Plow on Loader arm versus Sub Frame

[gerford]

I'm wondering how others plow with the new SSQA? Loader arms or sub frame mounted plow?

I recently traded in my BX 23 with a sub frame mounted snow plow and bought a B2610 with the SSQA. The BX 23 was a plowing machine, easy to use - up,down, left and right and it worked perfect
.
I'm having problems getting used to the loader arm mounted plow. Its so picky on the height of the loader arms and angle of the curl. A little high on the loader arms and the blade digs in, a little low and the blade rides high. the curl cant be too far back either.
Its a great feature to be able to take the plow off and put the 72" bucket with the SSQA but its not easy to plow compared to the sub frame mounted plow.
I'm thinking of getting the sub frame and plow and returning the SSQA plow to the dealer, which he said he would gladly do.
With the sub frame plow I would have to take the loader arms off to attach the plow and put them back on when I needed a bucket.

Pictures below show the SSQA plow uses a chain for a float so it can follow the counter of the ground and that works well if the loader arms are adjusted just right.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Do you check your level indicators when you set it down. Takes a little practice to train your eye but they work pretty good. Or you could modify them to something that works better for you.



gg

 

[Notforhire]

So much depends on your situation. If you plow a lot and don't mind switching between loader arms or subframe, I think a subframe mount is the way to go. If you need to switch often, it may not be worthwhile.
I've used both systems and much prefer a subframe mounted plow. Loader arm mounted plows were always too far out front for my liking. I don't like the side thrust on the loader arms, or the leverage against the steering.
The only plus to the loader arm mount (IMO), is the ability to swap back to a bucket easily.

 

[chim]

I have a similar setup and will take a couple pictures of the simple home made indicators that might help. They're just two magnets with Tyrap "whiskers" for referencing the loader position.

 

[RNeumann]

The FEL mounted plow works best if you float the FEL and use small adjustments with curl to set the cut. To me it looks like the feet are one spacer to high- meaning you need to get the SSQA too close to the ground. But this is hard to tell from the photos.
The chain is designed to keep as much weight off the blade as possible. If Durango is an area with freeze thaw all winter that’s a good choice. But if it’s an area like mine that stays frozen all winter the chain style doesn’t do me much good. I want all the weight I can get on the blade to cut the snow and ice. And even then I’m leaving a layer of ice on the driveway. I don’t know if the lack of weight could be part of the problem- do you feel like it’s skipping and more weight would help?

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I do not think I would mount a plow on my BX with only one curl cylinder. Kubota makes a frame mount attachment for a plow. It has hydraulics for rotation. I have the frame mount side to adapt a blade, but never got around to finishing the project. The small loader frames are very flexible, they are not designed to take stress laterally, only vertically

Ron

 

[gerford]

Those are some good suggestions.
I haven't looked at the level indicator on the plow blade at all. I use it on my bucket all the time and being new to the SSQA never thought about the level indicator on the plow. I did put the yellow wand on the SSQA to tell when its vertical and I'll keep an eye on the horizontal indicator on the plow.
Durango gets a lot of freeze thaw and we can get a lot of snow.
I've had the loader arms where they are to close to the ground and with varying terrain the arms runs it into the dirt and that is the tricky part.
When I was at the dealer it sounded like a great idea. Move the plow off and 2 minutes later you have the bucket on but the plowing is not as easy. I've got my wife and neighbor who fill in for plowing so it needs to be as easy as possible.

I'll go out and play some today and thanks for the advice on level indicator, washer height on the plow, curl, etc.

Here's a pic from a few years ago with the mighty BX playing in the snow.

 

[RNeumann]

If the loader arms are too close to the ground you need to lower the shoes. The level arm or level indicator is there for reference and repeatability. But it may be tilted forward or back depending on how much you need to cut. Obviously if you lower the shoes the level indicator will change.

You have a wonderful tool. You may need to make some tweaks but overall it will serve you well. I’d definitely keep the SSQA plow with all that snow- it’s more versatile than the frame mount.

 

[Sno]

Has anyone had skids or casters mounted at the ends of the loader arms so they can float at a set height over the ground? It would seem that might make the plow function like a frame mount although further out front. You’d need one more hydraulic circuit or use a plow with its own system.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I'm wondering if a second set of adjustable shoes were installed close to the SSQA, if that wouldn't help to solve the problem. Leave the loader arms in float and the weight of the loader can rest on those shoes and the shoes right behind the blade can control the blade without having to control the full weight of the loader too.

All things being equal I'd far rather use a frame mounted plow. When I think through all the forces involved I like where a frame mounted plow puts them vs a front end loader mounted plow. That being said I can also understand the convenience of an SSQA plow.