snow pusher vs. rear 3pt blower

[totouchantler]

Here's my situation... I just bought a Kubota L3901. It snows where I live... and I mean snows (150 inches average!) Straight across from my driveway after the shoulder is quite a nice little drop off (Ill explain later). My question: Should I buy a snow pusher or a rear mount blower. Now for the pros and cons (as i see them). Pro for blower. I will never run out of room for putting snow on either side of driveway which is blacktop, my bucket would be freed up for moving banks back, etc.. Cons for blower: It is very windy on the hill I live on (open work station snow blowing everywhere as it is), having to drive in reverse, having to add extra rear remotes at quite a good cost . Cons for pusher: because it doesn't have a bottom I don't feel like I can pick and move banks back, bucket is off machine, etc. Pros for pusher: Cheaper to buy, rubber scraper easier on driveway, I have that drop off across street to push snow off. What do you all think. Just trying to ask question snow so I can be ready to go by next winter. Ugh...winter.
Chris

 

[Paystar]

I'm in snow country too, and I have all kinds of implements, but use nothing but my blower in the winter. At least you know it will handle any snowfall you get. My fear with a pusher is if you really get hammered, or can't get it done right away, you may have traction issues trying to push a big buildup.

I also get lots of wind here off the great lakes. I just blow one direction only if I have to. Some times I just do single passes blowing to go with the wind.
Or use the loader to push as much as I can, then blow from there. Meaning try and get it to an area where you can blow with the wind.
I thought I would hate the blower, but now I will never go without one.

 

[PILOON]

Blower for sure, handle it once and be done with it.
With pusher you compact the snow and when you need to widen it is frozen solid.
With a rear blower you soon learn to drive 'side saddle' and it is not all that bad.

 

[tractchores]

I also use a blower. I got a crank operated chute so no rear remote needed. The best part is no snow banks and with enough time you can move any amount of snow. I wear a snowmobile suit and full face mask.

 

[sandyc]

I use both a front blade and a front blower. Blade is used until ground freezes or small snows. Blower for everything else. The quick connect for the implements means I can change over in a couple of minutes.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Harnessing the power of Murphy, I got a snowblower to make certain I'd never get enough snow to justify its use. Used my Hiniker all winter.

 

[Farmer495]

Blower. Don't need remotes if it is crank turn. While hyd chute is nice, proper planning you might not need to move the chute much or at all anyways.

 

[Rustyiron]

Harnessing the power of Murphy, I got a snowblower to make certain I'd never get enough snow to justify its use. Used my Hiniker all winter.

:laughing: Yeah, I got a nice big blower last fall myself. Plowed around it all (pitiful) winter long.
My:2cents: is pushers are amazing no 2 ways about it. but if things get ahead of you and your site won't allow "small bites"……
How bad of a beating will you take if you had to sell a pusher in your area? I usually favor being cheap in these situations (choices), hoping I made the right decision but having a plan "B" if I didn't.
I am "open station" as well and my blower was bought (the story I'm telling myself) for blowing the banks back as needed rather than pushing sideways for near a mile with the SS. 9' at a time when I run out of room, my roads are through the wood's. But really blowers are cool and I just wanted one:laughing:

 

[Clint S]

I have an open station tractor, rear blower, rear blade, loader and it sits until the 40degree days because it's too **** cold and windy to use them. I live in the real snow country on the lower tug hill where 150 inches seems like an off winter. Go to bed at midnight, wake up a 0630 with 40inches on the ground. Plow truck for me with heat and windshield wipers. Just use the tractor push the banks back and emergency back up.

 

[chim]

I made side extensions for the FEL to use it as a pusher. They attach with one bolt each, so it's easy on and off. Picked up a used 64" Pronovost rear blower and wired up a linear actuator and car seat motor for cthe chute control instead of adding remotes. It all works well, but without the cab it wouldn't be as much fun.

 

[Looking4new]

My back (degenerative disk disease) wont allow me to twist around backwards to watch the blower and where I am going, so I got me a front mount blower. It is the very best thing since sliced bread.

 

[JWR]

I made side extensions for the FEL to use it as a pusher. They attach with one bolt each, so it's easy on and off. Picked up a used 64" Pronovost rear blower and wired up a linear actuator and car seat motor for cthe chute control instead of adding remotes. It all works well, but without the cab it wouldn't be as much fun.

That's really a great set of ideas with the seat motor used for low force applications that do not justify a hydraulic remote. Good stuff.

About the blower vs pusher: Since he mentions a bucket, it seems like totouchantler has a FEL. I use a Kubota B2150 with FEL and 5ft blower on the back with an option to put a blade on the back too. (This in ski country mountains where snowfall over a foot is common several times a season.) That way I can move snow with the FEL going one direction and blow it (or blade it) going the other direction which makes the overall removal job much faster and easier. One comment mentioned driveway damage -- if the snowblower is tilted up just right using the top link it will neither damage the driveway nor ingest gravel. Takes some cut and try. Especially if you have the FEL -- my goodness YES, get a 3pt blower. There are many choices on the market and many available used too.

 

[devildog1]

If you have a SSQA on your FEL then plow up front 3 point snow blower on rear, then there's not much that can stop you. I us a HLA 2000 hydro Plow 84" up front and a Land Pride 3584 rear blade on the 3 point but when snow falls are 12" and over back blade comes off and 74" three point snow blower goes on. Believe me when I say I have tried all , Jeep with plow, F350 Diesel with 4 way Fisher Plow, Grand L as I said works the best just make sure you have your Carharts on, Lol.
DevilDog

 

[DK35vince]

If you have a SSQA on your FEL then plow up front 3 point snow blower on rear, then there's not much that can stop you. I us a HLA 2000 hydro Plow 84" up front and a Land Pride 3584 rear blade on the 3 point but when snow falls are 12" and over back blade comes off and 74" three point snow blower goes on. Believe me when I say I have tried all , Jeep with plow, F350 Diesel with 4 way Fisher Plow, Grand L as I said works the best just make sure you have your Carharts on, Lol.
DevilDog

+1.
I'm running a 9' Western power angle snow plow on the front (SSQA) and a 3 point snow blower on the rear, chains on all 4 tires.
Awesome setup for me.

 

[JWR]

If you have a SSQA on your FEL then plow up front 3 point snow blower on rear, then there's not much that can stop you. I us a HLA 2000 hydro Plow 84" up front and a Land Pride 3584 rear blade on the 3 point but when snow falls are 12" and over back blade comes off and 74" three point snow blower goes on. Believe me when I say I have tried all , Jeep with plow, F350 Diesel with 4 way Fisher Plow, Grand L as I said works the best just make sure you have your Carharts on, Lol.
DevilDog

Sounds like the man with the experience. I think your L3901 should handle a 6ft blower real well. You didn't say if the 3901 is an HST or stick. I find that the creeper gear is VERY helpful in using a snowblower on my B2150. Normal gearing is really too fast for everything but the very light or fresh snow cases. If you have HST that is probably better yet, allowing you to keep the rpms up but travel slowly.

 

[buickanddeere]

Here's my situation... I just bought a Kubota L3901. It snows where I live... and I mean snows (150 inches average!) Straight across from my driveway after the shoulder is quite a nice little drop off (Ill explain later). My question: Should I buy a snow pusher or a rear mount blower. Now for the pros and cons (as i see them). Pro for blower. I will never run out of room for putting snow on either side of driveway which is blacktop, my bucket would be freed up for moving banks back, etc.. Cons for blower: It is very windy on the hill I live on (open work station snow blowing everywhere as it is), having to drive in reverse, having to add extra rear remotes at quite a good cost . Cons for pusher: because it doesn't have a bottom I don't feel like I can pick and move banks back, bucket is off machine, etc. Pros for pusher: Cheaper to buy, rubber scraper easier on driveway, I have that drop off across street to push snow off. What do you all think. Just trying to ask question snow so I can be ready to go by next winter. Ugh...winter.
Chris

Blower, pushing just makes banks which makes drifting in even worse.

 

[NHbotanut]

I always got a kick out some arguments about needing the FEL bucket to move the banks back when they buy a rear blower. With my rear blower, there are no banks to move, ever. Even if you blow the snow into an area you didn't mean to, is is very easy to move it again.
I have both the rear blower and a FEL power angle snowplow. I only use the plow on 4" or less. Otherwise the blower hits it once & it is gone for good. I will never own a tractor without the blower. Now front mounted vs rear is a discussion for another thread.

 

[Tomtint]

I have every piece of snow removal equipment... Except a blower. I have a 8' snow box that I use with my skidsteer and it works well. Also have a 8' SSQA plow blade that works well. My .02 is that your tractor will not like moving a pusher full of snow because of the weight. If you are only moving 2-4" at a time it will be fine. A blower in a open station would be miserable for me if it's windy. Last year I bought a 9'6" V plow that I absolutely love. I understand what you are saying about having a drop off at the edges of your driveway. I do as well. 2 winters ago we got 130" of snow and I used the Skid with the pusher to move snow into our drop offs. The snow was piles almost 15' deep. But my skid has tracks and floated on top of the pile. My tracy or with tires would likely sink in. ...either option beats the shovel.

 

[Fallon]

I have a L3200, more or less identical to yours & live in Colorado.

I built a SSQA truck plow using a smaller lighter plow I got for $100. Think it came off a smaller Jeep. I also had a 72" LandPride back blade I have since sold. It was less convenient, but otherwise performed about the same.

At any rate I have ran into several snows here in Colorado I couldn't drive through, much less plow through. I now have a 3pt 60" blower.

I plow 80% of the time as its faster, easier & sprays less snow in my face (have to blow into the wind at times). But when my plow fails me I'm happy to do a U turn & fire up the blower.

I don't think a pusher would work well at all. My machine doesn't have enough weight to push a lot of snow. A plow rolls it to the side so you aren't pushing nearly as much weight.

 

[varmint]

Reading Fallon's post above, I couldn't agree more, or have said it better. I have an open station tractor, as well, and just can't picture using a blower unless the wind was at my back. We have a 78" plow, and combined with the loader, it works pretty well. When I have deep snow, and need to push it up and over a pile, the loader lets me lift the blade, with snow, as needed, unlike a normal snow plow on a truck. We had 6' + piles in some places, and I was pushing snow over the top when I didn't want to transport it. My dream would be a nice, warm cab, but until I get a new barn, it ain't gonna work. And, the other 9 months of the year, I just don't want a cab. If I was mowing in the summer, sure, but I don't.