B2920 loader mount snowplow width recommendation?

[bxowner]

Well, first, thanks to everyone that weighed in on the plow v. rear blower question... I'm still pretty unsure of what to do. In fact, I've realized I have 5 - yes, 5 - viable options, in order of least-to-most expensive:

1. Front mount snowblower for my lawn tractor: $1600
2 Rear mount 3pt snowblower: $2100
3. Curtis loader-mount plow: $2500
4. Kubota's frame-mount plow: $2800
5. Kubota front-mount plow for the B2920: well over $3000

Now, my question is about whether I should be considering a 5' vs 6' loader mount plow - if, indeed, that's the route I go! Again, I have a B2920, so power shouldn't be an issue. I have $500 Norwegian diamond-shaped rear chains that give amazing traction. I have loaded rear tires and would be using a rear-ballast box...

Do you all think I could go with a 6' plow? I ask this because I tend to keep attachments - not tractors. If I invest $2500 in this plow set-up, I want to be able to keep it for years, from tractor-to-tractor, or even if I move to another house.

By way of background, I ran a 7' FRAME-MOUNTED blade on my JD 2320 with similar chain set-up and had no trouble whatsoever moving even a foot of heavy snow. I never felt as though the front-end was being pushed around But, again, it was frame mounted - not loader mounted. My concern with my current compact is the weight of the blade being at least a foot - or even a foot-and-a-half - beyond the front end, causing a loss of steering. I'm figuring it would be exaggerated by a 6' plow over a 5'? But what do I know???? That's why I'm asking! Thanks for your patience.

 

[art]

Yours is a tough question and in as much you have you options listed out well the job that they need to do is not.

The frame mounted blades are actually closer to the tractor by at least two foot normally and they can push the front of the tractor to the side.

I'd do the bucket and the rear blower for really being able to get rid of the snow and to just move it once.

 

[donn12]

IF I lived in vermont I would get a blower. I would not want all the weight pushing on the loader arms so I think that is the least attractive option.

 

[nybirdman]

I agree with the blower,we have friends in Morrisville,Vt(northern),I know the snow they get,I have used plows on a L3130(6ft) and currrently an 8ft.on a L4240,ok for our area,we average 100 in./year.
My L3130 Kubota was a sub-frame mounted six ft.,heavy snow would push it around,very limited lift made it hard to push banks back.Fel mounted lets me push the banks way back(lots of lift)

 

[zzvyb6]

If you can manage to wait until next spring/summer you won't have such a difficult time making a decision. Stay focused on deciding whether its going to be mittens or gloves...:laughing:

 

[easygo]

I would get the 5' rear blower from that list. I personally use a 6' rear blade and the 5' 3PH blower depending on the snow depth and the time of the season. They work great.

 

[devildog1]

Do option 2, rear snow blower and FEL, you'll be ready for any amount of snow that comes your way.
DevilDog

 

[Scruffy1]

I don't think anyone can offer you the proper advice, you didn't say what your trying to clear. Is it just a driveway like 100 ft or a lane to your house 1/4 mile?
With a rear mount blower you don't want to be backing up for hours at a time. Makes for a real pain in the neck.
What kind of snow do you get back there? In the N.W. our snow is usually a wet, heavy snow and like others mentioned I don't think I would want a heavy side load on my loader arms. Also how much snow do you get? We got dumped on a couple of years ago and from plowing our lane and a 1/2 road it became wide enough for a quad because the blade just packed the snow to the sides, it needed to be blown up and over the sides.
I like you am considering a Kubota front-mount plow for the B2620 but I was quoted about $4200 before tax and installation, which I guess I could install myself. But on the other hand it would be nice to still have my FEL on the tractor...... Never a perfect scenario I guess.

 

[BXpanded]

I like you am considering a Kubota front-mount plow for the B2620 but I was quoted about $4200 before tax and installation, which I guess I could install myself. But on the other hand it would be nice to still have my FEL on the tractor...... Never a perfect scenario I guess.

This fits your description. Available in 5' and 6'. Fits most tractors with loaders. Prices start at $899

BXpanded Snowplow
BXpanded Snowplow

Installation video YouTube - BXpanded Quick-On Front blade NEW!!!

 

[JJZ 109]

With a rear mount blower you don't want to be backing up for hours at a time. Makes for a real pain in the neck.
Never a perfect scenario I guess.

Not necessarily. Depends on the size of the station and the size/build of the operator.
I can pretty much sit sideways in my B3030 cab and easily reach the hydro pedal and see what I need to see. Not much neck or back strain at all for me.

 

[Thomas]

If you plan on 45 degree plowing consider wide enough clear rear tires.

Just about anywhere in VT a snow belt..blower w/wind deflector of some sort.

 

[steve bumpus]

It comes down to your conditions and what works best.......I've been struggling and I just bit the bullet with my N.Holland TC 35 FEL. I have a local weld shop that also deals in used truck plows. I just had bracket bolted into bucket with bracket on top of bucket to hang chain, not sure if needed, but it's there! the rams/hoses are now hooked together with ball valve that I can open and manually spin 7' snow blade(on a 6' bucket) not that I need to flip angle much.....could hook up pump if it gets to be nuisance!! If need be, I pull chain and 2 pins and, voila, I have bucket back!!! next snowstorm will be the big test, but recommendations here have me ordering front chains and probably tack together 55 gal. covered drum which I'll hook to hitch/ arms, and slip in tube sand as needed.here's the best news--cost me $500. for blade, and I was agonizing over $2000.00 aftermarkets out there that appeared more work to hook up. My drive is 700', so the 11 yr old j.d. blower, the16 yr old polaris blade, and 53 yr old kid decided it was a de-stress situation to upgrade to a viable machine. Next year......some type of enclosure! Gone the truck/plow route, but that became nightmare on road, and needing to swap vehicles (upgrade) at some point, so I think I'm gonna be all set with this set-up!!!!

 

[leonz]

With the snow you have a front loader and a snow blower

will be a better fit.


If your worried about neck strain buy a cab cam kit and

a suicide knob or two and you will be fine.


A plow will put a lot strain on the loaders arms; you have to remember the

loader is ment to be used for lifting and dumping loose materials.:thumbsup:

 

[bandit67]

Now, my question is about whether I should be considering a 5' vs 6' loader mount plow - if, indeed, that's the route I go! Again, I have a B2920, so power shouldn't be an issue. I have $500 Norwegian diamond-shaped rear chains that give amazing traction. I have loaded rear tires and would be using a rear-ballast box...

Do you all think I could go with a 6' plow? I ask this because I tend to keep attachments - not tractors. If I invest $2500 in this plow set-up, I want to be able to keep it for years, from tractor-to-tractor, or even if I move to another house.

I run a 6' Meyer plow attached to my FEL QA on my B3030. I would not go bigger on my machine. My machine is quite a bit larger than yours, so I'd say a 5' plow would work best. I'm sure you get a lot more heavy wet snow than I do, but during our heavy wet spring storms, that "concrete" can push the front end of my machine around, even with chains up front.

As for the FEL arms being strong enough, I regularly dig with my loader, which is much harder than anything I can do while plowing, and there are definitely times that while digging, I hit something solid on only one end of the bucket, similar to the way you might hit a solid obstacle buried in the snow while plowing. I typically do not plow snow in high range, and could really only see tweaking the FEL arms if you are plowing downhill in high range at top speed and run into a berm, boulder, etc.

The issue I'd see you having is pushing a foot of heavy wet snow on concrete or asphalt and all that snow in front of the 6' blade being too much for that machine.

As a side note, I did the larger rear blade thing on a subcompact thinking I could keep it if I purchased a larger machine, but when I did purchase a larger machine, I decided the existing rear blade was too small for the new machine. The Curtis setup could be as simple as buying a 6' moldboard and swapping it with the 5', enableing you to keep the rest of the plow setup for your new larger machine down the road.