Front or Rear Blower for GC

[Paystar]

Can't decide, need opinions. I have a 300 foot driveway and a turn around for transports. Lots of room to blow. I like the idea of a front blower (nice to sit and look forward), but do you think it is nice to have the FEL on? Or use a rear blade (just to clean alongside house where you can't blow.) I know it's a matter of preference but what configuration do you think is handier? Also what is a good rear 3 pt blower for the GC series and how does it compare pricewise to the Massey front mount. Been quoted $3000.00 U.S. for the front blower by my closest dealer.
Like I said, I know it is all personal preference, but just want to see what you all think.

 

[irvingj]

I got the front blower for my GC --yes, it's expensive-- but never looked back. It works very well, I have no snowpiles to try to see around, and, occasionally, if I need the FEL, it's not that hard to remove the blower and put the FEL back on. (The blower's attachment sub-frame & driveshaft extension can stay in place while using the FEL, though they don't take much time to remove, either.)

My drive is about 200' long and uphill, and I also didn't want to face rearward. For really tight places alongside house and garage, I either shovel by hand --really doesn't take that long to kick it back 2-3 feet-- or use my ol' walk-behind blower. I haven't felt the need to use the FEL but once or twice a winter, the blower works so well. I also believe the blower's also a heck of a lot more efficient that the FEL at getting snow out of the way.

There are many who swear by the front blower/rear blade set-up, or the rear blower/front blade or FEL configuration, but I've been very happy with the front blower.

BTW-- $3000 for a M-F 2360 blower is very good; mine was $3900 (installed) when I bought the tractor a year ago.

 

[amkfken]

I am sold on the front mount blower for the GC2300 after watching the County open up the road in front of me that had been closed for 63 days last winter! They even had to dodge the abandoned Cats that were buried all that time!

I get a sore neck just backing my tractor up to put it away, no way was I going for a rear mount regardless of cost!!

My cost was $4400 for the blower,mount and electric chute rotator (I have a cab on the tractor), I put it together myself, goes thru 24" hardpack and fresh snow easily.

I have 3 gravel drives to keep open, maybe 800 or so ft total, uphill and around curves, thru trees, etc. and have opened other drives in my area.

This is all at 9800ft elevation and higher.

Have not seen the need for the FEL with this setup ( It is buried in snow anyway!).

Besides it is FUN!!

 

[WilliamBos]

Can't decide, need opinions. I have a 300 foot driveway and a turn around for transports. Lots of room to blow. I like the idea of a front blower (nice to sit and look forward), but do you think it is nice to have the FEL on? Or use a rear blade (just to clean alongside house where you can't blow.) I know it's a matter of preference but what configuration do you think is handier? Also what is a good rear 3 pt blower for the GC series and how does it compare pricewise to the Massey front mount. Been quoted $3000.00 U.S. for the front blower by my closest dealer.
Like I said, I know it is all personal preference, but just want to see what you all think.

Shawn,

We paid roughly $2,000 for our Farm King, but it listed around $2,500. Does that price include the tractor mount?? We were quoted $5,800 for a front mount blower with all necessary mounts. They are sweet, as they run off the mid-mount PTO. If I had the extra cash, I would have gotten a front mount blower. You can always mount a rear blade in it.

Keep us posted.

 

[PILOON]

For sure you want a hydrostatic drive with a front mount to adjust speed for snow depths and density.
Gear transmissions will always be too fast or too slow and low fwd is always faster then reverse.
For lighter snows a plow is faster than blowing as you can plow/gather the snow for a single blower pass which then suggests that a rear blower is the handiest and most cost effective.
A front blower being 'far up there' is not the best for close in work making a rear blower a more precise tool.
You can practically see the rear blower corner make (or avoid) contact with objects simply because of viewing angles.
You soon learn to sit sideways without 'a pain in the neck' when rear blowing.
Front blowers are more costly than rear. (2x-3x)
Be sure the blower is minimum 6" wider than tire track.

 

[Ductape]

I recommend the front blower 110%. Its a bit more money up front, but well worth it in my opinion. I put my blower on at the beginning of winter and never need my loader till spring. I think you *think* you'll need the loader more than you actually need it. I never need mine at all, and i'm on my second tractor with a front blower and have no interest in going back.

 

[daveinnh]

I don't have a snowblower, but was was looking at a rear-pull type like Eskine.

Skid Steer Snow Blower - Erskine Attachments, Inc.

 

[Paystar]

Thanks so far. Wow,all but one in favour of the front blower. That's kinda what I thought I wanted. I don't know how happy I'd be looking over my shoulder going backwards for over an hour. Just wasn't sure if I'd miss having the fel "right there" if I needed it. Irvingj answered another good point. I guess you don't need to remove the front quick attach frame to install the fel? Does it have to come off to install the grill guard? Another thing I never thought to ask the dealer....if you get the optional electric chute controls on the GC where do they mount the switches? I looked at a GC with the blower installed and I don't mind the chute crank but would like to have the deflector control, as my yard is real funny for wind direction (in front of Lake Superior) so you have to constantly re-aim and tilt down to avoid a face full of snow.
Will, as far as I know that is complete, salesman never said any different and I told him what I wanted. Only thing he specifically pointed out was the mower was cheaper at time of tractor purchase, versus later on, on it's own.

 

[amkfken]

You can mount the chute rotator switch anywhere you feel is handy,within limits of wire length of course, mine is right in the plastic dash, right side near the joystick.

Suggested mount for the switch is lower on the right side, a little more difficult area to get to, I thought, so put it in/on dash.

 

[irvingj]

Paystar (nice truck!)-- Mine came with the electric controls (dealer-mounted), and they mounted the switches on the dash.... The 2310's dash is a bit cluttered to begin with and that made it even more so; if you're getting a 2410 or a 2610, they've improved that a lot. If you did it yourself, you could probably put the switches wherever you wanted. (The switches are hard to see, but one's just to the left of the fuel gauge, and the other's to the right of the RPM/hour meter. They're good quality-- rubber-coated weatherproof double-throw momentary toggles.)

Don't know how the cranks work on these things, but on my walk-behind, vibration from the engine tends to allow the chute to wiggle on its own, so I frequently have to re-aim the thing. With the electric controls, the chute stays where it's put, a nice bonus.

Yes, the grille guard has to be removed to attach the front quick-hitch subframe (4 bolts, nuts & locks); again, on the newer models that's different, as they have a hinged grille guard-- but I suspect it still needs to come off.

The only other thing I do if I need the FEL is to remove the front stub-shaft coming out of the quick-hitch subframe; it's not "advertised" in the manuals as being possible, but there actually is a quick release for that, way back in. It prevents driving snow into the open end of the coupling. (Sorry for the sideways pic!)

WBB in NH (irvingj)