Thoughts on moving snow with a 35hp CUT

[ncoonen]

I live at 7,600' elevation in north-central Colorado on the eastern side of the continental divide. My tractor is a Kioti CK3510H with KL4030 FEL and R4 tires with chains, and a 900# ballast block out back. This is the time of year when we get our biggest snows and it is always wet, heavy, and comes down fast. This past weekend we got about 3' and I spent most of the day yesterday clearing our driveway and yard. I hope the road is plowed today so I can make my Covid vaccine appointment later. Following are a few thoughts and questions on using a tractor for snow work.

1. R4 tires, even with chains, aren't great when the snow is really wet. Once you drive over the snow and pack it down, the snow is hard to scrape up. Plan your work accordingly. Next time (hah!) I would buy more aggressive chains. Overall though, traction was never a critical problem.
2. I've read people don't know about or ever use their rear diff lock. It saved me from getting stuck a few times yesterday when one of the fronts goes off the edge of the drive and the tractor tipped a little. It is a very useful feature.
3. This may be Kioti specific but I have read many folks say that they run their tractors at 1,800-2,100 rpm when doing "normal" work with the FEL. Maybe it's my elevation but my tractor runs and works *much* better at 2,600, its rated speed. Every operation just feels less stressed and comfortable. Virtually everything on my property is uphill/downhill so I am sure that makes a difference too.
4. In a normal snowfall, I can run the level bucket up and down my gravel drive, pausing once in a while to empty the bucket off to the side. It's not super efficient but it works. This latest snow was so deep and heavy that I had to scoop and dump as though I were moving a pile of road base. That took time and had me wishing for a 72" high capacity bucket instead of the small-ish 66" material bucket the FEL came with.
5. I have though many times about a SSQA plow or snow pusher for the FEL but am over that idea now. I think in snow light enough for that to work well, a bucket would be okay. In this much snow, it would have been useless or worse, damaging to the loader frame.
6. I use Edge Tamer "bucket skis" for snow but when the snow is really wet, you can leave too much under the bucket and it seems like the bucket bottom polishes the surface of the snow. They work well for dry snow but I ended up taking them off to scrape off packed wet snow in front of the garages so the melt off wouldn't make a mess.

All that said, I am happy about how the tractor worked out in an extreme snow. I wished several times yesterday that I had bought a 50hp Kioti DX but the extra size would be a nuisance for other more typical chores. One thing I am still considering is a 72" snow/mulch bucket that would help in both normal and extreme snows. Anyone have experience with a bigger bucket on a compact tractor?

Thanks...ned.

This is an example: Titan 72" Skid Steer Bucket

 

[Captain Dirty]

In a normal snowfall, I can run the level bucket up and down my gravel drive, pausing once in a while to empty the bucket off to the side. It's not super efficient but it works. This latest snow was so deep and heavy that I had to scoop and dump as though I were moving a pile of road base. That took time and had me wishing for a 72" high capacity bucket instead of the small-ish 66" material bucket the FEL came with.

If the snow were that heavy you would likely fall victim to the most common error made with "high capacity" (read "lightly made") buckets--yielding to the temptation to overload.

 

[wolc123]

I live in an upstate NY region that gets heavy snowfall on occasion. I flew down to southern CA yesterday for work, and got to see some of what you are dealing with, from a few thousand feet above. I took a picture to show my wife, as we crossed over the continental divide.

I use a slightly larger tractor (JD 4120), with a 72" heavy duty bucket, and loaded R1 tires, no chains. That thing does great in any snow conditions, but I use a 7 ft rear blade for most of the clearing. I use the bucket mainly just for pushing up the piles, or if the snow is too deep for the rear blade (over 30" or so).

If I was in your shoes, I would load your rear tires and exchange that ballast box for a rear blade. That combination should be heavier than what you got on back now which will also let you push more snow with your front loader.

We got blasted with a couple snowfalls in the 5 ft range a few years ago, and I used the bucket to build a big bobsled run for our kids in the front yard.

 

[not2old]

I made my own bucket for my GC2610 for moving snow. I went from 48" to 72" and made it about 8" higher. It was taking about an hour to remove 18" to 24" of snow and was hoping to cut that time by 25%. It has cut the time in half. I was lucky with the size as you can feel the tractor working to lift an over full bucket of wet snow. I made it using the same thickness of material as the OEM bucket and just used a piece of 3/8 x 3 for the blade. I sense it's a bit "flimsy" but has been working just fine for more than five years with no repairs needed. I think you could go wider than 72" with your larger tractor, likely to 80" or a bit more. Less windrows is what speeded up my plowing. I was shocked at the cost of having a bucket custom made so made it myself for about $125.00. You may not have the facilities available for that.

 

[Doc G]

Very interesting. No snow removal in my neck of the woods... but I've always been curious about the "skis". How do people pushing blades or buckets prevent damaging their driveways? Gravel might be more forgiving, but either way what prevents the implement from scraping and scratching up the driveway itself?

 

[Thomas]

Guessing you waited until 3' storm ended before cleaning?
Indeed bigger bucket will help just have to be tad more careful when rising full loaded bucket on on slope.

This was my last setup last year and it work really well,I could push the snow 7.5 blade and pile it high out of the way,if the bucket was needed pull 2 pins back away from plow.

 

[dodge man]

A snow blower is probably best in deep snow. I’ve used the bucket on the Kubota BX I used to own for about a 20” snow with some drifts. You want to talk about frustration, my current tractors bucket is about twice as big.

I use a poly edge on my rear blade so I don’t tear up my drive but it’s paved.

 

[RjCorazza]

I agree that a loader bucket is not the most efficient snow implement, but guaranteed to get the job done. I doubt your tractor would notice the difference in a 72" high capacity snow bucket, other than getting done faster.
My go-to setup is 7' front and rear blades. A rear blade makes good ballast, and comes in real handy as far as efficiency is concerned.

 

[Jstpssng]

In the type of snow you describe I don't think that tire style is going to matter. That wet heavy snow likes to turn into ice.

 

[SylvainG]

I live in an upstate NY region that gets heavy snowfall on occasion. I flew down to southern CA yesterday for work, and got to see some of what you are dealing with, from a few thousand feet above. I took a picture to show my wife, as we crossed over the continental divide.

I use a slightly larger tractor (JD 4120), with a 72" heavy duty bucket, and loaded R1 tires, no chains. That thing does great in any snow conditions, but I use a 7 ft rear blade for most of the clearing. I use the bucket mainly just for pushing up the piles, or if the snow is too deep for the rear blade (over 30" or so).

If I was in your shoes, I would load your rear tires and exchange that ballast box for a rear blade. That combination should be heavier than what you got on back now which will also let you push more snow with your front loader.

We got blasted with a couple snowfalls in the 5 ft range a few years ago, and I used the bucket to build a big bobsled run for our kids in the front yard.

Why not ditch the ballast box for a blower instead. Gives you weight (mine weights 506 lb) and another option to get rid of the snow. The only time I used my bucket for snow is to remove the snow bank the city plow left in front of my private road (I'm at the end of the public road and the plow pushes the snow there and it sometimes overflow in front of my entrance).