Snow Q's on Using the BX for Snow Removal

[robertm]

So, since I got the new BX ( a whole 48 hours), I'm working up a list of To Do's. One major thing is snow removal. There, I question A) Front Blade w/ Quick Hitch, B) Front Blower w/ Quick Hitch, or C) Rear Blower.

The price of the Kubota front blower seems outrageous. At 150 foot of driveway, I think I'll pass. The front blade eliminates the use of the loader for serious snow removal, so it looks like a rear blower is it.

What do you all use for snow removal? What brand rear-mounted blower is best? Economical? I'm still hearing $2200-$2500 for a rear-mount, so, maybe I should look at the front blade and just put on the loader if really needed. Can I simply switch between the blade and the loader?

 

[Evil the Weasel]

Even though we had frost and a low temp of 31.8 degrees today, I'm not thinking about snow again until at least August.

 

[Duffster]

So, since I got the new BX ( a whole 48 hours), I'm working up a list of To Do's. One major thing is snow removal. There, I question A) Front Blade w/ Quick Hitch, B) Front Blower w/ Quick Hitch, or C) Rear Blower.

The price of the Kubota front blower seems outrageous. At 150 foot of driveway, I think I'll pass. The front blade eliminates the use of the loader for serious snow removal, so it looks like a rear blower is it.

What do you all use for snow removal? What brand rear-mounted blower is best? Economical? I'm still hearing $2200-$2500 for a rear-mount, so, maybe I should look at the front blade and just put on the loader if really needed. Can I simply switch between the blade and the loader?

The ultimate snow tractor to me would be a rear mounted blower, front blade harness mounted and a bucket and/or pusher on the loader

 

[sqidget]

I use the front 60" blade to clear snow. It only takes about 10 min to go from the plow/ quick hitch back to the loader. I only use the loader to push back piles after the storm.

 

[escavader]

So, since I got the new BX ( a whole 48 hours), I'm working up a list of To Do's. One major thing is snow removal. There, I question A) Front Blade w/ Quick Hitch, B) Front Blower w/ Quick Hitch, or C) Rear Blower.

The price of the Kubota front blower seems outrageous.
yes,and with a rear one it will work on your next tractor .If you can run your tractor sidesaddle ,your neck wont get sore.


At 150 foot of driveway, I think I'll pass. The front blade eliminates the use of the loader for serious snow removal, so it looks like a rear blower is it.


yes losing the loader bites for me,especially between the buildings,or getting in firewood



What do you all use for snow removal?
54 inch rear blower[pronovost]front end loader,on occasion 5 ft[3pt] blade mounted to quick hitch installed in my bucket
,




What brand rear-mounted blower is best?
METEORS are having gear box issues,as posted on TBN,just a heads up



Economical?
try to find a good used one.

I'm still hearing $2200-$2500 for a rear-mount, so, maybe I should look at the front blade and just put on the loader if really needed. Can I simply switch between the blade and the loader?

You wont need a blade if you get a blower

 

[Matt_Jr]

I use a rear scraper blade. It's not very good if you've got more than 6"...then you've gotta go backwards instead of driving over it first... a real pain in the neck. Since my drive is gravel, 200' long, and on a hill, I don't wait 'till it quits. I get out early and plow 'till it's done with breaks in between. I use the loader when it gets too deep or to move the piles. I'd love to have a front blower. Just not enough to shell out the cabbage for one.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Rob,

Use the search feature and you will find many hours of reading, pros and cons of each set up. Click below my name and u can see what I use and think is the best set u. I started with the rear blower ( $1000 for a Puma 54") sold that and went to a front blower set up. This is the BEST time to buy snow removal equipment as most dealers want to use the floor space for spring implements.

Here is one as an example:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/111374-moving-snow-bx.html

 

[scarlo101]

Robertm, here are some pics of my BX and snow removal. Last fall I even built my own front blade, which is now for sale. I am currently building a FEL also. Click link for pics.

 

[dodge man]

I'm not sure where you live at in Northern Illinois, but I live in Macomb, which is probably at least a little south of you, so we may get less snow. If you had a longer drive, I'd say go for the blower. I have about 600 of driveway, and use a rear blade. I would think with only 150 of drive, you would get by with a rear blade and a FEL just fine. I have an ashpalt drive and put a rubber edge on my rear blade and it works really good if your drive is paved. Blowers cost so much money, unless you would really use it alot, save the money for other implements and get a rear blade.

 

[robertm]

I'm not sure where you live at in Northern Illinois, but I live in Macomb, which is probably at least a little south of you, so we may get less snow. If you had a longer drive, I'd say go for the blower. I have about 600 of driveway, and use a rear blade. I would think with only 150 of drive, you would get by with a rear blade and a FEL just fine. I have an ashpalt drive and put a rubber edge on my rear blade and it works really good if your drive is paved. Blowers cost so much money, unless you would really use it alot, save the money for other implements and get a rear blade.

I am just south of the Wisconsin border. I have used my Land Pride RB1572 rear blade for years with my B7510, but I think the blade is a bit much for the BX2660. It weighs close to 300 pounds, which isn't the issue, it's the 72" length. I am considering cutting it down to a 60", or ordering the 60" blade and reconfiguring it. Either way, it's expensive. I am considering selling it outright for about $450 as a new one is close to $600 and getting a lighter Woods RB60. Then, I may consider a rubber edge. I think a rubber edge on the heavy Land Pride will rip up quickly. May I ask where you got your rubber edge?

 

[bx24d]

Get a pipe cutting edge from Rob Piro at Michigan Iron Equipment (do a search on the forum). It's a iron pip welded to a cutting edge that bolts on to your plow. It will never wear out and will not pick up gravel. 72" is not too big for a bx if you ballast the front and make several swipes. I used a 72inch RB (pushing and pulling) and it works fine in Northwestern CT with 12 inch storms.

 

[dodge man]

This is where I got my rubber edge. Its pretty thick, should last me a lifetime. Polyurethane Snow Plow Blades and Cutting Edges I ended up getting a rubber edge, not a polyurethane edge.

 

[gotcha]

Even though we had frost and a low temp of 31.8 degrees today, I'm not thinking about snow again until at least August.

I second that one. I have all my snow removal stuff put away after all the maintenance was performed for the next snow season. I run only the bucket and 7' Moose snow plow on the QA plate that I had made up for my forks, trailer moving and the snow plow.
The Gotcha Man

 

[LBrown59]

1*Even though we had frost and a low temp of 31.8 degrees today, I'm not thinking about snow again until at least August.

*Make that Nov or Dec for here.

2*You wont need a blade if you get a blower

2*Don't know why people assume snow is all a blade is for

 

[korydz]

robertm, did I mention that I have a BX2660 and the RB1572 and used the combination all last winter for snow on my 900' driveway? Its a great blade. Everything else I see looks light and cheap in comparison.

 

[Jeff H]

I just bought a new BX25. The majority of the snow removal discussions seem to involve very long driveways, gravel driveways, and deep northern snows.

My driveway is only 50' long but 3 cars wide, it is concrete. We only get 3-4" inches at best lately in NJ it seems.

I would like to get some input from people in a similar situation as mine.

I am thinking at the point to use a rear blade and pull the snow forward. I read enough discussions already about bending the arms by pushing backwards, I don't think I will try that.

I don't want to grind down my FEL on the concrete.

 

[robertm]

I just bought a new BX25. The majority of the snow removal discussions seem to involve very long driveways, gravel driveways, and deep northern snows.

My driveway is only 50' long but 3 cars wide, it is concrete. We only get 3-4" inches at best lately in NJ it seems.

I would like to get some input from people in a similar situation as mine.

I am thinking at the point to use a rear blade and pull the snow forward. I read enough discussions already about bending the arms by pushing backwards, I don't think I will try that.

I don't want to grind down my FEL on the concrete.

I doubt you'd bend the arms unless you are oversized on the blade, or you hit something hard or frozen. For that reason alone, I think I will cut down my RB1572 Land Pride to 60". It weighs a ton already, and is sometimes hard to maneuver. I pushed with the backblade for years without issues. Pulling the rear blade down a driveway of any length over 50' requires a severe angle on the blade to move wet snow away, or you lose traction and the snow builds up under the tractor.

Last season with the B7510, I scraped alot of ice off asphalt, and this spring I noticed the wear edge of my bucket was torched with the edge curling up from abrasion. I am looking into a replaceable bolt on wear edge, and maybe a polyethelene edge for winter. The wear edge from H&H to match the bolt pattern of the toothbar I already have from H&H is $500. Ouch! Alot cheaper than a new bucket or welding in a new edge, but certainly way overpriced. I can get a 5/8" X 6" X 66" wear edge for $120.

 

[Jeff H]

It might not look "Kubota Kool" but I am looking at the 46" blade from my Troy Bilt mower and I could easily adapt that to the 4 brush guard holes on the front of the BX. I figure that costs me $0 since I already own it.

Now I wonder if I could add some hydraulics to it cheaply, at least a cylinder to lift it!

 

[coveredbridge]

D) Push snow with the loader. That's what I do. My driveway isn't paved so I can't scrape it bare anyway. I just curl the bucket a little and put it in float position. It gets the job done for me.

 

[drag_slick]

The answer is, as always, "it depends". I live in ND and we've just come off a near record setting winter. I have 900ft of gravel road between me and the highway. My main snow removal tool is my 1/2 ton GMC crew cab 4x4 with a Snow Sport blade. The problem with blade only is, at some point you run out of places to push it, or simply, you cannot push through a 6ft tall, 12ft wide, 30ft long drift.

I ended up buying a 50" Buhler rear blower as I didn't want to lose my loader. As some have mentioned, it's not bad running it side saddle. I'm very impressed with how well the tractor handled it. Hydro is a blessing there, much easier to feed the blower without sucking the guts out of the engine. I did put tire chains on the back and that made a world of difference. I would recommend that.

Again, it really depends on how bad things get where YOU are at, but after last winter, I wouldn't be without a blower.