tractor vs toolcat in snow?

[mike123]

Has anyone used both, hopefully someone has tried both?

I have a toolcat now and I am debating hard upon buying another one and hiring another operator. Or buying a JD 6000 series tractor to handle the extra workload I have taken on.
I have a bunch of condos which have 200 plus small double drives and streets to take care of.
The tractor will have twice the weight and a bigger snow blade which will clean up the streets much quicker than the toolcat but how much maneuverability will I loose getting in and out of the drives I am wondering?

Thanks Mike

 

[DEWFPO]

I've had and used both. I plow and blow on sloped and off camber roadways and drives. Each has their plus's and minus's. The Toolcat has a lower center of gravity and all 4 wheels driven (in 2 wheel steer) as opposed to 3WD. The cab is very nice when blowing snow and the suspension gives it a better ride than a tractor. I had better traction (AG tires) and visibility with the tractor though. In your case if your plowing flat, paved driveways, either will work just fine.

DEWFPO

 

[mike123]

I know they both will be ok. I am wondering if the tractor(85HP) and twice the weight will do 50% more work than the toolcat? Or will it loose to much time in the driveways to the toolcat?

Thanks Mike

 

[salopez]

I would go with a second toolcat.

the cat is more comfortable, has more storage space inside and easier to teach someone to use.

also you will only have to store one set of tires, chains, filters, oils...for both machines.

 

[radman1]

I don't push a lot of snow but I do have a tractor about the size of a 6000 series JD and I have a TC. With MFWD, these tractors do not turn very sharp. In a smaller area like drive ways or apartment complex parking lots, the use would be limited. If your doing roads or big parking lots, then you will far out perform the TC. I saw a JD 8000 series in a Menards parking lot last year. Way over kill but not much to stop it. My city contracts with farmers to remove the streets in heavy snows to get additional labor and machinery on the streets. The tractors are mostly in the 90-150 hp range with large front blades 10-12 wide. They will run 2-3 wide down a main street, then back the other way after a few miles and done. 2 clean the street and the third takes care of the left and right turn lanes behind them.

 

[mike123]

Radman

Yes its kind of 50/50 . We will do 15 to 25 houses in a bay and then have to clean the street. I can get the snow on the street real quick with the toolcat but then I loose allot of time cleaning up the street. I know the tractor would way outpreform the toolcat in the street. Just don't know how much time I would save if I lost time in the drives with the tractor.

 

[Spudgunner]

Prior to purchasing my TC I looked at a Kubota GrandL 5740. It has a mid-PTO and a nice sized blower that hangs out the front. In a number of ways this would have been a better solution for me as I clear about 4.5 miles of gravel road and about 20 individual accounts. The TC does great on the individual accounts but I'm not its biggest fan when it comes to clearing lengths of road. However, the TC has what I consider a HUGE advantage as it uses a Hydraulic-powered blower with bypass while the tractor blowers I've seen all use shear pins. Having experienced the fun of shear pins on a tractor-mounted blower I wouldn't choose to go there again.

One newer solution to this problem is the hydraulic pump/reservoir that Erskine now sells that hooks onto a tractor's 3-pt/PTO. This requires that the tractor have a skidsteer attachment plate on the tractor's arms so that a skiddy blower can be used. The downside to this newer solution is that the largest pump Erskine makes will "only" pump 24GPM max. My TC is rated a bit over 27 GPM but my mechanic tested the flow on my TC and says it is closer to 30. I'm not sure I'd be happy with performance using a 24GPM pump. Your mileage may vary.

If I had unlimited funds and could do it all over again, I might opt for a large-frame skid with hi-flow and matching blower but that has downsides as well (no suspension for my aging bod!!).

Right now, there's a guy down the road from me that has an excellent Kubota M6800 4x4 for sale at a decent price. It is tempting.

 

[jgl1962]

Have looked at the Bobcat A300? With High flow and 2 speed (13mph+/) and all wheel steering. 80+ HP and 8000 +/- lbs.

 

[mike123]

Have looked at the Bobcat A300? With High flow and 2 speed (13mph+/) and all wheel steering. 80+ HP and 8000 +/- lbs.

I find bobcats are terrible for going in and out of driveways with curbs all night long.

 

[3Bladz]

what is the road speed of the tractor? It may make up for a little time there too, in addition to the time saved cleaning up streets. I have a 3720 JD w/ a 7 ft plow on the front and a blower on the back. It ends up being pretty long and not near heavy enough. I want one of the New Holland bidirectionals.