3PH Snowblowers - pros and cons

[RobA]

We got hit with about 2 feet of snow over the weekend. My ATV plow was useless and the tractor plow wasn't efficient. It took me 7 hours to make a 2,000 foot driveway passable. I was thinking of looking for a used 3PH blower over the summer. Aside from the cost, having to run in reverse and the fact that it would be used infrequently what are the pros and cons of a 3PH blower?

 

[KennyG]

You've got the cons covered. The pros are they actually work and they are a lot cheaper than front mounted blowers.

 

[RobA]

What is the minimum snow depth where a blower makes sense? 6"? 12"?

 

[GManBart]

There are also 3pt throwers that allow you to drive forward....they're typically called "inverted" snow throwers. They're very popular in Canada, or other places that get heavy snowfalls.

 

[nybirdman]

Were you using a front mounted snow plow on your tractor?I routinely plow that much snow with my FEL mounted plow and have a similar sized tractor.

 

[RobA]

Were you using a front mounted snow plow on your tractor?I routinely plow that much snow with my FEL mounted plow and have a similar sized tractor.

Yep, I guess the snow was too heavy. The snow wouldn't push off to the side as I plowed and I lost traction. The driveway is paved.

 

[oldnslo]

Biggest advantages to 3PH blowers are:
they will work on any make of tractor
put the weight on the rear wheels
Give better visibility for working close to buildings than front mount
You can leave the FEL if you want

Maybe it's just me but I never had a problem with looking over my shoulder while backing up. 99.9% of farm equipment is pulled behind so that is were you are looking a good percentage of the time.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

If you get a 3pt blower you will never red to use it.

A plow on your loader is much faster.

 

[GManBart]

If you get a 3pt blower you will never red to use it.

A plow on your loader is much faster.

You must not have read that he said the plow on his tractor was inefficient?

The plow on my truck is faster the first snowfall, but eventually I have to take the backhoe with loader to move the walls back because the driveway gets more narrow each time it snows. With a 3pt thrower it might be slower per pass, but you only have to move that snow once.

 

[Farmer495]

Plows work great when you live in a low/no snow fall area or you have hours to push back snow way farther than needed when the snow isn't deep, or have other equipment or someone else to handle snow when going gets tough. I periodically help out a neighbor by opening up his yard when it's too much for his tractor / plow combo.

The last severe winter I did WITHOUT a snowblower (just front end loader) resulted in having banks so tall that the front end loader couldn't even lift and dump over and having to CARRY snow in the bucket and dump it elsewhere.

Snow blower is a must have for deep snow. If you have a hydro tractor, you have the perfect setup for one.

Best snow removal set up in my opinion is a snowblower and front end loader combo.

 

[treefarmerguy]

I bought a rear mount last year and was glad I did. Two passes and all the snow was blown 50 ft away to make room for the next storm.
I've used a bucket and a plow and the blower is by far the easiest and best. The only problem is dealing with the blowing snow if it's windy.

 

[Quebecguy]

What is the minimum snow depth where a blower makes sense? 6"? 12"?

There is no real minimum snow depth for a blower but I seldom bother blowing unless there is at least a few inches of snow.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

When I both plowed and had a 3 point blower.....I'd always plow the small amounts, just to the edge of the drive, then every 2 or 3 times I plowed, I'd use the blower to blow out what's piled on the edges...

Heavy snow meant I just used the blower...

SR

 

[ishiboo]

Blowers are great for stuff like the 3' the east coast has with no where to put it.

If that's an issue for you a blower seems like a great option. Otherwise, a plow is fast, inexpensive, and you get to face forward.

 

[ScottyChip]

I have had my 3pt blower for 6 years now, and besides the occasional snow in the face the rear blower and front bucket combo works for me. Really deep snow, over the top of the blower, has to be blown from the top down in layers, so a little slower going. But, not had much to deal with in my 6 years. Really wet snow will sometimes block the chute, so I have to turn around and use the bucket. Others have stated and I agree, blow once and its gone, you never have to go back to widen your driveway, I never have tall backs that need to get pushed back, and if I need to scrape an area clean, I just use my bucket.
The turning in my seat and looking behind has not been a problem yet, and the occasional snow shower has a tendency to really wake you up on an early cold morning.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Aside from the cost, having to run in reverse

When you get more than a few decades of age behind you, turning around and driving backwards for long periods can be a real issue for old necks and backs. It's the primary reason I don't have a rear blower.

A front blower would be nice (but costly) except that I like to/need to use my fel in the winter and I don't want to have the pain of swapping them out all the time.

My fel and rear blade do nicely (and inexpensively) for me.

 

[doxford jim]

Methinks the TPH snow blower is just fine. it moves snow away from the driveway and keeps the driveway width constant. Driving backwards isn't that hard and yes I get a few aches and pains - it gets easier if you sit sideways on the tractor seat. From what I have seen of the cost of snow plows for pickups, the snow blower is actually cheaper - even when new (for most people). Industrial rated ones will be a bit more spendy. Getting snow in the face is par for the course unless you have a heated cab tractor.

 

[4570Man]

If you had a plow and a blower could you make one pass with the plow on each side of the driveway pushing the snow to the center and then make a pass with the blower to remove the row of snow.

 

[snowbelt geauga]

If turning to look back is a problem why not install a back up camera.

 

[kevinwak]

If turning to look back is a problem why not install a back up camera.

I tried the back up camera. It was very hard to distinguish where to back up when everything was white. I ended up trading in my rear blower for a front. Front mount is just fun, rear blower was work. When I had the rear blower I U bolted a sheet of plexiglass to the ROPS and it blocked the majority of snow from blowing on me.