Question for Snow People

[NCMau]

I don't live in snow land. Here in the sand hills of North Carolina, we don't get much snow, maybe once or twice a year. In any case, I like to have a way to clear snow for my place and my close neighbors. I have a 35 HP tractor and a back blade which can be manually angled. I have the option to mount it in the back (tires loaded) or, in front with minimum effort as a loader attachment.

My question is, which would be a preferred method in my situation with 2 or 3 of snow?
Another question, I need a way to prevent gouging. I read about people using a plastic pipe, so I was thinking a slit (2?) pvc pipe on the blade edge. I believe that a pvc pipe vs a metal one would be acceptable (and easier) with my limited use.
What is the consensus and what would be a good way to secure this plastic pipe to the blade?

 

[deerseeker001]

the first snow fall 2-3 inches drive over it and pack it down and let freeze,then when you use your back-blade you wont be digging in.

 

[V1Rotate]

Plastic pipe should work fine.
I would use the blade mounted on the front, much easier to look forward while plowing than to always be looking behind

 

[deerseeker001]

If using on 3 point set blade so it is at 90 degree angle so it wont dig in.the more you tip it back the more it digs.its all how you adjust your 3 point arm.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

2 or 3 inches I'd just drive over the snow and keep an eye on the blade so I don't up the surface, especially if it hadn't froze solid before it snowed.
2 or 3 feet, and even driving backwards with the back blade reversed might be too much. In that case, you'll need to use the FEL and herringbone your way up the drive.

 

[Baby Grand]

Unless the back blade has a trip mechanism, I'd only mount the back blade on the rear hitch. The reason is that catching an edge with it attached will put a large twisting load on your loader arms - possibly more than it was designed for. When you compare the cost of replacing an FEL vs a rear blade ... well, you can do the math.

There are plenty of posts on here about how people have attached a pipe to the blade, so a quick search should yield enough reading material to keep you busy 'til any threat of snow is long gone.

I use a hunk of rubber sandwiched between the cutting edge and the moldboard and this works great for my purposes, just don't expect to get down to bare asphalt if you go this route.

Good luck & tell us how you make out!

 

[BHD]

at 2 or 3 inches why plow it?
and my guess is it would be gone in less than week normally,

two or three feet I would want the blade on the front. on the rear it will build up between the blade and the tires and in time you will be stuck you may not be able to pull it and cant back over it,

if you have a good angle on it on light snow falls it may roll off to the side, with out building up,

if heavy snow , flip the blade around and push backwards or mount on loader, on the loader you have the option to push the show up in to a pile. with the lift of the blade and a little forward movement at the pile.

 

[LD1]

The pipe works but for no more snow than you get, I would just spin the blade 180 degrees. The blade itself is heavy enough to move snow, and with the cutting edge angled the wrong way, there is no chance of digging in

 

[NCMau]

Thank you snow people. Great suggestions!!!

 

[NoTrespassing]

You can probably turn that blade around backwards and angle it to keep it from digging in for that small amount of snow. Myself, I just try to be careful on the gravel drive until it freezes here. I still end up with gravel in the yard in the spring.

Kevin

 

[motownbrowne]

Keep it on the back. Angle to one side and go. What was said about the top link controlling the gouge is right. If you are worried about gouging, turn it backwards, that's much easier than slotting a pipe and installing it.

 

[hr3]

2 or 3 inches is what we call a dusting,, Just go at it with the loader and be done with it,, It will melt in a few days anyway..

 

[k0ua]

Keep it on the back. Angle to one side and go. What was said about the top link controlling the gouge is right. If you are worried about gouging, turn it backwards, that's much easier than slotting a pipe and installing it.

I am going to agree with this. We get a lot of these little 3 or 4 inch snows here and I just put the blade on the back and angle it 15 degrees and go. Adjust your top link as needed and take off at a moderate speed, You don't have to look back all the time, just watch your front tire and keep it on a line you want to cut. Back blades work well for small to medium snows. if you are on gravel, you can adjust it to not dig in so much by adjusting the top link, and you can hear how you are doing, if neccessay adjust your lift up a bit. You will get better the more you do this.

 

[Rohdog]

I use a rear blade on my MF 135.. we had drifts all the way down 2-100' driveways..3 foot deep..we get a lot of wind here in the country...a lot of open fields....i spin the blade backwards..then backup to the deep snow...let the blade down to about 3-4 inches above ground..drag it forward..when it gets to touching the rear tires I stop..raise the blade..drive forward..then shove the pile I just dragged.. backwards off to the side with blade down..keeping my hand on the controller...do this till you can drive thru..then clean it up with blade down in reverse..i keep my blade backwards always in snow...works for me...I don't see how you could attatch a plastic pipe to the blade...just keep your hand on the lift controller..its tricky on a gravel drive...the more you do it the better you get...this would be a good year to become really good at it....lol

 

[jlgurr]

at 2 or 3 inches why plow it?

Last year I would have thought the same thing, but this year I own a tractor. :smile:

 

[Looking4new]

Last year I would have thought the same thing, but this year I own a tractor. :smile:

and any excuse for more 'seat time' is better than no excuse at all.

Before I got my tractor I would just drive on 10-12". Now at 2" I am out blowing.

 

[BHD]

Both of my tractors have over 10,000 hours on them and I do not get that excited bout seat time, No I have not put all that time on but I have done a lot of it,

 

[jlgurr]

Both of my tractors have over 10,000 hours on them and I do not get that excited bout seat time, No I have not put all that time on but I have done a lot of it,

Sorry

 

[motownbrowne]

Both of my tractors have over 10,000 hours on them and I do not get that excited bout seat time, No I have not put all that time on but I have done a lot of it,

I think seat time is a little different on the newer little tractors us guys are talking about. How much fuel do you put through the 4020 in an hour? I'm glad I'm not filling that thing up at the end of the day. I never got excited about driving the 8n around, but I have to say, I wish there was more to do with my Kubota this week. Something about it (4wd, cushy seat, loader, brakes, HST, live hydraulics) just makes it fun to use. In this case, "seat time" sure beats the heck out of "shovel time".

 

[600rider]

Coming from the snow capital of the USA,

I like most others have said would just drive over it but knowing how South deals with even a 1/2" I would mount a piece of 2"x6" or 8" to the back blade so you are actually using it to push the snow and not the blade. You can also push with the back side of the blade if you don't want to add the 2"x. for the amount of snow you are talking about this will work fine.