Snow Your NEXT Snow Removal Setup

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

Storms like this one are a good test of equipment and skill. Today I found both to be lacking. We got about a foot overnight and my little tractor barely made it down the driveway today. I have a Kubota B2710 with R4s that have been grooved. I plow with an ETA 6 way blade with the rubber horse stall mat mod. Normally, its completely adequate for the job. I plow my 3 car pad and about 1/4 mile of mixed aggregate drive (mostly limestone with some furnace slag).

I’ve been operating this machine long enough to know its not my last and the next one will be one class size up (Kubota L or equivalent). I have starting to think about how I’d like to move snow with it. There’s such a spectrum of snow removal options I thought I’d start a conversation about what you’d use if the CFO wasn’t involved in the purchase. What would you prefer for snow removal?

• Tractor or truck (or something else)?
• Tire selection with or without chains?
• Back blade, front blade, blower?
• With or without cab?

 

[LittleBill21]

After using a d3 dozer to move 9 foot piles in 17', I pretty much decided that 4x4 chain front blowers, although slow, will never be stopped. that's pretty much the best in terms of severe snow.

 

[Thomas]

One also should consider there heath what region they live in etc...

I like tractor with front blade and rear scraper blade,rear tires loaded with tire chains,tractor with HST...but that's me.

 

[Industrial Toys]

To me, the choice is often what does the least damage, that you have to repair come spring.

 

[Jstpssng]

You didn't mention tire chains. My tractor weighs about twice what yours does and I can't imagine trying to move heavy snow with ice underneath... like what we have here now.
I've been toying with the idea of getting something the size of what you have now, with a cab and front blower. Of course I'd have to win the lottery first... and I don't play.

 

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

You didn't mention tire chains. My tractor weighs about twice what yours does and I can't imagine trying to move heavy snow with ice underneath... like what we have here now.
I've been toying with the idea of getting something the size of what you have now, with a cab and front blower. Of course I'd have to win the lottery first... and I don't play.

No chains right now. I added grooves with a siping iron which made a world of difference. The ground is fairly flat here so if I had a blower I doubt chains would be necessary but with a front mounted blade they’d be very helpful. Today the rear blade was pulling me into the berm quite a bit and I’d eventually have to buck that snow out with the loader to get moving again.

 

[MoKelly]

To me, the choice is often what does the least damage, that you have to repair come spring.

Bingo for me. Very smart.

That’s why I only have a 4 wheeler with a blade. It takes longer and can be cold, but it’s simple and I always know where I am.

Plus, my plowing needs are not great (not much snowfall and manageable inches) and the distances are not extreme (roughly 1/4 mile).

MoKelly

 

[Reb954]

The only thing I can think of to change would be to add at least 6 inches more width to the blower.

Current setup is,
65 hp with FEL & bucket
Heated cab with radio
Shuttle shift
4 WD
No chains
No loaded tires
78" snow blower

 

[nybirdman]

Front FEL mounted and rear blade;cabbed 7K lbs.R1 tires and no chains.We average 100in/year.any more than that I would consider a blower.

 

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

Front FEL mounted and rear blade;cabbed 7K lbs.R1 tires and no chains.We average 100in/year.any more than that I would consider a blower.

Quite a statement. Far more snow than I’d ever get here. Weight matters.

 

[BravoXray]

I'm good with what I have, a JD430 diesel LGT with a cab, chains, 300 lbs of rear weights, and 47 blower for anything over a couple of inches of snow, and a Kubota BX2230 with loaded rear tires, MMM and an FEL for light snow and scraping down to the asphalt on the drives.

Got to use both of them today!

 

[Newtocvt]

I’m happy with my cab tractor and the nice heat. I would like to try a front mounted snowblower.

 

[Aquamoose]

I’m gonna add removable wings on the bucket and put hydraulics on the back blade for next winter (or sooner if time permits)

 

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

I’m gonna add removable wings on the bucket and put hydraulics on the back blade for next winter (or sooner if time permits)

Please post that project. I’d like to see how that comes together.

 

[Bronco82]

Currently have a ROPS B2650 with a Meteor rear mount 6 foot blower and the loader bucket. Every time we get enough snow to use the blower, I am more than happy to get out there and play. It's been very good to me with every snowfall we have had, even the heavy wet ones.

IDEALLY, and with my dream coming true, it will be eventually, will have a 5 foot front mount blower and 6 foot offset rear blade. The 5 foot blower for the good snow falls, and the 6 foot offset rear blade for those couple inches that I can't be bothered to blow.

 

[metalbender]

I totally agree on the hydraulics for the rear blade angle. PIA to have to exit the cab to change, although it's easy to do.

 

[Sberry]

 

[Industrial Toys]

NICE, clean little ARTICULATED Wheel Loader. Hard to find older ones that nice. Did they have a torque converter?

 

[senecak19]

I’m currently plowing with a an L3200 that you said you’d be interested in. I recently posted a video of it pushing 12” of snow with an underslung plow setup. 3 storms later and it’s still doing great! Sure is quite a bit quicker than my bucket. I will certainly upgrade to a larger machine with a cab at some point, but I won’t part ways with my plow setup. I’m entertaining a specific type of commercial plowing and may end up buying a second machine instead of upgrading my current. That machine will have a snowblower of sorts.

 

[senecak19]

NICE, clean little ARTICULATED Wheel Loader. Hard to find older ones that nice. Did they have a torque converter?

Second this. I watched a few dirt ninja videos of his wheel loader plowing setup. I kept thinking “this is next level sh**”. When he inverted his wings to squeeze in a dumpster opening to allow him to pull the snow out, I was speechless.