The M7040 got a 7' snow blower today :)

[nfisheremti]

i like your setup man. i run a l3800 with a 60" woodmaxx. i'm at about 7000' on the back of the wasatch range in utah (typically light and fluffy if i can beat the county plows around). i clear snow from about 25 driveways/storm. i've been doing it for the past 10 years commercially (and another 5 just being friendly for a few neighbors). it's been a pretty crappy snow year so far, but as others have said. you can use an oversized blower and go slow, or an undersized blower and go fast (as i do). i went with the 60" for a couple of reasons. mostly because i have to maneuver around cars, and other obstacles in driveways, and the other was price. i went with the woodmaxx because they offered electric chute rotation and deflector for less money than hydraulic, and i would have needed to add rear remotes for $$$$. this summer i made an electric top link too. i haven't had a chance to try that out yet, but i see it being useful on the many steep up, and steep down driveways, as well as the 1 gravel driveway that i've been forced to back scrape up to this point.

 

[Rob41]

One thing I didn't see in this thread is which transmission you have and wether or not you have creeper gears.

I think they call it and 8x8, but I kinda just see it as a 4 speed with high and low range. What is the appropriate way to refer to it?

Last night I was in high range 1st gear but the snow wasn't deep or particularly wet. I'm sure I'll be making use of the low range before winter is over.

 

[RoyJackson]

Not Hst, it's a M series with hyd shuttle shift. Going to do my best to take care of it to make it last. Hopefully my first and last.

In my experience, the shuttle shift is better then a hydro...
Once the gear and RPM are set in a shuttle shift, it's just like a "cruise control". The cruise control, at least the HST in my Deere 4052R, does not work in reverse gear

 

[RoyJackson]

I'd prefer a front blower. Cost and hookup is what keeps many in the rear mounted world. Front mounted come in three flavors. Two styles of Hydraulic hookup and rear PTO hookup to front blower via some additional frame work. Many AG tractors don't have front hydraulics with enough flow. The framework runs a long driveshaft to the blower. Then there's the hydraulic pump that hooks to the rear PTO with long hydraulic hoses to front blower.

So would I...but $11K for a snow blower isn't going to happen right now...

One suggestion (that I tell everybody!) is to spray the inside the chute, auger and housing and fan and housing...with PAM or an equivalent anti-stick spray.
Freeze ups in the chute can happen and it's a real PITA to clean it out. The PAM makes the chute a lot slicker

 

[Boss 302]

X2 on the shuttle, I like the idea of spraying the chute down with Pam saves alot of work in the long run

 

[nfisheremti]

I go to Walmart and buy a bottle of cheap ceramic car coating. That stuff they advertise on YouTube that shows a guy squirting out on his car and then nothing sticks. I do that. Lasts the whole season. Nothing sticks. I've never had a clogged chute since I started doing it

 

[Rob41]

I actually have some of that in my shop. I'll try some tomorrow.

 

[confused8122]

Any new thoughts on your blower after using it a few times? I am looking at buying I think the same blower, to go on a m7040. Any ideas on adding the chute deflector?

 

[grsthegreat]

i never had a chute deflector on my old blower, but did have hydraulic rotator. that combo worked ok for 14 years. my new setup has both hydraulic rotate and hydraulic deflector. its amazing on how many times i use both. when you want to pile snow in a specific spot, like when going down my fence lined driveway, the chute deflector makes preventing my hitting the vinyl fence very easy. i get spoiled very easily.