Snow Hours moving snow

[Jadd]

Just wondering. How may seasonal hours is the average home owner putting on their compact tractors moving snow?

 

[themichelob]

Last three very light winters about ten. This tough winter about thirty so far--got two more inches last night--no seat time for that. I'd prefer something in between....
Regards, Mike

 

[ScottBX23]

About 25hrs

 

[dutchman56]

Have about 50 hours now. Will be more when at cottage full time when retired, have 1 km of road to self and another 2 to share with other full time cottagers.

 

[automech]

This year? About 30 minutes, after a 3 inch fall. I could have let it melt off but I plowed anyway for some fun. SE PA has had almost no snow to date.

 

[canoetrpr]

So far - at least 15. Another storm on the way tonight.

 

[LBrown59]

Less than 60 minutes since 2004

So far - at least 15. Another storm on the way tonight.

 

[Dyer retired]

Just wondering. How may seasonal hours is the average home owner putting on their compact tractors moving snow?

Absolutely as many as I can possibly get away with or justify. This year has been a little beyond reasonable for snow fall in Mid-Maine, so the average is up. So it depends, but I have always felt like I use my BX 1800 a lot. I go to the mailbox with it, I mow the lawn, I have a front mounted BX 2750 snowblower on the front and a 6 foot rear blade on the rear. I pull dead trees out to where I can get a chain saw on them. I level the driveway with the blade in the summer, manicure the ditches by the road, and I generally don't go for very many days without finding something to get seat time in. The neighbors think I live on it....and they're not far off.

I do much of the maintenance, modifications, installations, etc. myself and just enjoy tinkering with it. I keep meticulous logs on everything I do to the tractor, really just for the fun of it....kind of like a "ships log." I've had the tractor in "year round" use since it was new in 2003 and just went over 217 hours today. I sold a pickup truck one time and realized the error of that move, bought another one and will never be without one. I will, likewise, never be without a tractor and suspect that I'll continue to find creative uses for it.

I am curious as to the reason for your question though? If you are trying to justify to a spouse good reasons for buying a tractor, such as moving lots of snow in the winter, please don't show her threads like this....it's really just a lot of fun to own! Dyer, retired

 

[Barneyhunts]

We've only had about 40" of snow this year and I may have had 2-3 hrs moving it. it doesn't usually take very long with the 50" blower........But, it can still snow as much or more than we've had.

 

[Tig]

I guess you mean snow that has to be moved as opposed to just playing in the snow. I'm only in the country part time and it has not been a hard winter there. Less than 10 hours on my half mile of lane way. Average clearing takes about 20 mins.

 

[DesertRose]

I had my L3400 delivered a few days after Thanksgiving. It had 2 hours on it. I now have 56 hours on the tractor. Not one hour has been logged using a 3 pt. attachment. I have left the back-hoe on for weight when operating in deep snow or mud. I have used the FEL to push or lift snow all winter. I did take one break from snow removal last week to spread composted manure through the corrals to build a road through the mud. The snow has begun melting. I had been piling up snow all winter and now I am breaking up those piles so they will melt quicker.

So...I guess I can say I have logged over 50 hours this winter moving snow.

Tom

 

[peterc38]

Plenty of snow in Maine. I have about 30 hrs of seat time for snow removal w/ my 7610 (FEL and rear blade) and maybe another 12-15 hours w/ a walk behind snow blower.

 

[Dyer retired]

Plenty of snow in Maine. I have about 30 hrs of seat time for snow removal w/ my 7610 (FEL and rear blade) and maybe another 12-15 hours w/ a walk behind snow blower.

peterc38 makes a very good point. For every real hour I have on the tractor, I normally end up with about an hour of shoveling or raking snow from the roof and then using the Troybilt walk behind to clear the back deck, entryways, and around the oil tank filer spouts, etc. I don't find that to be as much fun, so must have psychologically blocked that out in my last posting, ha! John, retired

 

[jimainiac]

Jadd, you didn't mention where you live, that has alot to do with it. We've had our L3830 through four winters, so far. It has 600 hours, and it seems like about half of them have been moving snow. Before we got the tractor, I would plow the snow off our parking lot into every nook and cranny, and in a heavy snow year we would lose a lot of room as the snowbanks encroached. Now I plow to one end of the parking lot with the truck, and when the storm is over I go out at my liesure and bucket it away. Also use it sometimes to scrape with the rear blade what the plow can't get off the pavement. Every year is different, but with the snow we've gotten this year, I'd hate to not have that tractor.

 

[offcamber]

I'll let you know after this weekend when my new BX24 gets delivered...we have gotten a over 100" of snow this season in NH...add the fact I have a metal roof and lots of trees I am burried...I wasn't planning on buying the tractor till this summer but with finacing deals and the snow I moved up my time line....I figure I'll have close to 20 hours by then end of the weekend....I better go stock up on diesel.

 

[easygo]

I have logged about 35hrs of snow time as well. It seems like the Mainers are working overtime this year. If I remember correctly it has been the 5th most snowy winter here on record. No complaints though it is an easy job with the tractor.

 

[Dyer retired]

offcamber,

I think your estimate of 20 hours with the new BX24 this weekend will be an underestimate. You'll find yourself out sitting on it in a garage just admiring it, whether it's running or not. You'll find yourself smiling at how much snow you're moving around and where you can put it....look back at the new pile and go move it again. You will not be disappointed in the purchase. My only caution is to watch for all the things you've probably already read about.....for instance, immediately backing into a fence and tearing off a marker light, or swinging the front around faster than you should and realizing you just took a half square of shingles off the side of a building, etc. Have fun, let us know, and welcome to TBN from a 3 week veteran. Dyer, retired

 

[Dyer retired]

easygo,

I hate to keep talking old, but as a "born and raised Mainer" it does seem like snow amounts were more severe in Caribou when I was a kid. I think they said the record was 182 inches in one year in Maine? I thought we'd be getting close to that, but are still off by about 40 inches, so my memory is apparently flawed. Although, I do remember weeks on end of sub zero temps. and we haven't had that kind of winter for several years.

I'm not interested in setting the record this year and am starting to think about sharpening mmm blades, etc. I do find that where I live in Belgrade, on the West side of Route 135, seems to be some magical cutoff line. If Joe Cupo says it will snow 10 inches in the Augusta area and 14 inches toward the Western Mountains....we get the 14 inches every time. I think his coastal forecasts have been pretty close though. How did you do overnight? Dyer, retired

 

[cschlaps]

I've had a tractor since February 1st, and have logged 20-25 hours in that time. I have a 300' driveway, plus a 1/2 mile road that I do. I've also done driveways for other neighbors as well, depending on the snowfall.

This has been an exceptional winter for snow here in SE Michigan. Got another storm overnight and moved snow this morning.

7' rear blade and FEL have worked extremely well for me so far. Much better than I anticipated.

Chris

 

[offcamber]

offcamber,

I think your estimate of 20 hours with the new BX24 this weekend will be an underestimate. You'll find yourself out sitting on it in a garage just admiring it, whether it's running or not. You'll find yourself smiling at how much snow you're moving around and where you can put it....look back at the new pile and go move it again. You will not be disappointed in the purchase. My only caution is to watch for all the things you've probably already read about.....for instance, immediately backing into a fence and tearing off a marker light, or swinging the front around faster than you should and realizing you just took a half square of shingles off the side of a building, etc. Have fun, let us know, and welcome to TBN from a 3 week veteran. Dyer, retired

You may be right about that....unfortunetly I don't have room in the garage for the tractor unless I kick the wifes car out....(yeah thats gonna happen) so I will be admiring the tractor under a tarp...