Snow Snow Removal JD4100

[Anonymous Poster]

I am in the process of buying a JD4100 with 54" loader and ballast box in rear, 60"deck. To remove snow how is using the loader? What is best technique? What is the best low cost easy to adapte way to do this? I also want to grade my 600ft. gravel driveway. Thanks

 

[PaulB]

Congratulations on your new rig. I think you will find the loader useless in moving snow except to reposition mounds that have already been moved. The majority of us on this forum use a rear mounted blade, either with the blade facing forward and the tractor driven forward, or for heavier snow with the blade mounted facing backward, and driving backward into the snow. I also have a gravel drive, and I keep the blade an inch or 2 off the ground so I don't end up moving a ton of gravel - I still do move some which I then move back into place every spring, again using the rear blade. Your tractor should handle a 5 foot rear blade easily, and maybe even a 6 footer, and even the good brands are not that expensive, less than $500. The alternative is to use a rear mounted blower, which will run around $2,000, but moves a heck of a lot of snow a far way.

 

[jyoutz]

I also have a JD4100 and I use a 5' rear blade just as Paul described. Works great. One thing to add-I spent $100 extra on my blade and got a set of skidshoes. This allows my blade to float above the gravel and reduces the movement of gravel. Good luck and have fun. The 4100 is lots of fun.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

where would I get a rear 5' blade? what is best and cheapest? How are they going backwards? Is this a better alternative than the JD front blade option for $950?

 

[PaulB]

You can go to TSC and get a really light duty one for under $200, or get a brand name like Woods or Bushhog and get a much heavier duty tool. I got mine at my dealer when I bought the tractor, and it was $325. It is a Woods 5 footer. Any tractor dealer sells one brand or another. You might be able to get one online if you look up the various manufactureres. Woods. King Kutter, and many others all have web sites which someone will likely post, or you can look them up on a search engine (jeez, now I sound like Harv! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[jyoutz]

Carl, I bought a fairly heavy duty Landpride 5' blade for $355 and then spent an extra $100 for skidshoes. Not too bad of a price for such a versatile implement. Last winter I plowed snow, this past summer I constructed ditches and moved a lot of dirt around with it. No complaints about durability. And I was pretty rough on the blade with the dirt work.

 

[jyoutz]

Carl, in my experiance, the internet search will yield a lot of suppliers and good prices, BUT you will end up cheaper and with less hassle if you just buy from your local equipment dealer (or used from a rental yard). By the time you pay for the freight charges, you will not really save money by going elsewhere.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Just cleared 12" of snow (it is still falling) here in southern Missouri using a JD4100 with turf tires (about 200 yards cleared). It works great. The turf tires provide plenty of traction. I use a heavy (386lbs) 5' rear blade from Monroe Tufline; the loader is OK for pushing loose snow and moving it around, but not for clearing a large area. While the Tufline blade is expensive (over $500 plus another 100 for the skid shoes), it comes with a stand which is nice and will adjust any way you want including offset.

 

[Thomas]

Everyone seems to be getting tractor time in but us in the northeast.

Last 48 hours all we got was cold than warm than cold temps,plus heavy rain also high winds.

The snow storm you folks in the mid west got,the weather station said maybe an inch when the system comes thru for us. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Stay safe and have fun.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[markcg2000]

I finally got to use my 60" 3pt snowblower Monday. Holy cow!! $1,600 delivered made it ~ same cost as a really good walk behind, but the steel is MUCH stronger. Used to take about 30-45 minutes to do my ~100' drive with the 28" snowblower that died last year - now takes about 10 minutes (well, plus about 10 minutes while the 790 warms up .
Only got a few inches, but it was fun... now if only Buffalo could send us a foot or so of that snow they've been getting :-O

ps - good thing my wife doesn't read this, eh??

 

[Thomas]

markcg2000,
I believe I ask first for some snow so I could get a little seat time. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Are you 100% sure your wife hasn't?? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[markcg2000]

Actually, I guess I'm never SURE when it comes to what she's aware of

 

[Caretaker]

Carl, let me get my 2-cents worth in here.... I have a similar tractor, ie. 4100Hydro, Turf Tires, Ballast in rear tires, and I got the quick-tatch hitch and 47" snowblower with Hydraulic chute control and remote spout cap control. I also got the rotary broom and blade for the quick-tatch hitch. We finally got a decent snow here in New Hampshire, so I got to try it out yesterday - and what a snow removal machine it is !!! I have a lot of paved drieway to clear, and I don't want to pile up snow around it. The blower throws it far and fast, and then the broom takes me right down to clean pavement, although honestly the blower removes snow well enough that the broom is not necessary. Of course, depending on your requirements, you might not want to go this way - but if you're considering a snowblower, then I'd highly recommend this setup. As I said I also got the blade, which I use for clearing some walking paths, etc. This one turned out to be everything I was looking and hoping for and then some...

 

[Bird]

Caretaker, that is a pretty picture! Now tell me about that "rotary broom." I don't have to worry about snow, but I've looked for a way to sweep or clean up the ground under the pecan trees before the pecans fall; a way other than that long handled rake, that is.

Bird

 

[Caretaker]

Bird, thanks for your kind words. The rotary broom is a 51" front-mount, made by JD. It mounts via a quick-tach hitch on the front of my 4100Hydro. I believe the broom was originally designed for the 400 series tractors. It's PTO driven, and the quick-tach hitch provides up/down & left-right movement, so you can pick the broom up, or angle it left or right. It has adjustable gage wheels on the back, and parking stands on the front. The parking stands are reversed during use so they're out of the way. Typically you run it with the hyd. up/down control in "float", and the gage wheels keep the bristle ends at the correct height. The bristles are pretty heavy duty - they appear to be some kind of nylon or hard plastic. The broom is essentially a large roller, made up of segments, which are replaceable - either a kit which contains all the segments, or the individual segments. I haven't replaced any yet, so I don't know how hard or expensive that is. I primarily use it on paved driveway - One of the main reasons I got my particular setup was to help me keep the driveway cleaned off. I've swept dirt, sand, snow, and 1/2" gravel with it. It works great, really gets the driveway clean, and it's a heck of a lot faster than using a hose! It also works very well as a dethatcher for the lawn - leaves the dead grass in nice windrows. I'd think that for sweeping leave litter, etc. between rows in an orchard it would work pretty well, depending on what kind of surface you have underneath. I'd think that would be the main concern - can you sweep the trash off without disturbing the surface underneath. Hope that helps - let me know if I can give you any other info. Dave Wells

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Dave. That sounds like a nice rig, and I sure believe it would do what I want. I had hunted on the internet before for those type brooms and never could find any; probably using the wrong search words. By using "rotary broom" I found a manufacturer earlier today and e-mailed a request for more information. I want a 3-point hitch type, PTO powered instead of hydraulic if I can afford it.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Carl,
I plow my 800 foot gravel driveway with a JD 54" front blade. This is the second winter, and it works pretty well. I usually plow in the dark before work, and going forward just seemed easier when I bought the blade. My driveway is usually hard enough that I can use the float position, and not move too much gravel. In spring I plow back along the edges and put the gravel back on. The cost is higher than a rear blade, but for me it was worth the extra money.

 

[Harryw]

Carl, I have a 4100 hydro with R4's and the 60" loader. It works great as a snow removal machine. The loader can't be angled like a straight blade, but works just fine pushing the snow straight ahead. Lay the bucket flat on the ground and then rotate the cutting edge up slightly and then have fun! The snow builds up in front of the bucket until some of it spills off to the sides. Make several passes and you will get the job done. All while looking straight ahead, no sore neck. Unless snow removal is your main concern, I wouldn't buy a blade when the loader can do the job just fine. Just my 2 cents. HarryW

 

[markcg2000]

I've used the 3pt snowblower a couple of times now and it's worked great.

I picked up a backblade this summer for $125 from my dealer. It is extremely lightweight (<100#), but I'd intended it strictly for moving snow and gravel. maybe brush piles (NOT trees)... never for true grading. That may be an option for snow removal. I'll still be keeping the lightweight blade even after I finally get the box blade.

The main reason I got the tractor was for a 3pt rotary cutter (BushHog-like, but painted <font color=green>green</font color=green> /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). I found it hard enough to hook it up with it's wheel in the back /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif; I don't want to go through the hasssles of connecting a heavy back blade when I just want to move a pile of brush or whatever.

Then again, it may turn out that I'm able to maneuver the tracotr better by next year so lining up the 3pt won't be so bad /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

mark

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Mark: Can you comment on the 5' snowblower usage? I have a 770 and will some day purchase a blower, but we just haven't had much snow here in NE PA the past few years. I suspect 60" is the perfect width, is it? If our gear ratios are the same, is low range/reverse the speed to use? I have a 60" JD front blade and it is great! A local Woods dealer has a 53 or 54" blower available (probably cheap) but I think it would be a bit too narrow-my rear turfs are that width. How is the Meteor? I really like the Pronovost but don't want to spend that much on a blower. The 770, by the way, has been COMPLETELY flawless for 3+ years and I would want no other tractor for my application! Thanks for your input.