Need advice on 30 -40hp tractor purchase

[chinawall]

I had a Kubota B7800 30 hp Mid mount front snowblower. Blew out my driveway and a 300 ft oval for me and my dog for years...not a problem! I live in NB, CANADA...LOTS OF SNOW. Also ran a rotary cutter and a finishing mower. I would like to add that it takes about 5 minutes to attach or take off the blower!

 

[grsthegreat]

Hi, I have a 2006 Kubota B3030 with cab, purchased new with FEL and a Kubota 63" front mount snowblower powered by the mid PTO. I run a Landpride 60" brush mower during the summer. I am now 69 years old and have loved my set up, maintaining a 1500 ft long gravel driveway and about 4,500 sq. ft. of gravel dooryard. I am located 5 miles from the CT River, in Etna, NH. When there is snow on the ground, I have little use for the FEL so the changeover for winter snow takes me less than an hour, and the same for changing back to the FEL. Ideally, I wait for there to be 8" t 12" of snow before venturing out since the effort for that amount is the same as for 2-3". I have awakened to surprise 24" snowfalls and this machine handles this with ease. The tractor replaced a Ford F250 with a plow and I have never regretted this replacement (well, maybe after multiple 3 inch snowfalls), but I run with an angled 6 ft. blade on the back of the tractor and windrow the lighter snowfalls to make only a single pass with the blower. During the years of plowing with a truck, I used to have significant washouts during January thaws when the water had nowhere to run other than down the steep driveway. Gravel driveways and any snowblower can be an issue, especially in the late fall and late winter if the ground thaws, and the blower will throw its share of gravel which can be hard on the high speed impeller housing. Three years ago, at a cost of $450, I had a local welder/fabricator reline the curved interior of the impeller housing and the blower has a new life. The only other modification that I have had to do was to add 2" rear wheel spacers and chains 3 years ago as my R4 tires worn slightly, combined with a couple of icy years in a row. It takes me more time to properly put the chains on than it does to swap out the blower or FEL. I have not kept up with what Kubota replaced the B3030HSDC, so do not know if there is a similar machine available.

I had to reline mine this year. I used 8 ga steel, which is thicker than factory. Hope it will last awhile. I used scrap metal and rolled it myself. Had to pull the impeller out to do it. Took a few hours.

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[shadowm77]

I am looking to purchase a 30-40 hp tractor. Have 12 acres bush to play with. However my major requirement is that it has a front mount snow blower. Now in my sixties and not being able to clear the driveway may force me to move to town in 10 years. Don't want that to happen. Would like to have a tlb. Will use a bush hog, post hole digger, loader at some point. Maybe a grapple.
Any help is appreciated.

i would think about buying a tractor with a skid steer bucket attachment and buy your self a quick attach plow for it and a set of chains in case of ice

 

[lpakiz]

I’m 71 years old now and bought a MF1754 HST, (54GP) with cab. Best $41000 I ever spent! This is 4WD and chains are not needed unless you gave some pretty steep terrain. The hydrostatic makes this whole thing work. When snow is light, mash the pedal down and fly. If you hit deeper snow, back off on the hydrostat until the blower takes all the snow without spilling out of one end or the other. Driving forward is absolutely GREAT! You can get within a few inches of any obstacles. Can’t say enough good about this combination.
With every storm we get, I’ve always run out of snow before I wanted to be done. It’s a pure joy to blow snow now.
Takes about an hour to mount everything up, but usually I leave the big belly under-mount right in place. Then it takes 10-15 minutes to mount and demount the blower. Biggest problem is aligning and assembling the PTO shaft.
I remove the FEL bucket and keep the loader arms in place. You will need to unhook the loader hoses to use the hydraulics for tge blower. I had to install a hydraulic ball valve in the hose that raises the loader, so when the hoses are unhooked, I don’t get back pressure that would prevent me from re-hooking the loader hoses back up.
Pics on request…

 

[Fanlo2300]

I have a front mounted 54 inch blower on my Case DX-33, and I have been very satisfied with it for the last 10 winters in Quebec.
Be sure to get chains on the front tires because it is needed to steer with the blower in a snow bank…
Putting it on or off is a 10 minutes job.

 

[bkibler]

I live in NH, and have a 1/2 mile gravel driveway, half of which goes through a large field, with lots of drifting. I use an L5740, with an angle plow mounted on the FEL, and a PTO snowblower on the rear. Most years I can get by with just the FEL-mounted plow all winter long, facing forward. But if we get > 18" of snow, the leverage of the angle plow on the FEL, sticking out nearly 8' in front of the front wheels, is just too much for the L's short wheelbase, and it won't track straight. Front chains help a bit, as does keeping the blade raised up a bit (can't use float), but I usually end up just straining my neck and using the rear-facing PTO blower for big storms.

That said...I picked up a compact track loader this summer, so I'm hoping to use that with my existing angle plow next winter. The track loader is about 2x heavier than the L, and with the SSQA mounting plate a mere 4 inches from the front of the tracks, it won't have the same lever-arm problem as the L, which has 4+ feet between the front wheels and the FEL attachment plate.

 

[bugmeist]

I have a‘drive ahead’ 78” blower with auger feed. I would say that the only down side is that you can’t blow right up to a garage. I end up staying about 2’ away.
Stay away from the back up type unless you’re married to a chiropractor.
Mine has a manual turning chute but they are available with hydraulic turning.
They are easy on and easy off and you can still use the loader for pushing back banks etc.