Rear blade recommendations

RaydaKub · Sep 2, 2012

I got my BX2230 a year ago and used the FEL for snow (what little we got last year). While it will certainly clear the snow, the FEL is just not efficient. You get spill from both sides of the bucket and have to clean it up with another pass (or 2) on each side. So I'm thinking of getting a 3PH mounted blade this year (understanding the wife may veto this idea). I figure that if I use the FEL for a deep snow, the blade could guide the spill all over to one side, saving me lots of trips. If the snow isn't too deep, just use the blade and skip the FEL completely. A blower just isn't in the budget.

Could my BX handle a 6 foot blade? I'm assuming I'd get one with a rubber edge because I have pavement. If the blade is 5 foot and I turn it to one side, perhaps it wouldn't be wide enough to catch snow spilled by the FEL. Any advice on this would be welcome.

Also, I remember a few guys talking about putting a pvc pipe on their FEL to make sure it doesn't scratch the pavement. How big a pipe? How do you cut it to fit the bucket edge? How do you fasten it? Any pictures out there?

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beckmurph · Sep 2, 2012

RaydaKub
I used a Bushhog 20-06 with my Bx25 and b2620. It was a 6ft blade and did a fairly good job of clearing our road. I could angle it at its steepest setting and it cleared the rear tires. It did not have a tilt option, so it would not clean the road perfectly. But the BX pulled the 6' with no problem.

BeezFun · Sep 2, 2012

Where you live I'd say get a snowthrower, either front or rear mount. I've used a rear blade with FEL when we have lots of snow, not very efficient. You spend a lot of time dumping the bucket, run out of space to dump the snow, it melts and runs back on the driveway, etc. Also easy to tear up the grass if you're pushing snow into your yard. I've also knocked down fence posts trying to use FEL in paddock, made dents in the barn, and probably did other damage I can't remember. If you do get a rear blade, get the widest you can pull so when you put it at an angle it's bigger than your FEL width.

rbarker · Sep 2, 2012

RaydaKub said:
Could my BX handle a 6 foot blade? I'm assuming I'd get one with a rubber edge because I have pavement. If the blade is 5 foot and I turn it to one side, perhaps it wouldn't be wide enough to catch snow spilled by the FEL. Any advice on this would be welcome.

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I have cleared snow here in New England for about 10 years with my Bx2200, the loader, and a 5 foot rear blade. I'm sure you could pull a 6 foot blade but the problem is when the snow builds up at the windrows it starts to turn the tractor kind of like a rudder in water. A bigger blade will probably make this worse. I find I can get about 2 passes before I have to use the loader to clear the windrow. If I wait to long and the snow gets to 5 or 6 inches deep then it's really best to just start with the loader and clean up with the back blade. and yes, it digs up the lawn when the ground isn't frozen solid.

Well, that's my experiences anyway.

RaydaKub · Sep 2, 2012

BeezFun said:
Where you live I'd say get a snowthrower, either front or rear mount. I've used a rear blade with FEL when we have lots of snow, not very efficient. You spend a lot of time dumping the bucket, run out of space to dump the snow, it melts and runs back on the driveway, etc. Also easy to tear up the grass if you're pushing snow into your yard. I've also knocked down fence posts trying to use FEL in paddock, made dents in the barn, and probably did other damage I can't remember. If you do get a rear blade, get the widest you can pull so when you put it at an angle it's bigger than your FEL width.

Oh, I'd love a snowblower. But with 2 kids in private college, the budget just won't stretch that far. I did OK, with the FEL last year, only gouged the lawn about 5 times and not that bad. I figured out that once you get to the grass, you curl the bucket and let it float over the top. But the inefficiency of the FEL alone requires I upgrade something.

Ace3 · Sep 3, 2012

If your goal is to have a snow fighting machine then you need a front blade. I too have tried clearing snow with the FEL and a rear blade. Neither one is made to do the job of snow removal and they are not very efficient. On my B3030 I had the Kubota 6' blade mounted on the Kubota quick hitch. It worked great. On my new L3540 Cab I have a Curtis 7' blade mounted on the loader quick attach frame.

BeezFun · Sep 3, 2012

RaydaKub said:
Oh, I'd love a snowblower. But with 2 kids in private college, the budget just won't stretch that far.

I've always thought the home schooling thing is backwards: send them away to school when they're little and drive you crazy, home school them for college so they'd be around when they're strong enough to help. There's been a bunch of threads on what kind of plastic pipe edges people have put on front loaders. Also some variations of edges made out of super duper materials and rubber. Spend some time searching you'll find lots of good ideas.

LD1 · Sep 3, 2012

For snow only, you should handle a 6' blade just fine. And if the snow is too much for it, you can always take smaller bites. Dont get too hung up on not catching the spill-over from the bucket. Casue once you have a rear blade, you will find you wont use your loader too much.

keep an eye on c-list. decient used 5 and 6 foot rear blades can be had for $100 frequently. And being that cheap, you really arent out much if it isnt "exactally" what you want.

sierradmax · Sep 3, 2012

I asked a similar question in the snow removal forum.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/235918-snow-removal-grader-blade.html

Also, watch this video.
How To Series - Snow Removal - Tractor Rear Scrape Blade - YouTube

It's an L series with what appears to be a 7' blade. Watch how he has to countersteer to keep the tractor pointed straight. Granted he doesn't have a loader.

boggen · Sep 3, 2012

to cut a slit in a piece of pvc pipe. only tool i can think of that would make a nice straight slit down the pipe. would be a table saw. and you would most likely want sch 80 pvc. and smaller the diameter the better. larger the pipe diameter. more chance of hitting something and pvc pipe cracking. though i am just talking here, never actually done it myself. (err pipe on FEL cutting edge) pipe cutting i have.

TIP you might want to take a piece of duct tape and go clear down the pipe before cutting. the duct tape will help reduce pipe cracking / shattering as you cut it.

mounting? honestly have no idea... perhaps some 90's on end of pipe, sticking up, and then some Tees. so you could loop a chain through the Tees and then user a chain binder or strap on each side to hold the pipe firmely to the cutting edge of the FEL bucket?

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rear blades are nice for doing clean up and getting the "mushy" stuff out from under tires so you are not sliding around on snow as you finish drive out when using FEL. i hate drifts around here. not this last winter but year before had over 8 foot drifts if memory serves, and ended up with snow piles over 15 plus feet tall. i would of so loved to have a snow blower attached to FEL for that winter. but gotter done with just using FEL, and using backhoe to push rear end out of ugly situations. and would of loved a rear blade, to do the last "touch ups" to help remove windrows and little bumps of snow in the drive. vs trying to back drag the stuff out.

regardless of everything, traction will be your enemy, and see about getting some chains for the rear tires.