L6060- Half mile paved driveway

[BLSXJ]

I'm using a normal FEL bucket up front and a rear mount...normal snow blower.

I'd love to upgrade to a pull type, rear mount blower, and a FEL mounted snow pusher

 

[majorwager]

Leon,
Have you seen that MK Martin is offering a single stage blower?

 

[leonz]

Leon,
Have you seen that MK Martin is offering a single stage blower?

========================================================================

Good evening majorwager,

No I did not know that MK Martin was offering a single stage unit I will take a look at it.

The old single stage snow throwers simple to use and simple to maintain and the snow blower rotor was protected by the thick half shell of the snow throwers housing and the bearings wear greasable from the outside as they were open flange bearings.

The snow blower we had on the 12 horse cub was heavy, very heavy and had a tubular steel frame to mount it under the cub where the mower was attached and it had a simple lift linkage handle and a rod connecting it to the lifting handle to raise and lower the snow blower or mower. There was a release button that you pushed to raise and lower the attachments. Like the wheel horses it had a wire cable tensioned around the chute and attached to the rotator crank.

The cub had a 12 horse horizontal crank Kohler and a drive pulley to power the attachments with a V belt. the snow throwers gear box which was a right angle bevel one to one ratio gearbox that rotated the cross shaft to the roller chain drive. It was a simple attachment with fewer parts and it was built very strong with heavy steel. It was nothing like the junk that sell for riding mowers now.


Simple and easy to own and fix is something that has been forgotten by these folks when making these machines.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Hello,

I have a new cab L6060 which I love that just hit 50 hours. I have been grappling like mad with it on a new large 20 acre property. Snow is on the horizon and I want to be smart about it. I have 3 choices...

1) Mid PTO powered kubota 80" front snowblower. Not thrilled about the fact that it stays on all winter because its seems like a chore to take on and off. Price I got for everything required is $9,400

2) I kept wondering why I couldn't use the rear PTO power for a front blower and found that I can. I found a quick attach Power Pack that goes on the 3 point hitch and provides 20 gallons per minute that would be necessary to run their Erskine model heavy duty front snow blower. Seems that all you do is run two hydraulic lines up front to the blower. Plus this would open the door to all kinds of other attachments that require 20 gallons per minute. The tractor by itself only provides 9 GPM off the rear PTO. I am mildly scared about this option because I know very little about all of this stuff. I am the rookie of all rookies. I can't be worried about the power pack being finnicky, getting too hot and needing an oil cooler, or just not working properly when I need it to. I need the dopey homeowner plug and play package! The price all in for this setup is $8,400.

3) A quick attach 8' V plow. Seems nice and fast and simple. Price $4,500

The driveway is getting paved Monday. I am extremely concerned about keeping the driveway healthy for a long time. Not sure what the best way to not gouge and scrap. Also don't want the sides to have freeze thaw assaulting the pavement all winter. I was originally in favor of the front snowblower, but the plow seems to make more sense because its faster, and it does seem silly to crawl along a half mile driveway like a turtle when there is only 2 inches with a front blower. Or maybe I have it wrong? What speed will I be going with the blower verse plow? Perhaps they are both 5 MPH?

Thank you for helping a rookie!

If you have the jingle for it, the only reason to buy a L6060 (in my mind) is for the completely awesome autohitch.

Factiods.

Blowing snow is way slower than plowing snow. A V plow is even better at hogging the first pass through deep snow. Fill all four wheels with RimGuard and get a 9' wide V-plow.

You can mount a three point 78" or 84" wide blower without a problem on your L6060. Plow up front, blower out back.

But if you can afford it: autohitch!

 

[Piston]

How about a pull-type snowblower? No need to go backwards and you can keep the FEL on. You could even put a plow on the FEL and the blower on the back to accommodate whatever snow you get, or draft then blow like someone else suggested.

MK Martin | Meteor - Pull Type
Inverted - Pull type - Pronovost

This guy nailed it! Many people are not even aware that there are inverted snowblowers (or they use the false pretense of “why on earth would you drive over snow first” which is simply not an issue whatsoever.

Look up Normand N82 inverted snowblower. This is the blower you want if money is no issue and you want it to last forever. It will run about $8-$9k and is far superior to any hydraulic drive blower except in the rarest of circumstances.
I would not spend the money on a hydraulic power pack blower. They sound like the best option and are certainly “cool”, but you lose tons of power converting mechanical hp to hydraulic hp and finally back to mechanical Hp.

YouTube L6070 and L5740 with inverted blower, and you’ll be impressed. The more you learn the more you realize it’s an excellent option.

However, nothing will be faster than plowing. That’s a fact.

 

[oosik]

I looked at a Normand when I bought my 3-point blower. I only used the blower when the berms would get higher than the rear blade could propel the snow over. Its even a more appealing solution after a couple of years - driving backwards to blow snow. However - the $$$$ was the holdup.

Geeze - I'm sure glad that Majorwager told me how lame it is to drive over the snow first - before its plowed. And to think - I and a whole lot of other folks, who use rear blades, have been doing it SO WRONG for all these years. PTTTTTTTTT.................

 

[Piston]

That’s how I do it too Oosick. I wouldn’t want to tie up the use of my FEL. I use it way too often.

 

[oosik]

Piston - tell me that top picture is just a rare occurrence. Being dressed like an Eskimo - being out in the cold - AND having to clear all the fresh snow off before you can even start the tractor. I'm going to throw another log on...........

My carport is not much be it does keep the sun off the tractor/tires and also keeps the snow off. NOTHING can compare to an open station tractor in the cold - the pleasure of lowering your hemorrhoids down onto frozen vinyl. I smell the pines - even on the coldest day.

Reminds me of that famous saying - - "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" - Robert Duval

 

[majorwager]

Wonder if that napalm can be used to melt snow?. If driving over snow before plowing or front plowing/ snow blowing or rear snow blowing is the preferred removal methods, start a thread to determine how many folks are in agreement.? Just from the responses on this thread, the rear blade as primary tool is under water. The snow removal forum threads are voluminous and the overwhelming vast majority use a tool mounted on the FEL/tractor front or a rear blower.

When the tractor is sitting on TOP of a foot or more of fresh loose new snow, wheels lack the traction to pull the rear blade. In life, I find it counterproductive to just spin my wheels. YMMV on west coast?

I actually do attach a rear blade to my tractor in the winter, use it to reach in close to the buildings to pull snow away so it can be PUSHED into a pile with the snow pusher. You have stated that a cab is a waste of money as well, but anyone in a high volume snow accumulation area knows the drawback associated w/ open station rear snow blowing. I did It for 25 years, no intention to go back. Those folks without a cab will agree if offered a choice.


It makes no difference which method oosik uses, no impact upon my life. Just pointed out what I see and do here in NY. And you introduced the term lame, that was not my selection.

 

[leonz]

For what is worth, the Russians have been using surplus tanks and surplus MIG jet engines to clear snow for years.

There are or were a bunch of videos of them working on you tube.

ME I much prefer to do it this way and clearing over 22000 tons per hour of the white stuff.

At least fluffy and his crazy political future are no longer a problem.