Buying Advice Small Tractor For Snow Removal?

[MDOGG]

Hello all. I am looking for a small tractor to do residential snow clearing. Some of these drives are small others are quite large. I have done lawn care for a while and customers are always asking about snow so I have a few lined up for this winter.

I am looking for something that I will be able to park in my garage (84 inch clearance). Really want something with a cab and something that I could possibly mow lawns with as well. (although the FEL would be useful for top soil and mulch jobs).

I am seriously considering the Kioti CK2510. There is one in my area with FEL and Cab for $21,900 Canadian plus tax. I would still need a blower. I am leaning towards rear blower because I read they are more powerful then the front mounted?

Would a tractor of that size be powerful enough to do large drives or would you want something bigger?

What would you experts recommend?

I have a Kubota Dealer 8 kms from where I live, next closest is JD, then Kioti, and New Holland.

I would also purchase used if I could find it but there seems to be a limited market. How many hours do these tractors usually go for?


Thanks looking forward to seeing what you guys have to say. :thumbsup:

 

[oldpilgrim]

Would a tractor of that size be powerful enough to do large drives or would you want something bigger?

define large.

 

[MDOGG]

Largest would probably be 300 ft long by 50 wide. I should get out and measure them.

Okay maybe more like 200 feet. by 50

 

[oldpilgrim]

I'm not an expert, but here's my opinion.

The tractor you're looking at would do the job, physically, but with driveways the size of small parking lots, I don't think I want to use it for commercial use. It would take too long to be profitable for you and would probably not please the customers, especially if you have several who all want/need it done quickly.

You don't mention a plow on the front. That would be more effective, commercially, than a blower.

My opinion, for whatever it's worth.

 

[varmint]

Ah- questions abound. Private use, or commercial? You only specify Thornton, but where is that? We ask because do you anticipate multiple heavy snows every winter- 180" total, or irregular snowfalls of 4-10"?? Unless you have one heavy snow after another, I would think a plow would be quicker and simpler.

(Opps- in re-reading, I see that he did say "customers"...)

 

[Thomas]

I would consider anything under 40hp and HST.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Ah- questions abound. Private use, or commercial? You only specify Thornton, but where is that? We ask because do you anticipate multiple heavy snows every winter- 180" total, or irregular snowfalls of 4-10"?? Unless you have one heavy snow after another, I would think a plow would be quicker and simpler.

"Hello all. I am looking for a small tractor to do residential snow clearing. Some of these drives are small others are quite large."

Sounds like commercial. That's why I answered as I did.

 

[Ivan49]

Another thing to consider with a blower if you pick anything up it is going to throw it. I put a softball size stone thru mine a few years ago and it threw it about 50 yards.

 

[silvertramp]

A pick up truck is faster and probably cheaper.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A pick up truck is faster and probably cheaper.

And for commercial use, it's a much better option...

SR

 

[TJP89]

A pick up truck is faster and probably cheaper.

Ditto, if you have a decent truck, about 4 or 5K (from when I explored that option) will get you a hydraulic front plow on the front of the truck. That will handle anything unless you are in a really really really small area. A lot quicker too. A SCUT will do it with a blower, but it will be slower. Also, for a dedicated blowing machine, front blower is the way to go, same amount of power. With a blade, it will be faster than a blower, unless you have more than 18" of snow, at which point you will be doing more skidding than plowing. Even my 35HP tractor with Ags and loader will have a hard time in more than 18" (heck, I've even seen the local farmer's JD 8330 with front blade sliding on the road with 30" drifts). A truck plow with appropriate weight in back is likely the better option.

 

[MDOGG]

Ah- questions abound. Private use, or commercial? You only specify Thornton, but where is that? We ask because do you anticipate multiple heavy snows every winter- 180" total, or irregular snowfalls of 4-10"?? Unless you have one heavy snow after another, I would think a plow would be quicker and simpler.

(Opps- in re-reading, I see that he did say "customers"...)

I am in Ontario Canada.

 

[MDOGG]

I like the idea of a pick up for mobility. I find a lot of people seem to really like having their driveway blown as it doesn't create the large snow banks. Who knows I might also get a plow truck as well as the tractor. I don't want to use my current truck as I think the plowing will be hard on it. Thats another reason I am leaning toward the tractor. I feel like they would stand up to the abuse better.

 

[check]

Got an ATV? You could plow the first few times, then use the blower. That way you get all the sticks and rocks and stuff off the road before you risk your blower blades. It is amazing how much stuff is sitting around under the snow waiting to murder your blower if you yourself don't clean it out ahead of time. And then there's the dead branches that fall down just before it snows, and wait there, hidden, until you hit them with your blower.

 

[check]

Also, you are right near the Barrie snowbelt, so you will get a lot of snow, and with the plow you will eventually narrow the road down so much with your plow leavings that you will have to use a blower or a front end loader to push back the snowbanks.

 

[MDOGG]

So what type of machine would you recommend?

No ATV unfortunately. I will keep what you said about debris and blowers in mind. If I had the FEL maybe I could scrape it down a bit with that although that probably not ideal?

 

[MDOGG]

Check, Do you do any blowing/plowing with your BX 25?

 

[check]

Check, Do you do any blowing/plowing with your BX 25?

.

I have the Kubota rear Blower, because it is so much sturdier and cheaper than the front mount, and it leaves the FEL free to move snowbanks and the like. It will blow any snow you are likely to encounter., and cost me about $2k OTD. Kubota North in Bracebridge are good guys to deal with.

The new BX25D is compatible with a QA for the FEL so you can get a front plow blade and change it out quickly. If I didn't already have a big ATV with a plow on it that's what I would do.

 

[check]

Also, if you do get the BX 25, make sure and get the bucket expander from BXpanded.com, because it doubles the heaped capacity of the front bucket, and this has an amazing impact on your ability to move snow with it.

 

[check]

One big disadvantage with the rear blower, however, is that you can get a sore neck from looking backward all the time. Check out some of the discussions on TBN, because the solution for many is to get a rearview camera or a mirror.