Snow Snow removal w/BX24

[Tommy V]

I have had no problems moving up to 12 inches of snow with my tractor. I only have a reversible rear blade and the fel. I have a gravel drive so if the ground is not frozen I pull up a lot of stone. I will pull the snow piles back onto the driveway during thaws to restore the stone.

 

[bandit67]

Better get a few cans of orange spray paint and at least spray the frame of that rear blade.
Matching orange paint will net you an extra 1/2-1 hp, you know.

 

[gottagetagoat]

I use the same set-up and (with chains) generally works great when the snow is fresh and light. It starts to become a problem though under 2 conditions:

1. The sides of the drive get piled so high that the rear plow can't send the snow over (or into) them. Then I have to use the FEL to move the banks a bit - a huge time drainer.

2. The weather warms up and the snow gets really heavy. I have now bent three 3-point sway arms and broke 2 shackle assemblies (sorry if I don't have my terms correct) from pushing the heavy snow. I think I keep everything tight all the time, and keep the speed low, and try to really slow down when pushing a pile directly into an established pile/bank, but those sway arms (thick as they are) seem to be a weak link in the chain, as it were.

I'm thinking of adding a 1-1/2 x 3/16 thick flat bar tack welded along the "top" of the arms - giving it an L-bar geometry. I don't want to make these too strong or whatever forces have been bending the arms may, next time, bend the main frame itself.

Anyone have any thoughts?
(uh oh, here come the sway bar police)

 

[AceDeuce]

I guess I'm just not using my machine hard enough. I've heard of others bending their lower links on a BX but I just can't fathom it. Fully dressed, the tractor only weighs about 2K lbs. Hardly seems heavy enough to do anything. I have always lost traction before running out of power or breaking anything. How exactly did you bend your links?

 

[bandit67]

Anyone have any thoughts?

Yeah, don't use it so much to push the snow, or be more careful.

The 3pt linkages are designed to PULL, not push. And yes, I have bent one of my stabilizers not being careful enough when backing toward a bank while doing some grading with the rear blade. You really have to be careful when backing up and pushing snow with those rear blades.

And be careful reinforcing the stabilizer - if you make it stronger than the lower link, then you bend that. At least the 'weaker' stabilizer is also cheaper to replace.

 

[coreshot]

I have had no problems moving up to 12 inches of snow with my tractor. I only have a reversible rear blade and the fel. I have a gravel drive so if the ground is not frozen I pull up a lot of stone. I will pull the snow piles back onto the driveway during thaws to restore the stone.

I read somewhere on TBN that guys were using a piece of PVC with a slit lengthwise to cover the bottom edge of the blade. This allows the blade to not dig into your gravel, just takes the snow. Might be worth a try. I think they were using 1 1/2" or 2" PVC for it.

My setup looks just like yours, even the same color on my BB.

 

[C6rider]

3" PVC was recommended. I still haven't bought mine yet.

 

[smfcpacfp]

You weren't removing the snow, you were just moving it.

The reason I say that is if you look at some of the snow piles at businesses around here (like at a mall), they are gigantic. I had a friend who had a business in town and said that the he was always hoping that spring would come before he had to have it hauled away. The reason - he had to $1,000 a big dump truck load.