Snowblower Snowblower, between these two

[Freds]

I'm in the market (late) for a 3PH snowblower. The dealer I want to buy from hads two; a Provonost puma, 64" and a something (Ber-vac?) Blizzard in 74". He's trying to steer me towards the Blizzard to cover the 72" footprint of my L3130. He also said he's dropping Puma because everyone chooses the Blizzards between the two, but he will still service them.
The Puma is 1500. The Blizzard is 2200. 700 bucks is a pretty big difference.

I was thinking if worse came to worse, I could make some metal chutes for the sides to funnel in the snow on the 64" Puma. Really, what's 5"/side anyway? Either one is probably going to require a second pass to clean up anything that fell into the path, but I'm assuming not the multiple pass upon pass that a rear blade does....

Also, I am assuming that a snowblower is quicker that a rear blade, but none of the past posts I've been reading through today mention anything about one being faster than the other. That has me thinking that maybe you need to go slow like you do with a tiller?
Another concern is that I saw one guy mention that a blade leaves a driveway "cleaner" looking than a snowblower. Any comments on that?

I have a gravel drive with a slight crown if that makes a difference. It comes in, circles around the house and had a recangular parking area off the bottom that extends on either side of another building. There is a split rail fence that is alongside quite a bit of this. In other words, it can get a bit creative using a blade to get the snow to where I can start moving it off to the side and hopefully it won't be in the way before it starts melting in spring. This was getting to be a real problem with the snow we had last winter. Plus the multiple passes to clean up the ridges that spill from the blade.
And there's one spot it drifts so bad I have to use the FEL quite a bit because the rear blade can't touch it.

So, any thoughts or advice? This isn't a $20,000 purchase where 700 wouldn't be a noticeable savings in the long run, but I think it's a pretty big difference here, unless the 74" Blizzard is that much better.

Thanks for any help!

 

[JerryK]

Howdy, the snowblower is slower than a blade. You can only move as fast as you can get rid of the snow [but the blower get's rid of the snow for good]. Thus, deep snow=slower...light snow=faster. This depends on the rotation speed of your impeller, number of fan blades, it's diameter and it's depth. Design and quality of construction are most important in the impeller area, too. The auger doesn't do much more than gather the snow up for the impeller, and usually doesn't mater much more than that. So if the impellers on both of the blowers you are looking at are simular, then you could get away with the narrower one with added wings. Also, look into the quality of the PTO shaft that comes with each, etc.... Good luck, and enjoy your early Xmas present, Jerry.

PS: I plow my drive the first few snows, while packing down some of it to make a base for the blower. When the serious snow comes, I break out the blower. and throw the snow far away from the drive to keep from making drifts. Plowing is faster, and more 'fun'...but the blower works best for me the rest of the winter. My blower also doesn't require multiple passes to make the drive or wide areas 'look cleaner'. I'm sure it does a better job that my backblade.

 

[hazmat]

you want the blower to be at least a little wider than the tractor.

I'd go for the one that has the larger diameter impeller (assuming both are direct drive) - it will throw snow further.

I've always found blowing to be faster than plowing regardless of snow depth.

 

[WayneB]

I am not sure about speed with the blower over a back blade. It just seems faster as you are moving the snow a long ways from where you are working and you don't have it piling up like you do with the rear blade or FEL.

I have a Woods SS-60 and it works nicely for us, as lone asthere is enough snow. You will like the idea of having no snow banks to deal with.

I also have a gravel driveway and find it is important to set the skid shoes a bit higher until you get a good hard pack snow cover in the area.

My neighbor has the Puma 74 with the Hydraulic chute rotation option. It is a big machine and does a great job. The hydraulic chute is really a nice option and something you should check into.

Can't say anything about the Blizzard snowblower.

 

[shvl73]

Compare the specs on the two units. The Puma has a 20" fan. The Blizzard has a 24" fan. Fan drum depth, 6" vs 9". Cutting height, 24-1/2" vs 26". Drive chain, 60 vs 50.
See here: RAD Tech-Souffleuses à neige
PRONOVOST-PUMA SNOWBLOWERS
The Puma 74" would obviously be a more equal comparison.

 

[canoetrpr]

I'm not sure if I mentioned a blade leaving a driveway looking 'cleaner' or if it was someone else but I do think that there is some truth to this.

I've got a 68" blower for my L3400. It does quite a good job - but I do find that neighbours drives that have been cleared with a blade look cleaner. Just by virtue of the fact that my blower has skid shoes, I don't clear the last couple of inches of snow or so with the blower.

A rear blade is a more versatile tool. I've decided to bite the bullet and get one for the odd grading task so I will try it on snow and compare to my blower. My guess is that the blade will work quite nicely for the usual 5 to 6" dump we get and I will be happy to have the blower on hand if it is much more than that!

If I were you, I'd start with a blade. That's what I would have done if I were doing it again.

 

[canoetrpr]

Re-reading your post, I realise that you already do have a blade.

I'd go for a blower that covers your width - the 72 in this case. My tractor is about 60" wide with R4s and my blower is 68". I'm not sure I'd want one too much smaller than that.

 

[chipsndust]

You might find that using a blower along the split rail fence will allow you to maintain the full width of the drive, and you'll be less likely to have a close encounter. In a plow vs. fence post battle the plow wins. I seem to have more control when clearing snow close to obstacles with a front mounted snowthrower, and I can put the snow where I want it. Plows and snowthrowers both have shoes, I think you can get similar results by adjusting the shoes for the conditions. I have put "downpressure" on the snowthrower and scraped blacktop clean.

 

[hayden]

I wouldn't consider a blower that's narrower than your tire treads. It will be impossible to make clean edges. On my B2910 I had a 54" unit which was just a touch wider than the tires, and I still ended up with a lot of dribble along the edges. Remember that in turns the front wheels are tracing a different arc than the rear, and can be pulling a lot of snow back into the path that the blower cleared.

My new tractor has the Blizzard 74" with hydraulic chute rotator, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet (which is killing me, by the way).

 

[Freds]

Looks like the popular consensus is that adding wings to the smaller blower won't work as well as buying the blower that covers my tracks, even though it's only covering them by an inch on each side.
I wish I had started checking into these a couple months ago..... Apparently the dealers in my area don't keep a lot of these on hand once the fall rush is over. Not unless I want to pay 2700 for a Woods

Thanks for your input guys.

 

[GreenMtns]

I use a Puma 64. It is a great snowblower. But if your tractor is 72" wide you would need 4" wings on each side just to cover your tracks and you would be feeding even more snow into the smaller fan. This would require an even slower move over the driveway.

Given these facts you will be better off with the Blizzard. You would end up wishing you had purchased it anyway. And a little bigger is much better than too small.

When you start the season blowing snow, shorten up your top link to tilt the blower back. This will cause it to ride on the back of the shoes and raise the cutting edge about 1 1/2" off the ground. Leave it like that until you have built up a snow base. Then you can lengthen the link to bring the cutting edge down to the surface. Then you will have a nice clean drive. And I always have thought that the skid marks the blower leaves were way better than the stones the blades push all over the lawn.

Good luck with your purchase. Have fun blowing snow

 

[Northland]

As everyone suggested I would buy one that covered my rear tire tracks by a few inches. $2200 doesn't seem llike a bad price for that size of blower.

As someone who has been using a rear blade and bucket in an area that has a lot of snow I'd say that a blower is way better then a blade if you get a lot of snow.


It has been snowing here for many days, a lot, so I am going to buy a snow blower. It takes me 2 1/4 hours of pushing to get my driveway and area around the house cleared. It's not fun after 1.5 hours.

I just found a Woods SS60 120 miles south of me. It's 4 or 5 years old.

Hopefully my WR Long valve kit and hoses (ran to the back of the tractor) will work to power the hydraulic chute. I use the valve kit to power my bucket grapple but since the snow has come I took the grapple and hoses off my tractor for the winter.

I think this would be worth $1400 at most though?



Woods model SS60 3 point hitch snowblower. Stored inside. Hydraulic chute. Good Shape. $1700 OBO

 

[Freds]

Thanks again. It will be the Blizzard.
I just need to talk myself into spending the money now, but they will only be more $ next year when I start thinking about it again.
I'd like to rig up my guage wheels to it if they can support the weight. I don't like the trenches skid shoes leave on a light implement.

Last year it didn't snow until January, but when it did I was plowing every day. It got harder and harder to find a place to push it to. My driveway and parking area was starting to look mighty small

 

[canoetrpr]

Northland - the Woods sure does sound nice.

I would encourage you to look one sizes up if you can find it though. I know like me you have been musing about going up to a bigger tractor some day and it will be a heck of a lot cheaper if you don't have to switch implements .

You might want to price out a 68" Meteor or something similar in your area with a manual chute rotator. GIven that neither of us hava a cab I'd say hydraulic rotator is not terribly necessary.

I paid $1800 +7% GST for my 68" Meteor - Kubota orange. It is a nice unit and I am very happy with it.

 

[Manitou]

Northland........ I was just looking in the Manitoulin paper and there is a 6 ft blower with a hyd. chute for 1200 dollars . I phoned the guy and he just lives up the road from me. He didn,t know the make off hand. I can go and look at it anytime. Garry

 

[Northland]

Northland - the Woods sure does sound nice.

I would encourage you to look one sizes up if you can find it though. I know like me you have been musing about going up to a bigger tractor some day and it will be a heck of a lot cheaper if you don't have to switch implements .

You might want to price out a 68" Meteor or something similar in your area with a manual chute rotator. GIven that neither of us hava a cab I'd say hydraulic rotator is not terribly necessary.

I paid $1800 +7% GST for my 68" Meteor - Kubota orange. It is a nice unit and I am very happy with it.

thanks for the advice canoetrpr-your are a smart guy in that you think like me

I would go as big as 72" but no bigger since it wouldn't allow me to do the finesse work I do now; like ripping up my deck with the rear blade/FEL.

I didn't think I'd need the hydraulic chute rotator either given I was going to be driving backwards anyway but if it came with one all the much better.

I checked around here and a 60" Meteor is CDA $1800. A 60" Buhler (made in Winnipeg) sells for US $1895 at my dealer in Northern Michigan so the Woods SS60 with hydraulic control made sesne if I got it for $1400 or so.

 

[Northland]

Northland........ I was just looking in the Manitoulin paper and there is a 6 ft blower with a hyd. chute for 1200 dollars . I phoned the guy and he just lives up the road from me. He didn,t know the make off hand. I can go and look at it anytime. Garry

Garry-yes, please do go check it out for me. If you think it's in good shape and a good deal let me know and I will drive down on Saturday and pick it up. Let me know the guy's contact information and I will call him or have him call me toll-free at 1.866.894.4406-anytime

thanks,

Marko

 

[canoetrpr]

I agree Northland. Nothng bigger than 72". To be honest I hadn't quite contemplated a grand L when I purchased my blower or I might have gone 72" myself. Although the price difference between the 68" and 72" was a fair bit as I can recall.

All of that said, today I tested my little L3400 workhorse out with a 5x5 round bale on the 3PT. My boarders are going to go with round bales for some of their hay.

Worked like a charm. Lifted it effortlessly. Mahana (another L3400 owner here) had pictures that showed it would (heck he's even lifting rounds on his FEL) but I didn't realise how effortless it would be until I tried it today.

The tractor has been able to handle everything I have thrown at it - so there go any real reasons to look at trading in

 

[GreenMtns]

Hopefully my WR Long valve kit and hoses (ran to the back of the tractor) will work to power the hydraulic chute. I use the valve kit to power my bucket grapple but since the snow has come I took the grapple and hoses off my tractor for the winter.

Hi Northland

You should be good to go with the W R Long hydraulic kit on the back. As you can see from these pictures, that is about a standard rear QA setup. I use the same QA set that runs my grapple in the summer to power my top link to tip the blower back and forth, but it would also rotate the chute or tip the top.

Moving snow will be a lot easier and a lot more fun this year.

 

[SkunkWerX]

you want the blower to be at least a little wider than the tractor.

Yes, agree with Hazmat and others. The blower footprint SHOULD at least cover your tracks, otherwise you are driving over snow that has not been blown/cleared.

Wider footprint and bigger fan = more efficient operation.