New tractor suggestions for snow removal

[DK35vince]

Thanks for all the replies. Looking at a Kioti now. Small one and larger one. CK2610H & a DK4710SEHCB. The big one is probably more than I need but it has a cab and I’m finding that supplies of any tractors are very limited. Anybody have experience with this brand?

There is a Kioti section on this site where you can read all about them.
I have owned my Kioti DK35 for 20 years and I have been very pleased with it.

 

[oosik]

The exact town in SE AK makes little difference. Your snow is, most likely, heavy - wet - sloppy. Start with a non-DEF tractor and either a front blade or a rear blade. Your snow type will be a problem for any type of blower.

SE Alaska would be very similar to Seattle with more snow.

 

[Tony H]

Dpf is different then def. Dpf is not the regen you spoke of. That is what the urea in the def does. Did is a filter that needs dealer replacing after, what, 1000 he's. Just another expense. First diesel doubles in price due to low suffer processing, then they add this DEF that adds more to running a diesel and now DPF.
for the snowfall you mention, I would say 30hp would be fine. The smaller class 23-26hp tractors might be too light to push wet 8" snow. It will certainly push the front around when the plow is angled. Chains on the front help a bit.

 

[JWR]

Hello!
Looking to buy a tractor for a 300 yard(ish) gravel/ dirt driveway w some elevation. Been looking at
the Kubota’s in the 25-30 hp range. New tractor owner here. Suggestions please and TY.

In your circumstance (from what very limited view we have, hey picts would be nice!) I would start with the largest FEL bucket that fits your loader and a rear snowblower. Try that combo for a season and make adjustments next year if need be. Some features I would insist on are: 1) the cab of course 2) AG tires and not turf or industrial. The Ag tires will help you avoid putting on chains much of the time. 3) Quick attach FEL interface (skid steer compatible) on which to mount your bucket or a plow or or whatever in the future. Most Kubotas come with the skid steer compatible quick attach. SSQA.

Forgot to mention: Look at the space you have for putting chains on the rear of whatever tractor you buy. Some models really have to have rear wheel spacers to give you enough room for chains. Surely there are dealers in driving distance of you that can point to users or have experience themselves.

That said I will throw in my bias -- stick with Kubota unless you have a really good dealer much closer in some other brand. There really is strength in numbers and these wannabe brands simply do not have the support and benefit of fellow users. If you are there forever and do not have extra tight maneuvering spots AND can afford it, I would go with the forward pull type of snowblower. So much easier on you. In my opinion front snow blowers are really nice to use and 10 times as much to go wrong with them plus they preclude the FEL which is the most useful item on the tractor !! Also bigger is better in most ways -- go at least 30 hp. Do not worry about all this DEF and dpf , etc. Most of those commenting are not aware that in SE AK you are NOT at high elevation, you get a lot of alternating weather and you are not in the "subzero all winter" part of Alaska.

Good luck and keep us updated on your choices and experience.

 

[finn1]

Dpf is different then def. Dpf is not the regen you spoke of. That is what the urea in the def does. Did is a filter that needs dealer replacing after, what, 1000 he's. Just another expense. First diesel doubles in price due to low suffer processing, then they add this DEF that adds more to running a diesel and now DPF.
for the snowfall you mention, I would say 30hp would be fine. The smaller class 23-26hp tractors might be too light to push wet 8" snow. It will certainly push the front around when the plow is angled. Chains on the front help a bit.

Design life of a DPF is in excess of 10000 hours. The DPF is a ceramic honeycomb matrix with a wash -coat containing precious metal, which acts as a catalyst. No moving parts.

The fuel system provides another injection event late in the cycle to add HC and heat to complete the reaction.

The DPF can be removed for cleaning in an oven if ash buildup becomes an issue.

Lots of bad information and fear mongering out there. DPFs have been in high volume production around the world for well over ten years now, but I guess it’s new and scary to the old timers.

 

[rgevans871]

I have a Kubota L3010 with an Erskine 60" pull behind blower and I believe something like 28 PTO HP. So far the pull behind blower has worked well for me, but we haven't been getting too much snow and I use this on a 1/2 mile paved driveway so I don't need to worry about picking up stones. If you go with a blower you just need to be sure to match the HP to the blower width. I've never used chains, but I'd recommend Ag tires rather than the R4 like I have for better traction. I do have my tires loaded. You might also want to consider a front bucket for clearing out drifts if your driveway is open to the wind. A cab sounds good. I don't have one. If you go with a rear blower and cab, you should get the rear hydraulic connection and the hydraulic actuator for your discharge chute so you can operate from within the cab. If you expect to get a lot of snow, I'd probably pay the extra for a front blower. I like the convenience of mounting and storing the rear blower.

 

[Bearsden]

Hello!
Looking to buy a tractor for a 300 yard(ish) gravel/ dirt driveway w some elevation. Been looking at
the Kubota’s in the 25-30 hp range. New tractor owner here. Suggestions please and TY.

FWIW, I live in the mountains of WV at a 3,700' elevation. Drive is 850' on a 17% slope. Most snow I've had to deal with in the past 17 years was 259". I have a Kubota BX-15 with a snowblower and mower deck. Except for some work on the snow blower, the tractor has served me faithfully for 17 years with nothing more than normal maintenance and one battery replacement. It is stored in a heated garage.

 

[JWR]

FWIW, I live in the mountains of WV at a 3,700' elevation. Drive is 850' on a 17% slope. Most snow I've had to deal with in the past 17 years was 259". I have a Kubota BX-15 with a snowblower and mower deck. Except for some work on the snow blower, the tractor has served me faithfully for 17 years with nothing more than normal maintenance and one battery replacement. It is stored in a heated garage.

Wow ! Small world. I have a 2nd home there in Canaan Valley but at 3200' elevation. Have a Kubota B2150 with a FEL on the front and a 5ft snowblower on the rear. Rear blade also but not often used. Where on earth in CV do you have an 850' driveway (with a 17% slope)? And 500 ft above the valley floor too. I'm down in the middle of the valley walking distance from Deerfield Village and the gas station. On the little gravel road called Grove Rd.

My B2150 has been in use there since Nov. 1993. Never ever had a problem with it but as you say a couple of batteries, oil changes, and added the front end loader in 2011. Between 1979 and 1993 I had to depend on others for snow removal ( and used my snow shovel a lot!)

My worst case snow removal there over the years was a couple of times when there were 30" snowfalls. Some got packed and/or rained on before I got there. Many times a foot or more of snow. Nowadays I typically just use the FEL and only mount the blower when needed. Recent years have not had the deep snows that we had several years ago.

 

[North to Alaska]

My two cents.
I live near Talkeetna AK
Little different weather. (Average 10 feet of snow)
I strongly suggest a snow blower and make sure you have plenty of shear pins.

my dealers are an hour and half away but at least I can haul my tractor there. You probably can’t even do that.
Do you intend to work on your own tractorHave a mechanic nearby that can fix major problems?
no dealer nearby, plan to ship the tractor to a dealer in Washington state to get it fixed? I’m assuming you live on one of the islands?

I have a Branson 4570. There is no computer….none. The emissions is a simple passive (like a catalytic converter) that burns off the soot when tractor is up to temp. Easy to remove and replace with a muffler if it becomes a problem (remember, no computer)

no computer, means it is much easier to work on. Even a local mechanic could help you out. A good dealer (of decent size) will have most of the parts available and can ship them. After all, any other brand is going to be shipped to you too.
Get a tractor that is easy to fix.

p.s. Hobby Tractor out of Utah and sent me my fluid change parts quickly and cheaper) Tractor Yard out of Oklahoma (where i bought it from before moving to Alaska) sent me a replacement joy stick quickly and worked with me over the phone to help fix my problem.

 

[JWR]

My two cents.
I live near Talkeetna AK
Little different weather. (Average 10 feet of snow)
I strongly suggest a snow blower and make sure you have plenty of shear pins. ...

I am surprised that you only average 120" of snow per winter. Many areas in the lower 48 average more than that. Agree on the case for simplicity. The last thing you need when support and dealers are way too far away is fancy complex features that not only tend to go wrong but are often a goose chase to fix. I have had my AgroTrend 5ft snowblower for many years and (though mine has low hours on it) I have never had a need to replace shear pins. That no doubt varies a lot with the rough territory you try to maintain, pieces of debris, roots, rocks, etc. I did find that careful adjustment of the angle of contact between the blower cutting edge and the ground makes a huge difference in the amount of crud that I scoop into the blower.