Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Need snow removal help

[speedyvelo]

Yes, I'd only load the rears.

Thanks s219, you have been very helpful

 

[speedyvelo]

Did your dealer discuss using the Kubota Quick Hitch mounted front blow instead of the front loader mount plow?

bumperm, I realized you have the same tractor I have.

Looking at the link they showed the hooks to facilitate the installation and removal of the implements that use the 3P on the back. It looks great.
The stream shows that it is very easy to install. Anything to facilitate the installation and removal from the 3P I love it. I will get one. Thxs.

You are talking about the front blow and I do not see it on the link Am I missing something?

 

[leonz]

Having a three point hitch mounted snow blower
is less costly Speedyvelo.

A good rear mount will outlive your current mule or the next
one you can mount it on.

Many of us buy larger wider rear mounts with a larger horsepower requirement
and simply go slower on the first pass.

A rear mount will act like boat anchor for you and move through deep snow like a wild boar
moving slow and steady through heavy brush.


A front mounted snow blower has low ground clearance
and you can get stuck before you realize it and trust me
my friend I know, having mules and 4WD trucks pulled
and stuck in ditches.

A four wheel drive mule or truck will pull itself in long
before you realize its happening.

AND as they are not high flotation vehicles they will sink
like a stone in snow-been there done that at 4:30 in the
morning because of snow and ice and having to call a tow
truck.

What is much worse is tractor and truck fishing in
colloidal clay mud-zero traction, zero adhesion,
zero surface tension to maintain any flotation.

If you slide off and get pulled in you can plan on not
getting help from a tow truck/wrecker in most cases
unless they can stay on asphalt.

I would strongly suggest you avoid the the front mounts with
the quick hitch or otherwise due to the simplicity of the rear
mounts installation, the much lower cost and the ease of maintenance.


You are a new mule owner my friend and I want you to have zero problems
with your mule and getting rid of rid of snow.

Living with snow blowers and flail mowers and using them has brought
me a lifetime of experience.

 

[speedyvelo]

leonz thank you.

Well finally i have my tires loaded. A company recommended by the dealer came and fill the tires with Bio-tire Ballast which is what they are using now, before they were using Rimguard. Everything went OK. Now waiting for the snow storm to tested.

I'm not ready yet for a snowblower. I appreciate your remarks, another factor on side of the rear snowblower is the need of being able to clear the snow left by the county snowplowers which is often wet and icy and I am afraid I will have to use the FEL. Having a FEL and a snow blower at the same time in the same tractor is a major plus but...can also be a pain on the neck ;-).

Hope I can make it with what I have: hydraulic dozer/floating front blade, rear blade and a FEL. If not I will have to go to the next chapter.

-=terry=-

 

[doxford jim]

Terry,

You won't really know until you try. If the blade thingy doesn't work then the rear TPH snow blower is a good compromise.

Today I have just done three and half hours using my tractor and snow blower and it really wasn't too bad. In fact it was actually very good - the sun came out and there was no wind. You soon get used to driving the tractor - I find sitting sideways works well.

I guess my point is, don't be too put off by the negative comments regarding rear snow blowers. You have the battle half won anyway - you have a cabbed tractor with a heater. You could buy a used rear blower and save some money to try one out. If you don't like it then sell it and you won't lose much money. Buying a new one is not cheap.

Everyone is different - I would prefer the FEL and rear snow blower combination. That is my bias of course, but opinions are just like rear ends - everyone has one

 

[leonz]

Hello Terry,

I am glad I could offer some help.

You might want to pick up a gallon of fluid film to keep
the snow from sticking to the rear blade and the bucket.

I buy it by the spray can ($9.00 +- plus tax)
as I don't have that large an area to treat with the snow caster

You can wipe it on with clean rag and it will spit the snow off
like its hot turbine oil. you will need to re-coat the bucket and
the blade several times during the winter.

Fluid Film is godsend for snow blowers, both large and small too.

 

[Hilbilly]

As noted in my earlier reply, I have a rear mount blower. Yesterday I spent over 3 hrs backing up and blowing snow. Needless to say my neck was a little stiff after that. I am going to try rigging up a mirror to my tractor so I can back up using it instead of looking over my shoulder. That may be the solution I'm looking for. Time will tell and I will let you know when I get this done. Not for a while though since I don't have a mirror I can use and there are none in the little town that is close to me. Will have to wait until I make a trip into the city.

 

[Danny C]

I don't need one, but I don't think I would EVER have a read mounted snow blower with a long driveway or large parking lot(s). There are too many options for front mount blowers including front mount using rear PTO, hydraulic driven, front mount using mid-mount PTO, independant engine, etc. to not do a front mount.

 

[DHD]

Have had a rear mount snow blower for 9 years. I did look at the Kubota front mount snow blower option for my 2005 B7800, but the front blower was not as wide nor as heavy duty as a rear mount, but the front mount was substantially more expensive.
It also took away my ability to use the front bucket, in the event frozen snow bank removal was required.

My snow blowing events last 2.5 to 3.5 hours (depends on the snowstorm), and at 64 years young I still don't have any issues with neck strain or problems backing up.
My Kubota B7800 has a HST and I just rest the heel of my right foot on the reverse pedal, I am half way spun around in the seat looking rearward,
It's really no big deal, and you don't need mirrors or cameras either. I don't understand all the fuss about using a rear mount snow blower.

I have used front mount snow blowers on garden tractors and I have noticed, the front blower sometimes made it difficult to steer the GT, and I recall having to lift the snow blower (so weight was transferred to the front wheels) in order to steer the GT. I understand steering control can be an issue when using a front mounted snow plow on a SCUT or CUT. I suspect the same steering problems would also exist with front mounted snow blower use on a SCUT or CUT.

Another advantage of a 3PT. rear mount snow blower, it's not brand name or model specific for any one tractor like a front mount blower can be.
So if you purchased a rm blower and did not like it, resale would be much easier.

IMHO a rear mount snow blower offers more benefits than a front mount snow blower.:thumbsup:

 

[skyhook]

DHD, you could be right,
In school, I use to always look at the back of the class to see what time it was.....
When the teacher would catch me, she made me keep my head turned that way.
I think this is why my neck hurts so much now that I'm older,
I'm thinking on suing.

 

[DHD]

I think the statute of limitations is only good up until the school bell rings. LOL

 

[dave1949]

Looking over your shoulder at passing sweet young things doesn't hurt, right? :laughing:

 

[skyhook]

Finally, a few members with a sense of humor.

 

[ecbaatz]

I have read thru this thread and no where was mentioned about a rear pull snow blower. I have a front mount but have read good and bad about the real pull. Mostly good. It might be worth looking at.

 

[bumperm]

Another advantage of a 3PT. rear mount snow blower, it's not brand name or model specific for any one tractor like a front mount blower can be.
So if you purchased a rm blower and did not like it, resale would be much easier.

IMHO a rear mount snow blower offers more benefits than a front mount snow blower.:thumbsup:

When I sold my BX2230, I removed the front blower and sold it to a fellow with a house up at Tahoe - he had a 2230 too. Sold the tractor for a reasonable price to a friend, and sold the blower and mounting hardware for a handsome price. Together, more than I paid for the rig originally. So, if you have a front blower to sell, there are enough people out there that someone with the same/similar tractor will want it - especially if it's well kept (I had installed electric chute and deflector on it).

For me, front mount is the way to go, no question. My back and neck won't allow a back mount. Plus, I think the front mount is more maneuverable and can be used with more finesse. Costs more, but I'm worth it (Disclaimer: I'm not sure anyone else thinks I'm worth it. - - I'll check with the wife . . . )

 

[leonz]

I have read thru this thread and no where was mentioned about a rear pull snow blower. I have a front mount but have read good and bad about the real pull. Mostly good. It might be worth looking at.

Where he lives a pull type would not work well simply because of his altitude, low ground clearance and the amount of time he would have to spend in the mule driving up and down the road with it.

 

[PILOON]

Rear mounts are not brand or model specific so that eventual resale is much surer.
My observation is that rear units are generally much more HD as well.

Careful observation is that the many, even not most, of the front mounts use standard 'walk behind' components notably the cast aluminum gear box and flighting (auger).
Generally limited to smaller CUTs.

Another observation is with that the front overhang makes it very difficult to work in tight spots and the turning radius is awful while a rear has a very good visibility and excellent turning radius.(think fork lift trucks).
Obstructions are totally hidden from view due to distance and angles. When you blow forwards and turn you are pushing snow sideways due to the long swing.
On rough roads the ride is terrible due to the long overhang.
(I have some experience with a front mount 72" on an 80 hp tractor and hated it)

With the advent of low priced back up camera systems (like $50-100) the sore neck syndrome can be eliminated.
Another point is tractors, in most cases, are designed for rear mounted implements as all they were generally designed for farming.

For a pull type to be effective you need a heavy tractor (like 75hp class) as lighter units would ride up and over the snow. eg something heavy enough that the wheels stay in contact with the road surface no matter the type of snow.
IMHO pull types were really designed for urban 'door to door' snow contractors.

 

[bumperm]

Piloon,

While we're each entitled to our opinions, facts are indisputable, and some of what you posted is either not true, or "somewhat slanted". My comments below, between your lines, and preceeded and ended with *****

***** Yes, but at least they get to see where they're going in stead of craning their necks to look aft. But I'm with you, it doesn't seem like it'd be workable with deep drifts either.

bumper *****

 

[kco]

Rear mounts are not brand or model specific so that eventual resale is much surer.
My observation is that rear units are generally much more HD as well.

Careful observation is that the many, even not most, of the front mounts use standard 'walk behind' components notably the cast aluminum gear box and flighting (auger).
Generally limited to smaller CUTs.

Another observation is with that the front overhang makes it very difficult to work in tight spots and the turning radius is awful while a rear has a very good visibility and excellent turning radius.(think fork lift trucks).
Obstructions are totally hidden from view due to distance and angles. When you blow forwards and turn you are pushing snow sideways due to the long swing.
On rough roads the ride is terrible due to the long overhang.
(I have some experience with a front mount 72" on an 80 hp tractor and hated it)

With the advent of low priced back up camera systems (like $50-100) the sore neck syndrome can be eliminated.
Another point is tractors, in most cases, are designed for rear mounted implements as all they were generally designed for farming.

For a pull type to be effective you need a heavy tractor (like 75hp class) as lighter units would ride up and over the snow. eg something heavy enough that the wheels stay in contact with the road surface no matter the type of snow.
IMHO pull types were really designed for urban 'door to door' snow contractors.

Piloon, I respectfully disagree with your last point regarding pull-type blowers. I have a 74" pull-type Meteor on a DK35SE (28 PTO hp) which works fine in heavy snow. The blower weighs 748 lbs and does not ride over the snow even if it is heavy wet snow. Perhaps lighter blowers might have the problem you describe. Here are some photos from last week in non-urban settings:





I did not get photos of another neighbour's driveway which had not been cleared at all this winter. It had about 6" total snow before Christmas, another 10" December from Dec 27 to 29, and the 24" inches shown in the above photos. It was over 1/2 mile of uphill clearing and my tractor could not push through it. So I had to clear the whole first path by backing into the snow as far as I could and travelling back forward. It took about two hours to do the first back-and-forth swath to his house. But after that It was easy to widen it by taking 1/2 width swaths and knocking down the deep stuff with the bucket held at a level just below the top of the front wheels. On this day it had warmed to just above freezing and the snow was much denser than that in the above photos(it was around -6 C when that snow fell).

We get a fair amount of snow in this area but normally in 12" or less dumps, and we have virtually no wind. Last week's 24" was a record single-day amount since 1937. A pull-type may not work as well in heavier and very-severe locations but it is perfect for my area. Even in deeper snow a person can clear with the backing in and blowing ahead method I used on the deeper driveway.

 

[bumperm]

Impressive, kco! Without a cab, what do you do about keeping your coffee warm?

We could use some of that snow please . . . last year was bleak and this one is shaping up to be even worse.