Snow removal options - plow, pusher, blower, loader

[Thomas]

If were I go with blade and rear scraper blade that's if your rear blower doesn't fit 3pt hitch,blades are quicker clear the surface better just have to keep those snow banks push back.

 

[WinterDeere]

As some others have said, the SSQA mounted power angle blade is the ticket.

Well, this would be JDQA... but same idea. No need for me to mess with SSQA, I’m not presently using any attachments for which this would be an advantage.

If were I go with blade and rear scraper blade that's if your rear blower doesn't fit 3pt hitch,blades are quicker clear the surface better just have to keep those snow banks push back.

Blade + second blade? I don’t get it. Why would you want a rear blade if you have a blade on the front?

 

[ruffdog]

Well, this would be JDQA... but same idea. No need for me to mess with SSQA, I’m not presently using any attachments for which this would be an advantage.



Blade + second blade? I don’t get it. Why would you want a rear blade if you have a blade on the front?

A blade on both ends allows you to plow an area without having to turn the tractor around. I can use one blade to pull from the garage doors while the other blade is pushing what I just pulled. I use it mostly in the area between the buildings, parking areas, and the end of the drive. With one blade, you push snow...back up...repeat. With 2 blades, I'm pushing snow both directions.

 

[RjCorazza]

Well, this would be JDQA... but same idea. No need for me to mess with SSQA, I’m not presently using any attachments for which this would be an advantage.


Blade + second blade? I don’t get it. Why would you want a rear blade if you have a blade on the front?

You'd be surprised how efficient 2 blades can be. For me, time is important. I also run a polyurethane edge on the rear blade for an additional fee to customers not wanting a steel edge on their pavement.

 

[SmallChange]

I'm hoping going from an angled dozer blade to a bucket helps me out this year. My problem is a large parking and turn-around area that is almost completely surrounded by high walls and fences, 10-25 feet high, so I can't throw the snow out of this space and it takes many passes to push it out. I hope I can carry it out with the bucket. I have to drop it over an embankment about 100' from the area. This will be my first winter with the loader bucket. If my driveway was not so hemmed in by obstacles, I think either a blower or a dozer blade would work way way better.

By the way, a second blade can be seriously useful. With my dozer blade over the years, I would add my landscape rake on the rear. Its tines were solid enough that they hold the snow. It was better than the dozer for pulling the snow out of tight spaces, and when snow was deep I could drop both implements and both would gather quite a bit.

 

[PILOON]

So much depends on your area and annual accumulations.
In Quebec we enjoy (?) usually 25 or so events and often 200 inches total.
So often simple pushing causes problems so most contractors have reverted to blowing it as far away as possible.
The early events are the headache especially unfrozen bases and often wet snow*.

For pushing 'edge tamers' are the ticket and oversized skids or shoes on a blower helps.

I push when the event is in the 3-4 inch range and blow over that.
LOL, when hit with 12 inches I raise my blower and blow the top half and then 1/2 widths from then on.

Oh, since I can't afford a front blower I installed a back up camera to see where my blower is heading.

*I experimented by lining my snow chute with a DIY poly liner and can report that the wet 'snowman' snow did not clog my chute once and that was with a 5 inch event.

 

[oosik]

It seems that the last few years - including this one - I've not needed anything. The wx warms and all the snow melts. I have a mile long gravel driveway, mailbox area and yard that needs clearing. I've used the front bucket on the FEL - do not like that. When I had a smaller tractor I had a 3-point blower. It worked great - except for wet snow - but I always got a sore neck & shoulders.

Now I have the larger Kubota M6040 and a very HD rear blade. It works well. I can clear any berm accumulations along the driveway without needing tire chains and the mailbox area & yard are cleared easily.

With the crazy wx conditions the last few years the 3-point blower would have been useless. I still can remember those 8" to 12" dry snow falls and using the blower. It was a joy and Jack Daniels always helped relieve the sore neck & shoulders.

If our wx continues in its current path I will need a bush hog to clear the grass & weeds that grow along the driveway. Snow may become a thing of the past.

 

[WinterDeere]

Perhaps, but your local weather is no indicator of climate trends, @oosik. We’re way colder than historical average today, at 16F near Philly. And I haven’t noticed any change in our annual snowfall outside historical normal variation, yet. But this is a thread about how to move the snow I’m getting, not a forum for debating climate change, so please don’t drag it there.

Thanks for the comments on the blower, FEL, and rear blade, that’s useful.

 

[oosik]

I'm sorry WinterDeere but I'm not debating. I'm just stating simple facts. It's what is on the ground that counts. No intention of sidetracking.

A couple points - its winter. Why would you remove the blower from the 3-point? I leave my rear blade on the 3-point year round. Except for a month in the late spring when I use my chipper. We all know how mounting/dismounting any 3-point PTO driven implement can be a PITA.

I would suggest a blade on the FEL and leave the blower on the 3-point for times when it can be used. Or just get a good HD rear blade. They can move snow - wet or dry.

Hey - have a good day.

 

[WinterDeere]

If I only had more tractors...

I use this machine quite a bit all winter for processing and moving firewood, and my blower is big enough that it affects maneuverability in my sometimes tight wood processing and storage areas, so I typically prefer to mount the ballast box. Besides, I usually only need to resort to the blower an average of once per year, when we get over a foot in a single night. Most of our storms are 4” to 8” at a time, and the front blade can handle that more quickly.

I’m not sure if I said it, but I ended up going with a 6ft Frontier blade with hydraulic angle and quick-hitch (Deere) mounts for the loader. I can drop the bucket and pick up this blade in less than a minute!