How much horse power?

   / How much horse power? #1  

sqdqo

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
236
Location
Marquette Michigan
Tractor
Massey Ferguson 492 w/Quicke Q750 loader
How much horse power does it take to push a 9-10' snow blade and maintain 10-15 mph clearing snow from a length of road?
 
   / How much horse power? #2  
That's going to be a tough question as hp is only part of the equation: weight, torque and traction will matter at least as much; as will the type of snow. 15 mph is pretty fast for many tractors with any sort of a load. HP depends on the type of vehicle as well: 50 HP is a pretty strong tractor but a very weak car or truck.
 
   / How much horse power? #3  
lungdoc made good comments.

Where are you located?

I've plowed alot with a pickup and now snowblow with a tractor. 15mph is pretty fast. Snow dust alone makes it hard on visibility. Not saying it can't be done, but it creates problems. 9 or 10ft quick switch blade is a serious piece of iron.
 
   / How much horse power?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Upper Mich. I have plowed with a pickup and got rid of it, I didn't want to ruin it plowing the road. Tractor much more suitable. You have to carry some speed to keep the banks from building too much.
 
   / How much horse power? #5  
If you don't have a large tractor already (or need it for other work), you'll probably find a used heavy truck a much better idea. Would be more expensive (but still a lot less than a serious tractor or serious tractor upgrade) if you need to go on public roads, if you don't a real beater of an old dualie that doesn't need to be licensed is probably a good bet. Can go much faster than with a tractor. For a tractor you may find a somewhat smaller tractor with a blower is a more cost-effective solution - slower but no banks. Tractor plowing is going to be slower but banks less of an issue as a loader mounted plow (or offset rear blade) can often move the banks which isn't possible with a truck plow.

You'll get better answers if you describe exactly what you are trying to do and what relevant equipment you currently own. eg. "1 mile private drive, gravel, open countryside, some drifting, minimal hills, large garage/barn on property, live there" is a lot different than "hunt camp, 1/2 mile logging road up steep twisty hills, no storage or power on site, need to drive there from xx". Answers will also depend on what other uses you have for the equipment: a farmer's solution will be different than a contractor's for example.
 
   / How much horse power? #6  
the 12M motor grader im sitting on has 173hp C9 cat and can push 8-10' of snow at 15mph.....

but not your "normal" snow pusher... but then again 10' of plow isnt going to be put on any normal pusher anyway....
 
   / How much horse power? #7  
Well said Lungdoc, it is the total combination that matters.
For example a 10 ft blade mounted on the loader of a 90 HP tractor with loaded rears and a one ton ballast box on the 3PH And a set of good ice chains on all four wheels that weighed 7000 or more complete would probably do the job on a gravel drive with ease, even with some hills and drifting spots But a 120 HP tractor with empty R4s without chains and nothing on the 3PH might not be able to get out of the dooryard.
Also at 10 -15 mph when it's snowing your going to want a cab to keep the operator from becoming a hypothermia victim.
 
   / How much horse power? #8  
It all boils down to traction and adhesion to create tractive effort.


As you are not using your truck for this The only reliable solution
I can offer you is to pick up a used municipaql 6 wheeel drive road grader at a
surplus equipment auction and the road grader will be road legal and you can
make money plowing with it.
 
   / How much horse power? #9  
Or something like a Unimog 406. Can push a Schmidt 10.5 ft blade. But still, need to know what you want to clear.
 

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