Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow Removal Setup /Comments?

[MesaPlower]

I've posted a few times about big snow removal problems at 9200' with large drifts, 2000' ft driveway etc.

After reading through posts I'm going with a 5270 [becaue of turbo/altitude] with loader and 74" rear blower, all Kubota for ability to finance.

I'll put H chains on back and front [maybe vbar]. Possibly add a Curtis plow that can quick mount to front for less drastic snow situations if the loader is too slow.

Should I be loading the rears with Rim Guard, or is the blower enough ballast? W have some pretty steep grades.

Anything else I am forgetting?

Thanks for the help.

 

[MesaPlower]

That would be 5740...

 

[Dmace]

I would load the tires, you will gain more weight and traction. A loader that can lift over 2000lbs will most likely require more ballast then a blower. You can never have too much weight... .

..until you drive across a lawn or trailer it that is.

 

[canoetrpr]

Load the tires! You are getting a FEL right?

You might find that just the loader/bucket combo with a snowblower at the back works well enough. I admit that a curtis plow with a blower at the back would make an ultimate snow removal machine.

 

[MesaPlower]

I assume that the loaded tires aren't necessary for the snow possibly, but for other loading situations. Also, blower will be off in the Spring for a Woods brush hog or some such.

 

[Outlander]

4 link ladder chains with cleats should be quite sufficient. My tires are thankfully not loaded and the Lake Erie snow belt has yet to stop me. My drive is small, just over a tenth of a mile and I can push through 24" without pause. Just a little 7205 Cub but it's like a tank with the ladder chains. I used to think weight was a big factor but any more I'm not so sure. My old Allis weighs 4000+, has conventional chains and does not do as well as the Cub. Those cleats and close spaced cross chains just plain bite in and go......Should I ever encounter a situation where I need additional traction I would just throw the front chains on and push on through. I've been around loaded tires since I was a boy on the farm and over the long term I have found them to be more trouble than they are worth.

 

[Dmace]

Outlander, It sounds like you don't work in hilly areas. I have used tractors of the same size/weight with and without loaded tires and mine with the loaded tires felt much more stable.

 

[RFB]

Mesa,

I plow miles of big snow at 3300+ EL. In the last seven days I have plowed 50 hours.

Trial and error on my L5030/Curtis 7.5 snowplow/Loftness 841S Blower has provided the following setup:

Tires/Wheels reversed to the widest possible position

Chains (H on back, V bar on front) on R1 tires

Rim Guard in the rears.

Weight and chains equal traction which is important since snow is heavy, and the surface is inherently slippery.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/4881/sort/1/cat/500/page/1

 

[MesaPlower]

RFB:

I have been the beneficiary of many of your comments and I believe that we live in similar terrain. I have between 4 and 5 feet of new drift each morning here on bad days, and have pulled my seasonal neighbors out of really troubling deals every year.

The way I think is that predicted once a decade events happen about twice a year. Where I live that's not a good deal.

Thanks for the input - I only have a couple of neighbors within 5 miles and they pay to not have their work not done.

JPC

 

[MesaPlower]

Thanks all for commentary.