Snow back blade for snow removal

[la200o]

Hi,

I'm thinking about a back blade for my L2800 to remove snow from my long dirt/gravel driveway. Good idea or not?

Bill

 

[dodge man]

I don't know, I'm going to find out. I plan on pushing it backwards, that way you don't mash the snow down before you try and push it. I will experiment between the rear blade and the FEL and see what is best. With a gravel drive way, I've seen people recomend getting shoes for the blade. This allows you to not have the blade drag so hard on the gravel and scope it all up. I have a paved driveway and I'm hoping I don't need shoes.

 

[QueBota]

Bill,

Works OK for me, I didn't think driving through the snow to plow it would work out but I got a good deal on a back blade so I gave it a try. I leave the bucket on the front and keep it raised about 8 or 10 inches to push some of the snow in front of the tractor as I plow ahead. I mostly plow blacktop/asphalt. If you keep the angle of the back blade in a modestly agressive setting it will clean the surface bare without tearing it up. I am going to install some stall mat as a squeegee this winter to help preserve the blade, the hard surface wears it more than you would think.

I push backwards when clearance requires it but it is a pain in my neck/back

Dave

 

[smfcpacfp]

To me this sounds like the worst alternative possible short of using the old shovel, but I am sure that it would work. If you get a lot of snow it sounds really bad, if you get a little it would only be painful for a while. The pain I am talking about is looking over your shoulder to work with the snow blowing in your face.

The virtue is that is cheap, especially if you already have the blade. I assume you live in a low snow area. If you lived in a high snow area like I do, you give a lot of thought to snow removal and get the best equipment that you can afford.

I assume you are going to push like the guy above, rather that drive over the snow and pull it.

 

[StrangeRanger]

I've found that using the back blade depends on a few things. How long your driveway is, how much and how wet the snow is and how packed your gravel is. I've got a very long gravel driveway and find the blade to be a royal pain in the butt to use. If you can avoid it I would not recommend it for a gravel driveway.
j

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

I get by using a 7 foot rear blade on my L3830 to clear about 5-600 ft of gravel driveway. I turn the blade around and angle it to one side so that the convex surface is forward. This prevents the blade from digging up the gravel. It does leave about 1/2 to 1 " of packed snow on the driveway but it at least makes it passable. I also have the FEL incase I need to move a snow bank or drift.
It doesn't seem to matter that I drive over the snow first before the blade gets to it. This works okay for me but we only average about 20-30" of snow a season. If you are in a heavy snow area something more aggresive like a blower might be in order. - Mike

 

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

If used in conjunction with a FEL not a bad solution.

By itself...problematic

We average 120" of snow annually...front blower with a cab is the best solution

 

[dirtworksequip]

la200, if you are going with a rear blade on stone driveway by all means turn it around 180 degree's so it still moves the snow,but not tear up your stone. I personally prefer a landscape rake on stone driveways. It will not remove all the snow,but will kick up enough stone to give adequate vehicle traction. Sort of gives it a "groomed" look. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about plowing all your stone off your drive into the grass.

Sincerely, Dirt

I use a combination of front blade and landscape rake to take care of about 3000 feet of stone road. If the snow is deep I high blade the bulk of the snow off with the front blade and then follow up with the landscape rake.

 

[la200o]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't have a loader on my tractor, so those strategies noted above that involve an FEL won't work for me. I live in SE Michigan, where the amount of snow can vary greatly from year to year (last year we had plenty). What about just not setting the blade a little high so as not to actually hit the gravel/dirt?

Bill

 

[john_bud]

I would bolt on a plywood board to keep the tines form digging in.

jb

 

[Bob_Young]

I move most of my snow with a B7610 using a Woods RB60 rear blade. Before that I used an RB84 behind my L4300. I'm in upstate NY and get a lot of snow, but nothing like the Tug Hill gang.

Like Mike Kanzer said, on soft surfaces, you gotta move the snow with the blade's convex side moving forward. Otherwise it'll dig in. Once the ground freezes hard, it's not a big issue. On pavement, concave forward seems to work fine. It's nice to have a blade that can be turned around 180 degrees when needed. This allows you to push or pull with either side foreward.

Also, look for a blade that'll let you adjust and float blade tilt. This lets the blade follow surface variations between where the tractor is sitting and where the blade is contacting. The Woods RB60 and RB84 both allow this and it makes a big difference. Most of the smaller and cheaper blades do not. The smallest Woods blades made for the BX do not, as I recall.

Your idea about setting the blade a little above the surface never worked for me. My driveways are too uneven. If the front wheels went over a bump, the blade would go down in response and often dig in. Even with the L4300's position control, it didn't work well; with the 7610's quarter-inching, it's harder yet. If your driveway has no bumps or dips, you may get away with it.

I used to have a lawn tractor with a snow blower. Got tired of stumbling over the blower in the garage 7 months out of the year. Everytime I think about getting a 3PH blower, I remember how that old one used to take up space. Glad it's gone.

Looking backward can be a pain if the neck is bothering you. I have to do it anyway as I'm on a busy highway and have to check for traffic alot. Rear blade or not, I'm always looking over my shoulder for traffic.
FWIW
Bob

 

[Matt_Jr]

I've got a BX24 with a Woods RB60 rear blade. I keep the blade forward and drive forward over the snow as I plow. If I shorten the top link to it's shortest setting it won't dig in to the gravel much but won't lower to clear the crest of a hill either. I don't recommend pushing backwards 'cause if you hit something the three point arms could bend or break. Only push it backwards when pushing the piles out the way. I find 6-8" of snow is ok but more is a little tough when driving over it first. Without a loader may be easier because you'll be less likely to have the rear tires goin' sideways from deep stuff from having the blade angled.

 

[3pthitch]

I have a 98 b1700 with a 6 ft rear blade & a fel, approx 300ft of gravel driveway and i find it works just fine. The trick is not to plow right away after the first snow fall, pack it down first then you have a base . Angle the blade so it doesn't dig in . Also rear chains help alot as i have a slight hill to climb. Great tractor, bring on winter.

 

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

Too all you guys with sloped driveways that leave packed snow on the surface...what do you do when the inevitable thaw comes with rain, saturates the snow pack, then the inevitable freeze follows and now your sloped driveway is best suited for a luge run?

 

[fish6942]

Too all you guys with sloped driveways that leave packed snow on the surface...what do you do when the inevitable thaw comes with rain, saturates the snow pack, then the inevitable freeze follows and now your sloped driveway is best suited for a luge run?

I have a 200' section of my driveway that's fairly steep. I throw a light layer of sand on it when it starts getting icy.

 

[easygo]

Unless you wand to spend 1000's on a snowblower get the rear blade. The 2800 will handle a 7' blade and just drive forward and angle the blade to the side. I do what was said before. let some of the snow pack down on my gravel drive and just use the blade as intended. It works good. Be sure to push the banks back before they form a massive frozen mound because then the blade will be of little use. If you do get lots of snow then the FEL is needed to move the piles or to make them higher. When the thaw and ice comes I spread salty sand that I get from the town for free. It takes care of the ice problem.

 

[mnbowhunter1960]

I to am going to try the rear blade this year, I just picked up a used 5' king kutter for $100.00 only used for two years but sitting around for about five outside.
some paint missing but it will match the seat on the JD 3320, looks like more fun to be had playing in the snow this winter in Mn. MH

 

[brianidaho]

Does anyone use a rear blade with offset, allowing it to clear one side or the other of the rear wheels by a little more? Around here, we have a lot of hill country with driveways/roads cut across the hill (side hill). This means that plowed snow pretty much has to go to the downhill side...and hopefully the tractor doesn't!! Of course, in order to keep the roadway open all winter you need to push those berms back as much as possible. It's a balancing act to plow as wide as possible without dropping the wheels off the edge. I'm thinking an offset blade would be a good thing from a safety standpoint.

I'm liking the looks of these:
http://www.bison.com.mx/Bisonen/Products/BLADE/Serie-NHVH-XHD/Rear Blade 3.pdf (never mind, just noticed cat 2 3-pt).

Maybe this one:
http://www.landpride.com/products/prod_rb/prod_rbt35.html

But, it may be too much behind the tractor I'm planning on (Kubota L3240). Any thoughts are appreciated.

Bri

 

[brianidaho]

Too all you guys with sloped driveways that leave packed snow on the surface...what do you do when the inevitable thaw comes with rain, saturates the snow pack, then the inevitable freeze follows and now your sloped driveway is best suited for a luge run?

Thats what studded tires or chains are for! Most of our county roads don't get deiced or sanded in the winter, the entire road system is a luge run. Not really a problem in cold (<15* weather) but many of our winter days go from the low teens up to the low 30's, prime ice making time. The worst time is when the first warm spell breaks up that packed snow and you break through.

Of course we don't get the snow you do on Tug Hill (I used to snowmobile around there years ago), or even what we used to get in Buffalo, a winter with over 100 inches at my elevation is uncommon.

 

[DavidVT]

We drive on our gravel drives and pack the snow with the vehicles until it is no longer passable. After that we have the rear blade (facing forward) to push in reverse light snowfalls. Driven in forward the rear blade takes care of ruts and bumps. With large snow falls we use the FEL bucket to gain access where the snow is deeper than the raised rear blade. Finally when super heavy storms are expected and when it is time to 'push back the banks' we strap on the FEL QA mounted snowboard.

I rarely have problems with the packed snow icing up but it does happen sometimes.