FEL plow vs. rear blade for 1 mile of infrequent chipseal road snow removal

[bartjoebob]

I live at the end of a 1 mile private road, which is chip sealed. We get anywhere between 0-3 "problematic" storms per year, usually between 4-12" of snow at a time. This doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a nightmare every time. The road has some steep parts and camber to it, with deep ditches on the side, and folks with lesser vehicles or lesser judgement always get stuck. Sometimes very stuck. After a day, the snow turns into ice and then everyone gets stuck for days and days until it melts.

Last year was particularly bad, and I used my loader bucket to clear out the worst sections of the road where people were getting stuck. This was very time consuming, and not the right tool for the job. I had to scoop it up one bucket at a time and dump it over the edge of the road. I was unable to push it anywhere, because it all clumps together and often freezes onto the inside of the bucket. It would take me all day to do the whole road.

I'd like to set my L2501 up to be able to clear these occasional storms, and I'm torn between:

• 7' rear blade with adjustable angle. Replace metal cutting edge with polyurethane strip. Let the "tilt" link on the 3 point hitch float, either by removing the link entirely or adding hydraulic top/tilt and floating the tilt valve, so that it can follow the contour of the road. Easy to find a rear blade used for $500.
• 7' quick attach snowplow attachment for front end loader, with either hydraulic or manual angle adjustment (I do have the 3rd function hydraulics). Hard to find used around here, would likely buy new.

The rear blade is definitely a cheaper option, and I get to keep my loader bucket or grapple attached for other tasks. I'm worried though that by not having my backhoe or chipper on the rear of the tractor (both at least 1200lbs) I'll be losing a lot of ballast/traction. The rear blade also doesn't have the springs of a snow plow, to give it relief if I hit an obstacle. There aren't many potential obstacles on the road, but these things happen. I'm also a little skeptical of how well the tractor will steer when pushing snow with the loader. The front end of this tractor is not particularly heavy, and I've noticed that when I'm pushing things around with the loader (stumps, piles of dirt, big rocks) it doesn't steer very well. It seems like the loader has too much leverage on the tractor, being so far out in front of the steering axle.


Thoughts? Similar experience? Any input is appreciated.

Chip seal is going to be like coarse a grinding wheel to that polyurethane edge over mile long runs. Also an L2501 is likely to get pulled sideways from the weight of the snow it's pulling especially if it's heavy or deep when using a rear blade. There are videos on YouTube of much larger machines using rear blades to clear snow on roads and you can see their back end getting pushed around and the operator needing to counter steer while plowing. I'd go frame mounted front plow for something like this and avoid retrofitting a plow to loader arms. Too much prolonged lateral stress

 

[bunchgrass]

I have a larger tractor (80hp - 4wd) and use a 96 inch QA plow blade. Works great --- would be better on something other than gravel (my driveway and other I plow) so chip seal would be nicer. Also, having someplace for the snow to go is a must. A deep ditch makes it a bit sketchier.

 

[JJT]

You have received some terrible advice. It is common for folks to preach about what they use on their roads, with their tractors, and under their conditions.

You can spend a lot of money to move the small amount of snow you are getting. Here is something to consider.

Get an estimate from the local yokel with a pickup truck mounted blade to give you a quote. I bet he is hungry for work and will plow the road for $100/event. That is $25/event if you have four folks on the road. If you have four events a year, that comes to $100/yr/home. Talk to the other homeowners about such an approach. If you are sick or traveling when the snow hits, it will not be your problem and you will not be putting wear and tear on your machine.

There is no need to get down to pavement. Let mother nature do her thing between snow falls.

It might be wise to invest a bit of money in an ATV spreader to sand/salt the parts of the road that may ice up.

If you need to prove how smart you are for getting a tractor, buy a blade, and/or blower, and/or set of rear remotes. You should be able to justify about $1500-2000 of used stuff. If you dump the tractor into the ditch, it is just a learning experience that will cost you some $$ if you do not get hurt.

You have a light machine with less than 20 PTO HP. Go through the thread and eliminate the advice from folks you have far heavier tractors and higher PTO HP. Ignore the advice from folks who deal with over 120" of snow a year.

I get 120" of snow, and have a 5000 lb plus tractor with 32 PTO HP. What I use is irrelevant to you needs.

Nobody around me is plowing a 1 mile road for $100 per snow storm. My neighbor with a 200' driveway just got a quote of $200/call out or $1,600 for the season. 30 years ago I had to pay for a plow out and it was $100 for my 800' driveway.

 

[DK35vince]

Nobody around me is plowing a 1 mile road for $100 per snow storm. My neighbor with a 200' driveway just got a quote of $200/call out or $1,600 for the season. 30 years ago I had to pay for a plow out and it was $100 for my 800' driveway.

Nobody anywhere is plowing 1 mile of road for $100

 

[BCLoco]

My two cents is that in the type of snow you're talking about, heavy wet stuff, the front end loader isn't a great option. The angle you have to run means the tractor is constantly being pushed away from the ditch, and good luck trying to run the loader in float. You'll just wheelie unless you have a mountain of front weights on your tractor. FEL-mounted blade is an excellent compliment to a rear blower: for back-blading next to buildings, fast pushes of really light snow, and for cleaning up blower berms. Other than that, I would say no.

Subframe mounted blades seem to work pretty good. Never used one myself. I suspect you'll still get a lot of side-push if you're trying to clear heavy snow, and the kits are pretty pricey.

Rear blade is your most versatile option, as you can use it equally well for dirt the rest of the year. It already has a built-in float feature thanks to the genius of the 3 point hitch design. Personally, I wouldn't worry about swapping the steel blade for a poly one. If you run a gentle rake angle on it, it won't do any damage. Keep your blade angle minimal and put a wing on the non-ditch side, and you should be fine. And if you think you're getting a deusy of a storm, get out there and do a pass or two before you have a whole foot to move. If you can't get out there before it all comes down, you have the option of lifting the blade up a bit and doing multiple passes after the fact. I have to do this to clear my logging trails 1-2 times a year. It works great for me with my setup. Your mileage may vary depending on the tires/ballast/chains equipped.

Also, I highly recommend getting a hydraulic top link. It adds a lot of versatility to an already versatile tool. I don't have one yet, but it's on my short list.

 

[Jchonline]

You have received some terrible advice. It is common for folks to preach about what they use on their roads, with their tractors, and under their conditions.

You can spend a lot of money to move the small amount of snow you are getting. Here is something to consider.

Get an estimate from the local yokel with a pickup truck mounted blade to give you a quote. I bet he is hungry for work and will plow the road for $100/event. That is $25/event if you have four folks on the road. If you have four events a year, that comes to $100/yr/home. Talk to the other homeowners about such an approach. If you are sick or traveling when the snow hits, it will not be your problem and you will not be putting wear and tear on your machine.

There is no need to get down to pavement. Let mother nature do her thing between snow falls.

It might be wise to invest a bit of money in an ATV spreader to sand/salt the parts of the road that may ice up.

If you need to prove how smart you are for getting a tractor, buy a blade, and/or blower, and/or set of rear remotes. You should be able to justify about $1500-2000 of used stuff. If you dump the tractor into the ditch, it is just a learning experience that will cost you some $$ if you do not get hurt.

You have a light machine with less than 20 PTO HP. Go through the thread and eliminate the advice from folks you have far heavier tractors and higher PTO HP. Ignore the advice from folks who deal with over 120" of snow a year.

I get 120" of snow, and have a 5000 lb plus tractor with 32 PTO HP. What I use is irrelevant to you needs.

Yes except when the local yokel doesnt show up, and you need to get to work, school, etc at 0700 after a big snow. My inlaws have been through 6 snow removal contractors in about 3 years...most of them worthless and do a terrible job because they dont know where the edges of laneway, road, turns, etc are....gravel piled up after a melt and they create more mess than they help. Then some of them dont bother to show and the 75 year old had to dig himself out.

A rear blade on a smaller machine is matched to smaller amounts of snowfall.....a rear snow blower on a smaller machine is matched to smaller amounts of snowfall.....

However just like you even though I might get 10 ft a year...we do get 4-12 inch snowfalls that have to be cleared at a time...that is no different than the OP. We just do it more often.

The ATV plow just might work for the OP also. Bottom line lots of options out there. All we can tell OP is what we have collectively experienced...OP has to take all of that information and make a decision for themself.

 

[jyoutz]

My two cents is that in the type of snow you're talking about, heavy wet stuff, the front end loader isn't a great option. The angle you have to run means the tractor is constantly being pushed away from the ditch, and good luck trying to run the loader in float. You'll just wheelie unless you have a mountain of front weights on your tractor. FEL-mounted blade is an excellent compliment to a rear blower: for back-blading next to buildings, fast pushes of really light snow, and for cleaning up blower berms. Other than that, I would say no.

Subframe mounted blades seem to work pretty good. Never used one myself. I suspect you'll still get a lot of side-push if you're trying to clear heavy snow, and the kits are pretty pricey.

Rear blade is your most versatile option, as you can use it equally well for dirt the rest of the year. It already has a built-in float feature thanks to the genius of the 3 point hitch design. Personally, I wouldn't worry about swapping the steel blade for a poly one. If you run a gentle rake angle on it, and it won't do any damage. Keep your blade angle minimal and put a wing on the non-ditch side, and you should be fine. And if you think you're getting a deusy of a storm, get out there and do a pass or two before you have a whole foot to move. If you can't get out there before it all comes down, you have the option of lifting the blade up a bit and doing multiple passes after the fact. I have to do this to clear my logging trails 1-2 times a year. It works great for me with my setup. Your mileage may vary depending on the tires/ballast/chains equipped.

Also, I highly recommend getting a hydraulic top link. It adds a lot of versatility to an already versatile tool. I don't have one yet, but it's on my short list.

Agree and also don’t think the poly blade is necessary. Reversing the moldboard and floating the blade is all that’s necessary to remove snow and protect the road surface.

 

[DK35vince]

My two cents is that in the type of snow you're talking about, heavy wet stuff, the front end loader isn't a great option. The angle you have to run means the tractor is constantly being pushed away from the ditch,

We generally get 4" to 12" snows like the OP. Often wet and heavy.
I run chains on all 4 tires and don't have that issue, and I'm running a 9' loader mounted plow on a 35 HP tractor

 

[MMC]

We generally get 4" to 12" snows like the OP. Often wet and heavy.
I run chains on all 4 tires and don't have that issue, and I'm running a 9' loader mounted plow on a 35 HP tractor

Seems to me you do have a lot of experiential wisdom to choose from. These are interesting discussions and most people on here only seem to want to help. Some, like myself, are farmers and have heavier equipment. Frankly, in dirt or snow, weight contributes to tractive advantage and stability (mostly). Yes, your tractor may get pushed around a bit with wet, heavy snow, but it can still do stuff. And I'll be a contrarian and say go slow as possible at first, no matter what you choose as equipment. Speed comes after competence...not before.

If money is no object, get a big, heavy cabbed tractor and a pull snow blower. But...most of us started with less money and lofty aspirations (I'm old). I plowed snow for decades with a rear blade - turned backwards and angled, I have never really damaged either gravel nor asphalt.

The blade, chains, and ballast are your cheapest option - don't let folks dissuade you from experimenting with your tractor and basic equipment. It will do a lot, especially with extra ballast and chains.

If it doesn't work, you lose very little and know a lot more...

And have an excuse to buy bigger equipment. Worked for me...

 

[bunchgrass]

Nobody anywhere is plowing 1 mile of road for $100

Uh oh --- my neighbors were getting their nasty keyhole driveway complete with trees right up to the edge and nowhere to put snow, plowed out by me for free (actually they gave me a pie). Their landlord is a SOB and they don't have much money.

 

[bunchgrass]

Seems to me you do have a lot of experiential wisdom to choose from. These are interesting discussions and most people on here only seem to want to help. Some, like myself, are farmers and have heavier equipment. Frankly, in dirt or snow, weight contributes to tractive advantage and stability (mostly). Yes, your tractor may get pushed around a bit with wet, heavy snow, but it can still do stuff. And I'll be a contrarian and say go slow as possible at first, no matter what you choose as equipment. Speed comes after competence...not before.

If money is no object, get a big, heavy cabbed tractor and a pull snow blower. But...most of us started with less money and lofty aspirations (I'm old). I plowed snow for decades with a rear blade - turned backwards and angled, I have never really damaged either gravel nor asphalt.

The blade, chains, and ballast are your cheapest option - don't let folks dissuade you from experimenting with your tractor and basic equipment. It will do a lot, especially with extra ballast and chains.

If it doesn't work, you lose very little and know a lot more...

And have an excuse to buy bigger equipment. Worked for me...

Started off plowing with an 8N and a weird front blade setup that anchored to the rear axle and had cables and pulleys to raise it via the 3 pt. That would take a good day of plowing to get the driveway cleared.

 

[bunchgrass]

We generally get 4" to 12" snows like the OP. Often wet and heavy.
I run chains on all 4 tires and don't have that issue, and I'm running a 9' loader mounted plow on a 35 HP tractor

You probably already know this but I found an easier way to put my chains on. Lay them out behind the tire, tire side facing down. Tie a piece of baling twine through both of the side chains at front and thread it through an opening in your wheel/rim. Drive forward and it pulls your chain up onto the tire, no lifting.

 

[DK35vince]

Uh oh --- my neighbors were getting their nasty keyhole driveway complete with trees right up to the edge and nowhere to put snow, plowed out by me for free (actually they gave me a pie). Their landlord is a SOB and they don't have much money.

And I do my neighbor across the streets driveway for free because she's 90 and her son and husband passed away.
What does that have to do with a snow plowing contractors price to plow a mile of drive.

 

[bunchgrass]

And I do my neighbor across the streets driveway for free because she's 90 and her son and husband passed away.
What does that have to do with a snow plowing contractors price to plow a mile of drive.

Easy tiger. I said nothing about contractor pricing.

 

[JonBarleycorn]

I live at the end of a 1 mile private road, which is chip sealed. We get anywhere between 0-3 "problematic" storms per year, usually between 4-12" of snow at a time. This doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a nightmare every time. The road has some steep parts and camber to it, with deep ditches on the side, and folks with lesser vehicles or lesser judgement always get stuck. Sometimes very stuck. After a day, the snow turns into ice and then everyone gets stuck for days and days until it melts.

Last year was particularly bad, and I used my loader bucket to clear out the worst sections of the road where people were getting stuck. This was very time consuming, and not the right tool for the job. I had to scoop it up one bucket at a time and dump it over the edge of the road. I was unable to push it anywhere, because it all clumps together and often freezes onto the inside of the bucket. It would take me all day to do the whole road.

I'd like to set my L2501 up to be able to clear these occasional storms, and I'm torn between:

• 7' rear blade with adjustable angle. Replace metal cutting edge with polyurethane strip. Let the "tilt" link on the 3 point hitch float, either by removing the link entirely or adding hydraulic top/tilt and floating the tilt valve, so that it can follow the contour of the road. Easy to find a rear blade used for $500.
• 7' quick attach snowplow attachment for front end loader, with either hydraulic or manual angle adjustment (I do have the 3rd function hydraulics). Hard to find used around here, would likely buy new.

The rear blade is definitely a cheaper option, and I get to keep my loader bucket or grapple attached for other tasks. I'm worried though that by not having my backhoe or chipper on the rear of the tractor (both at least 1200lbs) I'll be losing a lot of ballast/traction. The rear blade also doesn't have the springs of a snow plow, to give it relief if I hit an obstacle. There aren't many potential obstacles on the road, but these things happen. I'm also a little skeptical of how well the tractor will steer when pushing snow with the loader. The front end of this tractor is not particularly heavy, and I've noticed that when I'm pushing things around with the loader (stumps, piles of dirt, big rocks) it doesn't steer very well. It seems like the loader has too much leverage on the tractor, being so far out in front of the steering axle.


Thoughts? Similar experience? Any input is appreciated.

I see you have already had many good replies. Some things to consider...

Which are you more likely to use MORE of the time; the rear blade or the front blade?
Which one fits your wallet best?
If you go the FEL route, have you looked at the Artillian systems? I have several of their components and am well pleased. They DO have a snow plow.
If you go the rear blade route, it allows you the opportunity to clear ditch lines. Just make sure to get a blade with a replaceable edge.

For years I have plowed with a 7" Land Pride rear blade. It includes up to 3.5 miles of gravel road and 7-10 miles of paved. Yes, you CAN grab a rock on the gravel road, but I tighten my top link quite a bit so as to move less gravel.

As to chains, I agree they are great to have and I have both front and rear. The front get the most use as they are so easy to install by lifting the front. The rear are most effective but somewhat more challenging to install. When moving heavy wet snow, the rear can get pushed around.

Thinking about adding the 6' Artillian on front and offsetting my Land Pride on rear for an 8'-9' pass each time.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Not applicable to the OP, but just to throw an entirely different version out there.

Started with a 9' rear blade on the M6040, then got a front 8' plow/dozer blade for the loader. Learned to leave a little snow under the front blade, creating a level surface to drive on, then had the rear blade at max offset putting the berm about five feet from the edge of the driveway.

That worked okay, unless we got a lot of snow (normally it's only a bit over 100") and the berms would start getting a bit close.

Had tried a 72" 3-point PTO blower on the L3800, but that was slow and miserable without a cab. Got a real snowblower, hydraulic this time and on a skid steer, which completely changed how I do things on the 1/4-mile gravel driveway.

Now I pull the snow to the center of it, using both blades, then come back and toss it 50-60 feet away with the blower. Yes, that's generally four passes, but the sun has full access to the driveway.

Besides, I still enjoy doing it, and do have more time to devote after the widow across the road moved and I don't have to spend hours over there...for free. Okay, she did give me a fruit cake after four or five years.

 

[LouNY]

Started off plowing with an 8N and a weird front blade setup that anchored to the rear axle and had cables and pulleys to raise it via the 3 pt. That would take a good day of plowing to get the driveway cleared.

Had a similar blade on an Allis WD that we used for several years, till we got a JD trip bucket loader on our Farmall 400 got that in the early 60's, the loader, got the 400 in 1957. I remember being in awe at the size of that tractor then.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I use an 8 foot PA plow on the front of my M6040 and a 6 foot box blade on the rear and it’s a good combo for my tight twisty driveway. Rear euro chains are essential. To counter the occasional front end wanting to push to one side or the other I use the steering brakes on the rear wheels which keeps the tractor heading straight.

 

[Nipigonite]

I purchased both a front plow and a snow blower for the front of my BX25D a few years ago. I too clear about a half mile of gravel road in the winter as well as areas around my out buildings. I pack the first few snow falls to create a snow base so I do not have to deal with stones and rocks.

The first year I started with the plow and switched to the blower once the windrows were as high as the plow. This was not the most comfortable thing to do in December in Northern Ontario. Last year I just used the blower from the beginning and it worked great. No cold weather switch over from the plow to the blower and I could move the snow where ever I wanted.

 

[NoSmoke]

Started off plowing with an 8N and a weird front blade setup that anchored to the rear axle and had cables and pulleys to raise it via the 3 pt. That would take a good day of plowing to get the driveway cleared.

That is the setup I fabbed for my Yanmar 155D after getting tired of dragging around a rear blade on my gravel driveway. I found the front mount blade to be far superior, at least for my small tractor. I added an adjustable downstop to keep the blade a small set distance above the surface to avoid plowing the gravel.

My setup may vary a little from yours in that I have the mount bolted to the lower 3pt hitch links (with the links pointing to the front instead of rear). The lift/lower cables run through two pulleys per side, front and back, and are connected to the 3pt lift arms.

Cost was about $100 for a four ft blade pressed from 1/4" sheet steel plus a little for some square tubing for the mount etc. I can manually adjust it for a zero or 30 degree angle. I kept the blade as close to the front wheels as possible to minimize side-push rotation and to minimize variation in blade distance from the surface.

If I were doing it again, I would probably eliminate the angle adjustment, and leave it at 30 degrees, as that's about all I require for snow removal.