Offsetting rear blade

[Mac25]

I just purchased a Land Pride RB1560 for my B2320. This blade can be manually offset and my question is for anybody that has done this for snow removal. I offset it to the right side of the tractor and angled it. Is this way better than keeping it centered and angled? Seems like the tractor may operate different with it offset. Thanks

 

[Arc weld]

I have an old rear blade that doesn't cover the tire tracks when angled. I offset it and it's way faster to clear the driveway. It also lets me push the snow over about a foot wider while driving on the already cleared part. The drive on my property is about a 1/4 mile long. I drive down the middle, come back down the middle the other direction and then just to make it wider drive down and back again on the cleared section.

 

[Mac25]

I have an old rear blade that doesn't cover the tire tracks when angled. I off set it and it's way faster to clear the driveway. It also lets me push the snow over about a foot wider while driving on the already cleared part. The drive on my property is about a 1/4 mile long. I drive down the middle, come back down the middle the other direction and then just to make it wider drive down and back again on the cleared section.

Does the tractor operate fine without wanting to go sideways with it offset or is my mind playing tricks on me because the blade is offset?

 

[kco]

Not offsetting the blade while angled will make it a bit better. But the angled blade will still kick the tractor rear end out to the left in heavy conditions.

Reversing and angling the blade to the left while you push in reverse will handle it better since the forces due to the angle and offset somewhat cancel each other.

 

[TerryR]

Does the tractor operate fine without wanting to go sideways with it offset or is my mind playing tricks on me because the blade is offset?

The tractor definitely will want to go sideways. Keeping you foot ready on the steering break will help some. But if you hit something hard, like a patch of packed snow/ice, you can end up in the ditch really quick - don't ask how I know.

Terry

 

[94BULLITT]

Offsetting the blade will want to pull it sideways. Also offsetting that blade makes it weaker.

 

[camshawn]

I have found that the back end is pushed by the angle. Offsetting will have the same effect only more so if I am figuring correctly due to different pivot points. I am building an offset blade now ( snow due on Sunday ) and will be able to give a better answer when it is complete.
My objective is to be able to move the snow a further couple of feet off the driveway on the downhill side while keeping the tractor on the travel surface. I have found in the past that chains and steering against the offset works until the load of snow is too much. Then I just turn to the outside and stop to unload the blade and start a fresh push.(front plow).
Cam

 

[94BULLITT]

Offsetting a blade in the dirt will drag the tractor sideways at times adding snow and ice to makes it worse.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I offset my blade in the spring when I clean up the road edges for the spring melt and don't want to run a tire on the soft edge. If you have dry snow the side pull shouldn't be bad. If the snow is wet it is tough no matter what you do.
I would try it both ways. Then you will know. Nothing like personal experience you can share with us.
It is a small pita to offset that blade. I have the RBT1572.

 

[oosik]

I run the Land Pride RB3596 on my tractor. I am able to plow snow about 8" to 10" wider than the rear tire width(80") on the outboard side by angling and offsetting the back blade. Because of the geometry of the situation I can not run this bb at the proper angle, for snow removal, without offsetting it. Without offset - the correct angle will have the bb hitting my rear tire on the inboard side. I have used this setup now for four winters and have no difficulties at all. In deep & wet snows the tractor can tend to move sideways but simply stepping on the differential lock will bring it back into alignment. However, remember my tractor weighs 9600LB and is probably more likely to hold a straight course than a lighter one. If I have a difficult spot, in my mile long gravel driveway, I can clear it with the FEL and move along or as I come to the spot I will step on the differential lock. For 28 years I used this exact same technique with a much smaller tractor and quite often I would have to change over to a rear mount pto snow blower. This also worked fine, although a very slow process, except after going in reverse for three hours or so my neck was sometimes stiff for several days. I'm just too cheap to buy a tractor with a cab - I can find a lot better uses for the $$$.

 

[JoeL4330]

Because of the geometry of the situation I can not run this bb at the proper angle, for snow removal, without offsetting it. Without offset - the correct angle will have the bb hitting my rear tire on the inboard side. .

Pat's thingys would extend it a bit to the rear...might be enough?

 

[compact]

If you drive forewards and offset the blade away from the windrow side, using a somewhat wide blade, it won't kick the front end over as hard. I use a 7 foot blade on my 3520 and it's about right for snow, probably offset about 18".

 

[npalen]

Angling the blade in a counter clockwise direction would tend to pull the tractor rear to the right. It seems then that offsetting the blade to the right would, to some extent, counteract that tendency.
Right?

 

[oosik]

JoeL - You understood all that gibberish from my previous posting! You are correct - if I extended the 3-point arms a bit I could do a 360 rotation of the bb. Pat's quick hitch would probably be enough. Then I realized that the correct angle without offset, even using the 8' bb, would not cut a path as wide as the rear tires. And Kubota recommends a max of 72" bb for my tractor!! With a 72" blade properly angled the cut path would be approximately 60" wide or some 20" narrower than the outside measurement(80") of my rear tires. I guess Kubota figures the rear tires are going to be set at their narrowest. Strangely enough, I have no desire to go over with my tractor, or any tractor, for that matter. I had the dealer adjust the rear rims to the max width. Its not a difficult task - to set the bb for reverse plowing I release the offset support arm and push the bb until it contacts a rear tire - push the bb in the opposite direction, which allows the bb to clear the first tire and then when it contact the opposing tire I push the offset in the other direction and WAA LAA the bb is reversed. Its actually quicker to do it than to type it.

 

[npalen]

That makes we wonder if a hydraulic top link would allow rotating a long blade by retracting the cylinder completely with the 3PT fully raised. Looks like doing so might let the blade pass by "under" the tire.

 

[Arc weld]

I haven't had any problems offsetting the blade but I'm not trying to remove hard packed snow either. I also have chains on the tractor.

 

[oosik]

npalen, post #13 Wow. I had to think about that for a minute. That sounds about right. I've not tried that configuration but it does sound like offsetting forces. It could also make the tractor spin in circles in one spot - ha,ha. When I'm out there on my open station tractor, with 18" on the ground and its snowing so hard I can't see 100 feet, my brain doesn't go to these exotic places of reverse offset angles and offsetting forces. I'm more concerned that the small pines that line the driveway(one mile long) will not dump their snow laden branches down my back as I drive under them. I use to raise the bucket and knock the snow from the branches before I passed under. Other than making it even more difficult to see where I was going it looked slightly dangerous. So I clamp a 24" chunk of two inch pipe to the side of the bucket and put a 12 foot piece of plastic pipe into the clamped pipe and can still remove snow from the branches without elevating the bucket. Mind over matter - some times the required matter is awfully small.

 

[npalen]

LOL Yeah and sometimes theory doesn't pan out when out in the conditions you describe. I do know that running an angled BB can quickly take one for a sideways ride into the pucker zone.:laughing:

 

[oosik]

Hmmmm - - you've been to the pucker zone also. Back when I had my first tractor - all the folks at work wanted to come out to my place for a winter party. Many wanted me to plow an ice rink on my big lake. I checked the ice - it was 9" thick. I gently eased the tractor out on the ice and was having a grand old time plowing an oval. Suddenly there was a very loud crack - like a rifle shot - I shot off that lake on the tractor like being shot from a cannon. The guys finished plowing the hockey rink and I've never got near that lake in the winter again. My little lake, right near the house, makes those rifle shot cracking sounds all winter long. Its the ice freezing, expanding and breaking the solid rock cliffs that are around the little lake.View attachment 348886 Little lake in the winter.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Angling the blade will always generate a force normal (perpendicular) to the blade's surface. Part of that is the resistance to pulling/pushing the load, the rest of the component of that force is what's trying to push you sideways.

If you have the blade tilted to dig in more, more of the downward force will be transmitted to the wheels, giving you somewhat better traction. I think it seems to be greater traction when plowing in reverse only because I can get a larger load on the blade. Pulling the plow limits the load to what can fit between the blade and the rear wheels of the tractor and under the three point hitch.

Offsetting the blade increases the moment arm making it easier for the load to turn your tractor.