Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow plow vs snow bucket for a tractor

[manac]

Have a MM2 8’ 6” straight plow for the truck (crew cab, long bed), kinda like plowing with a barge. Just picked up a NH Workmaster 70, 72” bucket.
Already have a 74” pto blower.
Location Connecticut 6-72” per year.
Don’t want to run chains and think I’d need to with a plow.

Which would you do, fabricate a SSQA adaptor and electrics for the plow or pick up a 8’ snow bucket? Or I could live with the material bucket.
Or there are some SSQA 11’ angle plows for $1500 being surpluses here.

I'm like a kid in the candy store with a SSQA on the front of the tractor.

 

[nybirdman]

Plows for roads,buckets/pushers for parking lots.Depends where you are plowing.I have an 8flt.SS mounted FEL plow for my needs.

 

[RjCorazza]

Have a MM2 8’ 6” straight plow for the truck (crew cab, long bed), kinda like plowing with a barge. Just picked up a NH Workmaster 70, 72” bucket.
Already have a 74” pto blower.
Location Connecticut 6-72” per year.
Don’t want to run chains and think I’d need to with a plow.

Which would you do, fabricate a SSQA adaptor and electrics for the plow or pick up a 8’ snow bucket? Or I could live with the material bucket.
Or there are some SSQA 11’ angle plows for $1500 being surpluses here.

I'm like a kid in the candy store with a SSQA on the front of the tractor.

I have similar equipment. Crew cab (8' bed) boat with plow, smaller 40hp tractor with 7' ssqa plow, bucket, rear blower.
My go to setup is the 7' ssqa plow and a 7' rear blade.

An 11' plow is a lot of width for a Workmaster 70, both pushing and lifting with the fel. I suspect that size plow would need to be frame mounted.

 

[zzvyb6]

Plow if it's driveway or roadway and if you can run in lanes. Pusher if you have a place to mound up snow accumulations. Direct mount if you only have 2 hydraulic circuits from a loader. If QA mount, get an electric 3 function. Direct mount took me more time to hook up. I thought the QA mount might be more difficult to maintain steering, but turned out not to be the case. I also had a 7' snow pusher box, worked great, but no place to stash the snow on a long driveway.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway. Straight as an arrow and pretty level. Over the years I've used two methods for snow removal. 3-point mounted blower. Worked great but gave me neck and shoulder pains.

Now I have a 3-point mounted rear blade. It works great and no more body pains. However - due to lack of snow - haven't had to plow for the last four years.

 

[shooterdon]

Be wary of what people recommend.

Things to bear in mind:
Average snowfall a year
Gravel or paved surface
Type of snow you usually get (wet/powder)
Maximum amount you might get at a time
Can you get out and remove snow part way through a major snow event...for example dealing with moving 18" of snow is different than moving 6" three times.
Do you have enough space to push/move snow.
Do you need to make a lot of angle adjustments if plowing.

I have used a plow truck, rear blade, front tractor blade and pull blower. There is NO perfect solution.

 

[LouNY]

I have found the FEL mounted plows to hang to far forward to do a good job unless your driveway is perfect. the snow pushers or light material buckets are not as far ahead of you but only good for straight pushing.

 

[D'oh]

Why not a 7 1/2' Wide Out or the likes? Best of both worlds?

I plow a Lot next to another Old Timer Plower who made his "Swing End Gate Straight Blade" It has moved lots of snow and Piled Mountains of it also.

Kinda like this, but he added Hydraulic Wings, depending on how many ports you have.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I have a similar tractor and I have a 87” rear pto blower. We get more snow than you. My Driveway is gravel and not too long, about 600-700’. It is pretty level, as level as things can be around here. If you have more money than time, then buy a pull forward rear pto blower. They work great and can do a driveway quickly. Second for speed is a plow on the front of the tractor. Never had one, but have used a back blade a lot for snow when it is not too deep.

your current pto blower will be your most cost effective way to remove snow. Since you don’t get much snow, i would save money for something else and not buy anything else. You will not need chains unless you have steep grades. I have never needed chains on any tractor in any location for snow and don’t see chains on any tractors around here during winter. We got over 25’ of snow last year. I also like to have a bucket on front all winter, you’ll never get stuck with a bucket on front. Had to get a tractor unstuck that had a SSQA plow on the front last year and it was a pain to use the plow to get leverage to get out.

 

[manac]

Thanks for all the replies. The point that a truck plow on a loader is kinda kludgey Is a good one. I’ve used that setup and it’s ok, would have to switch to the slower snowblower when it got heavy.

I’m just looking for another arrow in the quiver sort of thing. The best tool for the amount and wetness of the snow.
We don’t get a lot of snow until we do, the occasional Nor'easter or blizzard has to be dealt with.

Not at all interested in a pusher, a bucket’s ability to pick up snow and move or pile it is much more useful to me.

I try really hard not to get my tractor stuck. Had a $350 wrecker bill to pull me out one time. Slid on glare ice off an embankment into the trees trying to help a neighbor.
That could be a great topic: Manac’s Snowplowing Wrecks.