Rear Inverted Snowblowers 2019

[kco]

Hillbilly, the fan on my 72" Meteor is a full 8" deep and 23" in diameter. The drum it sits in is 8" deep and 24" in diameter. It throws the snow 30' even when the snow is wet, as long as you keep the fan speed up and the snow volume a continuous steady stream. Even in the worst wet snow conditions I find the blower will not plug as long as it is kept busy. I think the blades push it out as a solid column similar to pumping water with a hose. Whenever I plug it is due to not giving it enough snow. Other times it will plug is if I have been blowing slushy snow and leave the tractor idling. I think the snow in the chute settles to the bottom of the chute but at the top of the blower and forms a plug. Then when you move again and fill the fan with snow it can't push it out the chute. I can usually avoid it by lifting the blower before idling so most of the snow is cleanly ejected from the chute.

Here is a video I made yesterday another neighbour's driveway. His truck with a plow is inoperable due to seized brakes and is just visible at the end of the video. The vehicle tracks in the video are from him coming down in his truck to get new snowtires in Enderby. The snow is only about 6" deep but it is compacted from the last couple of snow falls (total about 12"?) since I helped pull his truck out of the way and cleared his driveway New Year's day. I had the tractor in low range but it was fine going up his driveway which is about 10% grade. My DK35SE HST is 38hp rated at 28hp PTO. I was likely at about 3/4 speed in low which would be around 4km/hr. I likely came down in medium range at a trot-like pace. I actually seldom run faster than 1/2 speed in medium even if I could go faster. It seems smoother and more enjoyable to me. Even in good conditions I find my self-imposed limit is to prevent noticeable wheel slippage. Even in deep loose snow one can feel a shuddering as the wheels start to slip. If that happens I ease off so there is no noticeable slippage. It feels easier on everything and, being retired, I'm in no hurry.

20200103 Snowblowing Driveway - YouTube

Here are some photos on the main road below the driveway in the video:



Even with that terrible snow the blower worked fine but I finally thought it was time to stop and clear it. The neighbour's driveway in the video goes up to the right of the power pole in the 3rd photo.

The snow is much deeper than it appears. I think we have had 3' since December 31 and it still has not been cleared. 4x4 trucks can just manage it but there is only a single set of tracks for the entire 3 or 4 km. There's no hope for vehicles with low clearance. In all there are about 30 families that access the bottom end of the road and about 15 beyond this point. So there are two packed tire tracks. I cleared a track of top loose stuff for the 1 km or so from here to the end of the road and was widening a patch so people may be able to pass if they meet each other. But more likely one would have to back down the hill. The warm weather does not help because the track gets churned up.

In their wisdom, the Highways Department(who do our roads because we are a Regional District rather than local municipality) switched contractors this year, granting a 10 year contract to AIM Roads. Apparently it is a Spanish company. Too bad they didn't get one from Norway, or Switzerland, or ???

Hillbilly, I imagine you should be able to go at a fair clip with a pull-type. Will you still need to do 4 passes if you get an 87" blower? Anyhow, I think you will find a pull-type blower excellent for your situation.


Here is the MK Martin 2011 pamphlet for my blower:

 

[airbiscuit]

Thanks for the video. That is beautiful country. Your neighbors are lucky you are there with your equipment.

 

[kco]

It's official, viewing posts on TBN costs you money. I just ordered an MK Martin / Meteor 68" Rear Pull Snowblower from Iowa Farm Equipment - Iowa Farm Equipment -- Contact Us . Shipping was way less than I thought, and all in, I saved many hundreds compared what my local dealers wanted. Now I just have to wait for delivery :drool:

Congratulations, Airbiscuit. I think you will like the blower. I'm curious, did you get the hydraulic chute rotator or any other options?

 

[airbiscuit]

It came with adjustable skids and a manual chute rotator. I do have a rear remote and considered a hydraulic chute rotator, but I don't do a lot of chute rotations on my current standard 3pt snowblower. I figured if I have to, I could fab up a hydraulic or electric rotator. I was really surprised at the price differential between Iowa Farm Supply and my local dealers. I have been looking for a used rear pull snowblower for years, but they are as scarce as unicorns. This thread and the price I got finally put me over the edge.

 

[kco]

Now all you need is snow. I remember when I got mine the dealer's annual shipment was a bit late and we had a snowfall before it arrived. I cleared that with the blade. Then I got the blower and it didn't snow for weeks. My wife as laughing because I was wishing for snow. I even called the dealer and said I still didn't get the snow I ordered with the blower.

I was not aware of pull type blowers until Jake (Kioti dealer) showed me this video they made:

MK Martin Pull Type Snow Blower - YouTube

That was in 2011 and they were just getting the business going. They sell a lot of pull-types now.

You will enjoy the blower.

 

[airbiscuit]

I've posted that video on other TBN threads. Pull type snowblowers are rare around here. I am guessing that it is part cost, part dealer caution for stocking anything different, and part concern about driving over the snow first. Actual owners of pull type snowblowers don't seem to have issues with driving over the snow first (unless they are in 4' drift country). The only thing holding me back was cost, but then I started to picture myself removing snow 5 years from now (as a 5 year older man). Than made cost more palatable.

I think dealers would sell more if they had one demo model on the lot. Then the concept goes from theoretical to practical. I remember when Honda came out with 4 cycle fishing motors. Everyone thought they would be too heavy, leak oil, lack power, etc. I remember that an IH dealer had them and sold none because of the above stated perceptions. Then he quit trying to sell them. He just sent them home with customers and asked them to try them out and tell him how they liked them, because he heard the same things. I asked him how that worked. He said "Great, I didn't get any back. They all wanted to buy them". They discovered, they were quiet, sipped fuel, didn't foul plugs, didn't leak oil etc.

I'll have no problem selling my old snowblower - it has very few hours and they are always in demand on the used market. And you're right, I will be waiting for snow. I enjoy your posts (and hillbilly too)

 

[Hilbilly]

KCO, Thanks for that video and pics of your tractor using the blower and all the feedback / input you're providing.

It looks like your fan is the same depth as mine but a little bigger diameter. The housing for the fan on my rear facing blower is 22" diameter by 8" depth. I think the extra 2" of diameter on your blower will make it throw further and provide a little more volume than the one I currently have. Based on my calculations it would be a 19% increase in volume, which would allow a 19% increase in travel speed compared to what i have now. So if I currently take 2 hours to make 2 passes on the driveway, I should be able to make the same 2 passes 20 minutes faster (all things being equal). I would prefer something faster but will need to do some price comparisons to see if the extra speed comes with a hefty price tag or not.

Today I spent time moving snow that fell from roof tops away from the buildings to make room for the next round of snow and cutting a path into my equipment storage area, to get access to my sand spreader. It warmed up today and everything started melting and then froze again, which will lead to a very icy driveway unless we get more snow. I want to be ready for that. What I discovered from this, is that I need a rear facing blower. So if I get an inverted for next year I will keep this one for chores like today. I took a few pics and a few videos but I won't be able to post the videos for some time. I suck at editing and uploading videos.

Here are some pics though. The last pic shows where snow has come off one side of my wood shed but couldn't complete the process because of the depth. I used the blower to back into the snow that was on the ground, to allow the rest to come off. The other pics show where I had to break through a bank that was pushed up, in order to get access to my sander.

 

[Agvg]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

 

[RoyJackson]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

It's probably because we, in the US, never used tractors for clearing snow off streets...at least, to any degree.

 

[DarkBlack]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

I like the blower on the back, so I have full use of my loader If I choose so.

 

[Hilbilly]

Strange that a concept that has been the STD way since the late fifties in Europe are still "new" to the US.

Here in Norway nobody uses, and have never used blowers that you need to use in reverse with a few special cases as an exception, today you have blowers for front 3pt that can be used at the rear but then it quit normal to use a tractor with double command so you turn your seat 180 degrees and drive backwards.

This thread was started to discuss blower options for 60 HP tractor and has been focused on that size and smaller so I don't see how a dual command station tractor is relevant. I'm pretty sure they are a LOT more money and I don't know if they are even available in this size tractor. No point discussing options for a 200hp tractor in this thread.

As for front PTO or front mount blowers goes, they are available in different ways. I can get the Kubota front mount system installed with a mid mount PTO for around $16,000 (an old price and likely more by now). Or I could get a Frontlink front PTO for more money. Here is a quote from a 2013 article about front mount PTO's by Frontlink. "Paulsson said his most commonly sold system in Western Canada is a front p.t.o. and three point hitch combination designed for snow blowing, which sells for $14,000 to $16,000, depending on the tractor and options." I couldn't tell from the article if they were referring to small tractors like the ones in this thread or much larger AG tractors. That price is also 7 years ago and I'm sure it hasn't gone down. So realistically I could get a front mount blower for somewhere between $16,000 and $20,000. So I can occasionally blow snow from my driveway. NOT going to happen. I am not a commercial operator. I am a homeowner looking after my driveway.

I also agree with DarkBlack. I want to be able to use the FEL for either my snow bucket for moving piles of snow or my plow for areas where the blower can't be used. While I would prefer to have a blower in front and drive forward, I think an inverted blower allows for better use of both ends of the tractor and is likely the way I will go. But I will still keep the rear facing one because of the need I've had in the last few days, for a blower that enters the snow before the tractor, like the 5' and 6' banks of snow I blew through or away from buildings.

My needs may not be the same as others and that is the beauty of forums like this. We can all benefit by sharing our experiences before investing in an implement that may turn out to be the wrong one for our needs.

I appreciate the information that KCO has provided because his conditions look to be very similar to mine and his tractor is in the same size range. Therefore his input is very relevant to this thread and my particular needs.

 

[Hilbilly]

Well I got a price for the Pronovost P-INV-80 snow blower. Shipped to a City 1 hr from me, the total price, including taxes was over $11,000. My desire to have one disappeared.

I decided I'm getting an inverted blower and got prices from a few dealers around me for the Brands they carry. The only inverted blowers I can find within a few hundred miles are Meteor and Farm King. So it came to be a decision between a 78" Meteor or an 84" Farm King. None of my local dealers can get deals on Meteor blowers and none of them have any in stock or access to any near them. That meant I would have to pay for shipping from the other side of the country. Best guess was $1,000 to $1,500 for shipping and the Meteor was about $500 to $600 more than the Farm King. So the overall price difference between the 2 was in the order of $1,500 to $2,100 and they both have the same fan sizes. Meaning they will process the snow at about the same speed. I even contacted MK Marten to find out if their 5 blade fan would process a higher volume, allowing me to travel faster. The answer was; they found that the extra blade proved to move the snow more efficiently and run smoother than the 4 blade fan but if there was any increase in volume, it was marginal.

Looks like I will be ordering an 84" Farm King inverted blower sometime tomorrow, unless any one here has some bad experiences with that brand that they would like to share.

I finally got around to uploading a video of my current blower cutting through a snow bank to get to my sander. Here it is 75" Meteor Snow Blower on Kubota L6 - YouTube

 

[razor]

Have you tried getting prices from snowblower dealers in Quebec or Eastern Ontario? I find they have better prices even when you take the shipping costs into account. Most of the best snow blowers are made Quebec.

 

[OrangeMuscle]

Hillbilly, too bad you live so far from me. I'd give you a sweet deal on my 78" inverted meteor thats only been used 3 times. I am still not happy with the results of the blower. I will try like heck to figure out how to adjust the top link to get it to scrape better. Unfortunately havent had snow in a while, and none on the 10 day forecast. Also, I foolishly thought since it was inverted I would hardly be turning my neck around. This is not true. I am looking backward probably as much as if it were a rear facing blower.

 

[Hilbilly]

Hillbilly, too bad you live so far from me. I'd give you a sweet deal on my 78" inverted meteor thats only been used 3 times. I am still not happy with the results of the blower. I will try like heck to figure out how to adjust the top link to get it to scrape better. Unfortunately havent had snow in a while, and none on the 10 day forecast. Also, I foolishly thought since it was inverted I would hardly be turning my neck around. This is not true. I am looking backward probably as much as if it were a rear facing blower.

I was wondering what happened to you. Haven't seen you post for a while. Sorry to hear you haven't resolved your issue.

I was wondering about that. I watched a bunch of videos of inverted blowers and noticed the operator was turning around a lot to look at the blower. I know when I'm blowing snow I can tell if I'm going too fast by seeing the snow pile up and push out the sides of the blower or over the top. Not sure you how that would be judged if you didn't turn around. Unless you just watched the mirrors to see if there was spill over. But the mirrors get fogged up or wet when it's snowing so it's pretty hard to see what's going on. However, that might just be getting use to using the blower. I know I struggled with my plow for the first bit but now have it figured out pretty well.

My driveway is gravel so the scraping part is not really an issue for me.

Razor, What part of Canada are you in?

I talked to a Pronovost dealer in Alberta (closest dealer to me) and was quoted $1,500 to ship a Pronovost P-INV-80 to Kamloops, which is an hour from me. The dealer said the Puma 80 IV would likely be a little less since it is lighter but didn't expect it to be much less. I really would like something with a bigger or deeper fan to process the snow quicker, so I can travel faster but I'm not willing to spend $11,000 to get the extra speed. I love my new cab tractor and will just have to enjoy the extra time I get to spend in it.

 

[Hilbilly]

OrangeMuscle,

If you're trying to get your driveway cleaned off to the asphalt, maybe one of those rotary brooms would work for you. I've seen some videos where people use them. As a matter of fact I watched one a week or so ago with 2 vehicles clearing a parking lot. The first one was a skid steer with a snow pusher and that was followed by one with a rotary broom. looked like they got it pretty clean.

 

[airbiscuit]

Any Normand Dealers near you?

 

[Hilbilly]

Just checked their website and the closest dealer is 2958 miles from me.

 

[MJ1964]

Just checked their website and the closest dealer is 2958 miles from me.

If you have a "Bush Hog" brand dealer near you then you might be in luck. If you look at their website it appears they sell rebranded Meteors.

Bush Hog(R) SBPT Pull Type Snow Blower

 

[Dave M7040]

Smyth Welding dealer in Red Deere Alberta 780 km away.

Dave M7040