Update on this thread.
I eventually decided to go with the 84" blower.
I got to give it its first real test today and can honestly say that even dealing with the high bank of heavy wet snow the plow had pushed up alongside the road the DK handles it with ease. In the fresh stuff I was able to run H gear with no bogging at all and in the wet bank with H gear it would lug the engine down about 500 RPM from PTO speed but would keep pushing and eating the snow without a stall. In M it was walking threw the same bank, It was no contest for the DK to run the 84 and even though I wont be using high gear for blowing snow it was a good indicator of what the machine is capable of running.
During my initial test I also directed the stack straight out the back and drove straight at everything I was blowing for a very unreasonable distance and tested both M and low in this manner. With this test I was able to determine about how hard it will be to deal with the big Drifts when they come and can say that I dont envision much low gear use with the blower unless we get a blizzard with 5 and 6 foot drifts again as in M she barely lugs at all just as I get to the far side of the yard.
My wife thinks I'm nuts because I spent so much time blowing the snow in the backyard testing and ran out of snow out back before I even looked at the driveway. Then the driveway seemed to be done in no time flat so I started testing with the snow banks left from the plow truck alongside the road and then was still in the mood to play so I went and did the road to the ball field even though it wont be used till the spring.
I like this tractor more every time I use it and so far the only thing I have found fault with is the poor excuse for a tool box they install on them. I think I will paint an old Ammo can orange and get rid of the plastic one.
Thanks to all for the advice.
I eventually decided to go with the 84" blower.
I got to give it its first real test today and can honestly say that even dealing with the high bank of heavy wet snow the plow had pushed up alongside the road the DK handles it with ease. In the fresh stuff I was able to run H gear with no bogging at all and in the wet bank with H gear it would lug the engine down about 500 RPM from PTO speed but would keep pushing and eating the snow without a stall. In M it was walking threw the same bank, It was no contest for the DK to run the 84 and even though I wont be using high gear for blowing snow it was a good indicator of what the machine is capable of running.
During my initial test I also directed the stack straight out the back and drove straight at everything I was blowing for a very unreasonable distance and tested both M and low in this manner. With this test I was able to determine about how hard it will be to deal with the big Drifts when they come and can say that I dont envision much low gear use with the blower unless we get a blizzard with 5 and 6 foot drifts again as in M she barely lugs at all just as I get to the far side of the yard.
My wife thinks I'm nuts because I spent so much time blowing the snow in the backyard testing and ran out of snow out back before I even looked at the driveway. Then the driveway seemed to be done in no time flat so I started testing with the snow banks left from the plow truck alongside the road and then was still in the mood to play so I went and did the road to the ball field even though it wont be used till the spring.
I like this tractor more every time I use it and so far the only thing I have found fault with is the poor excuse for a tool box they install on them. I think I will paint an old Ammo can orange and get rid of the plastic one.
Thanks to all for the advice.
