My GC2410 ready for snow (if it ever comes

[Clipse3GT]

Also if you leave the backhoe on it would seem you have 3 other issues:

1. Too much weight . . That backhoe is heavy and leverage outward where ballast weight is lower and closer to the back wheels.

2. Rear clearance angles. The backhoe hangs lower and has less angle clearance compared to ballast weight. So with ballast weight you can go from flat to a steeper tighter incline without dragging or getting hungup.

3. With backhoe on your manuevering circle and backup issues changes compared to ballast weight. And how far back behind the rops does the backhoe extended compared to ballast (extend in height and extend in distance back).

It took till Dec. 29th for us in Western WI could start battling the snow and ice . . It will come to your area soon enough . . And after 3+ weeks of full on negative temps and some snow . . The excitement and anticipation has now lost its luster lol. I've added 16 hours to the tractor since Dec. 29th. Glad I changed my oil and filter just prior to winter

1.) I use a my GC 1720 with FEL mounted snow blade and backhoe in place. I have no issues regarding leverage and ballast. I also have all 4 tires filled with windshield washer fluid @ 75% or so. However, my FEL mounted blade is rather heavy duty and heavy so the backhoe offsets all off that front weight.

2.) I use plow mostly flat concrete and asphalt driveway. No issues with clearance thus far with the backhoe on. Again the incline would have to be great than 25* which is rather steep.

3.) This is true it does stick out a bit more than a ballast box. However, with a FEL mounted blade I can back drag out of tight places so it is not much of a issue either and then come around and plow it where I need it.

Side benefit is you dig yourself out if you get stuck somewhere with the backhoe or make a narrow path.

 

[ray66v]

Too much weight???

I can understand some have issues that don't allow them to leave the B/H on the tractor.

It is my understanding, that if you have to go up hill, the front wheels work better without the B/H on there. I would still try to figure out how to add weight to the front, rather than take weight off the back, to correct that.

When you push snow, there is no such thing as having too much weight.

I plow 350' of gravel driveway, with my GC, pushing a 72" plow. And, I never use chains. Without the B/H on there, It's not going through any deep snow.

 

[AxleHub]

1.) I use a my GC 1720 with FEL mounted snow blade and backhoe in place. I have no issues regarding leverage and ballast. I also have all 4 tires filled with windshield washer fluid @ 75% or so. However, my FEL mounted blade is rather heavy duty and heavy so the backhoe offsets all off that front weight.

2.) I use plow mostly flat concrete and asphalt driveway. No issues with clearance thus far with the backhoe on. Again the incline would have to be great than 25* which is rather steep.

3.) This is true it does stick out a bit more than a ballast box. However, with a FEL mounted blade I can back drag out of tight places so it is not much of a issue either and then come around and plow it where I need it.

Side benefit is you dig yourself out if you get stuck somewhere with the backhoe or make a narrow path.

Greetings,

Yes a flat plowing situation is a much simpler circumstance. But if you are plowing on flats . . Why would you ever be stuck to need the backhoe help?

And incline angle situations is very easy to happen . . Imagine a driveway that slopes down the the road and then turns up just before the road (happens anywhere that rain runoff is required to go to culvert and not allowd on the road). Even a modest slope down and then upward slope at the runoff dump side can hang up a low slung extension further back of the rear wheels.



I was doing some experimenting Friday as far as capabilities with my GC1715. Heres the conditions:

1. Filled turf tires
2. Fel attached with stock bucket
3. Rear 3pt mounted special ballast unit . . weight of unit = 75 lbs and weights = 255 lbs
4. Using 4wd and sometimes the differential lock peddle.
5. Temperature was warmed all the way up to 24 degrees F.



I'm able to take the tractor out into our yard with 8 to 10 inches of snow on the lawn without difficulty. And so I was hauling items in the bucket to a utility building about 175 feet away over untracked snow. I then went down a slope about 7 foot drop over 25 feet of run (30 feet long) to the lower level. There I unloaded the items and then went back up the same slope and back to the main house.

Because of the steepness of the slope . . On the slope I would move 5 feet forward then back down slightly and get some more momentum and move up another 5 feet and repeat all because the snow was not packed down at all and steepness of slope and I didn't want to take 5he time to use bucket to clear any of the snow.

Nowhere on the trek was I on exposed dirt or grass nor was i exposing grass in the effort.

My point is . . With turf tires I don't seem to need chains at all on packed or unpacked snow or exposed or underlying ice on my steep driveway or on the lawn. It would seem the GC series is capable of considerable traction as long as lawn is not soft and spongy.

P.s. driveway is all concrete and much of it is definintely not flat except the big pad on top by garage. Also do inclined sidewalks and a front and back patio all concrete with some tight turns and access points.

 

[Clipse3GT]

Greetings,

Yes a flat plowing situation is a much simpler circumstance. But if you are plowing on flats . . Why would you ever be stuck to need the backhoe help?

And incline angle situations is very easy to happen . . Imagine a driveway that slopes down the the road and then turns up just before the road (happens anywhere that rain runoff is required to go to culvert and not allowd on the road). Even a modest slope down and then upward slope at the runoff dump side can hang up a low slung extension further back of the rear wheels.



I was doing some experimenting Friday as far as capabilities with my GC1715. Heres the conditions:

1. Filled turf tires
2. Fel attached with stock bucket
3. Rear 3pt mounted special ballast unit . . weight of unit = 75 lbs and weights = 255 lbs
4. Using 4wd and sometimes the differential lock peddle.
5. Temperature was warmed all the way up to 24 degrees F.



I'm able to take the tractor out into our yard with 8 to 10 inches of snow on the lawn without difficulty. And so I was hauling items in the bucket to a utility building about 175 feet away over untracked snow. I then went down a slope about 7 foot drop over 25 feet of run (30 feet long) to the lower level. There I unloaded the items and then went back up the same slope and back to the main house.

Because of the steepness of the slope . . On the slope I would move 5 feet forward then back down slightly and get some more momentum and move up another 5 feet and repeat all because the snow was not packed down at all and steepness of slope and I didn't want to take 5he time to use bucket to clear any of the snow.

Nowhere on the trek was I on exposed dirt or grass nor was i exposing grass in the effort.

My point is . . With turf tires I don't seem to need chains at all on packed or unpacked snow or exposed or underlying ice on my steep driveway or on the lawn. It would seem the GC series is capable of considerable traction as long as lawn is not soft and spongy.

P.s. driveway is all concrete and much of it is definintely not flat except the big pad on top by garage. Also do inclined sidewalks and a front and back patio all concrete with some tight turns and access points.

Valid points for sure. However, if you already have a BH on a GC1710/1720 there is almost no need for a ballast box in practice. Unless there are unique circumstances why you need one. A BH adds more weight for sure than a ballast box, but it is larger, taller, and weighs more.

On flat ground I would find a BH will not help much. However, getting stuck in a large snow pile or a culvert it does come in handy.

 

[Clipse3GT]

Greetings,

Yes a flat plowing situation is a much simpler circumstance. But if you are plowing on flats . . Why would you ever be stuck to need the backhoe help?

And incline angle situations is very easy to happen . . Imagine a driveway that slopes down the the road and then turns up just before the road (happens anywhere that rain runoff is required to go to culvert and not allowd on the road). Even a modest slope down and then upward slope at the runoff dump side can hang up a low slung extension further back of the rear wheels.



I was doing some experimenting Friday as far as capabilities with my GC1715. Heres the conditions:

1. Filled turf tires
2. Fel attached with stock bucket
3. Rear 3pt mounted special ballast unit . . weight of unit = 75 lbs and weights = 255 lbs
4. Using 4wd and sometimes the differential lock peddle.
5. Temperature was warmed all the way up to 24 degrees F.



I'm able to take the tractor out into our yard with 8 to 10 inches of snow on the lawn without difficulty. And so I was hauling items in the bucket to a utility building about 175 feet away over untracked snow. I then went down a slope about 7 foot drop over 25 feet of run (30 feet long) to the lower level. There I unloaded the items and then went back up the same slope and back to the main house.

Because of the steepness of the slope . . On the slope I would move 5 feet forward then back down slightly and get some more momentum and move up another 5 feet and repeat all because the snow was not packed down at all and steepness of slope and I didn't want to take 5he time to use bucket to clear any of the snow.

Nowhere on the trek was I on exposed dirt or grass nor was i exposing grass in the effort.

My point is . . With turf tires I don't seem to need chains at all on packed or unpacked snow or exposed or underlying ice on my steep driveway or on the lawn. It would seem the GC series is capable of considerable traction as long as lawn is not soft and spongy.

P.s. driveway is all concrete and much of it is definintely not flat except the big pad on top by garage. Also do inclined sidewalks and a front and back patio all concrete with some tight turns and access points.

Valid points for sure. However, if you already have a BH on a GC1710/1720 there is almost no need for a ballast box in practice. Unless there are unique circumstances why you need one. A BH adds more weight for sure than a ballast box, but it is larger, taller, and weighs more.

On flat ground I would find a BH will not help much. However, getting stuck in a large snow pile or a culvert it does come in handy.

 

[AxleHub]

Valid points for sure. However, if you already have a BH on a GC1710/1720 there is almost no need for a ballast box in practice. Unless there are unique circumstances why you need one. A BH adds more weight for sure than a ballast box, but it is larger, taller, and weighs more.

On flat ground I would find a BH will not help much. However, getting stuck in a large snow pile or a culvert it does come in handy.

Greetings Clipse,

Your a sharp poster . . So I'm a little hazy on your response.

A. As a winter time tool for plowing benefit . . I'm not real sure why someone would be stuck in a snow pile or culvert . But I could see how a backhoe could help get you stuck in that culvert.

B. A backhoe can get a tractor hung up if you would be in a culvert . . because of its hanging up due to its angle and height clearance from ground. With my ballast unit attached . . I'm very close to the rear wheels and not extended out several feet behind. In addition my ballast unit is nearly 18 inches of clearance from the ground,


C. I certainly see how a backhoe is very useful for many things . . But for plowing or snowblowing . . It seems to me its considerable weight is too leveraged in height and distance behind the unit . . To be efficient. In addition winter storage of it attached is a greater challenge.

D. Too much weight. Unless you'd have something very heavy on the front end (more than a plow or snowblower) . . It seems like the backhoe would be adding too much ballast weight for yhe size of tractor under uphill movement.

Just some thoughts.

 

[DaleAP]

The worst thing about too much weight hanging far off the back is the lack of steering control with the snowblade angled. It tends to push the tractor away from the line of travel.

I've looked at my tractor many times and other than wheel weights and fluid I can't see any way to hang weights on the front with the snowblade attached.

Dale

 

[ray66v]

The worst thing about too much weight hanging far off the back is the lack of steering control with the snowblade angled. It tends to push the tractor away from the line of travel.

I've looked at my tractor many times and other than wheel weights and fluid I can't see any way to hang weights on the front with the snowblade attached.

Dale

The greater the angle of the plow, the greater the turning force on the tractor.

If you have steering issues with the blade angled, reduce the angle.

I have a 6' plow. If I fully angle the plow, my GC will move sideways pushing it in deep snow.

If I reduce the angle to half way, it moves the snow just fine, and the tractor tracks straight.

 

[DaleAP]

Thanks Ray- I will try that. I angle all the way when I plow. It never occurred to me to decrease the angle.

 

[AxleHub]

The worst thing about too much weight hanging far off the back is the lack of steering control with the snowblade angled. It tends to push the tractor away from the line of travel.

I've looked at my tractor many times and other than wheel weights and fluid I can't see any way to hang weights on the front with the snowblade attached.

Dale

Dale . . just a thought . . The grill guard that comes from Massey that fits the GC products . . Would you have enough clearance to have that on with your plow and use that as a ballast rack ? Its strong, well positioned (high and tight), and usually there is some clearance with plows for angling needs . . and you could add weight in a 12" to 15" inch wide area that would be 125 to 150+ pounds if there would be enough clearance.