Snow Attachments Snow Removal

[DanielVT]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 45 hp Kubota, and I'm thinking ahead to next winter. I have about 400 feet of gravel driveway to keep clear. Here in SE Vermont we can get 3 inches or 3 feet in any given storm. The worst I've seen here was this February, when we had 5 feet of heavy wet snow/sleet dumped on us over the course of a few days.

I just watched a couple of YouTube videos of a JD 32 hp tractor moving snow with a 7 foot Fisher plow blade on an adaptor that attaches it to the loader arms. Looked pretty nice.

I'm also looking at snowblowers. It's easy to run out of places to put the stuff up here, so the idea of flinging it into the field instead of piling it up at the bottom of the driveway is pretty appealing.

Any advice about the differences/pros/cons of a plow blade, a rear scraper, a snowblower, etc. would be appreciated. Moving the stuff quickly is an issue, as I don't have a cab and I tend to turn blue and die if left outside for too long.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

If you've got the bucks, snowblower.:licking::thumbsup:

End of discussion.

 

[MMagis]

In your spare time, use the search function here and read through old threads about snow removal. There’s enough to keep you busy until next winter. Everyone has their favorite system.

 

[JCB]

If you've got the bucks, snowblower.:licking::thumbsup:

End of discussion.

Seconded. One more and the motion carries.

 

[Mousefield]

Seconded. One more and the motion carries.

Here it is, get the snow blower.

 

[bp fick]

Anything that's on the front, I can and will make work and work well. Blower or blade. If blade, make sure you have hydraulic control. Just dozing doesn't work well.

Anything that's just on the back is a spine twisting, neck ache waiting to happen. I think I'd rather go to Florida and play shuffleboard (not) then rely on rear implements for major snow removal. Different story near or south of the Mason-Dixon.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 45 hp Kubota, and I'm thinking ahead to next winter. I have about 400 feet of gravel driveway to keep clear. Here in SE Vermont we can get 3 inches or 3 feet in any given storm. The worst I've seen here was this February, when we had 5 feet of heavy wet snow/sleet dumped on us over the course of a few days.

I just watched a couple of YouTube videos of a JD 32 hp tractor moving snow with a 7 foot Fisher plow blade on an adaptor that attaches it to the loader arms. Looked pretty nice.

I'm also looking at snowblowers. It's easy to run out of places to put the stuff up here, so the idea of flinging it into the field instead of piling it up at the bottom of the driveway is pretty appealing.

Any advice about the differences/pros/cons of a plow blade, a rear scraper, a snowblower, etc. would be appreciated. Moving the stuff quickly is an issue, as I don't have a cab and I tend to turn blue and die if left outside for too long.

Do you have a mid-pto to hook up a front snowblower.??

 

[lungdoc]

Rear blowers aren't as bad as people sometimes say, assuming you don't have back or neck issues and aren't doing it commercially or on a huge property. Advantage is cost and easy availability as essentially universal versus custom front units. There are rear pull units that many owners swear by. Rear has advantage of easy on and off and can keep FEL on for banks or other uses. You do need to dress warm if no cab though for any blower, snowmobile helmet works great as does a one-piece suit. Hydro is much easier with a blower as can independantly set ground speed versus RPM.

 

[Roger2561]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 45 hp Kubota, and I'm thinking ahead to next winter. I have about 400 feet of gravel driveway to keep clear. Here in SE Vermont we can get 3 inches or 3 feet in any given storm. The worst I've seen here was this February, when we had 5 feet of heavy wet snow/sleet dumped on us over the course of a few days.

I just watched a couple of YouTube videos of a JD 32 hp tractor moving snow with a 7 foot Fisher plow blade on an adaptor that attaches it to the loader arms. Looked pretty nice.

I'm also looking at snowblowers. It's easy to run out of places to put the stuff up here, so the idea of flinging it into the field instead of piling it up at the bottom of the driveway is pretty appealing.

Any advice about the differences/pros/cons of a plow blade, a rear scraper, a snowblower, etc. would be appreciated. Moving the stuff quickly is an issue, as I don't have a cab and I tend to turn blue and die if left outside for too long.

DanielVT - This is what I have on my JD4500. It's made by Erskine. It's a bit over 6ft wide and powers off the rear PTO - takes minutes to attach to the tractor and seconds to remove. Due to neck and lower back problems I can not use a rear PTO implement for anything over 30 seconds. It's pricey but IMHO it's worth it. It should work nicely with your Kabota.

 

[PILOON]

For 400 ft a rear blower would be my suggestion.
I maintain 3 1000 ft drives with a rear and just sit 'side saddle' without any issues.
Also with a rear blower you can see the blower corners for accurate in close work.

In many cases the differance in price, rear vs front blower, can go a very long way towards paying for a cab, in fact I think it could nearly cover the cost of a softsided one.

A blade is FAST for minor events, but a blower is a must for constant med to major events as with a blade you soon run out of room to pile that white stuff.

To note as well, a rear blower is mechanically simple to maintain. All wear related items ore 'off the shelf' while front setups get more complicated as well as pricy.
As one dealer pointed out, a tractor is designed to work from the back so the fronts are simply not as rugged.

Noted that you are in Vermont, so while you get a bit less than we do in Quebec, you still get your fair share.