snow depth limit for my tractor

[wade simpson]

I was on the west coast (Victoria) for most of Jan. I was looking fwd to getting home, going to my property in tatamagouche, using the tractor to clear whatever snow there was then skiing or snowshoeing.

Well, I discovered that in 2 plus ft of snow my tractor will move and actually clear the snow but at such a slow rate that its almost not worth it. It took me an hour to get from my parking area to my road and then another hour to clear about 100 ' . Then I got big time stuck and went home. I'll go up on thurs and dig it out.

It will be nice when I have cleared a path on the road and a place to park my truck but it's going to be slow.
The pic with the bucket turned down is where it got stuck.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Better than my tractor, 6" is about all i can pull with the rear blade due to the extremely wet heavy snow and slick conditions here in the pacific NW. By the way, it is a la nina winter, why is the east coast getting all our snow while we are dry and in the 40's and 50's. :confused2:

 

[wade simpson]

I was in the south of BC. It just rained all the time. geez, it was depressing. I was so glad to get home.

 

[Ductape]

A snowblower will cure most of that.

 

[westbrooklawn]

It will be slow going, but you have to clear the area you are driving on. If you go straight forward with that much snow, it will fall in from the sides and all of a sudden you are not driving on a cleared area... that's when you get stuck. What you may need to do is attack the snow in a "herringbone" pattern. Push and dump with your bucket at a slight angle to the side for maybe 6 feet, then back up and push and dump to the other side. Continue this action form side to side, taking about 1/2 the width of your bucket with each push. As you move forward you should leave a cleared area behind you that is at least twice as wide as your tractor. After you do this for a long distance, you can back up, and use your backblade (tilted at an angle) to clean up your path, and windrow the little bit of remaining snow to the side. It is slow, but will still go quicker than you think... and a great way to get quality "seat time".

 

[Johno Geo]

Speaking from SE WI experience.....
With a 4WD machine, when the snow is deeper than the front wheels are tall, you need to push it with a flat Blade, driving backwards.
I find you can push the snow into piles and FEL move it at your lesure.
I have never had a snow , since 1988 that I couldn't manage the 700ft Drive way with my small Ford 1520.
Good luck...

 

[JDL538]

Johno, You just may have one you can't move coming very soon. About 2 feet they say.

 

[wade simpson]

A snowblower will cure most of that.

That would definitely be the most efficient way to move it. I just can't justify the expense.

 

[wade simpson]

Speaking from SE WI experience.....
With a 4WD machine, when the snow is deeper than the front wheels are tall, you need to push it with a flat Blade, driving backwards.

I have the box blade on the back and tried to push the snow backwards..it didn't seem to work as well as pushing it with the FEL. I'll try my rear blade on an angle this weekend.

 

[Mousefield]

I was in the south of BC. It just rained all the time. geez, it was depressing. I was so glad to get home.

We lived in Victoria most of our lives, now about a 2 hour drive north. Out here we do talk about not having to shovel rain :laughing:. We have had 2 6" snowfalls and a couple of smaller ones. Kind of surprised as they are talking lots of snow and cold temperatures due to La Nina, however we still have to get though February and March. Mostly sun with some high cloud for this week and then more rain. It dried up enough that I graded our road yesterday, enjoyed that more than moving snow :thumbsup:.

 

[wade simpson]

We lived in Victoria most of our lives, now about a 2 hour drive north. Out here we do talk about not having to shovel rain :laughing:. We have had 2 6" snowfalls and a couple of smaller ones. Kind of surprised as they are talking lots of snow and cold temperatures due to La Nina, however we still have to get though February and March. Mostly sun with some high cloud for this week and then more rain. It dried up enough that I graded our road yesterday, enjoyed that more than moving snow :thumbsup:.

Maybe that's what was wrong with me...I'm used to snow and cold . :laughing:

I think the daffodills(sp ??) were coming up in beacon hill just before I left.

 

[grsthegreat]

That would definitely be the most efficient way to move it. I just can't justify the expense.

well..depends on how often and how deep you get snow. i used to use the FEL to move snow with my JD780...worked great but took 6-8 hours to do all my snow work. when i put the rear blower on it cut the job down to 2 hours. now ive added other peoples places to my list to get some $$$ in winter. whenever my buildings (3) shed their snow, i have to blow it so theres room for more snow, plus to let the horses get out of their barn. the FEL took HOURS and HOURS...the blower takes about 30 min for the barn and a total of 30 min for the other 2 buildings. I do get really snow covered when i blow..as the wind is ALWAYS blowing directly my way, thats why i finally descided to break down and get that cab tractor i have been wanting for years.....i was made a popsicle 1 too many times. now i cant wait till next years snows :laughing::licking::licking:

 

[wade simpson]

We lived in Victoria most of our lives, now about a 2 hour drive north. Out here we do talk about not having to shovel rain :laughing:. We have had 2 6" snowfalls and a couple of smaller ones. Kind of surprised as they are talking lots of snow and cold temperatures due to La Nina, however we still have to get though February and March. Mostly sun with some high cloud for this week and then more rain. It dried up enough that I graded our road yesterday, enjoyed that more than moving snow :thumbsup:.

Maybe that's why I felt so out of sorts out there..I'm used to snow and cold:laughing:

I think the daffodills(sp ??) were coming up last weekend.

 

[wade simpson]

well..depends on how often and how deep you get snow. i used to use the FEL to move snow with my JD780...worked great but took 6-8 hours to do all my snow work. when i put the rear blower on it cut the job down to 2 hours.

I do get really snow covered when i blow..as the wind is ALWAYS blowing directly my way, thats why i finally descided to break down and get that cab tractor i have been wanting for years.....i was made a popsicle 1 too many times. now i cant wait till next years snows :laughing::licking::licking:

It's just my weekend get away. For the last 2 yrs I've just snowshoed in and that was fine. The only reason I put make a path is to get to the end so I can make a space to get my truck off the road at night.

Man you are right about the cold. I was alright at first but then the temp dropped some and it got cold..just before I packed it in for the day ..:laughing:

 

[Avondale]

Bought my snowblower after a big storm in 2008 left enough snow drifts to walk up on my garage roof. Used it 3 times since. Like insurance, eh? "Suppose" to be big storm coming our way but I think they have dumbed down what constitutes a BIG storm these days. Threatening up to 30 cm.

Wade: Were you working in the Esq. DKYD?

 

[mrutkaus]

Thank goodness all you get up there are cm; down here we get inches, much deeper and harder to plow!

Mike

 

[tulenutn2o]

While I understand your situation and this sounds like a getaway property, Big snows like that we push in manageable depths. We do not wait til it's done. Better to plow 3- 8" snow, than 1-24". I use loader only to move the piles after blading if needed. You can either invest in the snowblower and not worry anymore, or pay for it in time, frustration, and fuel when using tractor loader.

 

[slowzuki]

I'm up in NB, I've opened up a few camps for people after a winter. You can either use a snowblower, buy a v-plow for the front, or you need to use the loader and scoop and pile to one side inching diagonally.

A tractor can only drive in settled snow until about when it drags on the underside of the front axle then you are stuck. Just plowing straight with the loader lets snow spill back around, then when it builds up too high, you have a massive pile you need to scoop and move out of the way.

 

[CowwFace]

It will be slow going, but you have to clear the area you are driving on. If you go straight forward with that much snow, it will fall in from the sides and all of a sudden you are not driving on a cleared area... that's when you get stuck. What you may need to do is attack the snow in a "herringbone" pattern. Push and dump with your bucket at a slight angle to the side for maybe 6 feet, then back up and push and dump to the other side. Continue this action form side to side, taking about 1/2 the width of your bucket with each push. As you move forward you should leave a cleared area behind you that is at least twice as wide as your tractor. After you do this for a long distance, you can back up, and use your backblade (tilted at an angle) to clean up your path, and windrow the little bit of remaining snow to the side. It is slow, but will still go quicker than you think... and a great way to get quality "seat time".

Hey Westbrook...

Thanks for the specific's on this technique. It's been a slow snow season at my house so far this year (2010 - 2011) but I hope to get to use it in the future. You guys out in the NE be careful with that snow.. I know it's hard to appriacate it when there's sooo much.

Tractor on

 

[flatlander dave]

I'm in north idaho and I was all excited about la nina. It has turned out to be a disappointment. We have had snow but it only last couple of days before the rain washes it away. Its cold now, -5, but calling for rain this weekend.