deep snow technique?

[CalG]

JD and TC

Useful and appreciated suggestions!

With 80HP you would need to think about a 6 foot drift! ;-)

When the bucket is positioned at axle height, I get into the mess about 1 tractor length before progress stops. (the loader under carriage is well below axle height) Lowering the bucket means less fwd motion, raising the bucket results in way too much snow under the tractor, (high centered, with tires scratching at nothing solid) I am impressed with just what locking diffs both front and rear will carry that Hurlimann through, It just won't carry a load of snow while doing it!

Oh, If I could dump to the side, I surely would. There are maples to the right, and a 5 foot retaining wall on the left.... oh well.

 

[CalG]

Its hard to imagine the snowblower wouldn't do the trick. With chains, loaded tires and weights and a big operator on a higher horsepower snowblower that can blow snow 30 feet should be able to clear almost anything. Small bites until through the first pass and then maybe a quarter blower width each time after that.

Deerdude

The blower is mounted to a yard tractor. Traction and mobility on snow is an issue. There is a problem backing out of the blown cut and back up hill. I've shoveled that tractor out of that situation too many times now. If only chains were perfect traction........ ;-)

 

[DHD]

Deerdude

The blower is mounted to a yard tractor. Traction and mobility on snow is an issue. There is a problem backing out of the blown cut and back up hill. I've shoveled that tractor out of that situation too many times now. If only chains were perfect traction........ ;-)

It's appears your useful arsenal of snow removal equipment have there uses up to a point.
I'm sure you have other seasonal tasks in which they perfom very well, and that is why you keep them.

The Fordson and the Bolens both being 2wd have a distinct disadvantage compared to your 4wd Hurlimann in the winter season.
Perhaps the advantages of 4wd over 2wd is most evident in the winter season, especially on sloping ground.
Understandably the Hurlimann is your go to snow removal weapon when all else fails.

You mentioned that your Fordson and Bolens are both fitted with tire chains, does your Hurlimann have tire chains also ?

tcreeley's suggestion seems like it should work.

If not, then maybe you should not allow your Hurlimann's front tires to enter any depth of snow. Just work in much smaller steps.
Keeping your front tires out of the snow depths, use your bucket to take off the top 2 feet of the packed snow, back up and deposit it out of the way, then use the bucket to clear the rest of snow down to ground level.
Just keep repeating and slowly moving forward, and keeping those front tires out of the deep snow.
Depending how far you have to travel to deposit the snow out of the way, is going to dictate how long and tedious a job like this will be.

The other issue you may face is your snow deposit point may fill up pretty fast. Especially if you have a fairly deep snow pack already deposited by mother nature.

Clearing your path can be done, but it's going to be a timely process with your present arsenal, which is liable to take longer with each increasing snow storm event.
If time is an issue, I really think you need to consider a snow blower for your Hurlimann, and maybe give your Bolens the winter off and just use it for summer tasks.

Good Luck

 

[ericher69]

I had a 1977Bolens HT-20 before my Kubota B2920 and had the exact same issues as you do! The blower is HEAVYWEIGHT like 400+lbs and with no power steering and 2wd it was all but useless in snow. I had wheel weights and I weight about 250lbs.

Anyone around to operate the Hurrliman when you are operating the bolens?

Take a blower swipe with Bolens and get buddy on Hurlimann to back you out or jump off Bolens onto 4x4 and pull it out; repeat till done!

Sent from my iPhone 5s 64Gb using TractorByNet

 

[CalG]

I had a 1977Bolens HT-20 before my Kubota B2920 and had the exact same issues as you do! The blower is HEAVYWEIGHT like 400+lbs and with no power steering and 2wd it was all but useless in snow. I had wheel weights and I weight about 250lbs.

Anyone around to operate the Hurrliman when you are operating the bolens?

Take a blower swipe with Bolens and get buddy on Hurlimann to back you out or jump off Bolens onto 4x4 and pull it out; repeat till done!

Sent from my iPhone 5s 64Gb using TractorByNet

Ericher

More than once the Hurlimann has had to come to the aid of the Bolens. We have lots of "edges" on this hillside Vermont property.
A bolens hanging by a chain off the bucket is a novel sight to be sure. In fact, yesterday I got downhill with the bolens while throwing the small stuff over the edge of the road after the plow has passed.
(The banks are building up) The steepest part of the hill is icey, and the Bolens would spin just before the crest. Those chains really scarify the ice, but still won't carry the machine forward.
The Hurlimann took locked differentials to drive straight up with the Bolens in tow off the back blade.

Curious about the Hurlimann, It is just light enough that it rides up on this compacted deep stuff...for a while, then falls through. That's when the trouble starts ;-)
The riding up and falling through makes it very hard to set a "axle depth" bucket cut.

I had the Fordson out today, The entire area is cleaned down to the frozen surface (a bit icey really) It's as good as it get. I'll just be sure to clean out the trouble spot "earlier" in the general clean up.

It takes what time it takes I suppose.

Any task with the tractor is better than shoveling the roof, which is what I spent today doing. 2 ft deep, and would only slide if it was being helped. Oof-Tah! I'm beat! ;-)

 

[tcreeley]

I know what you are feeling! Snow is on the way and I have to finish clearing to the barn, 30 inches deep. But I am on gravel and level which helps. I have a 5' bucket and a 30 hp 4wd. It gets the job done. Last year we had 2 feet wet snow on two ice storms. That was a case of scraping the drive. 2-3 feet, emptying the bucket and going back for more. This year my bans are already close to the height of the fel!
6' drifts- wow!

 

[tractchores]

I have a similar situation, but it's a big plowed bank to get through. There are two techniques I use. The first is just going one bucket at a time with the FEL. Painful yes, but reliable, push or dump snow on the sides to avoid backing out each bucket. The other is a stack and push technique, but you need a turn somewhere to push off. I push a bucket depth as far as I can without being stuck, then go down one until clear with a big bank in front. Then push the top of the bank off, push as low down as you can get it to move, when stopped raise and curl bucket up while advancing. When you start to hit the bank use the loader to lift the front end while still pushing until the top falls down the bank (a good wiggling technique with the bucket curl helps). Repeat. I've used this method to push back 6-7' banks 20+ feet, but it's hard on the machine and takes practice.

 

[CalG]

Update

With the snow cleared from the drive and filled into the spot described in the original post to a compacted depth of about 3 feet.

I used the blower on the flat approach to define a plumb wall to better gauge the bucket slice height.

Went into that snow wall with the bucket about 1 foot off the grouind and the rear blade high. That carried the first push all the way to the edge. At leat all that didn't spill to the side.

Backing up about 30 feet toward the starting point again, the bucket went to to float, and the back blade went down.

Lather, rinse, repeat, until the snow was all pushed over the bank. I took bigger bites with the back blade, so the entire effort went in less time and passes.
A large volume snow bucket would improve things, but I'ld just tear it up hitting some rock or root under all that snow. ;-)

It's snowing again now ;-)

 

[Yellowfever440]

If you are going down hill couldn't you take the loader and put it close to the ground, 2 inches or so, and drive into the pile and then lift and dump over the pile and just keep doing that until you get to where you need to stop?
Then your pile is at the end of your pass and then you back out and take half a bucket width again. I don't know what a hurlimann is or what if looks like so maybe I am way off.
Basically you would be dumping the snow on the opposite side of the pile from the tractor so you will scoop 2 feet and lift pull up to were you lifted with the front tires and dump orlver the pile then back up and repeat.

 

[CalG]

If you are going down hill couldn't you take the loader and put it close to the ground, 2 inches or so, and drive into the pile and then lift and dump over the pile and just keep doing that until you get to where you need to stop?
Then your pile is at the end of your pass and then you back out and take half a bucket width again. I don't know what a hurlimann is or what if looks like so maybe I am way off.
Basically you would be dumping the snow on the opposite side of the pile from the tractor so you will scoop 2 feet and lift pull up to were you lifted with the front tires and dump orlver the pile then back up and repeat.

That works, but it's slow as death.

Snowing again just now, we have another week of cold and snow. A couple more clearings over the bank. ;-)

Spring is just around the corner.