Snow Attachments I'm sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

[brianidaho]

I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

I'm on a 20 acre parcel here in north Idaho, with about 1/2 mile of private road/driveway to maintain. We have gotten hit pretty good with snow this year, maybe 3 ft on the level now, there has been more but some has settled. My tractor is a Shibaura D23F (23 PTO HP, 27 engine, 4x4) and my plowing implement is a 6' hydraulic angle front blade on my FEL. Several areas for improvement...the blade is too short to lilft/curl snow much over a 1 foot berm, the blade is too narrow, forcing me to drive too close to the edge of the road, and the blade is underbuilt-it bent the first time i used it, I've reinforced with angle but is still too light. One problem is that much of my road has a pretty good bank, going off the lower side is at least a good stuck, perhaps a rollover if things go real bad. Road is gravel.

My berms are running around 5 foot high, I've had to raise the blade and "wing" them back several times. Running out of room and places to put the silly stuff. I'll stumble by this winter but neet to upgrade for next year. I need to fill the tires and add chains (short of $$ now), but also need a better implement. I have done quite a bit of searching on this forum, but haven't found quite the same conditions and a great solution. Here are my ideas:

1) Wider front blade (for FEL) with a trip and float mechanism. I'm thinking I might find a used truck blade and adapt, I could salvage the hydraulic cylinders from my current setup. Still, I'd have to swap and put the bucket on when berms get real bad.

2) Wide and tall rear blade. I'd want something similar to a truck blade here too, 7-8' wide to let me "wing" berms without driving in them, and 18" or so tall. Would also prefer trip springs like a truck blade, and hydro angle. I haven't seen a rear blade like this, am thinking about designing one and working with a local fabricator. I'm thinking I could use this going forward, would have to drive over the snow first thereby packing it, but I don't think that would be a problem. This would let me keep my FEL bucket on when needed.

3. PTO snowblower. Not really looking at a front (FEL) mount due to cost. All the blowers I've seen require operation going in reverse. I understand there are some "inverse" ones that mount with the opening forward, does anyone have one or links to a website with one shown? Or experience with one? The blower has the benefit of not building berms to anywhere near the same extent, but I'm concerned about the cost, potential for launching gravel and looking like a snow man every time I plow. I'm going to do some looking for a used one around here. Any idea how big a blower I can run with my tractor?

If anyone here has thoughts or advice I'd appreciate it. I'll be doing some more searching as well. Thanks in advance.

Brian

I'll take some pics over the weekend and post them.

 

[ronjhall]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

<font color="blue"> 1) Wider front blade (for FEL) with a trip and float mechanism. I'm thinking I might find a used truck blade and adapt, I could salvage the hydraulic cylinders from my current setup. Still, I'd have to swap and put the bucket on when berms get real bad. </font>

Brian

I don't have 3' of snow on the ground yet. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

My experience with a lot of snow is if there is a place to push it the blade will work OK. Reading the reports from TBNers that have snow blowers makes me wonder how they would work on my tractor. But so far I have had no problems moving the snow that we have in my area of Southeastern Michigan.

 

[RWB]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Hi Brian,
I mounted a 7' truck plow on the front of my tractor. It is a 20HP Nortrac. Once the snow gets high on the sides I then push the banks down here and there. Kind of opens a hole so the snow has aplace to go. Anyway I had to make the brackets to mount the blad but the little tractor swings it around like it's not even there. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jimg]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Brain,
For large amts of snow a blower is the only way to go unless you like lots of seat time. It gets the snow out of the way the first time and theres no need to dress up berms. Theres no more worying about where youre going to put all the snow.

I wouldnt worry too much about gravel. For the first couple of snows set the skid shoes as high as theyll go and you shouldnt have any trouble. I would, however, walk the road prior to the first snow and police all of the big rocks. I live on a dirt road and have a gravel drive...no problems as long as I dont ingesta big rock. My blower passes gravel OK...although I try to avoid that.

If you mind the wind you wont come away looking like a snowman. However, it will happen occassionally...dress for it and youll be OK.
Becoming a snowman is only a problem it theres wind.

I paid about $1400 for mine (54")...its a Pronovost and built like a tank. The best feature is the small clearance between fan and fan housing. That keeps gravel from getting wedged between them which would shear a pin.

As for size you want to at least cover your back wheels. I have a 54" (wheel width about 48") blower on my TC24D which has 18+hp PTO. We've had a couple reasonable snows (10"-12") and its handled them w/o a problem (ie lots of power to spare). I only had to slow a bit when moving berms that filled the intake. The real test will be this spring when the snow tends to be wet and heavy. If you get mostly light fluffy snow then you might be able to go wider than normal.
jimg

 

[Von]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

We have gotten over 120" so far this year. Nothing works half as good a snowblower! Last year I had a 5' rear snow blower that works well and sure beats using a back blade. This year I swapped the rear blower for a 5' Kubota front mount blower. Its the best for moving this deep show we have been getting. No worry about were to put it, just blow it which ever way the wind is blowing. The only thing that I wish I had was a cab! I have to wear ski goggles and full face mask when the wind is up! (read just about every day /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

 

[brianidaho]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Thanks for the replies. Ron, what part of WNY are you from? I'm originally from the Lockport/Gasport area (1/2 hour NE of Buffalo). Winters around here aren't usually as severe as WNY, but this year is doing a good impression! Our temperatures around here tend to be milder, largely in the 20's-30's, hence lots of heavy, often wet snow. The Kabota blower you have, does it have a seperate motor, or do you run from the PTO? Sounds like a nice setup. I'll probably be looking used just do to budget issues.

I was looking at the Pronovost blowers and saw the other post on them, they look to be very solid and well made. I really like the idea of the "inverse" ones, but they look to be for bigger tractors than mine. Anyone know of an inverse style for smaller tractors?

Bri

 

[Von]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Bri,
I am in Fairport, NY, just outside of Rochester. The Kubota blower runs of off the mid-PTO. Here are a few photos.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/311412-snowblower.jpg

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Brian, I had a 36" single stage on an old 16 HP gaden tractor. I used that to clear our road in the bad storms. The worst I can say about it is how miserable it worked if the snow was too 'wet'. would clog the chute in five feet of travel. I've never used one, but from what I've read the two stage blowers solve that problem. And as for it being a front mount, once you had that, you don't need the fel. Good luck whichever way you choose....

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

Best way, hummm, move to south central Texas. We get maybe about 1" every 12 years.
My wife has rarely been in any snow of any significance. She actually wishes for it to snow here.
Me, well I grew up here too but I like to snow ski so I've had my fun. I only need about 3-5 days of deep cold/snow and I've had my fill.
My northern buddy said after living here in Austin,
"Texas summers are a lot like winters up north, everyone stays indoors alot but you don't have to shovel snow"

 

[Rip]

Re: I\'m sick of snow!!!! Best way to get rid of it?

I have a similar driveway situation at 8000 ft in Colorado that I plow with a Chevy 3/4 PU with a 7 1/2 ft Western plow. I make a special effort in the first half of the season to push as much of the snow off the outside edge of the dirt road so I have room for the late season snow.

I also have a NH TC30 with FEL and back blade that I can use to deal with problem areas later, usually in better weather than a raging storm. You might want to check out Http://plowsite.com for more ideas and info on serious snow removal equipment.

Rip