My vote changes - The snow wins

[uppermich]

Up till now, I was going to vote for the rear blade as the best snow moving attachment - the FEL is difficult with uneven ground. But, last Friday we got hit with a lot of blowing snow that drifted in a fair amount of what I try to keep clear. I could barely make it out of the shop as the drive was drifted shut (24" + of solid packed snow). I still haven't finished cleaning up and this wasn't even a BAD storm. The bank in the pic is 5 feet high. There's a deep ravine behind it and I've been pushing the snow over with the FEL, but I can't get any more over the edge without sinking into the piled snow. So, tomorrow I buy a rear snowblower. This should take a lot of hours off of my winter seat time.

Hope the rest of you are doing better this winter!!

PS: "Pumpkin" (my Kubota 3710) has been holding up well and is ready for the 50 hour maintenance.

Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

 

[Thomas]

Yikes Pat.
Looks like you had wild weather weekend. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Wondering if you have consider a plow that could be attach to your FEL.

If you buy the snowblower are you going to purchase a cab...brrrrr blowing snow while its windy...brrr. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RobS]

Pat, that's some pretty impressive snow. In some ways I'm jealeous since I haven't had much quality time with my tractor lately.

Something I learned on garden tractors is that a snowblower does a fantastic job of moving the snow, but it may actually take longer. Your tractor speed will be quite a bit slower, vs. a plow anyway. Still the way to go in my book. Make sure you have some ski goggles and a balaclava!

Let us all know how it works for you.

Rob

 

[Bird]

Yep, that's a lotta snow. And <font color=blue>jealeous since I haven't had much quality time with my tractor lately</font color=blue>. Well, I haven't had much tractor time either because I'd be up to my guess what in mud, but I don't want any time in that cold snow, either./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif And I'll bite, Rob, what's a <font color=blue>balaclava</font color=blue>?


Bird

 

[RobS]

Bird, I bet we've got closet fulls of clothes you wouldn't recognize up here /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif A balaclava is like a sock hat for your head except it comes down around your face and well below your neck all the way around (gotta get me one of those digital cameras /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif). Put it on first, make sure it's tucked into your parka, sometimes add a neck gaiter, earmuffs on top, ski goggles next, then the hood covers it all up. If it's windy and the snow is light it'll still find its way down the back of your neck. Ahhh, the things we do for fun up here /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

<font color=blue>I'd be up to my guess what in mud</font color=blue>. Today we're up to our you know whats in slush. Our first significant temperatures above freezing since mid-December. A little rain to speed up the melting on top of that. It's downright ugly out there /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Rob

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Rob, I thought I'd heard that word before, and now I remember; it was mentioned by my brother when he was racing snowmobiles in Alaska. And would you believe I still have a ski mask that I used to wear when I rode motorcycles? Don't guess I've used it since '88. And I have a parka that I bought just before the last trip to Alaska (March '91). I've had it on two or three times in the last 9 years./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

It's 60 degrees here this afternoon, but puddles of water everywhere, so my tractor's collecting dust in the shop building.

Bird

 

[Boondox]

Looks a bit like my place here in the Green Mountains. Snow is fine with me. It's light, easy to move, and can cause one to spend hours having fun on the tractor. Cold weather gear is a must! About the only thing I dislike about snow is the infernal MESS left behind when it all melts!

Pete in northern Vermont

 

[uppermich]

I think this sums it up re: why I chose a snowblower rather than a blade. The drift I'm going thru here is higher than the front wheels. I'm running out of space to put the stuff - I started out about 50' wide here in front of the house - this pile is actually on ground sloping down and I still have the drift from the other side (deeper than this and next to an outbuilding) to move over to the pile on this side.


Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

 

[Thomas]

/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Holy Smokes /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
Which I had half of the snow you got Pat to play in. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RobS]

Pete, that is pretty. Nothing quite like freshly fallen snow covering everything.

We've pretty quickly degraded to the mess phase. Grey snow along the streets and patches of brown starting to melt through. Enjoy it while you still have it!

Rob