too slow on most tractors. Creep speed is handy for planting trees - or pressure washing a house. Tread width is measured at the tire center (or from the inside of one to the outside of the opposite).
 
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/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #10  
If the recommended width is 74" you will have no problem powering through deep 24" or more snow with the larger blower. If it is heavy and wet you just go slower or take a 2/3 bite. For my 21hp tractor the recommended size is about 48" but I found a good deal on a 60" blower. No issues at all I just go slower. I used it to clear part of the snowbank created by the state plows because I couldn't see when getting out of my driveway. It was slow going but no problem. On regular fluffy storm stuff it works like a charm. When I climbed on the top of my snow pile in mid-march my head was at the same level as a second story window. It was fun.
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #11  
BTW creep speed is rarely if ever needed for snowblowing. Even normal low-range 1st and 2nd are too slow on most tractors. Creep speed is handy for planting trees - or pressure washing a house. .

Dunno if I agree with that statement. I can recall creeping down a runway at .6 mph in a NH TV140 with the PTO going full tilt and barely hacking it with about 15" of snow. Creep speed might come in pretty handy on occasion. Gotta remember that rear mount blowers generally require the tractor to move in reverse to work and, for some reason, reverse is usually geared higher than the forward gears. Make sure you check what the groundspeed will be in your lowest reverse gear at PTO operating RPM. If it's much over 1 MPH, I'd seriously look at the creep package.

Most of the time you can get away with higher speeds by taking smaller bites. But on the first pass you have to go the full width and leave a few inches on the surface if you can't slow it down enough. The kind of obstructions you have to work around is also a factor.
Bob
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #12  
I don't know if I would be in a big hurry buying a tractor in today's market, I suspect the deal will be there towmorrow.

If your main activity is snowblowing, why on earth would you need a 50 hp tractor unless you have hugh area to blow in which case why would you want a rear blower? If I only had to snow blow on rare occasions a rear blower would be OK, but a steady diet of snowblowing with head twisted to the rear is a painful and unpleasant thought.

My B3030 HSDC (30 hp) with a front blower is comfortable and efficient for the 15 to 30 feet of snow we get each year, sometime 2 feet at a time, wet or light. Below is a link to a video of my tractor handling a good deal more than a foot of wet, heavy April 1 snow.

YouTube - Kubota B3030 snowblower
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #14  
............ reverse is usually geared higher than the forward gears.........
Many tractors have some kind of reverser these days so there are as many speeds forward as reverse. FWIW Kubota reversers are either geared the same or slightly lower in reverse.
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #15  
When a tractor size is listed by an implement manufacturer, it only roughly establishes a pairing of machinery. In this case, the Woods heavy duty blower lists 60-80 hp tractors - but there are wider blowers in the model range, some with dual augers. A 1700-pound snowblower would be a lot of freight behind a 30 hp tractor. In fact, the stress on the tractor and blower is really produced by the resistance of the snow being moved. If you bite into deep snow at full speed you'll need a lot of power. But to blow 6" of snow even a 100 hp tractor will only deliver a small fraction of its available power to the blower. And blowers have shear pins to protect them from being over stressed.

Snow14.jpg


Here's a 7' medium-duty blower in action. The M5040 would handle it perfectly.

BTW creep speed is rarely if ever needed for snowblowing. Even normal low-range 1st and 2nd are too slow on most tractors. Creep speed is handy for planting trees - or pressure washing a house. Tread width is measured at the tire center (or from the inside of one to the outside of the opposite).

How can you post such a Cold Picture Of Blowing Snow in the middle of summer. Ouch thats cold!!
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #16  
Somebody hand that man a sweater !! Sorry for the chill....
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?
  • Thread Starter
#17  
I don't know if I would be in a big hurry buying a tractor in today's market, I suspect the deal will be there towmorrow.

If your main activity is snowblowing, why on earth would you need a 50 hp tractor unless you have hugh area to blow in which case why would you want a rear blower? If I only had to snow blow on rare occasions a rear blower would be OK, but a steady diet of snowblowing with head twisted to the rear is a painful and unpleasant thought.

My B3030 HSDC (30 hp) with a front blower is comfortable and efficient for the 15 to 30 feet of snow we get each year, sometime 2 feet at a time, wet or light. Below is a link to a video of my tractor handling a good deal more than a foot of wet, heavy April 1 snow.

YouTube - Kubota B3030 snowblower

Thanks for the video. Looks like yours does a good job from the little I could watch. I can't watch video with my VERY slow dial-up, except in real short bursts. Price of living in the boonies and satellite internet is way too expensive for us.:rolleyes:

Been looking at this tractor for two years, not much of a hurry ;). The hurry was I made him a deal I didn't think he would take, so then I had to find out quick if I could get a snowblower for it. I can only do this once, so it has to be one to last a long, long, long time. Hence, the 5040.

Will be doing more than blowing - loader work, logging winch and backhoe may be in the future. This tractor does not have a mid-PTO for a front blower. Maybe I'll get one of those back-up cameras to avoid the pain in the neck :).
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Somebody hand that man a sweater !! Sorry for the chill....

Don't be sorry. I'd rather be in that picture than in the muggies we've been having. 85% humidity INSIDE the house! Ugh! Everything is damp and clammy. Don't know if we'll ever dry out. Seems like we're in it for the rest of this week too. :(:rolleyes:
 
/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040?
  • Thread Starter
#19  
So, now I'm the proud owner of a bright orange M5040HDC with loader! :D Have already made a couple neighbours jealous :cool::p But it's been raining since I got it so all I've done is take it off the trailer and take it for a short spin :(:rolleyes:.

So I asked the dealer about a snowblower. He gave me a quote on an 87" Meteor, the brand that he carries. Freight free if he could get in on his order of other blowers he'll stock for the season, an offer from the manufacturer for ordering in June I think. I found a couple threads on Meteor and I have my doubts. So, I asked him to see if he can quote me on 84" Pronovost Puma and 84" Blizzard (made by RAD Technologies?). He said they'll be quite a bit more. I'm waiting for him to get back to me. How about the plain Pronovost 86" P-860? Must be near impossible to break that ;).

Thanks to all for the help, advice and links.
I figured I ought to move this over to Attachments, so I've started a thread there if anyone is interested. "Best 7' snowblower?"
 
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/ Help quick! Snowblower for M5040? #20  
How far is it to Maine from Pa ? I've got a "like new" Allied 73" for sale.

Steve from Pittsburgh, Pa
 

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