Questions about snow removal.

[rogersmithiii]

I live in Central Mass. Snowfall has been a bit off lately, but we can get 24 - 36 inches in a shot. My driveway is 270 feet long, and there is a bit of an incline. Paved surface. Same with my aunt next door. Snow can be fluffy, but lately it tends toward heavy wet and slush.

I do have a Gravely 16G, but just bought a Deere 310 L backhoe for the farm. Trying to decide what might work the best for snow removal. Snowblowing with the Gravely is getting old. I'm tired of getting showered with snow blow back, and being wet and cold. The Deere is heated.

I do have some time constraints as I run a rescue farm, and work a consulting gig to pay the bills.

 

[bigtiller]

It sounds like you need a dedicated snow moving machine with enough weight to push into a 3' wet frozen snowdrift. Preferably a front mount blower with a cab.

 

[Aquamoose]

Locals can provide a wealth of information. Ask your neighbors.

 

[Deere Dude]

Living in WI, I had a JD cut with FEL and bucket and a 6' rear blade also a capable JD large garden tractor with 54" snowblower. No cab for either. After a couple times with the back blade and FEL and getting frustrated with drawbacks, I switched back to using the snowblower for the majority of the snow and the rear blade for the concrete where it had to be really clear. I had a couple parking lots and 500 feet of driveway.

 

[LD1]

That backhoe isnt the ideal tool for snow removal.

 

[Thomas]

Been number threads on this subject over the year,try SEARCH also ATTACHMENTS for ideas.
Kinda depends on how much snow you get and if your not in hurry to remove the snow.
Tire chains are big help also loaded rear tires.
If you push with back blade remember there no trip spring if you hit solid object.

 

[hube2]

If you get that kind of snow and you don't have or want to spend a lot of time out moving it then you need a blower. I have a neighbor that does his driveway with a blade/plow about the same length as yours, maybe a bit longer. When we get this kind of snow the only way he keeps up with it is to be out there constantly during the storm, all day or all night, whatever it takes, that's nuts as far as I'm concerned.

It's worse here because of the wind, 20 to 30 MPH wind where I live is considered a strong breeze. Creating berms with a plow is the best way to ensure that you need to clear more often and eventually get snowed in. That neighbor with the plow needs to have someone come in at least once a year to dig him out, more on above average years. On those occasions when I do use my bucket to move snow I do not create berms, I put it into a pile in the driveway and then I use the blower to send it as far away as possible. Even then when the wind is from the SE I'll have a 3 to 4 foot drift across the middle of the driveway.

 

[SylvainG]

I have a plow on my ATV that I use if there is just a few inches of snow and until the snow banks are too high/road too narrow, then I use the blower on the tractor for the rest of the winter. The plow (with its snow skids) also gives me a good base for when I start to use the blower.

 

[PILOON]

So your cabbed, and get fair amounts of snow but the drive is not all that long.

Sounds to me that a rear blower would fit the bill at a reasonable cost.
If you don't want to sit 'side saddle' a back up camera would help.

For a major dumping 2 quick passes would get U out to work.
With a blower U wont end up with troublesome banks that any plow would create.

Just make sure that the blower U buy is wider than your wheel tracks.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Since the only John Deere equipment I am intimately familiar with is a F510 lawnmower, I'll ask some stupid questions.
Is A JD 510L a TLB, period?
Is it practicable to have a SSQA plate on the FEL?
Can the BH be removed; is there a PTO?
Is there enough hydraulic flow to power a snowblower?