Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Front Vs. Rear BLade for Snow Removal

[75H2]

1st off, thanks to all for the great advice available on this site.

Here is the situation. Ordered a MF Scut. I'll take possession in a week or so. I bought it with the front loader. One of its many uses will be snow removal. I'll have about 300 ft of gravel drive and 3 car wide parking area. It snows & drifts quite a bit.

Is it worth my time & $$ to purchase a front blade for snow removal. Or use the loader in conjunction with a rear blade.

I've already had 1 dealer try to talk me out of it

 

[KCFlame]

If I remember correctly, the blade from the dealer was a couple of thousand. You can buy a UTV 72" plow for around $600 (or less). Figuring maybe $100. of modification to it, (like cutting down the push tubes) you can use the left over for something else.

If your only pushing snow and maybe light grading, the light blade makes more sense.

Personally I have a back blade and adapted the old atv blade as the main snow plow. I much prefer pushing snow with the tractor and use the back blade to only pull some away from the house.

Sure you can buy a heaver blade like off a truck and have all the power angle options but for long runs where your not changing the angle all the time, more sense to save money than spend it on something you may use once or twice each snow. With a little practice, you will get the hang of how best to angle it for your application, so you may not even have to get off to do it.

And the lighter blade does not tear up a gravel drive like a heavy one will.

Good luck either way..

 

[RichZ]

I live in upstate NY, where we get a lot of snow, and I've got a 1/4 mile long driveway. I've always used a rear blade. It's easier to pull the snow than push it, and you don't need a place to push it. When you get to the street, you lift the blade, back up, pick the snow up with the loader and dump it where ever you want. Plus, a rear blade will be a heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[Rara Avis]

1st off, thanks to all for the great advice available on this site.

Here is the situation. Ordered a MF Scut. I'll take possession in a week or so. I bought it with the front loader. One of its many uses will be snow removal. I'll have about 300 ft of gravel drive and 3 car wide parking area. It snows & drifts quite a bit.

Is it worth my time & $$ to purchase a front blade for snow removal. Or use the loader in conjunction with a rear blade.

I've already had 1 dealer try to talk me out of it

Put a blower on the back...

 

[hydrovane218]

I second P.C's comment. Just bought my first unit a few months back and a blade of either distinction(front/rear) never even crossed my mind. Why push or pull snow where you want it rather than shoot it 20.30,40,50 ft away where it can't pile up enough to ever cause you grief until it melts in a few months?
I started a thread on this (blade vs. blower) a while back and am still curious as to why blades seem pretty common and/or even preffered. To each man/situation his own I guess.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

I have a Honda 6522 with Turf's and (I believe) a MF 60" power angle front blade. This is second season it has been used to clear gravel drive / parking area of approx. 12,000 sq.ft. Most snow falls are in 1" - 10" range, but drifting can result in some deeper spots.

I have lots of room on the edges so pushing the snow back enough or high enough has not been a problem yet. Personally I would not want a blade without power angle, nor would I be keen on a rear blower with manual chute adjustment.

My blade looks identical to the attached photo, but without decals.

 

[arrow]

I've been moving snow in the Northeast in just the same configuration of fel-rear scraper. At the beginning of my purchase of the tractor in 1985, I should of spent the money and gotten the snowplow attachment that you can mount to the fel as I kept waiting the stupid thing cost went up $600. I also have a 300' drive and I think the front end plow is much faster coupled with the rear scraper blade. And yes get a blade you can angle from your seat. As you grow older and repeated hops off the tractor begin to hurt, you won't regret it. I find tractor attachments are like a guy with a hernia. You live with it for 10-15-20 years always guarding your life around the hernia. Then you have it done anyway and wonder why you wasted all those years and prevented a full life without the operation. I did the same thing with tractor attachments and wondered why I wasted my time for so long without them. Am I making any sense or am I up too late?

 

[arrow]

I've been moving snow in the Northeast in just the same configuration of fel-rear scraper. At the beginning of my purchase of the tractor in 1985, I should of spent the money and gotten the snowplow attachment that you can mount to the fel as I kept waiting the stupid thing cost went up $600. I also have a 300' drive and I think the front end plow is much faster coupled with the rear scraper blade. And yes get a blade you can angle from your seat. As you grow older and repeated hops off the tractor begin to hurt, you won't regret it. I find tractor attachments are like a guy with a hernia. You live with it for 10-15-20 years always guarding your life around the hernia. Then you have it done anyway and wonder why you wasted all those years and prevented a full life without the operation. I did the same thing with tractor attachments and wondered why I wasted my time for so long without them. Am I making any sense or am I up too late?

 

[hydrovane218]

Cinder..
That Schnauzer is so **** big(and in black), almost looks like a Bouvier to me: I was suprised that it is a Schnauzer.
I actually have a manual chute on my blower, and while a hydraulic chute would obviously be king, I actually don't find it that bad so far(time will tell).
Have you used a blower? I haven't used either front/rear blade, don't think they would be good for my application, but might be tempted to buy one just to try it out.(money spent on any tool is almost always worth it... from a tool junkies' perspective.)

 

[75H2]

I second P.C's comment. Just bought my first unit a few months back and a blade of either distinction(front/rear) never even crossed my mind. Why push or pull snow where you want it rather than shoot it 20.30,40,50 ft away where it can't pile up enough to ever cause you grief until it melts in a few months?
I started a thread on this (blade vs. blower) a while back and am still curious as to why blades seem pretty common and/or even preffered. To each man/situation his own I guess.

2 words: Cash, Gravel