3 pt Snow Blower

[billybonds]

After much research and deliberation, I think a 3 pt Snow Blower is the right tool for me to handle my snow removal. We own a couple of houses with small horse farms, and my snow removal duties range from narrow 8' grass walkways between paddocks, gravel driveways, tight spaces around the barns, a 1/4 mile dirt road, and maybe 3/4 acre of combined parking areas. I've done this to date with the 68" bucket on my New Holland Workmaster 35, and it can take the better part of 2 days to accomplish if we get enough snow. I also end up with gravel in a lot of places I didnt want it.

I contemplated a plow on my truck or a plow blade for the tractor, but some of the areas I need to handle would not be conducive to a plow, and the maneuverability of a tractor is not that of a skid steer, making removal by the bucket tough in tight spots. So feel like weighing cost, time, and versatility, a 3 point blower seems like the winner here(I am open to opposing opinions)

The NorTrac Blowers offered through Northern Tool seem to have great reviews and at a reasonable price. So which one do I order, 60" or 72"? The 60' says its for 25-40 hp tractors, the 72" says 35-50 hp. The reviews on both, people say they are easily handling them with below rating tractors. The Workmaster 35 is 33 hp, 68" bucket, and 64" wide at the rear tires. Am I safe with the 72"?

 

[shooterdon]

Unless you are careful, a blower will throw gravel a fair ways. I was set to get one when I got my tractor but decided keeping the "beater" plow truck was a better option for me.

I have about 250 yards of driveway and about an acre of open area between the house, pole barn, and wood storage I keep clear. WE get 135" on snow per year so I get some good sized piles from the open area but I have space for it.

 

[George2615]

Welcome to TBN...........

For a 3 pt. blower width I'd suggest a blower that is wider than your tractor track width. My tractor is similar to yours at 36 HP and is 66" wide and I run a 7 1/2' plow on front and an 84" blower on the 3 pt. I have a plow for my truck but rarely use it because the tractor is much easier to maneuver in tight places.
For your 68" width a 72" blower would be fine. That's what I was looking for but found a deal on the 84" I bought on CL. My plow is an old truck plow I had laying around and adapted to a QA plate. I had previously run hydraulics from 1 rear remote to the front to control the angle. If you don't have front hyd. a manual angle plow will work too. For the gravel drive adjust the blower shoes to keep the blower up off the gravel as it will throw gravel.

 

[CobyRupert]

So which one do I order, 60" or 72"? The 60' says its for 25-40 hp tractors, the 72" says 35-50 hp. The reviews on both, people say they are easily handling them with below rating tractors. The Workmaster 35 is 33 hp, 68" bucket, and 64" wide at the rear tires. Am I safe with the 72"?

Can it physically handle it (lift it, not get light on front wheels)?

Horsepower is a measure of speed. (How fast you can do the job).

Width is just one factor that determines how much horsepower is needed.

How deep is the snow?
How dense (heavy) is the snow?
How fast are you trying to go?

Not every storm is the heaviest, deepest snow it can handle. Reality mixes these factors. Speed is the one you can control (along with how big of a "bite" you take after the first swath: full width or overlap some?) With a hydrostatic I wouldn't worry about going big because you can always go slower....as long as the tractor can physically handle it.

:2cents:

 

[billybonds]

Welcome to TBN...........

For a 3 pt. blower width I'd suggest a blower that is wider than your tractor track width. My tractor is similar to yours at 36 HP and is 66" wide and I run a 7 1/2' plow on front and an 84" blower on the 3 pt. I have a plow for my truck but rarely use it because the tractor is much easier to maneuver in tight places.
For your 68" width a 72" blower would be fine. That's what I was looking for but found a deal on the 84" I bought on CL. My plow is an old truck plow I had laying around and adapted to a QA plate. I had previously run hydraulics from 1 rear remote to the front to control the angle. If you don't have front hyd. a manual angle plow will work too. For the gravel drive adjust the blower shoes to keep the blower up off the gravel as it will throw gravel.

Funny, the New Holland Workmaster 35 is just a rebranded LS 3033. This is basicly the exact setup I was thinking, blower on the back and a blade up front, but I figured I would start with the blower, and see how necessary the blade would be. Trying to get the wife to pony up half the money since the horses are her business, and the gravel was her decision, but somehow Im the one doing all the work for free, and buying tractors, trailers, and attachments to do it to boot!

PS, I really wish I had sprung for the cab option, lol.

 

[PILOON]

For gravel situation simply install oversized skids or shoes.
Also always leave an inch or two to form a base.
(You can simply weld wider and longer onto the existing shoes)
Also a TBN member sells 'edge tamers' (a clamp on shoe or skid) to add onto a plow blade.

 

[George2615]

For your 1/4 road and 3/4 acres of parking area depending on your age you'll find sitting sideways looking back to blow snow that long will evenually create a pain in the neck as well as your back. Plus depending on the type of snow you get will determine the speed you can go. I plow 90% and use the blower to move back banks when they get too high.

 

[jblac197]

After much research and deliberation, I think a 3 pt Snow Blower is the right tool for me to handle my snow removal. We own a couple of houses with small horse farms, and my snow removal duties range from narrow 8' grass walkways between paddocks, gravel driveways, tight spaces around the barns, a 1/4 mile dirt road, and maybe 3/4 acre of combined parking areas. I've done this to date with the 68" bucket on my New Holland Workmaster 35, and it can take the better part of 2 days to accomplish if we get enough snow. I also end up with gravel in a lot of places I didnt want it.

I contemplated a plow on my truck or a plow blade for the tractor, but some of the areas I need to handle would not be conducive to a plow, and the maneuverability of a tractor is not that of a skid steer, making removal by the bucket tough in tight spots. So feel like weighing cost, time, and versatility, a 3 point blower seems like the winner here(I am open to opposing opinions)

The NorTrac Blowers offered through Northern Tool seem to have great reviews and at a reasonable price. So which one do I order, 60" or 72"? The 60' says its for 25-40 hp tractors, the 72" says 35-50 hp. The reviews on both, people say they are easily handling them with below rating tractors. The Workmaster 35 is 33 hp, 68" bucket, and 64" wide at the rear tires. Am I safe with the 72"?

You will be totally fine with a 72 inch blower. I have the same blower your looking at from Northern tool. My tractor is a l3800 (38 horsepower) and it handles the 6 foot blower no problem. Like you I thought hard and did alot of research and it's a great blower for the price. My driveway is about 200 yards long and I can clear it all in 2 passes. The rear blower is nice because you can still use the bucket when needed .

 

[billybonds]

For gravel situation simply install oversized skids or shoes.
Also always leave an inch or two to form a base.
(You can simply weld wider and longer onto the existing shoes)
Also a TBN member sells 'edge tamers' (a clamp on shoe or skid) to add onto a plow blade.

Yeah, I was thinking i could weld on almost like a set of skis, then clean up the last 2 inches on the non-gravel surfaces with the bucket. Sure there are some spots where a plow would be ideal, but nothing 2 passes with the blower couldnt handle.....unless the wind makes that a hassle.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Edge Tamers on your bucket will really help with carrying gravel with the snow on your current setup. Not sure if your ground freezes hard and stays that way. But normally for us, once the ground freezes, it stays that way until spring. So I normally don't need to worry about picking up gravel once everything freezes solid.

I'm currently still using my FEL bucket and rear box blade, and once we freeze up hard, I take the Edge Tamers off the bucket. I'm a little wider than you on the rear tires, so I'm looking pretty hard at an 84" 3 pt blower myself. I think you'll be fine with a 72" blower on your tractor. Looking back over your shoulder may or may not be an issue for you, but I find that looking back at my BB hasn't really been a problem. But with a blower instead, I'll be looking back more, using the blower more than the bucket (like now). I'd love to have a front blower, but since I don't do this for a living, I can't justify the added cost (and extra hardware hassles) over a 3 pt blower.

I hear you on the cab, lol. My neighbor went from a cabbed skid steer, to an old ('64) open station Deere. Man I feel for him, he sure looks COLD out there pushing snow with his open station (at least from my viewpoint in my heated cab). :laughing:

 

[billybonds]

Edge Tamers on your bucket will really help with carrying gravel with the snow on your current setup. Not sure if your ground freezes hard and stays that way. But normally for us, once the ground freezes, it stays that way until spring. So I normally don't need to worry about picking up gravel once everything freezes solid.

I'm currently still using my FEL bucket and rear box blade, and once we freeze up hard, I take the Edge Tamers off the bucket. I'm a little wider than you on the rear tires, so I'm looking pretty hard at an 84" 3 pt blower myself. I think you'll be fine with a 72" blower on your tractor. Looking back over your shoulder may or may not be an issue for you, but I find that looking back at my BB hasn't really been a problem. But with a blower instead, I'll be looking back more, using the blower more than the bucket (like now). I'd love to have a front blower, but since I don't do this for a living, I can't justify the added cost (and extra hardware hassles) over a 3 pt blower.

I hear you on the cab, lol. My neighbor went from a cabbed skid steer, to an old ('64) open station Deere. Man I feel for him, he sure looks COLD out there pushing snow with his open station (at least from my viewpoint in my heated cab). :laughing:

The long RCA drive at our primary residence does freeze up good and i have had no issues using the bucket. It's the driveway at our other property with 3/4" bluestone gravel that is always the issue. Its rock solid RCA base with 3" of loose gravel on top that drains so well it never freezes tight.

Edge tamers look like a good investment for many different tasks, which size should I order for a 68" bucket? Will there be any problem fitting over a bolt on cutting edge?

 

[John_Mc]

Edge tamers look like a good investment for many different tasks, which size should I order for a 68" bucket? Will there be any problem fitting over a bolt on cutting edge?

I just checked out the Edge Tamer website. They talk about bolt on cutting edges on their FAQ page. It includes a links to a template you can print out to check the fit.

I'll probably order a couple for my bucket.

I may get their Edge Extenders as well. If I could figure out a good way for them to be pin-on, rather than bolt on, so it required not tools, It might be a nice quick way to extend the edge quickly for shuffling long items around (I own a forestry grapple already, but don;t own forks). Just not sure how much use I'll get out of them.

 

[RjCorazza]

The long RCA drive at our primary residence does freeze up good and i have had no issues using the bucket. It's the driveway at our other property with 3/4" bluestone gravel that is always the issue. Its rock solid RCA base with 3" of loose gravel on top that drains so well it never freezes tight.

Edge tamers look like a good investment for many different tasks, which size should I order for a 68" bucket? Will there be any problem fitting over a bolt on cutting edge?

I use (2) of the 4” Edge Tamers on my 72” bucket. The company recommends (3).
As far as the blower, I ran a 72” blower on my previous L3410, which I think was around 28hp at the pto... no issues.

 

[HEC]

Take a look at the woodmax blowers at WoodMax as they are great people to do business with and have very good products . They also carry parts for what they sell . They have free shipping and a discount for us veterans .

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The long RCA drive at our primary residence does freeze up good and i have had no issues using the bucket. It's the driveway at our other property with 3/4" bluestone gravel that is always the issue. Its rock solid RCA base with 3" of loose gravel on top that drains so well it never freezes tight.

Edge tamers look like a good investment for many different tasks, which size should I order for a 68" bucket? Will there be any problem fitting over a bolt on cutting edge?

I'm using 3 across my bucket now. The wider the bucket, the more of them you need, to prevent the unprotected portion of the edge from digging in over uneven ground, like say the crown portion of a road or driveway. You can kind of see how they are spaced across the bucket edge in this pic.




I don't have a bolt on cutting edge, so I haven't had to worry about interference from that. I also bought the Edge Extenders, and do use them from time to time. Just one bolt attaches them to the base Tamer. Can kind of see 2 of them in this pic, since I'm not using the Edge Tamers (in this shot) to guard the bucket edge, I was only using the 2 on each bucket corner to carry tree limbs with the Extenders bolted on.

 

[tc55da]

After much research and deliberation, I think a 3 pt Snow Blower is the right tool for me to handle my snow removal. We own a couple of houses with small horse farms, and my snow removal duties range from narrow 8' grass walkways between paddocks, gravel driveways, tight spaces around the barns, a 1/4 mile dirt road, and maybe 3/4 acre of combined parking areas. I've done this to date with the 68" bucket on my New Holland Workmaster 35, and it can take the better part of 2 days to accomplish if we get enough snow. I also end up with gravel in a lot of places I didnt want it.

I contemplated a plow on my truck or a plow blade for the tractor, but some of the areas I need to handle would not be conducive to a plow, and the maneuverability of a tractor is not that of a skid steer, making removal by the bucket tough in tight spots. So feel like weighing cost, time, and versatility, a 3 point blower seems like the winner here(I am open to opposing opinions)

The NorTrac Blowers offered through Northern Tool seem to have great reviews and at a reasonable price. So which one do I order, 60" or 72"? The 60' says its for 25-40 hp tractors, the 72" says 35-50 hp. The reviews on both, people say they are easily handling them with below rating tractors. The Workmaster 35 is 33 hp, 68" bucket, and 64" wide at the rear tires. Am I safe with the 72"?

I have a 66" meteor blower i use on my TC55. It has 2 position skid shoes . High and low. i run them so that i don't pick up to many stones. It is one of my better investments. Think about having a hydraulic chute. getting off and on the tractor to turn it gets old fast. Make sure the area you are going to clear is free of any debris. Frozen possums do not go through a blower very well. (don't ask how i know.) Buy extra shear bolts just in case. good ski goggles are a must if you don't have a cab.

 

[PEJ5]

If you can afford the difference, go for the 35-50HP 72" blower. It will be wider than your wheels and it likely has stronger steel parts. Also the PTO connection may align more evenly with your tractor reducing forces on the shaft joints.

Definitely go for a hydraulic chute direction control if you have rear remotes. My chute deflector has a manual pin adjustment but I am working on a 12volt worm drive setup. I am open station and so being able to adjust the deflector will help with blow back.

Enjoy.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Last summer we bought a used 50" Buhler 3pt snow blower. It lacks about 2" either side of being as wide as the wheels. Like said, with no cab on the tractor it seems I'm always down wind regardless of what direction I am going.

It was available close to home, in very good condition, and incredibly cheap for such implements. It was available before last winter. I wish I had got it earlier.

 

[John_Mc]

Last summer we bought a used 50" Buhler 3pt snow blower. It lacks about 2" either side of being as wide as the wheels. Like said, with no cab on the tractor it seems I'm always down wind regardless of what direction I am going.

It was available close to home, in very good condition, and incredibly cheap for such implements. It was available before last winter. I wish I had got it earlier.

I was in a similar position in the summer of 2017. I had pretty much decided I could not justify the cost: nice to have, but don't need to have. A local friend knew I was debating a snowblower, and offered to sell me his 64" Provnost Puma. It was in great condition - missing paint in a couple places, but otherwise just fine. I had been debating buying a 66" or a 72" blower, so I had some maneuvering room. 72" might be on the big side for my 33 HP tractor, but I figured with the hydrostatic transmission, I could always just slow down (Provnost says the 72" Puma is for 20-35 HP, which I found hard to believe at the time).

At 64", his blower was just 1" wider than my rear tires. 1/2" extra on either side did not seem like enough to me, but when he said he wanted $500 for it, I reconsidered. I told him "you do know these are selling used for something like $1300-$1500, right? I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of you." He insisted that he just wanted it gone.

It's been working out great, and the narrower width has not been an issue. Definitely worth the $500 I spent.