Buying Advice L4400 Advice for Plowing Snow?

Butcherofwood · Mar 16, 2010

Hi everyone. I'm new to posting here but have been reading for months. I am subdividing some land in Denver, 7 acres into six lots. When we are finished we will have a private drive, Not Maintained by The City. I'm kind of tired of dealing with the Government and we're just going to do our own thing and buy a tractor for the home owners association.

The private drive will be 24 feet wide and 1000 feet long, paved asphalt or concrete. There will be 6 driveways to the houses running an additional 100 feet in length and 12 feet in width, each. On average we will have a few snow falls in the 1 foot range during the year and a heavy spring dump of 2 plus feet. The largest snow fall I have seen was 53 inches. Regardless of amounts, we still need to always be able to get somebody out in an ambulance or get the fire trucks in if needed.

Short term the tractor will also be used for landscaping, construction, moving lots of dirt, tearing down some old barns ect. Long term I would like to pick up an 8' finish mower for everybody to use on their yards.

I have looked at the L4400 HST, 4 Wheel, with quick connect FEL (add a blade up front later when the road goes in) and the NH TC45 with the same set up. The L4400 with just FEL and Bucket is coming in at $21,500 and I haven't nailed down a price on the NH but would expect it to be a few bucks more. I do not want to put a blade on this thing in 2 years and realise I made the wrong decision. Will this get the job done, especially moving the snow???

Any input would be appreciated.

Mike Costello · Mar 16, 2010

I would think the L4400HST would do what you describe. I have an L4400HST set up exactly like your description which I use on 10 acres to mow pasture, turn compost, spread gravel and do anything else I can get away with as needed. I haven't used it for snow duty because we just don't get enough around here to bother using the tractor. It has been a great and reliable tractor with plenty of power. Mike.

dex3361 · Mar 16, 2010

I have a L4400HST and I like the tractor and I would recommend that you get at least set of remotes for a Hydraulic cylinder. I wonder though if it would be a smart move to get a Grand L of similar size with the Mid PTO so if you decide to get a front snow blower it would not require a change in tractors. You can put a rear snow blower on the L4400HST but not a front. If the main purpose of my tractor was snow removal I would want a front blower.

flyingcow · Mar 16, 2010

I'm partial to snowblowers. Have to be careful around buildings for obvious reasons. the tractor i have now has a rear mounted blower, plan on putting a Q/A snow plow on front. My driveway is about 700ft long, 20ft wide. When i get small storms(6 inches roughly) i will Use the 8ft blade, sweep snow in middle, than blow the windrow. Saves a lot of time compared to using just the blower. Deep storms just blow it. Blades a Q/A, if i need the bucket, snap it back on.

IMO a 45 hp tractor will do the job, but it won't be over powered/sized for what you have to do with it. But that size is perfect for summer maintenance. So it might be a good fit.

Keep a look for a slightly used 60hp, in that same frame size. Might stumble across someone needing to get out from under payments. I've posted this before, but i got a TN75, 16x16 trans, factory cab, FEL, Backhoe w/thumb, 1 yr old, 300 hours. Still has warranty left on it. $32,000.00 The seller was in a financial bind.

Boris1 · Mar 16, 2010

Something like this would work:

2007 KUBOTA L5740HSTC 40 HP to 99 HP For Sale At TractorHouse.com

Fxfymn · Mar 16, 2010

I use a 7 1/2' meyers on a Grand L 3430 to keep our 3/4 mile private road and about 15 driveways clear with no problem. Granted, you will have alot more snow than we do, but this year we had 70+ inches and it handled it. A 4400 wouldn't even have to work hard.

If you are planning on using a QA blade on the loader arms you will want a heavy enough tractor to keep the blade from pushing the tractor around when you angle the blade. My previous 3410 was set up this way and it wasn't heavy enough to keep from being pushed around by the long lever the loader arms create. I overcame that by placing the blade directly on the tractor frame on my 3430 in much the same manner as you would attach it to a truck. I use the loader valve to lift and turn the blade. The downside is I have to remove the loader to attach the blade.

If you are planning on doing a lot of plowing I'd seriously consider a cab model. It gets pretty chilly after about the fifth hour of moving snow!

some zilch · Mar 20, 2010

my 4400 pushes a 7.5' FEL blade just fine. once the snowfall is taller than the blade, it starts pushing the front around a bit, but really only when i try to turn w/out wheel brakes. it will push the angled blade fine until it looses traction, without pushing the front end over instead. if i were you, i;d be looking into a plow truck instead....its going to go much quicker.

daveinnh · Mar 20, 2010

I have a Kubota L4310 and use a rear blade to clear snow off a drive about 800 LF. It works ok except for the 8" plus storms.

If I were contemplating your situation, I'd consider either a front snow blower or a rear pull snowblower. A slightly smaller Kubota has a front snowblower and services ~ 12 homes near here. He does add a balllast weight to the 3pth.

A cab would be nice. I put a Curtis cab on that also provides heat (dealer plumbed; I added 12V fan inside cab); factory cab would be best though.

For snow, ag tires grip pretty good on frozen crushed gravel - I put chains on rear; but your road & drives will be likely paved?