What about hydraulic float for front mounted snow blade?

[TooCents]

8' hydraulic angle snow blade on a reversible Antonio Carraro TTR4400HSTII works great with floating 3 pt arms. Selling the tractor and now looking to use this setup on front of UW53 Toolcat. Toolcat has floating arms similar to a FEL but concern is the weight on the plow when gravel roads are NOT frozen. Snow blade on the tractor 3pt arms is very light on the shoes and works great in these conditions. While these arms are not huge, the weight and the high pivot point are less desirable than floating at the bucket pivot.

I know that I could switch to a floating plow design, like a truck mount, but I have this plow and it isn't a floating design. Seems like someone would have done this?
Wondering if anyone knows (has experience with) float function possibly added to the bucket hydraulic circuit? I envision a solenoid valve that would simply "open the circuit?" and allow the bucket only (or snow plow) to float. I have an advanced hydraulic company in my hometown that can help with parts but I wonder if anyone has tried this?

 

[oldnslo]

Have not tried it but yes you can add float to the tilt cylinders via solenoid valves. Will require running a tank line to those valves to operate correctly.

 

[TooCents]

Ok, Good to know. Also wondering if anyone has experienced floating the bucket tilt function? I’ve never heard of it but seems like it would be similar to a floating plow design. Might have to post on snow plow thread.

 

[Rustyiron]

If I understand correctly, your plow is set up for a regular 3 point hitch. Couldn't you just experiment the performance of a "truck type" hitch.
Do you have a ssqa to 3 point adapter for operation on the tool cats loader?

 

[TooCents]

Good point Rustyiron, but the ssqa plate was far cheaper to bolt on. I don’t have an adapter to 3 pt. I set the 3pt bracket that I took “off” next to the plow with skid steer quick attach plate that I bolted on.

 

[ruffdog]

At least you can put the plow on the rear 3pt if you had to. With my experience so far, using the float function for the loader arm would not work good. The reason being, as you mentioned, is the loader arm is at such a high angle it would just get pushed down right away. Most attachments for them already have a float mechanism built into it, I think for that reason. Now, if the TC already had a float position for the bucket curl, I think it would work much better. My plow for the front has float built into it so I don't know how your's will work. At least your plow is nice and short.

 

[ruffdog]

Looking at the website for the Bonatti plow, they have very interesting designs.

LP series Snow Blades | Bonatti Caricatori

 

[MossRoad]

Think about how that plow works. It rides on the shoes and floats up and down be it on a truck mount or the 3pt arms, as the 3pt arms don't have power down. They float just like a truck mount.

It'll work the same way on the FEL arms.

You have trip springs, so if you hit something solid it should trip over it and reset.

About the only thing you'll have to watch is the angle of your dump/curl setting. Curled too far back and you'll drag the hitch. Curled too far forward and it may ride up over wet snow.

I've had a power angle plow with dump/curl and gauge wheels on my FEL arms for about 20 years. Works great.

If the plow tries to dig in and lift your FEL arms, your machine will try and ride up over the FEL arms. So back off and take it out of float and it'll push instead of climb.

Takes a bit to get used to, but the ability to stack snow up way higher than on a 3pt or with a pickup is well worth it.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[ruffdog]

This video is of one of the members here ;

 

[TooCents]

The Bonatti plow that I have does not float like the ones shown first page of their website. Really neat design though. I have a lot of steep and uneven terrain where I live (and plow) so the float has worked well on the 3pt and I know I would miss it. I think the plow will get abused and I will have a lot of gravel on the lawn if I don't make it float. The side to side oscillation (basically a larger opening at the bottom of the pivot pin) accomodates fair amount of float. Pics from the reversible tractor and now on the Toolcat.

 

[TooCents]

MossRoad, thanks for sharing the pic of the Power Trac with the rollers under the boom. Before I saw your pic, I was eying-up something similar with a heavy duty roller under the boom. The weight of the TC boom is also too heavy for the flail mower. A roller (or 2) under the boom might also be an option.

 

[ruffdog]

Another way to float the plow without having to float the loader arm: Use a ssqa to 3pt adapter first on the toolcat. Then, attach the plow with the original 3pt to the lower pins and use a short chain for the top link. The plow would pivot on the lower 3pt pins and the top chain would supply the float action. When you curl back or lift, the chain gets tight and you lift the plow.

 

[Rustyiron]

Until everything freezes, plowing snow on gravel is just no fun.
Maybe some funky, long skid shoes could be fabricated for use until you have a good snow pack.

 

[MossRoad]

MossRoad, thanks for sharing the pic of the Power Trac with the rollers under the boom. Before I saw your pic, I was eying-up something similar with a heavy duty roller under the boom. The weight of the TC boom is also too heavy for the flail mower. A roller (or 2) under the boom might also be an option.

To be clear, the wheels are casters and attached to the plow.

 

[MossRoad]

Until everything freezes, plowing snow on gravel is just no fun.
Maybe some funky, long skid shoes could be fabricated for use until you have a good snow pack.

That's why I like my gauge wheels. I can curl the plow back and have it ride on the wheels an inch or more above the gravel.

 

[dstig1]

Having been there done that and got the t-shirt, on a regular FEL of the larger sized CUTs, you cannot get away with just floating the FEL with a snowplow. It will just dig in and you will start to ride up over it. There is just too much weight in the FEL arms. Your best bet will be to modify it to be like a truck plow and float it separately hanging from a chain like truck plows do. Then the only weight to deal with will be the plow blade itself.

I think Moss gets away with it due to the very small size and weight of that tractor and FEL.

 

[4Liberty]

I found an old truck mounted plow that has all the hydraulic controls inside the pump. I discarded the lift cylinder and retained the power angle part. Controlled by a switch on the FEL lift lever. The whole thing attaches to a skid steer plate so all I’ll have to do is the skid steer quick attach and a plug in for the power angle. Chain goes in place of the lift cylinder for “float”.

 

[oneal hicks]

If you are using a front end loader most tractors front end loaders have a float setting. When you lower the bucket down push the lever future forward if you have this setting you will feel the engagement on the lever, This will allow the bucket to float.