Questions about snow removal.

[rogersmithiii]

I just took ownership of a tractor, and hope to use it to plow two driveways. I'd like to ask some questions.

1. What do you use to plow with your compact and utility tractor? Front loader? Back blade? Plow? Etc? I get the impression that the standard loader bucket is a bad choice, as it digs up the pavement, packs with snow, and is very inefficient. Agree?

2. In the commercial market, the following things are important. Getting down to bare pavement, no breakdowns, and no damage if someone hits a curb or manhole cover. What is most important to you?

3. Do you use tire chains?

Trying to figure out what I need to get to do this job right.

 

[dodge man]

I use a rear blade and the end loader. The rear blade works good up to maybe 6” of snow or a little more. I have a synthetic edge on my blade so I don’t tear up my asphalt drive. After that the tractor won’t pull it. I use the FEL to back drag snow away from garage doors and cleanup. I don’t normally have problems with snow building up in the bucket but it is slow.

I don’t use chains and have turf tires on my tractor.

 

[RalphVa]

Use the FEL and rear blade. Our driveway is fairly flat; so, no need for chains. When I had a Gravely, it needed chains to push its big snow plow or to run the snow blower. Need turning brakes in snow/ice unless you have turfs. They will grip a bit in snow to turn. R4s are almost hopeless.

 

[LD1]

Take a moment and fill out your profile like where you live.

There is a HUGE difference is what equipment people will suggest for you if you live in canada and measure snow in feet....vs kentucky or tennessee where you want to maintain a drive when you get a few inches at most per storm.

Also, location is somewhat of an indication of hills you may have. If you have steep hills in your drive and deal with hardpack/ice alot....chains are a nice asset.

I use a 8' rear blade with hydraulic angle that I can adjust from the seat in conjunction with the FEL. 10-12" isnt a problem. It all depends on if you need to remove the snow....or carry snow long distances all to one area....or if windrowing off to one side is sufficient.

You can use a front angle blade , front bucket, front blower, rear blade or rear blower.

Obviously the front blade and blowers are single purpose tools.

For less than 10" snowfalls.....angle blades are the fastest. Either front or rear.

Knowing what tractor you have, 2wd vs 4wd, what tires, etc will also be a huge help in advising you on what equipment to look for

 

[Dwellonroof]

I live a little east of Cincinnati, Ohio
And had a front quick hitch with a 72” plow I used with my JD 2720 but now have a 3046r and will try this out next year.

 

[oosik]

I have a heavy duty Rhino rear blade on my Kubota M6040. The tractor weighs 10,100# the way it's set up. The rear blade weighs - 1050#. I've never found that the bucket on my FEL is very efficient. It fills up - then you have to find somewhere to dump it. The rear blade curls the snow to the side and off the driveway.

If I have to plow the driveway and the driveway is still soft - reverse the rear blade 180 degrees and go like smoke and oakum. It will leave the gravel right where it is.

My driveway - a mile long, gravel, straight as an arrow. It goes right down a section line.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Scores, if not hundreds, have expressed their opinions in posts in the Snow Removal section of this forum. Read enough of the posts and you will have fair idea of what might work. PlowSite is another resource. By August you will have enough information to decide what to get. I say August because by mid to late September demand and prices begin to rise, and once snow flies, availability drops.

 

[PILOON]

For speed a front angled blade works fine for minor and occasional snow events.
In a snow belt the front blade will soon find U with an ever narrowing drive.
If in a snow belt area you want to move it as far away as possible, hence a blower be it front or rear mounted.
Luxury is front mounted blower on a 4 x 4 chained tractor but also most costliest solution.
Rear pull blower very fast, somewhat pricy and mostly used by contractors in dense populated areas where speed is profit. Effective only if wheels can maintain road contact.
Very much depends on your $$'s and available time.
Hilly drives (and ice) generally call for a set of chains as well.

Rural you often have few choices but urban it is probably best to simply contract the snow removal.

Then do you have time restraints? or retired?
The preceding poster also made a few valid points.

 

[hube2]

If you plan to do a lot of "plowing" type snow removal, I can tell you from experience that a bucket it is a rather poor way to move snow. I do it, but I generally get a lot of snow and the amount that I would use any type of blade for plowing is so minimal that I cannot justify the expense or the need to change out implements when I need it. Since I have a gravel driveway and I also clear a large area of my lawn I have a set of edge tamers for when the ground is soft. I remove them once I have a decent about of hard pack.

 

[TerryR]

I just took ownership of a tractor, and hope to use it to plow two driveways. I'd like to ask some questions.

1. What do you use to plow with your compact and utility tractor? Front loader? Back blade? Plow? Etc? I get the impression that the standard loader bucket is a bad choice, as it digs up the pavement, packs with snow, and is very inefficient. Agree?

2. In the commercial market, the following things are important. Getting down to bare pavement, no breakdowns, and no damage if someone hits a curb or manhole cover. What is most important to you?

3. Do you use tire chains?

Trying to figure out what I need to get to do this job right.

There's no way to make a useful response without knowing what kind of snow conditions and what kind of terrain you have.