Skid steer snow blower on tractor loader?

[K Arno]

As an old guy with a bad back the front mounted snow blower running of the mid PTO works great for me. I need to clear just under 1/4 mile of gravel driveway. It is a PITA to take off the FEL and mount all snow gear goes quicker each time I do it.

 

[JWR]

Get a larger size wireless backup camera like a motor home has you can thread the needle with these things . Why add more equipment you have to change out and store
Problem solved

I hear you but he has half a mile to go ... to me that's nut practical by just adding a TV camera. Granted it would help, is not expensive and might serve him well as a temporary work-around.

 

[Zdenek]

I have the same tractor and a rear mounted 74” blower. Windy up and down road to clear - about a mile long plus some around the barn and house. I was thinking about the same solution, but price is just a bit too high fo the number of days I would use it. I was thinking about another possibility and wondering if anyone has tried putting a rear facing camera and a large enough display to drive facing forward, but driving on “instruments”. It would probably take some getting used to, but it might work. If the camera works and is portable, could be used with pallet forks and other implants that are too difficult to see.

 

[PILOON]

Backup camera and tablet mounted on the dash...leave your setup alone...200 bucks

IF THAT!
I installed a system on my CUT a few years back and spent about $60.00 total and opted for the larger screen.
The claim was OK to 0 deg. but I never had problems down to -25.
OK, I bought from China so I had to wait a while.

LOL, now I never look back. (while blowing)

 

[JWR]

OK, 64 posts into this lively discussion I will make some recommendations:

1) DO NOT spend $10K or worse to solve this.
2) There are two very good options , up to you. Both leave your exisiting 3rd ftn hoses and rear remotes available for ...whatever. One piece of good news is that you have plenty of tractor for this job.

A) Trade/sell your rear facing blower and buy a front-facing 3pt pull blower. With your size tractor you can easily handle a 6ft blower. I handle a rear facing 60" blower very well with an old B2150 24 horse 4WD. You don't really need some monster more than 6 or 6.5ft wide. Use that pull-type blower in conjunction with just the bucket or better yet a blade mounted on your loader. They are readily available both new and used and are not an arm and a leg. Your "up-close" concerns -- like near a garage door or a tank -- can be done several ways -- using the blade or bucket to back-drag away from the wall or with a small supplemental blower as one guy said. That should not be your driving issue. You concluded you were leaning away from a pull-type blower but I did not hear what I'd see as good reasons. This solution is BY FAR AND AWAY the simplest and simple is almost always better (and cheaper.) It totally fixes your neck issue (which I share with you!) It adds zero complexity. You can windrow your snow in many cases with the front blade and then blow it on next pass by straddling the windrow with the tractor and pull-type blower.
B) If you really must get more complex and want more toys (which I have been guilty of several times...) then get the FEL mounted blower, hydraulically driven. I know of a small airport being cleared with that type using internal tractor hydraulics (which I do NOT recommend) but they got it to work fairly well using a very large tractor with 17 or 18 gpm flow AND crucially having to go to large diameter hoses and mating connectors, etc. If you go the front blower route, get close up and personal with the dealer or prior owner and learn all you can in tips and practices. And "you must" things. Use the PTO pump and tank. For a 6ft blower using large diam hoses a 20 gpm is plenty. Shop around. These do not have to cost all that much. This option has some nice collateral advantages in that you can swap in a FEL mounted brush cutter up front driven by the same PTO pump and hoses. The tricky part I say is important if you go this route is to retain some 3pt capability for a rear blade. You can do that by carefully choosing the PTO drive pump, hoses and tank arrangement to allow raising and lowering the 3pt and not precluding the rear blade. The blade of course allows you to work both directions when desired and to windrow the ice/snow for blowing on the next pass. Rear blades are also inexpensive. You may want to get an hyd adjustable rear blade if your pocketbook agrees to it.

B) is more expensive but opens possible extras like the front brush cutters, etc. Both are good options I think. Both solve your neck turning issues.

 

[lpakiz]

I bought a brand new 54 HP Massey with cab (heater!) and HST transmission, belly PTO, as well as rear PTO, and 6 foot front mount, shaft driven blower. The subframe (heavy!) stays on year round, as do the loader arms. I do detach the forks/bucket when the blower is on. I keep the arms up enough so I can walk under them, but they still clear the garage door header to get it in the garage.
I inserted a hydraulic ball valve in the hydraulic line to hold the loader arms up and de-pressured while I use the joystick to lift/lower the blower as well as swivel the chute. Driving forward enables me to steer within inches of objects, as well as creep up to the garage doors and other obstacles. No sore neck.
Pricey? Yes, but I would do it over again in a SECOND. I run out of snow well before I want to be done—every time!

 

[JWR]

I bought a brand new 54 HP Massey with cab (heater!) and HST transmission, belly PTO, as well as rear PTO, and 6 foot front mount, shaft driven blower. The subframe (heavy!) stays on year round, as do the loader arms. I do detach the forks/bucket when the blower is on. I keep the arms up enough so I can walk under them, but they still clear the garage door header to get it in the garage.
I inserted a hydraulic ball valve in the hydraulic line to hold the loader arms up and de-pressured while I use the joystick to lift/lower the blower as well as swivel the chute. Driving forward enables me to steer within inches of objects, as well as creep up to the garage doors and other obstacles. No sore neck.
Pricey? Yes, but I would do it over again in a SECOND. I run out of snow well before I want to be done—every time!

That's first class. So you can go back and forth (blower to loader) rather easily ? Do you run a blade on the rear ? So you use the joystick which means you use the loader hyd lines to drive the positioning of the chute. Why not use the 3rd function to do that ? Or maybe you are using the 3rd ftn on the joystick?

 

[hayden]

Hayden,

I must admit that I just scanned this thread and may have missed another response about the Kubota subframe and loader compatibility.

We have a 5240 with a cab and the subframe and the front PTO blower.
The blower works great.
The subframe stays on and works WITH the loader.
The subframe is heavy (1,500 pounds?) and low, increasing stability.
I made up a short steel link to replace the hydraulic cylinder when the blower is off to avoid the blower-mounting "tongue" from drifting down.

We live in the mountain west and our snowfall is way down and the temperatures are way up.
Snowblowers do not handle wet snow well and are overkill for small snowfalls.
Last winter I did not even mount the blower and got a Landpride blade for clearing our long driveway and related areas.
If next winter is similar, I may sell the blower and subframe and just stick with the blade.
Of course, doing that will probably result in the return of 6-foot fluffy drifts .

Anyway, on the 5240, the subframe and loader ARE compatible.
Your 5740 may be similar.

If anyone is interested, I'll get the tractor out and take a photo to post of the subframe/loader configuration.

Thanks. I'll go back and double check the compatibility issue. Maybe I misunderstood something along the way....

 

[divyakfm]

We had an 8' 3 point snow blower on a Deere 3020. That would blow snow; the deeper the better. The tractor was open station and could be bitterly cold/wet. Purchased a Cat 242b skid steer, heated cab, and found a 7' snow blower, needed 15gal/minute hydraulic flow rate. The cat does not blow the snow as far as the 3020 BUT warmth and maneuverability were vastly improved. The term I use for the the Cat/snow blower, " A self unloading snow bucket". The best thing is that ANY drift can be cut down with a little patience. As to traction with tires, if there is an ice base then chains are needed. Otherwise I have not had any major problems. I can go between building, along fences next to the cattle yard and not have to worry about snow banks/buildup. Auxiliary hydraulics run the auger and fan; a 12v linear actuator runs the chute. I feel this the best way to handle snow. FYI our average winter snow fall is between 50--60" here in western central WI. The nice thing with the Cat, for small snow I use the bucket and get rid of the banks later with the blower.

 

[lpakiz]

JWR,
I use all 4 FEL ports to control the blower, but when I unhook the couplers holding the loader arms up, there is a little back-pressure and the hose end will ooze oil and the arms will settle—-plus later I can’t re-connect the loader arm coupler with the pressure from the raised arms.
I demount the bucket/forks first, then roll the SSQA plate all the way retracted, so when the arms are locked in the raised position, the SSQA plate is horizontal and those cylinders dont generate any pressure on either of the tilt hoses.
The valve solved all that, plus I use it as a safety when working around the raised bucket or forks. For example, I built a lift platform that I run my riding mower onto, then raise it up waist high, or higher, depending on what I’m working on, then I can close the valve to stop drift as well as hydraulically lock the forks and arms up.
Or if I raise the platform way up to trim trees or clean eave troughs, I lock the valve before I lean my ladder against the platform.
I did remove the super heavy under body weldment the first year after snow season, but it is clumsy to reinstall, so unless Im doing something where I really need the belly clearance, it stays on. I do remove the belly driveshaft, in case I get over a rock or stump, I don’t want to bend that, but that’s an easy 2 minute job. And I remove the “alligator snout” that sticks out front that engages the blower.
I cover the splines with a length of SS 1 1/2“ tube, but I read a better suggestion on here—a length of rubber hose and a couple clamps.

 

[shooterdon]

It is good to see folks posting how much snow they get when offering advice. There is a gentleman on the forum with a long driveway who constantly talks up his monstrous rear blade....but gets 40” a year....some of us get that in a month...lol.

Another “mistake” people make is over estimating their needs. In 2014, we got a record snowfall of 30” in three days. I did not have a tractor. My 2001 half ton truck with a POS snow blade got the job done. I was plowing twice a day at times....so big deal for a 100 year event. It isn’t like it will be a surprise when that kind of storm hits. You can plan for it.

 

[lpakiz]

JWR,
I have a 1/2 of a 55 gallon barrel full of cement on the 3point that I cast a hitch into, so I can pull trailers or wagons easily. I do have a backblade, but it sticks out to the sides and rear and is clumsy and in the way, and doesn’t couple up to a wagon too well, so usually the barrel is on the 3 point.
I dont have a 3rd function, not that I wouldn’t like one. The 4 FEL ports work like a charm, except the re-hooking/pressure/oil leak issues. But the valve solved that.
There is something very satisfying to be able to raise and lower the blower as well as swivel the chute with one hand, simultaneously.
I would like to fish a couple hoses under the tractor to the front of the radiator area, and be able to plug them into my rear remotes for a FEL mounted hydraulic post hole digger or wood splitter. It’s pretty full under there, so that project is waiting for increased demand. But that would also give me a third function of sorts on the front for a grapple someday.

 

[ArlyA]

It is good to see folks posting how much snow they get when offering advice. There is a gentleman on the forum with a long driveway who constantly talks up his monstrous rear blade....but gets 40” a year....some of us get that in a month...lol.

And some of us average 230" per year. The view down our street. That truck has a permanently mounted blower on its front

 

[shooterdon]

And some of us average 230" per year. The view down our street. That truck has a permanently mounted blower on its front View attachment 710407

Yoopers know what snow is!!

I love snow...but not enough to deal with what you guys get. 120-140” a year is just fine for this old man.

 

[lpakiz]

Shooterdon,
Im in central Wisconsin, so we do get some snow, but not like in places like upstate NY or even north of us, by the Lake Superior snow belt.
In my situation, we get a LOT of drifting and I have very few places to put snow, so to use a blade or bucket, I’d need to shove or carry it all out of the area.
With the blower, I can shoot it into the brush, between trees, over the fence into the field, across the road into the ditch—-places I can’t push or carry it to. And I leave no banks to catch more drifts.
I have a guide under the full width of the blower that carries the weight of the blower over anything. I have blown out a 3/4 mile trail thru a swamp, all on “float” with nothing more than a hummock or two of swamp grass coming out the chute. Much bigger worry getting stuck, as it isn’t usually froze under the snow.
I can go across the unfrozen lawn or down the gravel driveway, on float, without picking up anything but snow. Saves a lot of rake work in the spring.
”I highly recommend this setup”

 

[JWR]

Seems they need to go to a different truck -- that one is full...

 

[Hoho223]

2012 Bobcat CT120 with front mount 54 inch blower. FEL comes off. No need for FEL in my case with the blower. Had looked at the skid steer mount adaptation from bobcat but 7 gpm from CT120 was not going to cut it.

 

[smiley]

If you're worried about efficiency, I did a similar project about 11 years ago and ran a pto shaft from the rear with a reverser. I did have an existing very heavy belly pan to attach a snowplow blade frame mount for the plow shown in photo on left. I made arms to extend the snowblower 3 pt arms to the plow mount and used a Jeep 4 way lift frame mounted on top of my existing bumper to raise either the plow or blower (also have 50 ton winch there but that's overkill). If you have front pto already you've got the battle half won and it would be less work with hydraulics.
link: Max the snow beast is finished
I put a vinyl cab on also and all worked good but we didn't get many heavy snowfalls afterward and the plow was much faster to clear the big parking area at the bottom of my drive, so I went back to rear mounted blower which I was very happy to have already on when I got home from Fla 2 years in a row, with 4 ft of snow in about 150 ft of the drive.

You also mention about having a loader on your tractor. I did another front mount blower conversion years ago on my Allis Chalmers B with loader. I just used a chain on the loader to raise the IH lowboy front mount blower. I made one huge mistake on that build. I discovered too late that although the IH blower was a factory made front mount ---------
IH lowboys PTO ------- run backward of everybody else -------- It was the best little snowsucker you ever saw.
If I can find which forum it was on I' post a link
Smiley

 

[grsthegreat]

I'm 89, and while I looked at snow blowers I figured that driving backwards would destroy my neck before the winter was over, so I spent about $3500 for a plow rig for my front-end loader. I'm not completely happy with it because it sticks out quite a bit and the FEL on Mahindra Baba does "float" awfully well, at least not until it's well warmed up. I should think a snow blower would be even less adaptable to hills and vales.

Another reason to be skeptical of a snow blower is the gravel driveway. I figured I'd spend much of time replacing shear pins.

my front hydraulic unit used hydraulic blowby if it gets jammed...no shear pins. my neck is the reason i went fith front blower and plow.

 

[beenthere]

I have a Kubota L5740 and for years have been clearing a 1/2 mile road plus parking areas with a rear mount PTO snow blower. It works well, but as I get older, being twisted around to see and work backwards is getting old. So I have started thinking about a front mount snow blower.

Kubota of course makes one, but it involves a substantial sub frame that doesn't look easy to install and remove, and as I understand it, the sub frame is incompatible with using the loader. So even if you remove the blower itself, you still can't use the loader unless you remove the whole sub frame. That just won't work for me.

So I've been thinking about using a skid steer snow blower. I have a SS mount on my loader, and I have front hydraulic remotes that could be used for chute rotation. But I don't have enough hydraulic power to drive the blower. I've seen specs in the 16-21 gpm, so I'm figuring on 20 gpm as a round number. I think my choices are a rear PTO pump, or a mid PTO pump. The mid PTO runs at about twice the RPM of the rear PTO, so a smaller pump will work, But somehow I'd have to mount and secure the pump. For a rear PTO there are a variety of commercially available kits, but on first check they seem a bit pricey.

Anyway, I'm interested in thoughts on this approach, and especially interested if anyone has done this before.

Thanks in advance

Switch to a blade.. much faster and less mechanical wear and tear.
Keep the rear mount blower for the few times you need to blow back a snow berm. There will not be many of those times.