Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Need snow removal help

[dave1949]

I think you will get along fine, just take your time and be safe. I think it takes a three-car garage to support a tractor and the inevitable collection of implements. :laughing:

If you have any drop-off edges along your road, you might get stuck with a front wheel over that edge and not enough traction to get all four wheels back on the road. One technique that often works in that situation is to use your FEL bucket to push backward while your are in reverse. Put the bucket cutting edge down on the ground with some down pressure in the dumped position, then curl the bucket to the level position. This pushes the tractor backwards while taking a lot of the weight off the front axle.

I won't work with the plow blade, so don't get stuck with that on. :laughing:

 

[s219]

We need to deduct accuracy points from several posts here -- the B3350 engine *already* has a turbo. Several members here own that model and are using them in high altitude locations in the western US because of this.

 

[dave1949]

We need to deduct accuracy points from several posts here -- the B3350 engine *already* has a turbo. Several members here own that model and are using them in high altitude locations in the western US because of this.

My bad. Thanks for correcting that. I looked at the B3350 specs and didn't see anything about it either way. From what little I know about altitude and turbochargers, that should be a good thing.

 

[skyhook]

If it doesn't have a turbo on it, I'm sure "The Fred" can install one for you.
Ask him nicely, and he may put two on....

Having a plow on your bucket helps with pushing them snow banks out of the way,,
the plow sticks out about another three feet or so, past the bucket, giving you a longer reach to push back the banks without going over the side of the road.
Something to think about also, I personally would much prefer a bucket mounted plow over a QA plow for this reason.

 

[speedyvelo]

We need to deduct accuracy points from several posts here -- the B3350 engine *already* has a turbo. Several members here own that model and are using them in high altitude locations in the western US because of this.

I believe the dealer suggested me the best he could for a small tractor that was my inital request so thank you for helping "my mental health"
Also you were right in one of your previous post that I have to get better with the HST. So many new things.!

Sould I add liquid ballast to the tires? If that is the case after reading many threads on this subject I probably can do it myself with RV antifreezer I have a pump so it should be OK. I hate to have the dealer come and had to take the tractor back. Does it make sense?

 

[speedyvelo]

I think you will get along fine, just take your time and be safe. I think it takes a three-car garage to support a tractor and the inevitable collection of implements. :laughing:

If you have any drop-off edges along your road..........,:

Dave you are rigth the garage I have built is 20 x 16 and can barely fit the B3350 with the front loader or front blade and the read blade attached, a L6060 is 16ft from the FEL to the 3P so I would have to detach every time the FEL (easy one) or the rear blade (not as easy). Well after deciding to not upgrade the L6060 everything is back in place. BTW thxs for the nice tip in how to use the FEL to push backward, so far I have never mounted the FEL yet, it is sitting inside of the garge without a single scratch ;-)

 

[Danny C]

I believe the dealer suggested me the best he could for a small tractor that was my inital request so thank you for helping "my mental health"
Also you were right in one of your previous post that I have to get better with the HST. So many new things.!

Sould I add liquid ballast to the tires? If that is the case after reading many threads on this subject I probably can do it myself with RV antifreezer I have a pump so it should be OK. I hate to have the dealer come and had to take the tractor back. Does it make sense?

I wouldn't have a tractor without loaded rear tires as the minimum. It adds weight to the tractor which is good for traction (even in snow) and stability (lowers Centre of Gravity CoG). Pushing and pulling often comes down to mass; the object with the greater mass is the one which does not move.

You can add washer fluid if you like, I have beet juice. Cheap, heavy, biodegradable and won't rust out my rims.

I have also grooved my tires for improved snow and ice traction. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/snow-removal/193438-cutting-groving-siping-r-4-a-36.html I finally got to try it out Sunday and I have to say the improvement was very noticable; much less slipage than last season even though I turned up my fiel pump to make more power.

 

[speedyvelo]

I
You can add washer fluid if you like, I have beet juice. Cheap, heavy, biodegradable and won't rust out my rims.

I have also grooved my tires for improved snow and ice traction..

Danny, to get beet juice the dealer has to take the tractor back which is not simple from where I live and I could not find any places where I could buy the beet juice, I wonder if I am not looking into the right places?
How do you gooved the tires? just for interest, because,this is too far out for me at this time.

 

[s219]

You can definitely load the tires yourself -- I'd suggest using windshield washer fluid or an RV antifreeze mix as you note. It takes a lot of liquid for the rear tires, so be sure to estimate and mixup enough ahead of time (there may be online charts that will help with the volume for your rear tire size). You can buy a special valve that lets you load tires -- it will allow the air to escape as you add liquid. Can't really be done without that valve. Only fill to the top of the rim, leaving an air gap for the top of the tire. This can be done by placing the valve at 12 o'clock and stopping when liquid reaches that level.

 

[speedyvelo]

s219 thanks.

I got the valve:

Amazon.com: Milton S-466 Tire Valve Adapter Kit: Automotive

The tires are:
REAR - 12.4-16 R4

So according to the chart I should need about 21 G per tire

https://www.messicks.com/blog/post/Liquid-Tire-Ballast-Chart.aspx

..and I will use a pump I have.

I will use a jack just to get some of the weight our of the tire, have the valve at 12 o'clock and add 21 gallons and stop before if liquids gets above the valve correct?

I will search for the pink RV antifreeze an be sure I have a coverage for at least -20 F. I wish I could buy the beet juice but I do not know where to look for it.

 

[Danny C]

Danny, to get beet juice the dealer has to take the tractor back which is not simple from where I live and I could not find any places where I could buy the beet juice, I wonder if I am not looking into the right places?
How do you gooved the tires? just for interest, because,this is too far out for me at this time.

I bought an Ideal Tire Groover from eBay and did it myself as did the other posters in the thread. Huge difference in traction!

 

[Looking4new]

I wish I could buy the beet juice but I do not know where to look for it.

The beet juice is marketed as RIM GUARD

 

[Hilbilly]

I'm late to the party but for what it's worth here is my situation and the way I deal with snow. Speaking of which we just had 18" in the last 36 hrs. Busy day dealing with that yesterday.

My driveway is one mile long with grades up to 15% and a few sharp corners plus a steep drop off one side. I marked the edge of the driveway at critical points, with rebar stuck into the ground and painted florescent orange. That way I know where the drop off is after the first few plow sessions. I didn't have these up the first year I was here and almost went over the bank. Lesson learned. I use a rear mounted blade to push the snow to the side of the driveway as I drive down and again on the way back up. Push the snow as far as possible to keep the driveway as wide as possible. After the driveway gets too narrow then I use a rear mounted blower and back up looking over my shoulder. I'm 61 and I can tell you this is a real pain in the neck. I wish I had a front mount blower but I don't have a mid mount PTO on my MF1547. The blower will still leave some snow on the road and I then plow again to push the left over snow up against the bank left by the blower. After using the blower you will be amazed at how much wider the driveway looks. For plowing I use high range and 3rd gear for going down hill (even 4 gear and lower rpms on the steeper sections). Uphill plowing I use high range and 2nd gear, 3rd if I can without lugging the engine. For blowing I use mid range in 2nd or 3rd gear depending on how much snow is being blown. Sometimes I have to use mid range 1st gear if I'm taking a really wide swath. Doing it this way I can postpone blowing as long as possible, since it is a pain in the neck and time consuming. The drawback to this method is that by the time I get to blowing the snow that is accumulated at the edge of the road, it is very heavy and compact which means it takes a little longer to complete the task.

Another method I use is to plow with my quad and a front mount blade. If the snow is not too heavy or deep, I can get up to about 20 to 25 km/hr and at that speed the plow throws the snow quite far. That way the build up at the driveway edge is reduced and I don't have to use the blower as often. It is also a lot faster.

Oh my driveway is dirt/gravel and very rough. I usually end up ripping up some fairly large rocks at the start of the plowing season.

I also use the rear blade, mounted backwards, for pushing snow backwards around the house and other buildings and for the parking areas around the buildings.

My tractor is not HST but is a powershuttle which is great for blowing. I can set the rpm to PTO speed using the hand throttle control, put the shuttle in neutral and select the gear I want to use, then pull the shuttle control into reverse. If I need to shift gears, I simply put the shuttle into neutral, shift gears, then put in back into reverse. All without having to use the clutch. That means I don't have to reposition my body to reach the pedals. I usually sit a little sideways on my seat to try to reduce the strain my neck.

Good luck with your new tractor and the snow removal.

I wish I had your enclosed cab too.

 

[skyhook]

Hilbilly, save up your pennies for a "rear pull blower", your neck will thank you for it and I'm sure your machine can handle one quite well.

 

[CobyRupert]

I just bought this snow removal set up for my wife :laughing::

 

[leonz]

Danny, to get beet juice the dealer has to take the tractor back which is not simple from where I live and I could not find any places where I could buy the beet juice, I wonder if I am not looking into the right places?
How do you groove the tires? just for interest, because,this is too far out for me at this time.

===========================================================================

Hello Speedyvelo,

About getting your tires loaded; If you are a member of Sams Club,
Costco, Menards, Farm and Fleet, Tractor Supply or a CO-OP store
nearby you can do this the simple way by buying winshield washer fluid
by the case.

As you stated you need 21 gallons per tire and the windshield washer comes
in gallon bottles six per case so you can buy 8 cases(48 gallons)of windshield washer fluid
to load your mules tires with ballast.

A barrel of Windshield Washer Fluid has 55 gallons of straight windshield washer fluid like
the gallon bottles. It will weigh a lot and a barrel would require a delivery with truck trailer
a drop gate to unload it.

If you buy 8 cases now you can do this in your garage(hopefully you have a space heater like I do
kerosene fired torpedo heaters are wonderful items to own when working outside or inside-just leave
the garage doors open.


I did it for my JDLA115 garden tractor just by gravity filling the tires with a piece of garden hose with the female
valve stem adapter as it was worthless with both chains and snow chains and my weight using a snow caster.

8 cases with 6 bottles per case will be easier to manage and store the empties in case your tire dealer needs to empty a bad tire with ballast in it.

The cost per gallon is less and not toxic to the environment as the alcohol would evaporate.

We want you to succeed my friend not fail.

 

[speedyvelo]

Leonz thank you for all of your tips. Today the dealer gave me the name of the company they use to load the tires of tractors in the field. I call them up and they will do it tomorrow. I will find out what they use, they told me but I donot recall the trade name is like Bio--something. He said is very similar than rimguard, it has an additive to protect the rim, and cost about 2.10 a gallon. They charge a very small fee for going to my place and install them.
This Kubota B3350 has 4wd. Do I have to load also the front tires? My plan for what I gather from all the messages is doing only the rear ones. Am I correct?
So I was ready to do it by myself but everything is so new to me that a little pro help does not hurt.

 

[speedyvelo]

. I usually sit a little sideways on my seat to try to reduce the strain my neck.
.

Hilbilly, thank you for you description in how do you do it. It seems my road is similar to yours.
I do not know if a camera will help you but I have been using cameras for about 10 years in my cars and after you get used to I do all the backups looking at the monitor. I wonder if there is a use for a camera in a tractor. One of the member mention that in this thread and also the brand of a good one. I think an inexpensive way to try is to get a cheap one directly from China. I use a place called dx.com they are very reliable. Then if you like it you may invest in something better. Just a thought.
Thanks again

 

[s219]

Yes, I'd only load the rears.

 

[bumperm]

Did your dealer discuss using the Kubota Quick Hitch mounted front blow instead of the front loader mount plow? While more expensive, the Quick Hitch version being frame mounted, is stronger (no risk of torquing loader arms) and mounts closer to the tractor so doesn't have as much tendency to push the tractor front end off to the side when plowing with the blade angled.

Another advantage of the Quick Hitch, should you decide to later go with the front mount blower it uses the same Quick Hitch mount.

There is a disadvantage to the Quick Hitch plow compared to your loader mount, the loader mount can push snow up into higher piles. With the blower, there ain't no piles!