Snow Snow removal options

   / Snow removal options #31  
Hi Carl,

I have a B21 and rear mount blade for the winter and a 28" walk behind blower to clear the woodpile, pathways, oil tank, and tight spots. Drive is about 200' with a large paved area 50x70 to clear. I use the FEL going forward and in reverse drop the back blade so get FW/BW clearing.

Considered using some bucket edge but once it is broken in (rounded a bit) it doesnt dig in to the pavement unless I am removing ice/packed snow. The snowblower helps with deeper snow too where I have limited push areas due to large Rhodendron's lining the driveway.

So it sounds like you have a good setup now and if/when needed you can add a rear blade when you move to another area w/o a lot of expense.
 
   / Snow removal options #32  
I have a B26 too but my driveway is in gravel and hilly. I bought a Pronovost rear mounted blower and I use the FEL to clear small spots here and there. The blower is top quality but the only complaint I have (which isn't really the blower's fault) is broken shear bolts. Even though I'd rather have a broken shear bolt than something a lot more expensive break, it's still a PIA to take my gloves off at -30c to change a shear bolt. I sort of got lazy and bought a small Pelican case which I bolted to the top of the blower. The waterproof case holds spare bolts and tools to change the bolt (1/4 socket wrench, socket, small vice grip etc).

I'll tell you that even though I shut the tractor down, images of a spinning PTO taking off various parts of my body come to mind every time I work near the now completely inert PTO.
 
   / Snow removal options
  • Thread Starter
#33  
I just got some literature from Skid Steer Attachments - Bobcat - Compact Tractor - Loader - Attachments Direct, Inc. and they have a 3-point rear pull PTO snowblower. Not sure how well it would work in deep snow, considering your tractor needs to be able to drive through the snow before clearing it. Plus the fact that its packing it down as you drive over it. Looks good though. I'll start another thread and see if anyone out there is using one.
 
   / Snow removal options #34  
If you go to www.plowsite.com you will se a lot of folks with inverted blowers but they are using larger heavier tractors that will sink in the snow and have no issues with traction and with an open station tractor, very messy if the wind shifts if you do not have a spout extension.


Inverted blowers are designed for cramped areas that a front or rear mount blower would be unable to take care of as there is no room to throw it with accuracy; typically the inverted will throw it forward to the left or right depending upon the attachment point on the blower housing.

The pronovost line has three of them from what I remember.

You may be better off buying a pair of front mounted snow blowers
(having one as a spare) for (1) MTD Cub Cadet of 24+ horse power and get a soft cab, Chains, and wheel weights for it, as you will have spent less money if you dont want a standard rear mount blower.

the nice thing about a rear mount forward casting blower is if you travel slowly you dont have worry about constantly looking forward and back as the front wheels will be following the rear wheels following the blower housing.

as the movement is always linear -----------------------------------------------


Adding a wheel spinner/suicide knob will make it easier to steer too.


Its easy enough to anchor a large mirror or two to see the rear if you dont want a stiff neck or use a wireless camera (they are very economical to buy through plowsite, cabelas, aw direct and others.


leonz
 
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   / Snow removal options #35  
Yeah I have a bolt on cutting edge on it now. I was reading in another thread where a guy replaced the cutting edge with a piece of heavy duty rubber. Sounds good, but where do you get something like that? He used a piece of rubber horse mat. No horses around here, so I guessa rubber horse mat would be a tough find. lol. What do you think?

Just grab a "gator", or thrown recap off a truck from the side of the highway. Steel belted and thick, heavy, rubber. Don't try to cut it with a sawzall. Shook me sow bad, I got dizzy. :D
 
   / Snow removal options #36  
For only 100' of drive, and considering you have been doing just fine in the past with only a FEL, I'd opt to save the $$$ and get a backblade.

They have a huge advantage over the FEL as they can angle. And you still have your FEL on and can pile. It may not be quite as fast as having a blower, but a FEL w/blade combo is a lot faster than just a FEL.

I would dito this. The combination for the price is very hard to beat. I have a B2920 and the previous year with a 50 inch rear blade (I offset it) it worked quite well clearing our private road. This year, we had a very heavy snow where the snow it self was just very wet and thick and the blade could not move it. It was all FEL work.

A rear blade is the cheapest and most useful implement. If you're worried about your blacktop, then get skid shoes for it.
 
   / Snow removal options
  • Thread Starter
#37  
If you go to www.plowsite.com you will se a lot of folks with inverted blowers but they are using larger heavier tractors that will sink in the snow and have no issues with traction and with an open station tractor, very messy if the wind shifts if you dont have a spout extension.

I don't get it. If I can use a grading blade, without a problem, then why would a rear mounted pull snowblower be a problem? With both implements you need to drive through the snow, with the tractor, in order to use them. I don't get it.
 
   / Snow removal options #38  
I'm not sure about your specific tractor,
but you may want to check out this guy's videos on Youtube. His username is stladrill.

This guy builds a lot of custom stuff for his John Deere.... I'm very amazed at some of the stuff he has built.

He built the shovel you see ( painted yellow ) and also built the whole mechanism that lowers and raises that shovel ( plow ).

YouTube - My Homemade Rear Blade in Action

Here's another video of the mechanism lowering and raising the plow.
YouTube - John Deere X300 rear Snow Blade Lift system (Final)


I have a Kubota B26 and was wondering what my best option for snow removal would be. I have a 100' blacktop driveway. Not big but I still need to clear the snow. My options, that I know of are: 1) Rear mounted snow blower. 2) Front mounted snow plow. 3) Rear mounted grading blade. 4) Or just use my FEL. I also have a John Deere GX345 which will take a front mounted single stage snow blower.

I guess the cheapest way would be the FEL, but not sure if that would damage the driveway. Any input?
 
   / Snow removal options #39  
Carl-Bert.

The issue is larger heavier tractors with higher ground clearance sink thru the snow to the pavement or subsurface, while the B26 has 12" clearance in 18-20" you willl be plowing with the front end and getting stuck. I have experienced this in deep snow. Basically with the implements up you drive over the snow but as soon as you lower them and lose the weight on the rear you will lose traction.

The rear mounted scraper blade turned in reverse also works very well to push piles and you dont drive over the top of the snow. Depending on the snow type I clear with the FEL and offest the rear blade to clean up. If its more than 16" and heavy and wet I do one pass with the snowblower then use the tractor for rest.
 
   / Snow removal options #40  
When you say it wore out quickly, approx. how long does it last? Did it have to be changed each season? According to DiezNutz it costs about $75 for a 50" length. So lets say $90 for the 60" that I need. If it would last 2 or 3 winters it would be worth it. One year, not so sure.



You can get a 1/2x2'x8' piece fr McMaster-Carr for $180. Can be cut on a tablesaw and drilled w a hand drill. Looks pretty economical to me!


.
 

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