Snow removal advice

[grsthegreat]

They also make snowblowers that you drive forewards but mount on the rear 3 point QUICK ATTACH REAR PULL PTO TRACTOR SNOWBLOWER IMPLEMENT - YouTube but there on the spendy side.

 

[KYThrill]

I'm not sure why anyone would say a blower wont work in 3" of snow. Mine work thru 2 feet of fresh snow. I have also watched alot of people using loader mounted plows over the years, and no one has ever bent a loader arm that i have met. I have a new loader mounted plow for my rig. Heres a pic of the snow i move regularly with my blower. Also, all my roads are gravel roads. Just get rid of any large rocks. Small pea gravel and slightly larger gravel poses NO problems with a blower unit. Best to add hardened shoes to the unit to leave about 1" of snow on the ground, as this will help prevent gravel uptake by blower.

The guy at my local tractor store said that a blower auger won't pick up 2" of snow or less very well unless you are skidding the ground and then it would take a top coat of rock off with it (the ground rarely freezes enough here to get a good hard pack). So he was saying it wouldn't work very well, it would remove rock that I would later need to replace (or I would need to keep it an inch off the ground), a rock in the wrong place could damage the blower, and for as little snow as we get in the area, it wasn't worth the expense.

I was there shopping to buy, and he advised me against it. So if a salesman tells me not to by a $6k piece of equipment, I assume he has a good reason.

I have zero experience on snow removal other than I know a shovel eventually gets the job done if you have the back for it.

 

[tcartwri]

The guy at my local tractor store said that a blower auger won't pick up 2" of snow or less very well unless you are skidding the ground and then it would take a top coat of rock off with it (the ground rarely freezes enough here to get a good hard pack).

He's correct.

 

[grsthegreat]

hmm, i think i misread your previous post. I thought he said it wouldnt pick up anything more than 3" of snow....sorry. I do agree that a snowblower would be useless if all you get are 2" of snow. I set mine to leave 1" on the ground so as not to pick up rocks. It would be a big waste of time to move only 1" of snow with a blower.

 

[nybirdman]

Lite snow-fall areas:A decent back blade should serve the purpose along with the FEL.We average 150 in.per year..last year got maybe 80in.other years we have seen 250.
My tractor weighs 7,000 lbs.,Fel mounted eight ft.Curtis and seven ft.bushog rear blade.I can take paved drives down to the asphalt.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

In areas that get light snowfall a rear blade will get the job done.

I would agree about the blower not picking up a 2 or 3 inch snowfall.

I would disagree with the point that a blower should not be used on a gravel drive. I have used a snowblower on gravel for nearly 25 years. No biggie at all. I have busted very few shear pins over the years. I have broke no shear pins with my rear blower.

As for a plow bending the loader arms...I think it has happened but, I wouldn't shy away from a plow out front. I would be careful about putting pressure on just one side of the plow. Common sense should be used, in all situations.

What I don't like about a plow is...you need to keep the bankings pushed waay back. If you don't you will need to detach the plow and go to the bucket to pile the snow.

In my case here in Maine, I find the rear blower with the front bucket to be the very best set-up for snow removal. This set-up is a joy to work with.:thumbsup:

 

[lungdoc]

In my opinion a blower loses some appeal for use on gravel roads in areas where the base doesn't stay frozen. Other issues may include need to use tractor for other attachments in the winter - a rear blade is easier to put on and off for example and has other uses as well. If I were you I'd think about a nice rear blade, maybe adding top and tilt, and perhaps a larger front bucket if you have quick attach. That combination is likely to be more useful all around and similar or less money than a good blower.

 

[cmhyland]

In my opinion the fastest way to clear snow from light to medium storms is a plow mounted to the frame of the tractor.

 

[RoyJackson]

In my opinion the fastest way to clear snow from light to medium storms is a plow mounted to the frame of the tractor.

If you have adequate power and weight to push the snow. Looks like you may have been a tad shy of enough power to push the snow in your attached picture.

 

[cmhyland]

"If you have adequate power and weight to push the snow. Looks like you may have been a tad shy of enough power to push the snow in your attached picture."

I have never had problems pushing snow with my B2910. It's a rare day when I take it out of high range for plowing... The key is not having too much plow. I cut a 7.5 foot Meyers down to 6 ft. It really works great.