Massey GC1710TLB - getting ready for winter

[LevesqueOnline]

Hey there, as I am getting ready for winter on my new 1700 series I begin to wonder how prepared I am. After last winters record snow falls I went out and baught this little gem right away and have done many projects around the yard. Very pleased over all.

So I am wondering when im trying to move 15 feet of snow this year, does anyone have a list of items they do to prepare? I spoke to my dealer and he mentioned the 4WD is enough most people dont buy chains or load the tires on these he said.

I am playing around with the thought of buying a snow blower as well, but thinking i may be able to squeeze a winter out with just the loader.

appreciate any experience any snow go'ers have on here on mods etc.

 

[irvingj]

I got the front-mount blower for mine when I bought it and have never regretted it.

The nice thing about the blower is that: a) you don't end up with huge piles or banks of snow (and your driveway doesn't get narrower and narrower as winter progresses), and b) it makes its own "road" through the snow as you go. While using a blower is slower than using a plow, it's far more efficient than using the FEL, unless you have a bank you can just push the snow over. OTOH, using the FEL is sure a heck of a lot easier than using a shovel!

I have turf tires on my 2310 and also have chains-- but the first time I had to put the chains on was last year because we had a bunch of ice, and I suspect the tires are wearing down some as well after 8 years and 570 hrs. I should add that the tires have never been loaded.

The front blower is wicked expensive, but well-built (made in Canada!). Leaving the mid-PTO driveshaft and mounting shoe in place, its takes only about 8 minutes to switch from blower to FEL if the need arises.

Another couple of great additions are a block heater and a stick-on transmission heater. They will reduce winter warm-up time, both for the engine and the hydraulic fluid, and the engine will start very easily. I figure that saves quite a bit of wear and tear on everything when it gets real cold.

About the only other thing you might consider would be additional lighting (especially to the rear), as you'll often be moving snow early in the morning when it's dark. There are many good options available, but since I'm pretty frugal (cheap), I just go with an LED lamp on a headband; that works well enough for me.

Enjoy your tractor!

 

[AxleHub]

Hey there, as I am getting ready for winter on my new 1700 series I begin to wonder how prepared I am. After last winters record snow falls I went out and baught this little gem right away and have done many projects around the yard. Very pleased over all.

So I am wondering when im trying to move 15 feet of snow this year, does anyone have a list of items they do to prepare? I spoke to my dealer and he mentioned the 4WD is enough most people dont buy chains or load the tires on these he said.

I am playing around with the thought of buying a snow blower as well, but thinking i may be able to squeeze a winter out with just the loader.

appreciate any experience any snow go'ers have on here on mods etc.

You might also be interested in considering a clamp on product for your bucket . . known as a snow edge . . by Ratchet Rake. Rather an ingenius concept that saves wear and tear on blacktop or concrete driveways or sidewalks.

 

[LevesqueOnline]

very interesting, ive never seen one of those transmission heaters before, do you have a picture of where you installed yours and a recommended one to buy?

 

[BigBoyToys]

Here's one source for the "stick-on" heaters... https://www.wolverineheater.com/category-s/1818.htm

 

[Ed of all trades]

If your drive is mostly level you likely won't need chains. I have a hill and I can plow down bur can't get back up without chains front and rear. Ed

 

[Pixguy]

If your drive is mostly level you likely won't need chains. I have a hill and I can plow down bur can't get back up without chains front and rear. Ed

Ditto with me.

Like Irving, I love my front mounted blower.

 

[irvingj]

M. Levesque, I bought mine on a recommendation from Ray on this forum, from Northern Tool. Same idea as the Wolverine heaters above, but far less expensive. What I got was a Kat's Heaters #24150 (Northern Tool # 174051), a small stick-on 150-watt unit. Surprisingly, I see it's made in the US!

I paid $27.99 in Nov. of 2012; I see the current price is $34.99. No surprise there, I guess. kat's heaters from Northern Tool + Equipment

It's only 150 watts, but that means when it gets real cold I can just leave it plugged in all the time the tractor's parked, and it seems to help. I only use the much higher-wattage M-F block heater for about 30 minutes before using the tractor; that seems to be enough.

Sorry, I don't have a pic of it stuck onto the bottom of my transmission, but somewhere on this forum Ray had some pics. There's a flat area that's just big enough for that heater on the bottom of the tranny.

 

[jc21]

I got the front-mount blower for mine when I bought it and have never regretted it ...

The front blower is wicked expensive, but well-built (made in Canada!). Leaving the mid-PTO driveshaft and mounting shoe in place, its takes only about 8 minutes to switch from blower to FEL if the need arises.

I think you're spot on on the need for a snowblower- in the eight years we've here (western WI) there's been more than a few winters where a front blade would have been next to useless. How well does it handle deep drifts and does MF have drift knives available for it? Also, is the second stage impeller composite or steel? In the course of doing research and a little tire kickin' it seems it's not just Massey's front mounted blower that is "wicked expensive", Kubota's and JD's are as well ($3G+). Any thoughts as to why that is?

 

[ray66v]

Here is a photo of where I installed my transmission heater.

I don't go off roading, like some members, so I don't worry about it being on the bottom. You can mount it on the side if you desire.

I plug it in, a day or two before the forecast storm. And, like Irving said, if the situation warrants you can leave it plugged in. The oil never gets hot, it just keeps it from getting ice cold.

I also have a very small one, made for a snowblower on the engine oil pan.

Neither of these are really necessary, you could just wait forever for the oil to warm up, after you start it. But, these heaters don't cost much, so why not?