Snow Bucket vs Snow Pusher

[yooperdave]

I have a 50' wide x 130' long concrete and paved driveway on a moderate grade.

I was looking to get a LS XJ2025H CUT with a front snowblower option, but the snowblower is only 50" wide and $4,000 with a manual chute.
The crank to operate the chute is also in the way to access the seat and controls.

Considering the area of the driveway, I was hoping to ditch the snowblower and use either a 6' snow pusher or a 6' snow bucket.
Either of these attachments are significantly less expensive and fewer moving parts.

Will the pusher be easier on the asphalt?

Any insights would be appreciated.

TIA

Yooper Dave

 

[dalola]

Regardless of the tool, the key is a urethane edge. It will scrape your driveway clean, and not leave a mark.

 

[mike69440]

Regardless of the tool, the key is a urethane edge. It will scrape your driveway clean, and not leave a mark.

I vote Pusher. It is the 50' width is why. Are you pushing 130' , 50', or both?

 

[yooperdave]

I vote Pusher. It is the 50' width is why. Are you pushing 130' , 50', or both?

I would be pushing the 130' downhill. I have lots of room to push into a ditch. Do you know anything about the add-on options for the pushers?

 

[Jchonline]

I am guessing you cant use the toolcat and add a pusher to it? The LS is only 2200lbs with the FEL no ballast. Toolcat is 5600.

 

[yooperdave]

I am guessing you cant use the toolcat and add a pusher to it? The LS is only 2200lbs with the FEL no ballast. Toolcat is 5600.

The Toolcat is at my cottage 2 hours away.

The proposed XJ2025H would have Rim Guard added to the rear tires. I would also buy a 3-point attachment which has a receiver hitch and accepts suitcase weights.

 

[PA hayseed]

You might want to look at purchasing a snow pusher with a rubber edge that is bolted on, and that has a cut back/back drag end on it. THe cut back/back drag end allows you to roll the snowpusher over with your FEL so that you can scrape away from garage doors then push it off.

Here is a link to what I am talking about, in case my brief description leaves you wondering. I am not pushing HLA products, it is just that their site allows you to mouse over the back drag and the other add ons so you see what they look like. THere is also a video of one in use with almost no snow on the ground:laughing:

HLA Snow | 15 SnowPusher

 

[arrow]

I have a 50' wide x 130' long concrete and paved driveway on a moderate grade.

I was looking to get a LS XJ2025H CUT with a front snowblower option, but the snowblower is only 50" wide and $4,000 with a manual chute.
The crank to operate the chute is also in the way to access the seat and controls.

Considering the area of the driveway, I was hoping to ditch the snowblower and use either a 6' snow pusher or a 6' snow bucket.
Either of these attachments are significantly less expensive and fewer moving parts.

Will the pusher be easier on the asphalt?

Any insights would be appreciated.

TIA

Yooper Dave

I also have a 130' drive but at 12' wide. I have a lot of "landing" area to clear however that must total about 1/2 an acre. The bucket on my tractor was so shallow, I made a pusher out of it with just a bolt on for sides. 50 bucks. I'd also strongly consider a rear end scraper blade. The two items work very well in tandem.

A snow bucket in my mind would only be appropriate if you had to transport snow out of an area because of lack of room to pile it. Otherwise a pusher and scraper is way more efficient.

 

[spitter]

I just finished building a snow pusher and I though a backdrag was the most important thing for me .My patio has no where to push snow so I wanted to use the back drag to pull snow off of it . I think Grattex has the snow pusher thing down to a science . Watch some of their videos and it should give you everything you need . There is a you tube video on a JD 2720 winter set up pretty freken cool.:drink:

 

[yooperdave]

I vote Pusher. It is the 50' width is why. Are you pushing 130' , 50', or both?

Given a 25hp 4wd CUT, how big of a pusher would you recommend? I thought 6' would work, but after some reading, it seems 5' is pushing the limits - pun intended. Pushing downhill with some weight, I am hoping 5' will do the trick.

 

[Tomtint]

Given a 25hp 4wd CUT, how big of a pusher would you recommend? I thought 6' would work, but after some reading, it seems 5' is pushing the limits - pun intended. Pushing downhill with some weight, I am hoping 5' will do the trick.

A lot depends on how much and how heavy the snow is.. also if you are pushing up hill at all.IMO, a 6' pusher would be fine for up to 4-5" of moderately wet snow.. more if it is light and fluffy.

 

[arrow]

Given a 25hp 4wd CUT, how big of a pusher would you recommend? I thought 6' would work, but after some reading, it seems 5' is pushing the limits - pun intended. Pushing downhill with some weight, I am hoping 5' will do the trick.

Not so much the hp making the difference but more of the weight of the machine. My bucket is 5' so of course makes a 5' "pusher". I have chains and weighted tires. It'll walk a 25" dump. 8"-10" of wet snow is the problem. That stuff just packs and you're pushing hundreds if not thousands of pounds in front of the tractor. I concluded that I'd rather keep moving than to go back and forth with a wider pusher. I needed something "all-around" capable as we can get any kind of snow in this state. For my 4000 lb machine, 5' fits the bill for all kinds of snow.

TomTint is spot on. It is certainly the character of the types of snow in your domain that tells you how wide to go. If you're the type to get out at 11 pm while there is 4-6" on the ground and you wish to stay ahead of it, then your pusher can be wider. Me..I like to wait out the storm till the next day and deal with the entire mess all at once.

 

[yooperdave]

Not so much the hp making the difference but more of the weight of the machine. My bucket is 5' so of course makes a 5' "pusher". I have chains and weighted tires. It'll walk a 25" dump. 8"-10" of wet snow is the problem. That stuff just packs and you're pushing hundreds if not thousands of pounds in front of the tractor. I concluded that I'd rather keep moving than to go back and forth with a wider pusher. I needed something "all-around" capable as we can get any kind of snow in this state. For my 4000 lb machine, 5' fits the bill for all kinds of snow.

TomTint is spot on. It is certainly the character of the types of snow in your domain that tells you how wide to go. If you're the type to get out at 11 pm while there is 4-6" on the ground and you wish to stay ahead of it, then your pusher can be wider. Me..I like to wait out the storm till the next day and deal with the entire mess all at once.

I figure if worst case, I would put the material bucket back on the tractor. The SSQA will really come in handy.

 

[mike69440]

Given a 25hp 4wd CUT, how big of a pusher would you recommend? I thought 6' would work, but after some reading, it seems 5' is pushing the limits - pun intended. Pushing downhill with some weight, I am hoping 5' will do the trick.

5' for wet snow, Fluffy lake effect snow might handle a 6' pusher?

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a snow bucket sitting outside I just had made for a friend by a friend. It's for a BobCat mid sized SS, but I would have gone bigger on the bucket. They need to move snow out of a confined parking area.

I have an 8 Foot blade but thought about a pusher or big bucket. I think the bucket could have year round uses, and also, maybe pile snow better. The piles get pretty high around my parking lot and if need be, you could put the snow elsewhere with a bucket.

 

[millsan1]

I have snow fought my driveway for the last few years. I am married to snow pusher with a PTO snowblower. Snowblower is optional, a scraper blade is a decent second option. Snow pusher is not, It is my best snow fighting tool.