Ordered a snow plow, questions.

[450]

Without the chain setup, you will spend a lot of time fighting the plow trying to find the right spot. Plus with the plow mounted so for out in front on the loader going over uneven terrain with the tractor will make the plow dig in/ come off the ground. The chain setup takes care of that problem.

 

[LD1]

Float doesn't work well going forward. It's made for going backwards

 

[Cougsfan]

I have a 2-1/2 mile private road to plow in Eastern Washington (similar terrain and weather to that of Goldendale). I had at one time planned to use my Branson for plowing. I don't know how steep your road is, but mine has some pretty steep sections. Under certain conditions when there is packed snow that has partially thawed and turned back to ice, my Branson won't even make it up the hills in 4 wheel drive with the FEL raised, and will scare the livnig **** out you sliding out of control down the hills. Just not enough traction with the R4 tires. If it is just fresh snow it goes OK, but I am still limited with how much snow I can push with the FEL (I know that isn't a plow, but I am sure I couldn't push all that much with a plow, especially up hill). If I wanted to use it for plowing snow over a few inches deep I would definately have to install chains all around. I have found my 4 wheel drive truck (with 4 chains on) and plow works much better in most circumstances than my tractor ever would. One would have to work at getting my truck stuck, and I can go much faster than I could with the tractor. I still use the Branson and the FEL to carry snow away when the drifts get too deep to plow. (We have had 4 foot deep drifts a couple times). I have given up on the idea of buying a plow for the tractor. I do wish I had a snow blower for the Branson though. Cause at times the snow gets so deep the plow has nowhere to throw the snow.
We just got a bunch of snow and I am on my way out to plow.

 

[Branson Bob]

I guess it's never a bad time to talk about safety.

The vast majority of tractors only have brakes on the rear wheels so if you happen to be going downhill with a lifted load in the FEL and you find you can't stop, dump the FEL.

If that doesn't stop you, you should push the FEL lever down to lift the front axle of the tractor off the ground so that the majority of the weight shifts to the rear axle where the brakes are acting.

As a general rule with few exceptions if your tractor loses control, drop the FEL... and particularly if you lose braking while carrying a load downhill.

 

[ruffdog]

I guess it's never a bad time to talk about safety.

The vast majority of tractors only have brakes on the rear wheels so if you happen to be going downhill with a lifted load in the FEL and you find you can't stop, dump the FEL.

If that doesn't stop you, you should push the FEL lever down to lift the front axle of the tractor off the ground so that the majority of the weight shifts to the rear axle where the brakes are acting.

As a general rule with few exceptions if your tractor loses control, drop the FEL... and particularly if you lose braking while carrying a load downhill.

Actually, in 4x4, your brakes should act on all 4 tires.

 

[PILOON]

Actually, in 4x4, your brakes should act on all 4 tires.

Not many tractors that I know of have frt wheel brakes. Might stand to be corrected but certainly not on small CUT's.

 

[ruffdog]

Not many tractors that I know of have frt wheel brakes. Might stand to be corrected but certainly not on small CUT's.

If your fronts and rears are locked together when using 4x4, how many wheels stop when you jump on the brakes?

 

[Branson Bob]

Actually, in 4x4, your brakes should act on all 4 tires.

Correct. I should have said, when going downhill with a lifted load first make sure you are in 4 WD.

 

[Cougsfan]

If your wheels have zero traction, doesn't really matter how many brakes you have or where they are. In fact brakes become a detriment.

A few days ago my wife and the neighbor lady were at the bottom of one of our hills watching and waiting for a contractor to come down the freshly plowed hill with with a Bobcat skid steer. (He couldn't get his truck up the hill to carry the Bobcat away, so he decided to bring the Bobcat down to the truck). He was going frontwards, backwards, sideways, and everything but upside down, bouncing from the snow bank one one side of the road to the snow bank on the other (without the snow bank he might have gone off a cliff.) He was trying to use the FEL to slow down, and it was just throwing him into more violent spins. He would come to a stop in the snow banks and would start sliding down again if he tried to go up or down. Fortunately it was all in slow motion. The ladies backed down the hill to get out of his way. He finally did pinball his way down to the bottom. Don't know who was more terrified, the ladies or the contractor. An AWD car with studded tires (a necessity where we live) will go up down that same hill without spinning a wheel. You can even stop in the middle and take off again (not advised though).

 

[450]

I have a 3725ch and it does really good with a plow on the front. I do have all 4-wheels chained up and loaded back tires. Where I live in Alaska, people have some steep/crazy driveways. I also have a plow truck but the tractor will do driveways that my plow truck want. The truck is faster if I can use it but the tractor will cut down deeper leaving less hard pack.