Are they all equivalent?

[Mic59]

Which tractor, 20 horsepower, bought? For permanent front snow blower. Without heated garage (outside). Are they all equal, so little maintenance? Problem with mechanism stuck in ice.

 

[WinterDeere]

Sounds like you're looking at garden tractors, and there's not a whole lot of modern garden tractor talk on this forum. You might do well to talk with a few local dealers, who can probably tell you which brands do better or worse for snow duty in your local conditions, if that's what you're considering.

One thing you will want to consider is that nearly all garden tractors are limited by weight, never by torque or horsepower. You will nearly always lose traction, before you stall the engine. So, wheel weights, ballast weights, and tire chains are your best weapons, when trying to plow snow with a garden tractor.

A snowblower is often a better mate to a garden tractor, due to the weight / traction issue, but will limit your choice more on brands and models. I am not sure if they are as common today, as they were many years ago.

But before calling it done, what sort of area are you trying to clear? How much time do you have for the job, and how frequently? What brought you to the conclusion that a 20 hp tractor is the solution?

Posting your location would help.

 

[CalG]

There are two wheel drive tractors, (rears only) and there are four wheel drive tractors. (Rear and selectable front drive)

A significant difference , especially on snow covered hills.

 

[oldnslo]

Garden tractors:
Deere X738 is gas engine so cold starts are usually less of a concern than diesel and is all wheel drive and front wheel steering

X739 same as X738 except is also all wheel steering which is probably not needed for blower.

X758 is Diesel with all wheel drive and front wheel steering

Now if talking Sub compact you have far more options like Kubota BX series, Massey GC series, Deere 1000 series, etc. to the best of my knowledge these are all diesel.

 

[Racer4]

After using several gas garden tractors with snowblowers (rwd) in my lifetime, then my Massey GC, the GC is the winner.

I’ve never needed chains or weights with the GC ever with the R4 tires. And no issues with the blower riding up over heavy, wet snow. Can’t say that about the JD x380. Snowblower rides up due to the helper spring. That pisses me off.

 

[WinterDeere]

After using several gas garden tractors with snowblowers (rwd) in my lifetime, then my Massey GC, the GC is the winner.

If we're going to open things up to SCUTs and CUTs, there are a lot more options. Would be good to know what the OP has in mind, but based on their post, I'm guessing garden tractor is where they're at.

 

[Mic59]

Hi WinterDeere, CalG. My question is not about the drivetrain and traction (the warranty is generous on that). It's the snow chute and mechanism (left, right; up, down).

Oldnslo, cold starts are an old problem. Modified the starter and GoPlug 3x more.

Racer4, I wonder if the snow chute freezes in all models.

 

[oldnslo]

I suspect the snow chute will freeze on most if not all models if left sitting full of snow after use. I have never had one freeze while in use but certainly plugged them with slush.

 

[BleedingOrange]

For us to be more helpful, you might want to state your use, and your budget.

 

[WinterDeere]

I’ve owned several 2-stage blowers, and you can manage to clog any of them, under the right conditions. Heavy wet snow is usually the worst, as the impeller can’t accelerate wet slush to the velocity required to reliably clear the chute. Driving forward more slowly is the classic solution, or pausing every few feet to let the chute clear, before it can clog.

I believe the newer 3-stage blowers designs were aimed at trying to solve this problem, but I’m not sure how well they worked, or if it was a short-lived gimmick for most manufacturers. My newest blower (Woods SB-64S) was also just 2-stage, so they didn’t appear to subscribe to the 3-stage concept.

As to one brand or model versus another, that’s going to be tough in the 20 hp class, as the widest experience here is with larger machines. On a 20 hp tractor, you’re probably looking at 17 hp to the PTO, and thus a 48” or 52” maximum blower size… maybe smaller.

 

[ruffdog]

Hi WinterDeere, CalG. My question is not about the drivetrain and traction (the warranty is generous on that). It's the snow chute and mechanism (left, right; up, down).

Oldnslo, cold starts are an old problem. Modified the starter and GoPlug 3x more.

Racer4, I wonder if the snow chute freezes in all models.

When warm enough the snow is melting on the chute, I liberally spray the pivots with lube so the oil displaces moisture. It is not a sure fix, but it helps.

 

[Mic59]

When warm enough the snow is melting on the chute, I liberally spray the pivots with lube so the oil displaces moisture. It is not a sure fix, but it helps.

Is WD-40 suitable?

 

[Mike1955]

Winter fun is not something we enjoy much of in north Mississippi. But on snow and ice a good property installed set of chains would be a part of my set up. And at 70 a cab is a must below 40 degrees. I prefer diesels to.

 

[5030]

WD 40 is about as useless as not using anything. Try PBlaster or light lubricating oil instead. WD has no or at least extremely low lubricating value. It's more of a moisture dispersant than anything else.

 

[Mic59]

WD 40 is about as useless as not using anything. Try PBlaster or light lubricating oil instead. WD has no or at least extremely low lubricating value. It's more of a moisture dispersant than anything else.

The repairman is demand these days. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[panamaguy]

Which tractor, 20 horsepower, bought? For permanent front snow blower. Without heated garage (outside). Are they all equal, so little maintenance? Problem with mechanism stuck in ice.

Regardless what unit you buy without a heated place to park it, it will be hard on the machine. Spend a few bucks and get a electric oil pan heat blanket and slide it under the motor to warm the thick hard tovflow cold engine oil and saveth motor

 

[Mic59]

Regardless what unit you buy without a heated place to park it, it will be hard on the machine. Spend a few bucks and get a electric oil pan heat blanket and slide it under the motor to warm the thick hard tovflow cold engine oil and saveth motor

There is an electric engine heater.

 

[Ideehoan]

Just a note about slush. This was a horrid problem here in north Idaho as we hover above and below freezing.

I say was. No more. I put rubber pads on my impeller blades to create zero gap and have zero slush plugging now. It will blow slush soup.

It also throws further and if I scoop a bit of gravel does not grind in the impeller housing. Every blower should have this. Use 1/2” rubber. Mine has gone over 5 years no trouble.

Kubota B7610 with front blower.
Very happy with it for many years.

Grease the chute base plate each season. Brush snow off after plowing. Yank it back and forth by hand before startup. If I don’t it might blow the breaker for my DIY chute motor.

Also, building a cab was the best project ever. I have a YouTube documentary on that I’ll post if you’d like.

 

[CalG]

Whoa!

The thread has rapidly moved from "equivalent tractors" to WD-40 as an aid to snow blower chute clearance.

What a spectrum!