Snow Attachments Front Mount Snow Blowers QD or Not?

[454shooter]

For those of you with front mount snowblowers on John Deere or Kubota, how much time does it take for removal and then re-installation of the unit? Do they make them that mount in place of the QD buckets? I am considering a purchase of a Deere or Kubota in the coming months and am curious as to how much time it will take to switch back and forth from the QD loader bucket to the blower if need be. I have a 1700' dirt/gravel slightly inclined drive in Pa which has a drifting problem. Any comments on snowblowers, even 3ph mounted, would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[RickB]

You exclude NH, but the new NH QA setup for front blade/blower, etc is very slick. Don't know anything about what Deere or Kubota offerings.

 

[kokopelli2]

i have a kubota b series with both fel and front blower. i would say that it takes about 10 min. or so to switch, but i have only put the blower on twice, so it might get better. both are easy to take on and off.it takes more time to move the hosed on the blower then to actually mount it.

 

[thcri]

Can't help you much other than what my neighbor says on his John Deere 955. He doesn't put the blower on much. In fact in the three years I have known him I only have seen the blower on once. Now I don't know if it is because it is a pain or he just likes his blade better.

murph

 

[JackIL]

My experience with the JD front 59 inch snowblower on a JD 955 was that it takes about 5-7 minutes to attach and a little less to detach. This includes installing the PTO driveshaft from the mid-PTO to the front. You can leave that on with the blower removed and still put the loader on.

The loader is 2-3 minutes on or off. The greatest amount of that is connecting the 4 hoses.

So overall it is very fast. Mind you I never had to install or remove the blower in a cold blinding snowstorm.

JackIL

 

[keeney]

On my JD4100 with 47" snowblower:

(All times assume equipment is readily accessable, not buried under other stuff in back of garage, on level, paved surface, and does not need significant wrestling into position).

No tools required for any change.

On the 4100, all the front mount parts for the blower or blade have to be removed to use the loader.


Remove Mower [5-10 minutes]
- Drop mower deck.
- Disconnect mower driveshaft.
- Pull rear spring-pins
- Remove fron mower linkage (1 spring pin).
- Remove front mower mount (1 cotter, 1 shaft)
- Pull deck out from under tractor
- Remove 4 cotters and pins to remove remaing lift linkage

Remove Loader & Ballast [10 minutes]
- Lift tractor front with loader.
- Disengage lock
- Activate lift circuit to move to parking position
- Disconnect 4 hyd lines
- Move tractor
- Drop ballast & remove 3 pins

Install front Quick-Hitch & Blade [5 minutes]
- Add front driveshaft and front hitch (1 shaft, 1 cotter pin)
- Add quick hitch (2 spring pins, 4 hydraulic lines)
- Drive up, lift blade,a nd engage (2 spring pins)

Install front Quick-Hitch & Snowblower [7 minutes]
- Add front driveshaft and front hitch (1 shaft, 1 cotter pin)
- Add quick hitch (2 spring pins, 2 hydraulic lines)
- Drop lock pin into angle function of quick-hitch.
- Drive up, lift blower, and engage (2 spring pins + driveshaft)
- Connect blower chute angle hyd lines.

Blade to Blower (5 minutes)
- Disengage blade & drop where desired.
- Disconenct 2 hyd lines
- Add angle lock pin to quick hitch
- Drive up, and engage blower
- Connect 2 hyd lines
- Connect driveshaft


Some reality factors:

Wrestle ballast on or off of 3-point hitch on uneven ground: add 15 minutes.

Dig snowblower out from under junk in garage and half-**** clean garage: add 2 hours.

Find driveshaft when going from blade to snowblower - add 30 minutes.

Seasonal cleaning and re-arranging of garage, including boats, cars, trailers, mower, blower, blade, loader, tractor, and other seasonal tools and stuff: add 1 day.

- Rick

 

[WCarlson]

454shooter,
On a JD 4200 with a 59inch blower, it is an hour or more job. Basically you have to remove the FEL plus its front mounts attached to the frame including the grill protector. Then you have to remove the frame mounted supports for the MMM, disconnect the MMM control hydraulic cylinder, or wire it in place as it is attaced to the supports. Then you can start mounting the blower.....make that a couple hour job total as in that it has been an annual task, the learning curve doesn't improve from year to year. For me, every time over the last four years has been the first time. In short, I do it once the first time we expect a blowable snow, then forego use of the FEL until spring, unless I am willing to devote a couple hours to remove the SB and install the FEL then a couple more to remove the FEL and reinstall the blower.
Bill

 

[jimgerken]

JD 4100 (and probably 4110/4115, judging by same implement numbers used): Quite easy and tool-less to change implements. Everytime I do a change, I am impressed with the engineering. And I am difficult to impress, doing engineering design for a living and re-designing virtually everything I buy 'cause I usually consider it inadequate when I get it home. Taking off the loader on level ground or cement floor takes about 3-4 minutes, no tools. Putting on the quick-tach system including the driveshaft and the hydraulic lifting frame takes about 4-5 minutes, and you must be able to lift an object of about 75 pounds a few inches off the floor. Then, to attach either the blade, blower, or broom attachments is a simple minute or two, no tools. This is a great system and it is so easy my wife has watched a couple times and has expressed interest in trying it herself (except for the lifting part). I own the 410 loader and the rotary brush with quick-tach system. I plan to use the quick-tach to mount my home-built snowblower this winter. The great part of this is that the quick-tach will allow me to blow snow and then quickly (under 3 minutes total, no tools) change to the brush and brush the sidewalk down to clean cement. Should be an awesome combo. I would brush the driveway too, if it was paved. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[TMcD_in_MI]

I have a JD 4310 and I mounted the 59" blower for the first time a few weeks ago. In order to attach the mounting bracket / driveshaft carrier for the blower, I had to take the grille guard off and bolt the bracket in its place. Even though this only involves six bolts, I took about an hour to do it, uncluding unpacking boxes and looking at the manual every couple of minutes. I expect I could do it in about 15 minutes the next time.

Next I detached the loader, about 5 minutes, and hooked up the blower, maybe another 5 or 10 minutes. Once I knew everything went together OK, I took the blower and lift cylinder off and put the loader back on. I left the mounting bracket / driveshaft carrier in place, so when I need the blower, it should take about 15 minutes to do the changeover. The only downside I can see to this is lower ground clearance - probably not good if you're working around stumps or big rocks.

Tom

 

[454shooter]

Tom,
I would be very interested to hear how the 4310 works with the blower. My top choice for a new tractor right now is a 4310 Hydro but I am waiting to see the new model(s) before I purchase. How many greenstamps to buy the blower? I take it that it is JD? Also, anything else you can offer regarding the 4310 would be sincerely appreciated. (I want to purchase with a blower or backhoe) I currently have a 41 hp Allis Chalmers with an 8' Land Pride rear blade. In your opinion, would the 4310 handle an 8' rear blade? Thanks in advance. Tom