How does a 4x6 Gator do at snow plowing?

[rhatfield]

I use a 2000 6x4 Gator and plow up to 120" of snow a year. I live in north Idaho and have a 3/4 mile driveway that I plow with the Gator. You have to keep up with the snow. If it is wet snow you need to get on it at 6" max depth. If it is dry you can handle more depth. The gator clearance is only about 6" so keep that in mind. I chain up and put extra weight in the back. I'm sure that the machine would be worth $5k if it has been maintained.

 

[aczlan]

I use a 2000 6x4 Gator and plow up to 120" of snow a year. I live in north Idaho and have a 3/4 mile driveway that I plow with the Gator. You have to keep up with the snow. If it is wet snow you need to get on it at 6" max depth. If it is dry you can handle more depth. The gator clearance is only about 6" so keep that in mind. I chain up and put extra weight in the back. I'm sure that the machine would be worth $5k if it has been maintained.

Thanks, we ended up getting a Toro Workman 2100 (Similar to a 4x2 gator but with a 45"x52" box on the back). It is a good machine except in the snow. The belt is situated so that snow gets thrown into it at which point, you are stuck.
Love the monster box on it though and it works great otherwise.

Aaron Z

 

[jcmseven]

The gator 6x4 does not plow as well as the newer xuv gators. They plow much better than any tractor could hope to so weight is not the only factor in successful plowing. Since the 6x4 is your option there are some ways you can make it plow better. First ballast and chains are essential in a machine that low. It will go through a lot ballasted. Second, look into a wicked bilt power steering kit. They are pricey but really do make a night and day difference. Given that the 6x4 is slow you could also think of liquid tire ballast. You could likely get 40-50 pounds of rim guard in each tire.

John M

 

[aczlan]

My father in law wanted to upgrade the Workman to something that has 4wd, so we looked at the Deere 550 and 625 XUVs. We also looked at the Kubota RTV400/500, the Honda Big Red and the Kawasaki Mule 610.
Really liked the Deere 625i, but it was too high off the ground. The cab floor is at the same height off of the ground as our 1/2 ton pickup ('97 Dodge 1500 4x4) and the bed of the 625 is ~8" higher off of the ground than the bed of the pickup. The 550 has wheel wells in the bed which made it a no-go for me.
We ended up ordering the RTV500 today. The RTV500 was the quietest of the bunch and should do what we need to.

Aaron Z

 

[Sasken]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum. Looking for some advice on pushing snow. I've got a V blade, which can be angled or straight. Using a 1998 Gator 6x4. I've chained the rear tires and still find it difficult to move about in snow. WH401, what are you using for tires etc, and are you on all four at the rear. Please advise thanks!

 

[seabee003]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum. Looking for some advice on pushing snow. I've got a V blade, which can be angled or straight. Using a 1998 Gator 6x4. I've chained the rear tires and still find it difficult to move about in snow. WH401, what are you using for tires etc, and are you on all four at the rear. Please advise thanks!

I have a 1998 Gator with the straight six ft blade. I like the Kohler liquid cooled engine that these have. As said before, you need to keep up and not let the snow get deeper than 5-6 in. I use all six tires and make sure the air pressure is six psi or less (I like to use ~ 5). I usually put snow into the dump box with a snow shovel if the snow is deep and heavy. Getting an extra 200-300 lbs over the rear wheels helps a lot. You can have your wife etc. sit on the back gate as the 120 lbs (or whatever) positioned behind the rear wheels helps. But mine balked at this strategy as she did not want to be considered dumb weight. First pass is the hardest as you need to push the full width of the blade. Try not to plow uphill. Also if the front blade rides up on the snow, stop and back up or you will bottom out on the frame and lose traction. My biggest problem is that with a blade you can run out of places to push the snow.

 

[Copperhead]

I solved a lot of that problem. I just push the majority of the snow from my drive across the gravel road into the far ditch. Even though 700' of drive, being U shaped drive makes this a reality.

 

[WH401]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. Looking for some advice on pushing snow. I've got a V blade, which can be angled or straight. Using a 1998 Gator 6x4. I've chained the rear tires and still find it difficult to move about in snow. WH401, what are you using for tires etc, and are you on all four at the rear. Please advise thanks!

Sasken,

My 6x4 has the OEM HD Field Trax tires, commonly called HDAP tires. What do you have in the bed for weight? If nothing then go ahead and load the bed up with some weight. Logs, cinder blocks, sandbags, don't be afraid to fill it up. The more weight the better. The 6x4s can carry at least 1k in the bed. Also, no letting the snow get too deep, say less than 8-10", is another good idea.

Rick

 

[RoyJackson]

Old thread...

I don't plow with my Gator anymore but I like sand bags for weight. They're compact and can be used more than one season if you don't bust 'em. Also, if you do need traction, you can always bust one open an spread that sand.

 

[buickanddeere]

Use a snowblower and get rid of the stuff.. Ploughing snow just leaves banks and heaps that makes drifting in worse as soon as the wind blows some loose snow.