Angled snow plow pushing the tractor around?

[Ford850]

I agree with RickB. There will always be learning curves, but a little side push now and then is no reason to avoid the FEL plow. I can't imagine not having mine on the FEL. There are easy solutions to the 'problem'. I think most of those doubting that it would work well are those who haven't been doing it for years. My dealer had doubts when I bought my plow too. He was quick to admit he was wrong once he saw how well it worked.

 

[Danny C]

Tire chain w/rear ballast would help,try taking smaller push when wet heavy snow until you get the hang of it.

How is rear ballast going to significantly help stop the front end from pushing sideways?

 

[Danny C]

So I bought a new tractor this summer. It's an LS R3039 (New Holland Boomer 35) with loaded rear R4 tires. Don't have chains yet, not sure if I will get them.

It replaced a '52 Ford 8N that had a kind of subframe on it and a non-hydraulic snowplow that angled via an A-frame and a king pin. (You had to get off and manually swing it to angle it) The plow was rigged up to the 3pt hitch via cables to raise and lower it. It was a contraption to put it politely.

When I sold the 8N and left the tractor stone age, I kept the plow to do my long, straight gravel driveway with it. I bought a 5/16" skid steer attachment plate and brought the plow and the plate to a welder. i explained to him that I wanted the plow A-frame welded to the plate so I could stick on the the loader of my tractor and plow with it.

He was very concerned that if the plow was angled and I tried to push snow, the tractor would "turn around the plow" so to speak. He says he's seen it many times with skid-steers. He seemed to think I would be very frustrated if I tried to plow any way other than straight. I told him I didn't think it would be a problem based on my tractors weight and 4wd, but he seemed skeptical. Anyway, I asked to fabricate and weld it on so I could still angle it. A non-angling snow plow would be worthless to me.

My old 8N never had a problem with this. Is this a common issue?

A skid steer loader (SSL) is a VERY different animal than a tactor. As the name implies, SSLs skid one set of tires, left or right, to steer. This causes a lot of spinning and unwanted lateral movement of the front end due to loss of traction of one side or the other. They are also much shorter which causes the front end to spin around very quickly and to a greater extent than that of a tractor when traction fails.

You should be fine with a angle snow plow as long as it's not too wide for the tractor. I reccomend angled width to match the width of the tractor and in heavey snows take smaller bites.

Also, other have has great success siping their tires for use in ice and snow. Works well and won't mark up paved surfaces. See the following thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/193438-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a.html

 

[ray66v]

If you push with the plow straight, the tractor will not turn.

The angled plow offers a pivot point, the straight plow does not. That enables the tractor to turn.

Reducing the angle, reduces the amount of force against the tractor turning. It was that simple for me.

No differential braking, no special skill, no magic.

I have a loader plow on my tractor, that is far wider, than the plow that was designed for the tractor. And, it's a subcompact tractor.

It still moves even deep snow efficiently, and capably, without rotating, or literally moving sideways, with the blade only angled half way.

 

[skyhook]

How is rear ballast going to significantly help stop the front end from pushing sideways?

He did say with "chains', and rear ballast, if the front wheels are trying to be pushed to the right'(lets say)
then the rear's will also have to be pushed sideways, if their filled with chains, it will be allot harder for this to happen, IMO. The heavier the machine, the less chance it will be pushed, I think, anyways.

 

[mikehaugen]

He did say with "chains', and rear ballast, if the front wheels are trying to be pushed to the right'(lets say)
then the rear's will also have to be pushed sideways, if their filled with chains, it will be allot harder for this to happen, IMO. The heavier the machine, the less chance it will be pushed, I think, anyways.

This would only really be true if you had the rear diff locked.

 

[zzvyb6]

Rear ballast helps because tire fore/aft forces (actually the difference between them) are involved in resisting turning in any vehicle, standard layout or skid steer. The skid steer generates side to side fore/aft force differences in order to turn because an axle doesn't steer.

Weight helps all traction and steering, as long as the weight gets applied to the tires/wheels. If it gets applied to the loader or plow frame, it doesn't help with traction.

 

[mikehaugen]

Rear ballast helps because tire fore/aft forces (actually the difference between them) are involved in resisting turning in any vehicle, standard layout or skid steer. The skid steer generates side to side fore/aft force differences in order to turn because an axle doesn't steer.

Weight helps all traction and steering, as long as the weight gets applied to the tires/wheels. If it gets applied to the loader or plow frame, it doesn't help with traction.

I don't know, counterweight behind the rear axle will unload the steer axle. It will help with forward traction, but with an open differential, I can't see how any amount of weight on the rear will help keep the front end straight. ...unless of course you are using steering brakes.

 

[zzvyb6]

All very good points. When I think of rear ballast, I think filled tires or wheel weights, not outboard weight boxes. Most rear diffs are deliberately made with loose cross shaft pins and bushings so they can sort of act like a limited slip diff. Not full featured but the drive torque will lock up the differential gears somewhat. A thick oil will help, also. The diff lock pedal should help out on a conventional tractor, too.

 

[Lindsey]

I don't think it matters what you use with the right conditions you can be pushed side ways I have a lot of wxperiance moving snow seems like that is all I do here trying to keep the road open ive used everthing from my walk behind a gracley my atv with a 4foot blade to the extreme of our sicard powerd by a 12v71t detroit even D6 cat will be pushed off our runway plows with wings can be a chore the only one Ive used is a M1113 with a blade and the rubber padded track and of course a road grader with a wing