deep snow technique?

[CalG]

Around my lot, I have a situation where I need to break through DEEP snow.
I have a useful arsenal of snow moving equipment, but still seem to think "there must be a tetter way".

There is is a gentle down grade that gets piled with snow from blowing the drive. It's about 30 meters to a bank that can accept as much snow as will ever be seen, but the entrance to that bank is only 2 meters wide, and often choked with a meter depth of snow blower compacted snow. At present, I've been driving over/ through the depth with the loader and back blade fitted Hurlimann 435.
Trying to use the front bucket bogs the tractor in the depth of snow. Should the bucket lift and pile each advance, one before the other? I have not had good luck with this effort so far. perhaps there is a technique. Due to the presence of trees and the lay of the land, a straight on advance is the only option.

With the recent snow, I was "almost" stopped, but the Hurlimann's front and rear locking diffs prevailed, and an initial path was made on wheels alone. Once through the deepest portion (and that took some time) The back blade was used to haul the snow forward, then backed over, then bucketed over the bank while hauling a new back blade's worth to the ready position. It must have taken 15 cycles to clear the 30 meters. Then a similar process was used to widen the path before turning the back blade 180 degrees and pushing the load in one go.

Are ther better techniques to the breaking through effort?

The blower that fills the avenue described above, is mounted on a Bolens HT-23 that throws the material off the drive and into the confines. That piece of equipment is deficient in several ways. The blower is only as wide as the wheel track,(I'm looking for a 48 -54" blower that accepts the Bolens HT rotation direction) and backing out of any advance is difficult. Even though fitted with wheel chains, the yard tractor will hardly get out of it's own way. It could sorely use four wheel drive! I've dug it out of it's own mess two many times! (but man-o-man does it blow snow on the easy going!)

So just a shout out for good suggestions into how to "break through" and then move considerable amounts of snow with "smallish" equipment.

The Fordson, though fitted with aggressive wheel chains and a most useful front mounted Western plow blade, runs into traction problems early on. The area to be cleared has a nasty habit of being icey! That and the fact that it is stored at the bottom of the area to be cleared , safely tucked under the lower level of the shop, and the reason the snow needs moved in the first place ;-)

Ideas welcomed

 

[leonz]

DO you have V chains? They are great for both sod and blacktop and dirt
and stone driveways.

My John Deere LA115 suffers from the same issues. I finally filled the
rears with windshield washer fluid and its made a huge difference.

I would fill the rears with windshield washer fluid and just clear the drifts
slowly with the Bolens.

My blower belt snapped tonight and I have to travel top get a new one; HOOOVERS!!!
because I asked the shop to look at belt and change it the week before because the
B+S engine electric starters plastic engagement parts crapped out and it had to be
winched up on the truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CalG]

Yes. V Bar chains

The rears are weighted AND filled, though hanging 50 kg off the rear does help counter the front blower. The Bolens really suffers with the blower width in relation to the the wheel track.

There is no percentage in trying to climb back up hill ;-)

 

[Deere Dude]

Its hard to imagine the snowblower wouldn't do the trick. With chains, loaded tires and weights and a big operator on a higher horsepower snowblower that can blow snow 30 feet should be able to clear almost anything. Small bites until through the first pass and then maybe a quarter blower width each time after that.

 

[Tractor Tom]

I real deep snow you have to just take a bit at a time. I'll raise my blower up and back into a drift, then drive forward, lower the blower all the way and back in again. Repeat the process until the snow depth in manageable.

 

[DHD]

Around my lot, I have a situation where I need to break through DEEP snow.
I have a useful arsenal of snow moving equipment, but still seem to think "there must be a tetter way".

There is is a gentle down grade that gets piled with snow from blowing the drive. It's about 30 meters to a bank that can accept as much snow as will ever be seen, but the entrance to that bank is only 2 meters wide, and often choked with a meter depth of snow blower compacted snow. At present, I've been driving over/ through the depth with the loader and back blade fitted Hurlimann 435.
Trying to use the front bucket bogs the tractor in the depth of snow. Should the bucket lift and pile each advance, one before the other? I have not had good luck with this effort so far. perhaps there is a technique. Due to the presence of trees and the lay of the land, a straight on advance is the only option.

With the recent snow, I was "almost" stopped, but the Hurlimann's front and rear locking diffs prevailed, and an initial path was made on wheels alone. Once through the deepest portion (and that took some time) The back blade was used to haul the snow forward, then backed over, then bucketed over the bank while hauling a new back blade's worth to the ready position. It must have taken 15 cycles to clear the 30 meters. Then a similar process was used to widen the path before turning the back blade 180 degrees and pushing the load in one go.

Are ther better techniques to the breaking through effort?

The blower that fills the avenue described above, is mounted on a Bolens HT-23 that throws the material off the drive and into the confines. That piece of equipment is deficient in several ways. The blower is only as wide as the wheel track,(I'm looking for a 48 -54" blower that accepts the Bolens HT rotation direction) and backing out of any advance is difficult. Even though fitted with wheel chains, the yard tractor will hardly get out of it's own way. It could sorely use four wheel drive! I've dug it out of it's own mess two many times! (but man-o-man does it blow snow on the easy going!)

So just a shout out for good suggestions into how to "break through" and then move considerable amounts of snow with "smallish" equipment.

The Fordson, though fitted with aggressive wheel chains and a most useful front mounted Western plow blade, runs into traction problems early on. The area to be cleared has a nasty habit of being icey! That and the fact that it is stored at the bottom of the area to be cleared , safely tucked under the lower level of the shop, and the reason the snow needs moved in the first place ;-)

Ideas welcomed

I suggest getting a 3pt. RM snow blower for your Hurlimann 435 to get that snow you are trying to break through right out of your way.

For my Kubota B7800 I have a John Deere Frontier SB1164 3 pt. RM snow blower, it's 64" wide, with a 26" high snow intake, has a 4 paddle 24" diameter impeller and will throw snow over 35'.
When I raise up my snow blower on my B7800, I can snow blow the top 2 feet off of a 4 foot high snow bank.
So far, excessive snow depth has not been an issue to remove snow.

The Frontier snow blower like mine, would be a good match for your Hurlimann 435.
I believe your Hurlimann 435 has about 25 pto HP and the SB1164 has a recommended Min. 20 pto HP - Max 50 pto HP.

I purchased my SB1154 used and have snow blown with it for two years.
Every snow storm I have the following snow blowing tasks:
01). snow blow a 530 foot gravel driveway
02). snow blow a 300 ft gravel driveway
03). snow blow about 200 ft of snow bank left by the highway's snow plows.
So it gets a great deal of use, especially this winter season.

The Frontier SB1164 rear mount snow blower is a reliable rugged machine.
Over the past two years I have only replaced, an occasional broken shear bolt.

Good luck in your search.

 

[DHD]

Around my lot, I have a situation where I need to break through DEEP snow.
I have a useful arsenal of snow moving equipment, but still seem to think "there must be a tetter way".

There is is a gentle down grade that gets piled with snow from blowing the drive. It's about 30 meters to a bank that can accept as much snow as will ever be seen, but the entrance to that bank is only 2 meters wide, and often choked with a meter depth of snow blower compacted snow. At present, I've been driving over/ through the depth with the loader and back blade fitted Hurlimann 435.
Trying to use the front bucket bogs the tractor in the depth of snow. Should the bucket lift and pile each advance, one before the other? I have not had good luck with this effort so far. perhaps there is a technique. Due to the presence of trees and the lay of the land, a straight on advance is the only option.

With the recent snow, I was "almost" stopped, but the Hurlimann's front and rear locking diffs prevailed, and an initial path was made on wheels alone. Once through the deepest portion (and that took some time) The back blade was used to haul the snow forward, then backed over, then bucketed over the bank while hauling a new back blade's worth to the ready position. It must have taken 15 cycles to clear the 30 meters. Then a similar process was used to widen the path before turning the back blade 180 degrees and pushing the load in one go.

Are ther better techniques to the breaking through effort?

The blower that fills the avenue described above, is mounted on a Bolens HT-23 that throws the material off the drive and into the confines. That piece of equipment is deficient in several ways. The blower is only as wide as the wheel track,(I'm looking for a 48 -54" blower that accepts the Bolens HT rotation direction) and backing out of any advance is difficult. Even though fitted with wheel chains, the yard tractor will hardly get out of it's own way. It could sorely use four wheel drive! I've dug it out of it's own mess two many times! (but man-o-man does it blow snow on the easy going!)

So just a shout out for good suggestions into how to "break through" and then move considerable amounts of snow with "smallish" equipment.

The Fordson, though fitted with aggressive wheel chains and a most useful front mounted Western plow blade, runs into traction problems early on. The area to be cleared has a nasty habit of being icey! That and the fact that it is stored at the bottom of the area to be cleared , safely tucked under the lower level of the shop, and the reason the snow needs moved in the first place ;-)

Ideas welcomed

It's difficult for me to picture your situation.
Would it be possible to use your Hurlimann 435 with a rear mount snow blower to remove the deep snow that concerns you ?

 

[CalG]

It's difficult for me to picture your situation.
Would it be possible to use your Hurlimann 435 with a rear mount snow blower to remove the deep snow that concerns you ?

Of course. A blower on the Hurlimann would do a fine job. All that needs to be done is sign the check. Or I could just hire the job done, even less trouble. The pen is mightier than the sword! ;-)

But

I have equipment enough. Blower, blade, bucket, and plow. and Tractors enough to drive them 3 out of 4. There should be a best way to get through 4 feet of compacted snow with a 4WD tractor equipped with a bucket and a back blade.
That is the question posed.

The requirement comes up about 4 times a winter, and it's looking like the need will arrive again before Monday

 

[Jd5203]

Set your loader down just below your axle and then just have your blade push off the rest. Thats what we've always done but I also have anywhere from 56-83 HP depending on which tractor I feel like using. Now I just use the 5083e because of one reason, cab. Haha

 

[tcreeley]

Real deep- I push the snow 7-10' with the bucket 7-8" above the ground. I fill the bucket and back out to dump some place or back up and swing to the side to dump. Then I go back for a scraping pass (bucket flat down and then angled down so the front end becomes light. I fill the bucket and then go dump it. It takes some time, but works. I am reclaiming my drive to the barn - 30" of snow built up. - I don't bother mounting my snowplow anymore - faster with the bucket.