Snow Attachments Need snow removal advice

[Elevation 8200]

Reading alot about FEL vs Snowblowers, what do you think would
work for me??????????

I live @ 8200 ft in Colorado, get up slope conditions from Denver.
Need insite on how best to handle a big snow storm. Been reading
the board for about a month (just got ID to post) and see I
have much to learn, had trouble moving around, let alone making
this entry (thread - new lingo?). I get about 200-300 inches a snow
a season, June to September. Worn out a Honda 1132 & working on an
Ariens 1332 (13 hp-s) walkbehind, does the job, but getting older.
Just purchased a B7800 w/FEL and rear blade. Needed extra hp-s, at
this altitude you loose 20%-30% of your power. Look at these snow
pictures from one of our big storms in 2003. Will the loader push
this kind of snow? And pile it up high enough? This was spring,
March and heavy wet one, do you think tractor blower is high/big
enough to do 6-8 footers?

Some storms you can keep up with, others with 50mph or 60mph winds
you just can't (with my current blower). Have F250 4x4 with 7 1/2'
snow plow, becomes useless after so many feet. County's 6-wheel drive
graders, all-wheel chained with plow on front can only make 1 path
before frontend is just pushed back into main opening. They use
hugh frontend loaders that you can walk in their buckets to widen
after. Have 2 driveways about 200ft each.

This sound like upper NY state or South Bend, Ind with lake effect
snow. Rocky Mountain's trail ridge road already closed for the winter
10/20. It's about 60 miles north of me by the divide.

 

[Tororider]

Welcome to TBN!

I can't help with the snow removal, we just got our tractor this year and I am going to try with the backblade and front end loader, but we don't get anywhere near that kind of snow here. Being near Ann Arbor, it is pretty hit or miss, but we don't get any real lake effect, so that kind of snow is amazing to me.

Best of Luck! I know you will get plenty of help here, and you may want to do a search for snow removal.

 

[Opti-Mist]

Your snowfall is similar to the UP of Michigan. To cope with it I use a Curtis Snow Plow installed on my tractor loader, a 7 Ft. Rear Blade which I swap off with a 7 Ft. Rear Mounted Snow Blower depending on the conditions. When I plow the snow with the front mounted plow I just push it into windrows along the side of my road. Periodically I will break the banks back, once the snow has firmed up, to prevent the road from getting progressively narrower.

Enjoy the winter.

 

[Opti-Mist]

Regarding the snow blower capacity, it cannot handle 6 - 8 feet of snow except by breaking the drift down, blow that away, break another section down, blow that away, etc, etc, etc. It can become tedious and time consuming.

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Doug,
Thats some nice lookin snow youve got there ! IMHO with that type of snowfall I would go with a snowblower mounted on your tractor. Infortunately most units hook up to the 3PT hitch so operating in reverse, but many guys on here do it no problem ! If I had the money to go that route I would, except I think I would like to have it mounted on the front of the tractor ! We have been plowing here but the snowblower is nice getting the snow out in the fields if you can ! Here is a shot of my drive last winter.

 

[ToadHill]

Your snow looks just like our "lake effect" snow in Western New York. Since I retired I like to go to my Farn for most weekends all year long. For the last 2 years I cleared the 300 ft drive with a 7' front plow and a 7' rear plow. The problem is by mid Janyary the banks are built up so high the the drive is drifted over 5 ft deep.

This year I bought a 75" snowblower that should blow the snow 40'. I sure hope it works.

 

[Truman17]

Welcome to 8,200 feet!!! Looks like you yourself live on Trail Ridge Road!

If you have horses up there, get stocked up on feed now!! See attached photo of storms last season. Best of luck to you.

 

[jmarotz]

Get the snowblower it's the only way to move alot of snow.
Attached are some pictures of my wife after one blizzard and my snowblower. Lived about 10 miles from Yellowstone Park a town called Ashton, Idaho, my son lives there now.

 

[George2615]

Yes, your pics do look like the snow we get here in the snow belt of upstate NY. I'd get the largest snowblower your tractor can handle plus use the loader. Thats what I have to do here. There is a lot of truth about the plow truck being useless after a while. That happens here about midway through the winter. The truck can't move the hardpacked snow banks but the blower and loader can. I have a 64" PUMA for my tractor that does a great job. This will be my first year in the past 20 or so where I'm not going to hook up a plow to my truck. I enjoy the seat time and the neater job the tractor does.

 

[dqdave1]

I would think a 3 pt snowblower on rear and the FEL on the front; you will be able to tackle most snows. If that setup does not work; sit by the fire and enjoy the view!