Snow Attachments Snow Removal Question

[Charles Billings]

Jay, We moved to VT from Nashua and purchansed a 45 HP NH tractor with FEL and rear-attach Buhler Allied snow blower for our 1000' plus driveway. There are pluses to having a front mounted snow blower, but having used the rear mount I don't find it to be much of an inconvenience, like RickB says. If you only have one tractor then I would defininely go for a snow blower because it will handle all snow conditions, even wet snow that has accumulated to several feet. With a plow you are going to have to keep ahead of large accumulations, with a blower you can wait until the storm is over. For me the disadvantage of driving backwards with a rear mount blower is not as important as still having the FEL attached to also help with snow removal and to spread gravel on icy parts of the driveway. And, the rear mount blowers are about 1/3-1/2 the cost of a front mount.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

I started out with a power angle plow . this was on a NH 1320. The tractor was not heavy enough to push more than 6 inches of snow so I got a rear blower. I wait till it stops snowing and then make one pass down the middle with the blower and then plow the edges back. I have a TC34DA now with loaded tires and it still is not heavy enough for just the blade. My plowing is almost all flat but if I had chains the plow might do it all. Blower is ok for one pass. If I was going to do all by blowing I would get a front mount but then I would lose the FEL. and the cost a bundle.

My TC35D with loaded R4's seldom ever loses traction unless I am on ice. Most of my plowing is also on flat ground. Now there are times when I have just way to much snow in front of the plow for the tractor to push any further but that typically only happens with those real wet heavy snows

 

[amkfken]

Spend the money and get a fromt mount blower!!

I took the hint from my County that had 2 Cats with blades stuck on the closed County road for 63 days!

Only way to open the road and get the Cats out was a blower. I switched to a blower instead of my FEL and have never regretted it!!

 

[pat32rf]

Unless the front mount blower was as easy to detach as the bucket on my FEL, I will stick with my rear mount blower. I use my bucket for carrying firewood, tools, sand etc. Wouldn't want to do without it...Might switch the bucket for a power angle plow, but the bucket would go right back on after the snow was cleared

 

[SpringHollow]

A loader mounted front snow blade works great and is MUCH faster and no snow blowing in your face. (Around here, you have to have chains - I am amazed some people are not using them). I just push the piles well off the driveway when i am plowing, preferably downhill, down wind. Two long driveways i plow have trees right up to the driveway and it still seems to work well. We get quite a bit of snow here most years but that is relative so I do not know how to compare to where you are. It is common to not see the grass from before Christmas until the end of March. But if you routinely have more than 2' of snow on the ground, a blower might be better.

The loader mounted plow has worked fine in 2' deep snowfalls and if necessary, you can pile snow 10' high. The one time i got 7' of snow in 24 hrs, i only had a small front bucket and a rear blade - took a day to dig out. Would have gone much faster with the front mounted blade. Not sure how well a blower would work for something like that but that is a lifetime snowfall for here, I would think. My neighbor only had 4' and a person i plowed out 1/2 mile away had only 18". Really strange. And it was not drifting snow either (all woods and you could watch the snow fall) - just the way the clouds dumped it as they tried getting over the hill.

Ken

 

[Thomas]

Kinda depends on couple of things...do you have the room to push the snow back,do you have the time,does cold weather bother you,snow drifting.
If..no,no,yes,yes go w/the blower..let's not forget about spring clean up from snow removeal.

I like the plow setup does cleaner job...also excuse to stay home from work.

 

[wny770]

Do what you want, but...I live in the snow belt off lake Erie, and I have done both for many years. When you plow snow, you push it into banks and compact it, or try to. When you blow snow, it's gone. You never have to "move" it again. After going to a blower, I would never even consider a plow again. It sure makes those 24 inch plus overnight snowfalls a lot easier to handle in the morning. just my 2 cents, which is worth about a cent and a half...LOL.

 

[Johndeere3720]

A loader works fine for 2'' snow falls but anything more makes a blower worth it. When I get a tractor some day, I will look at the snow blowers too.

 

[daveinnh]

I live in Hillsboro at about EL 1000 ft and note we get a bit more snow than Manchester.

Our L4310 HST has ag tires with rear chains in the winter (bits into the ice). A heavy duty Tufline 7ft rear blade clears the snow; but as another poster noted you can handle about 8-10" max. before it get tough.

I see Erskine makes a rear -PULL blower that looks interesting - that would solve the sore neck syndrome.

BTW, a local fellow has a slightly smaller Kubota with a front mounter snowblower - real slick but more costly. He maintains serveral drives locally.

 

[Jay4200]

I live in Hillsboro at about EL 1000 ft and note we get a bit more snow than Manchester.

My new place is up in your neck of the woods. It'll be a weekender, so keeping on top of a heavy snowfall is pretty much out of the question. I also run the risk of having a snowfall sit for a number of days before I can get to it - unless I can talk a neighbor into clearing for me if I'm not around (that's plan A).

Thanks for all the inputs everybody - sounds like a snowblower is the way to go.

I like the rear-mounted snowblower option - particularly because my bucket isn't removable, at least not easily enough to even consider it. It'll be tough enough wrestling off my backhoe .

It would be nice to find a used one to save some dough, but I can't even begin to guess where to look for such a thing. Can anyone offer up some links so I can inform myself about the things?

Thanks - JayC