Snow Attachments SNOW REMOVAL HELP

[chrispratt11]

Sweet video!

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am in Indiana. I use a 7' front mounted Meyer snow plow on my FEL in place of the buck and a 7' Woods rear grader blade. Its fast and can move 18' of snow off my 280' drive in no time flat.

Just make sure you know where the obstacles are and push back the snow banks for future snows.

Chris

 

[Dead Horse]

Wow, Dead Horse, that is a great set up you have. Will look into the plow. Just got a estimate for a front blower 59 H $5,500! I think my wife would move out if I tried to slide that by. Def. getting chains, but they seem to run the gamet as far as price. Any suggestions? JD also gave me a estimate for a 7 foot hydrolic front blade for $2000.00 any thoughts on that?

I will catch flack for this, I am sure, but I have the experience to back my opinion up. On a gravel drive, chains are chains............. and you can source them on the CHEAP from NAPA. All you need is your tire size and tread (R1, R4 or turf) design, and make sure they fit tight.

Buy at least 4 bungee cords when you pick up the chains, too. Measure the diameter of your tractor rim and get the cords a hair shorter than that. Two on each wheel will keep the chains from moving around once you have them on TIGHT.

You will be tempted to just go with front chains because of cost. I do not recommend that on a small tractor, especially if you are also going to put a plow blade on the nose..... go with rear chains. Your front differential and planetary gears/bearings will thank you.

As to my opinion on your last sentence........I have found JD is VERY PROUD of their stuff......... way too proud as far as I am concerned. I sourced the Fisher you see on the front of my Hesston for $0......... yep, zero. My cost involved making up the hoses for the cylinders, and an hour or two of playing around with how to mount the bugger.

Heell, the Meteor blower I have was $1,200 brand new......... I believe you would have to be nutz to spend $2,000 on a plow, unless you were planning to run it commercially.

Look for a used Fisher rig on CL or EB, or for that matter around town on the local bulletin boards. I have seen used plow trucks for less money than $2k!!!!

Heck, if the big Fisher works out for me this year(I just mounted it and have used it once) I will sell you the 6 foot one for $100 in the spring.........Mind you it ain't worth a penny more!

 

[Ford850]

The key to using a front blade is having enough room to at least one side of the drive to move the snow bank. If I didn't have at least 10 - 15' clear on most of my drive, I wouldn't like my plow. I have 1100' of drive, and the last 200' is pinched in through a woods. That 200' has to be parially pushed to the side and then partially straight bladed back out into a clearing where I can push it off to the side. The remaining 900' is rolled off to the side of the drive, and if the resulting bank is over a few feet tall I straddle that bank and fly down through it rolling it off the drive even more. I repeat that as necessary sometimes making 3 passes so the ground is clear for 10 or 15' next to the drive before the next storm hits. If I had to see-saw back and forth, angling the snow with multiple pushes for the full length of the drive, then I would be saving up for a blower.

 

[beenthere]

The key to using a front blade is having enough room to at least one side of the drive to move the snow bank. If I didn't have at least 10 - 15' clear on most of my drive, I wouldn't like my plow. I have 1100' of drive, and the last 200' is pinched in through a woods. That 200' has to be parially pushed to the side and then partially straight bladed back out into a clearing where I can push it off to the side. The remaining 900' is rolled off to the side of the drive, and if the resulting bank is over a few feet tall I straddle that bank and fly down through it rolling it off the drive even more. I repeat that as necessary sometimes making 3 passes so the ground is clear for 10 or 15' next to the drive before the next storm hits. If I had to see-saw back and forth, angling the snow with multiple pushes for the full length of the drive, then I would be saving up for a blower.

Very well said Ford850. Been there many times. But it can be done and is usually done (by me) when the weather is nice, and I enjoy the tractor-seat time.

Myself, I've not once wished for a snowblower but the high banks were a reason to incite me to carry through with the wing-plow idea. It turned out better than I ever imagined as it works great, is easy and quick to mount and as well to store when not mounted. Folds up on a couple dolly's in less than a minute.

 

[Dead Horse]

re: the wing plow idea.

I mounted my back blade (on its frame) offset to the right of center, such that the edge of the blade, set at a 45 degree angle, sticks out beyond the right front edge of the plow blade by about a foot.

With that set up, I can push the windrow'd snow back, and do so with the blade raised off the pavement or set on the ground. That works quite well, and is a very easy adjustment to make on most back blades which come from the MFG'r with several mounting holes.

Mind you, for a small tractor, you will be fighting the tendency for the snow to shove the tractor in the opposite direction.

 

[chrispratt11]

Thanks again Dead Horse. Great info!

 

[chrispratt11]

Any other front plow recomendations? Maybe JD are not worth the cash?

 

[zzvyb6]

I picked this plow and A frame up for $100. Yes, it was an old truck plow. Yes the cylinders work just fine with my loader hydraulic connections. In high gear, snow runs away from the tractor. A few bolts and a front cylinder link pin and its on or off. The key element is its closeness to the front wheels. This reduces the moment arm that tends to resist steering forces from the front tires. I have 6 40 lb suitcase weights on the bar to increase front traction. The rear mounted rake is added for spring/fall gravel dressing. Going on 11 years with this setup. Not a single problem. As mentioned, I can do 2 lanes of the township road after my driveway is done. I usually outrun following traffic, too. They have nowhere to go once I turn around...

 

[beenthere]

re: the wing plow idea.
....................
Mind you, for a small tractor, you will be fighting the tendency for the snow to shove the tractor in the opposite direction.

I worried about the side push, and can see that it is/would be a bigger problem with using the rear blade.
With my wing, it sets beside the tractor and can shove the rear over if too much snow (and frozen) is plowed at a pass. But found out that plowing with the front blade at the same time counters that shoving, and it is truly amazing how much snow can be pushed over with the combination.
The wing is fastened to the side FEL post (stub) at the leading edge, and a telescoping push bar to the rear of the wing is attached to the tractor drawbar. Can get about a 5' reach with the wing telescoped all the way out.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here is a link to my plow setup and build. I have less than $1000 in both the front mounted plow and the rear grader blade. It moves lots of snow for the money. I plow my drive, 280', and about 10 others ranging from 600' to 150' and a 1 mile road both ways in about 2 hours.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/155271-meyer-plow-my-tractor.html

Chris

 

[Dead Horse]

I picked this plow and A frame up for $100. Yes, it was an old truck plow. The key element is its closeness to the front wheels. This reduces the moment arm that tends to resist steering forces from the front tires.

Perfect!

I went with the FEL mount because I need my FEL for other things in the winter. I use a Central Boiler to heat my home and my wood shed is 3/4 mile from the stove. The big tractor FEL can move a half a cord of wood per trip if properly loaded, and I burn a cord a week. So every couple of weeks the big guy has a date with the wood pile.

That plus some times you just need the brute strength of a HD loader to deal with hard, frozen snow banks and such, especially when the town plow trucks have been at it all night and you would like to avoid breaking blower shear pins.......

So I want my loader mounted on the tractors all winter.

Lastly a FEL mounted plow blade is VERY easy to get off the tractor. 2 quickconnects and two frame pins. No fuss no muss.

My drive is a long one so my plow runs are long and pretty straight. I use the small tractor in tight spaces.

 

[lungdoc]

Steep = chains, no doubt about it. I use front and rear and our 4320 is a tank with them. You will get snow covered if blower and no cab - helmet and one piece suit recommended. I don't think there's a mid-PTO driven easy front blower option for the 43x0 Deere's - if hydraulic blower into serious money. Blower getting rid of the piles is a huge benefit especially in the spring - not relevant if you don't get accumulated snow eg melts between storms. All solutions are easier where snow and ice stick around so plowing frozen ground and leave a thin layer of frozzen stuff to keep gravel down - good to drive on first snows to pack it down if able. A blower will be easier than a plow on unfrozen ground in my opinion though if it does dig in you throw the gravel (beware buildings etc. If I had to plow I'd get a truck plow before a plow for an uncabbed tractor. I use blower to clean up between truck plows and keeps the banks to a manageable size - where we are pickup plow without wings can't keep road wide enough most years due to banks.

This weekend one foot snow already!

 

[chrispratt11]

Do I have to have weight in the back if I have a front plow with chains?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Do I have to have weight in the back if I have a front plow with chains?

Weight is a must. I run my rears fluid filled, wheel weights on each rear, and the 7' grader blade. I also have 4 suit case weights on the front to aid in the steering. My total plow weight with me on my 28HP tractor is 5,600#

Chris

 

[beenthere]

........ I don't think there's a mid-PTO driven easy front blower option for the 43x0 Deere's - ........]

I believe there is a front mid PTO driven Deere blower. Don't recall the number right off, but they are around.
(albeit, the FEL has to come off)

Nice pics, and agree that the snowmobile helmet makes life more cozy.

 

[Dead Horse]

Do I have to have weight in the back if I have a front plow with chains?

It certainly is a plus......... I have loaded tires on both tractors and recommend that approach. NB: that when the plow blade is on the ground it does not unbalance the tractor so with chains you will not be unhappy unless you are trying to push a lot of snow UP hill.

In my opinion the purpose of the chains is to limit wheel spin and have effective braking. You start a slide and the first thing you should do is drop the blade. With chains, you can use the brakes to slow the tractor without eliminating steering. A tractor is not a plow truck......... it is made to do the work effectively with a TON of torque and at a slow speed.

Even with loaded tires, my driveway grade is so steep sometimes the tractor will not advance up the hill even with everything (plow, rear scraper blade) off the ground.

 

[Jay4200]

Hello,

I have a JD 4310 and plan on plowing my own driveway for the first time this year. My driveway is a steep 300 - 400 yards, I live in New England so we get a fare amount of snow. I'm not sure if I should be thinking snowblower or front blade and or if I need chains. I was offered a used AF12 for $1,500. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Blades are OK, but you'll run into trouble if you get a couple of feet of wet heavy snow. I have a fairly steep driveway myself, and 1100 feet of it to boot. To tackle anything that drops, you need one of these:

I found this 6' blower w/ hydraulic chute controls on Craigs list - listed for $1500 - after a bit of negotiating, I ended up getting it for $1350 w/ a Woods 6' scraping blade thrown in for free .

I bought chains for all 4 tires this year, but haven't mounted them yet. I'm thinking of mounting just the front wheel chains first (2-link ladder V-bars), then put them on the back (2-link ladders) only if I find I need more traction.

JayC

 

[lungdoc]

I believe there is a front mid PTO driven Deere blower. Don't recall the number right off, but they are around.
(albeit, the FEL has to come off)

Nice pics, and agree that the snowmobile helmet makes life more cozy.

I don't think so for that series of Deere (or at least not for 4x20, not sure re 4310) - there is for 3x20 for sure.

 

[beenthere]

The 59" front snowblower is listed on the Deere site for the JD 4320. Maybe that is in error. And maybe it is not wide enough. ??