Rear snowblowers

[BlacknTan]

I'm starting to think about winter and clearing snow with my B-7800.. I've decided to keep the FEL in place for the winter so I'm committed to a rear blower..
I've done a search and read many of the snowblower threads.
What i'd like, is first hand experience and degree of satisfaction with the different brands, including the Kubota blower, on thractors in this size range.
Also, being in NY's North Country, I need something a local dealer handles or can get..

 

[BXRICK]

I used a rear blade to clear snow (probably not as much as you...) for two years. Then, last July, I bought a rear snowblower.
It was great. We didn't get too much snow - only a couple of storms over 4 inches - but it sure moved what we did get very well.
Like you, I wanted to keep the FEL on, so I opted for a rear blower.

My comments:
- Depending on your driveway surface, you'll likely need a few spare shear pins. Don't wait until during the storm to round these up. Carry the wrenches to install them with you.
- You do have to drive backwards. I don't consider this a problem. I was doing it with the backblade.
- Between driving backwards and having to control speed to match the blower's throughput, I suspect a gear tractor would be a bit difficult. My HST was easy, though.
- I have a BX. The whole thing may be easier or harder with a larger tractor.
- Most of my driveway is bordered by woods. I could therefore turn the chute to blow to either side, so I was always blowing downwind, which kept the snow off of me. It easily can blow snow across the driveway, so you can drive on the right side and blow all the way to the left side.
- If you don't already have them, you'll want backup light(s). It's always dark in the winter. You don't need much light - when the ground is covered with snow, any light bounces around a lot. You're not going very fast, so a single light facing mostly down works just fine.

-Rick

 

[SacandagaBrad]

Where in the Adirondacks are you? I just had a back and forth on a NH thread describing my satisfaction with a Woods unit with a hydraulic chute. You can check that out if you're interested.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/nh-owning-operating/104987-rear-hydraulic-remote-tz25.html

A few dealers down in my neck of the woods in the southern part of the Dacks, not sure what you have in the north country.

Brad

 

[MichaelE]

I have used a Lorentz 5' rear blower for many years. It has been on a couple of other tractors I've had but most recently my B2910. It works well, I have a graveled drive, so the first couple of snows I keep it up an inch or two so you're not blowing all your gravel onto the lawn. Once you have a hard pack, you can put it all the way down. I use a remote valve that turns the chute with a small hyd. motor. I am satisfied with the durability of this unit. They are made in Benson, Minnesota

 

[BlacknTan]

Thanks fellas for the replies..

Brad, I'm a little North of you in Indian Lake.. I assume you're down around Northville??

Thanks for the link, That SS54 looks great in NH Blue!

 

[joe48]

I have a 60" SMYTH made in Canada ( they know snow) , which I purchased in the summer at TSC and got a great clearance deal. This machine is very heavily built and rugged. My only complaint is it doesnt have adjustable skid shoes. I had to add my own for my gravel drive. My Kioti Ck20 HST (18pto hp)handled it just fine , the only thing that slowed it down were heavy frozen piles I had made with the loader but with HST just slow down. Normally the CK20 will handle 6-12 snow a fast as you can drive in reverse.
And yes you definitly need auxillary lights on the rops for night work.

 

[art]

The bulk of the blowers we sell up there are front mount and a good one helps! One of my favorites is the provenost line made above the border. The Puma is their economy line and pretty good compared to many but then they also have the commercial line which is one of the best I've worked with. I would recommend that you get hydraulic rotation as it makes it real easy to adjust the direction the snow is going. When we clean out the banks at the store with these we get people just stoping on the road to watch it blow as it clears the wires and then some with good distance.
There are other blowers that are well built to with good clean welds and detail but there commercial are about the best I've seen.

 

[hench861]

im in lancaster ny i bought a meteor from romance and sons in arcade new york works great on my b7200

 

[SacandagaBrad]

Brad, I'm a little North of you in Indian Lake.. I assume you're down around Northville??

Yeah, I'm between Mayfield and Northville. I used to have relatives in Indian Lake and still have a few over in North Creek.

Where do go for a dealer? Glens Falls area I would assume?

Brad

 

[driver444]

The company I work for has a b-7800 with a "Blizzard" rear mount snowblower. It's a 64 inch wide unit, and it uses the tractor's hydraulics to control the chute.

Anyway, that machine took care of anything we could throw at it this past winter. I'm in upstate New York too, and I used it during the Valentine's day storm and the one after that, which dumped a couple feet on us. Very impressive..