How much horse power?

[sqdqo]

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?

 

[lungdoc]

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.

 

[flyingcow]

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.

 

[sqdqo]

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.

 

[lungdoc]

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.

 

[schmism]

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....

 

[vtsnowedin]

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.

 

[leonz]

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.

 

[FatTire]

Or something like a Unimog 406. Can push a Schmidt 10.5 ft blade. But still, need to know what you want to clear.

 

[High Compression]

I can plow 15mph with my L5740 (59hp) and my 9' plow.

 

[94BULLITT]

It is also going to depend on how deep the snow is and the terrain. Are you on the level, going down hill, or uphill. 15MPH is pretty fast for a tractor. I top out at 20-21MPH.

 

[sqdqo]

Snow depth varies, so far this season we have had little snow. I am U.P, of Mich., we somtimes get a good storm dumping off Lake Superior with 20" but nothing like that yet. Terrain varies it's a 2-1/2 mile secondary road not maintained by the county, there are a couple of small hills nothing extreme. One of my concerns are straining the loader boom with the blade on the front, I don't yet have chains on the front and I believe they will greatly imrpove traction...and strain on the boom. I purchased a 9' blade but haven't mounted it yet, my tractor is a New Holland TN75DA.

 

[TO_Bud]

Striking some immovable object under the snow at 15mph would be bad for the loader arms, especially if the blade is angled. I plow my drive with my NH TC40d and an old 8 ft truck plow. I fabbed up a mount to the tractor frame and use the loader arms to lift the blade with a short chain. The blade has a fixed angle but the arms are isolated from any stress impacts. Set up works quite well with 12" or less snow. Any deeper and I have traction issues but I also do not have any chains on.

 

[94BULLITT]

Snow depth varies, so far this season we have had little snow. I am U.P, of Mich., we somtimes get a good storm dumping off Lake Superior with 20" but nothing like that yet. Terrain varies it's a 2-1/2 mile secondary road not maintained by the county, there are a couple of small hills nothing extreme. One of my concerns are straining the loader boom with the blade on the front, I don't yet have chains on the front and I believe they will greatly imrpove traction...and strain on the boom. I purchased a 9' blade but haven't mounted it yet, my tractor is a New Holland TN75DA.

I think plowing snow is not as bad as doing loader work in the dirt. In snow you are not going to have as much traction. Even if you can only make 5MPH a pass in and out will only take 1 hour. Are you converting a truck plow?

 

[sqdqo]

I bought a used truck plow that I am converting, weighs about 1000 lbs.

 

[flyingcow]

I have a NH 75DA, 4 wheel drive. Rimgaurd in the rears. I really don't think you'll need chains(if it's 4 wheel drive). Maybe a bit of ballast? My tractor came with chains on the rear. not much clearance on the fenders. Didn't need them plus I was worried about damage at road speed.

I think you'll be all set plowing with this tractor. It's a heavy unit. Go easy the first storm or two and freeze the surface down. After that, you'll know the road and the bumps. IMO, FEL's get sprung in residential areas; curbs, etc. 9ft blade won't be too big. Learn your float function on the FEL, that blade has trip springs on it also.

 

[94BULLITT]

I bought a used truck plow that I am converting, weighs about 1000 lbs.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=298673"/>

Are you going to make it so that blade is suspended by a chain like it was on the truck and the plow floats itself or rigid like mine and put the loader in float?

 

[94BULLITT]

I have a NH 75DA, 4 wheel drive. Rimgaurd in the rears. I really don't think you'll need chains(if it's 4 wheel drive). Maybe a bit of ballast? My tractor came with chains on the rear. not much clearance on the fenders. Didn't need them plus I was worried about damage at road speed.

The main time you will need chains is if you get ice.

 

[sqdqo]

I have beet juice in the rear tires for ballast and I have an 87" 3 point blower that goes around 1200 lbs. I am mostly concerned about being able to steer the blade. The tractor is 4wd and I haven't considered chains for the rear because there is little clearance between the tires and the fenders. I am going to set up the skid steer plate with a short boom that suspends the blade with a chain, like it was on the truck, it will then float. Also the truck (skid plate) mounting end has a plate that has a single bolt through the center allowing it to swivel and follow road surface contour, I don't know if you can see it in the picture. I want to leave this on thinking it will relieve some torsional stress. This road surface will get icey as the winter progresses.

 

[kevinwak]

Man. With your tractor that should make a fun plowing unit! I'm kinda jealous.

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