Tractor Sizing I have no clue...I need help!

[GManBart]

We don't have much snow here in S. Central Texas and although I grew up in the mid-west we didn't have tractor mounted snow blowers. We did have pickup mounted front blades and I personally had an International Scout with a snow blade for our winters. We did have walk behind snow blowers.

I am curious if the reason most have 3-point, PTO powered, snow blowers over FEL mounted, hydraulic powered blowers is cost? It seems to me that always backing up would be a big PIA?

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There are also 3pt mounted snow throwers that let you drive forward...they're called inverted blowers and cost a little more than conventional 3pt throwers, but nowhere near FEL mounted throwers. Some folks don't like driving over the snow before throwing it, and it won't work as well on smaller tractors that can't drive through deep snow before it gets to the thrower, but in places with heavy snowfall (like Canada) they're very popular.

 

[gladehound]

There are also 3pt mounted snow throwers that let you drive forward...they're called inverted blowers and cost a little more than conventional 3pt throwers, but nowhere near FEL mounted throwers. Some folks don't like driving over the snow before throwing it, and it won't work as well on smaller tractors that can't drive through deep snow before it gets to the thrower, but in places with heavy snowfall (like Canada) they're very popular.

I'd love to have one but can't justify the costs. My rear facing 3pt blower was free!

 

[GManBart]

I'd love to have one but can't justify the costs. My rear facing 3pt blower was free!

Hard to beat that cost to value ratio

 

[jenkinsph]

I'd love to have one but can't justify the costs. My rear facing 3pt blower was free!

You definitely got the right one.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd sure like to see a video of you sitting on the hood blowing snow. No kink in the neck AND keeps your hind end warm. Sounds like a win win.

Speaking of riding on the hood...

For 6 years I used to work at an airport and operate a Wheel Horse Air Horse airplane mover like the one in this video.

The removed the front axle, put on a heavy steel fork on the back, made it articulate hydraulically between the rear axle and the fork. You sit on the hood with the steering wheel between your legs. Your left hand controls direction, forward/reverse and speed, and your left heel rides on the brake pedal, should you need to hold on a slight hill. Wicked efficient little machine and quite natural to operate.

 

[MossRoad]

...


Pretty soon we will all have FEL cameras.

My machine is very nice in that I can see the FEL attachments where they meet the ground from the operator's seat. :thumbsup:

 

[gladehound]

My machine is very nice in that I can see the FEL attachments where they meet the ground from the operator's seat. :thumbsup:

I raised my seat 2 inches for extra leg room (I'm 6'3"). The seat does not have suspension so it doesn't sink when I sit in it. These two things probably give me better visibility from the seat than on most tractors. Still, tractors were never designed for visibility out the front. Some have been packaged nicely to maximize this visibility (the sloping hood of a JD110 comes to mind). However, most CUTS have an unnecessarily large hood (I think for aesthetic reasons). I for one would like to see more tractors made with smarter packaging up front to maximize visibility. Take my tractor for instance. If it were not for the headlights (which could easily be moved else ware, the nose could be 8" lower. This simple change, would let me see the ground 2-3 feet closer from the seat. Which means I could see the edge of any bucket I have from the seat. Too bad CUT manufacturers don't think this way.

The Power Tracs are a neat concept. Simple. Functional.

 

[MossRoad]

The Power Tracs are a neat concept. Simple. Functional.

Yeah, for our needs its perfect. For maintaining our 20 acres of woods, the little machine works way better than the big conventional tractor loader it replaced. Gets into smaller places with less impact to the forest. Great around the home, too. If I had to plow fields, bale hay, pull stumps, that would be different.

 

[ch1ch2]

You have received a lot of good advice from one extreme to the other. Buying new has advantages and buying used has advantages. I too am retired and money is an object. I have 4 used tractors and I have help my son buy 2 used tractors. I will say if you have 65 acres buy 50 hp or more. Between my son an I we have 33, 50, 55, 58, 68 and 95 HP tractors. Heavy stronger tractors are much more friendly. 4 of the 6 have FEL's, 3 of the FEL's have buckets and 1 has a grapple. One has a BH. The BH and the grapple are pricless.