I Think I Need A Bigger Tractor, Truck, Snowcat, Something.

[arsenix2001]

I would have initally said pick up a used beater truck with a blade for 5-6k but if your going to be setting up a small farm I dont know that your 20 will cut it. Might want to look into something in the 50-60hp range with cab and 4x4 an grab a quick tach snow blade for the front for snow. You can look for a couple year old unit that has what you want and save the depreciation or take advantage of some of the nice 0% financing deals that are out there

 

[crazyal]

I wouldn't go too big just yet. Sooner or later you will get stuck. A large tractor could mean waiting until spring to get it unstuck. As you learn the road you will learn the points that'll give you trouble. I would have a snow blower of some sorts, a plow is just not going to cut it. If your up in the hills you can count on getting snow falls of 2 to 3 feet, at least one a year.

Ideally you'll want a good size truck with a plow and a tractor with a blower, most likely front mount. If you're willing to plow multiple times during a storm and have lots of wide open spaces to push show you probably could get by with just a good sized plow truck but one hiccup and you are in trouble.

Another option would be to use snow machines and just keep a place to park cleared.

 

[jake98]

Another option would be to use snow machines and just keep a place to park cleared.

Yeah, that would be my vote too. At least have to figure it into the equation if you're going to spend time there in the winter.

 

[doxford jim]

One other considerationis wher will you be storing it? Do you have any sort of shelter out there ? Will you be able to access it easily? Are you living on the proerty now or just visiting on weekend and holidays?

Reason I ask, like any other piece of machinery, it needs to be properly looked after. If you are only going to use it occasionally, A good covered storage (ie. roofed) would be preferable. Nothing like having to move 4 ft of snow by hand, to get into the tractor. If the tractor is small you could get by with a metal container (security factor too), but if large than 50hp, that option is out and you would need some sort of shelter.

Also, where will it be stored - at the end of the roadway at your property or down near the start of the road - so you can work your way in ??

Anyway, just thought I would bring it up. Lotsa things to consider.

Jim

 

[Sulla]

One other considerationis wher will you be storing it? Do you have any sort of shelter out there ? Will you be able to access it easily? Are you living on the proerty now or just visiting on weekend and holidays?

Reason I ask, like any other piece of machinery, it needs to be properly looked after. If you are only going to use it occasionally, A good covered storage (ie. roofed) would be preferable. Nothing like having to move 4 ft of snow by hand, to get into the tractor. If the tractor is small you could get by with a metal container (security factor too), but if large than 50hp, that option is out and you would need some sort of shelter.

Also, where will it be stored - at the end of the roadway at your property or down near the start of the road - so you can work your way in ??

Anyway, just thought I would bring it up. Lotsa things to consider.

Jim

I live about thirty minutes away. First order of business is erecting a barn this summer, with sleeping quarters for those late nights when I don't want to sleep outside.

Would a snowblower on the front of the CK20 do the job or is the tractor just too small?

Considering the idea of an old snowcat and leave the truck at the end of the road. Snowmobile would be fine with me but my wife won't go for it.

Could just ski back an forth. Heading out would be fun but coming home would be a real bit...

 

[ME83]

You will get a lot of people here on TBN who love their snowblowers. While they can be the best thing to have at times, they are very slow even on a large tractor. Watch some videos online, in a deep snow you will be traveling at 1-2 mph. For a few miles of road it will take you many hours. A plow truck will travel at about 20-25 mph, or less than 1/2 an hour down and back twice. Most tractors don't have the power to travel at high enough speeds to make full use of a plow, a truck is better.

I have an old chevy that I paid $800 for with a plow. I have chains on the back with about a yrd of gravel in the bed. I have yet to get stuck, the chains just bite into the ground and the extra weight in the bed is key. If the snow builds up too much then use the loader to push it back, otherwise a truck pushes with enough speed that it will throw the snow.

 

[dmay]

Would a snowblower on the front of the CK20 do the job or is the tractor just too small?

How wide do you want to clear your 2 mile of road? How wide of a snowblower can the CK20 handle? Seems like this would take a very long time.

Considering the idea of an old snowcat and leave the truck at the end of the road.

Is your truck a full size 4WD? A front mounted snowplow on your truck might be your better choice for snow removal. Something like this:

http://www.snoproplows.com/sno-pro-snow-plows

 

[Jay4200]

I'm up in Northern New Hampshire. Have a total of about two miles give or take of snow during the Winter and about a mile of gravel in the summer. We are building a farm from scratch with all that entails on raw land. The land is off the grid and we plan on keeping it that way. The town doesn't maintain the roads at all. The Forest Service handles part of it in the summer, though I'm going to see if they'll pay me to do it. Any vehicles I use on this property won't be insured or registered for that matter.

I you are going to be living up there (gawd help ya) I'd recommend a pickup truck with a plow. You have to plow during a big storm, otherwise you won't be able to move the stuff if a lot comes down before you get to it. However, if you are going to be living somewhere else and going up for weekends, you need a tractor-mounted snowblower.

I have a house that I visit most weekends with a 1/2 mi. class VI road leading to a 1000' driveway. The neighbors usually take care of the road, but I've had two feet of heavy snow sit for a couple of weeks before I could get to it on my driveway. I wouldn't be able to do anything with a plow, especially if there were already banks built up. However, a good-sized blower will chew through just about anything. I have a 6' 3pt blower on my L4200 tractor for that application. The down side of a tractor/blower is that it is slow - like 1-2MPH. Your CK20 is small for the application though - although it would work. I'd give it a shot. A 5' blower will fit fine on your machine - there are plenty of them around to cheap on Craigslist.

JayC

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You will get a lot of people here on TBN who love their snowblowers. While they can be the best thing to have at times, they are very slow even on a large tractor. Watch some videos online, in a deep snow you will be traveling at 1-2 mph. For a few miles of road it will take you many hours. A plow truck will travel at about 20-25 mph, or less than 1/2 an hour down and back twice. Most tractors don't have the power to travel at high enough speeds to make full use of a plow, a truck is better.

I have an old chevy that I paid $800 for with a plow. I have chains on the back with about a yrd of gravel in the bed. I have yet to get stuck, the chains just bite into the ground and the extra weight in the bed is key. If the snow builds up too much then use the loader to push it back, otherwise a truck pushes with enough speed that it will throw the snow.

The disadvantage of the plow truck is you have a truck that you will use just a few months maybe out of the year then park it. Yes, it would be better but the tractor would be something useful year round.

 

[crazyal]

I'm up in the mountains of Vermont. I'm the last one on a private ROW about 3/4 of a mile from the main road. My driveway is another 1/3 of a mile and my nearest neighbor who also plows is a good 1/2" mile from me. For the first 3 years all I had was my truck for plowing.

Usually about 3 times a year I would have to also use my dozer to push snow banks back into the woods because they were just too high. All along my driveway and road I have places to push snow but you will be amazed how quickly they fill up. My original plan was to get an old 1/2 ton 4wd truck but I found this 4wd for under a grand so I bought it. I now know a 1/2 ton would mean non stop plowing on large storms.

Most people just don't understand what it means to be back in the woods with nobody around you to help. A large snow storm in Feb could stay on the ground until late April before it melts. Two or three large storms in one month could really test you.

I would ask the some of the Kioti guys but I would think your tractor is on the small side. I would be torn on whether or not to buy the correct size blower only to find out that you need more tractor and now have a blower that too small for the new tractor. A snowcat, if you can find one, would probably be a good idea.