In answer to Slowpoke Slim's question on the 84" snowblower, the 40 horse Branson has no problem with it. It weighs a bit over 900lbs so it helps me when it gets a bit slick out. I have R4's on the tractor and they are just about, no, they are, worthless in snow. I usually have to run chains on all fours when it gets more than a couple inches deep or there is any ice or hard pack. I've done a lot of snow removal here using the front bucket (only when necessary) and 7ft back blade on my old 32hp tractor. When the berms along the drive would get up to a ft or two high and hard, it would just throw the back of the tractor over. Then the bucket went to work to open the road wide enough for a car to pass as the drive is not very wide to begin with. I'm sure you fella's that do this regularly know exactly what I'm talking about. I've lived here 20 years and every year is a learning experience in snow removal. I had a TD 9 cat I used for a few years, now that thing could move snow but also really tear stuff up if things got remotely out of kilter. Had a 87 International 6yd dump that was an X city plow truck, had sanders, double action box (would lift from the front or from the rear to feed the sanders) and a 12ft plow. It would also really move snow but I had to use chains and 3 or 4 yds of sand to get around. Trying to do small areas around the house, neighbors drives and such was pretty dicey. So here I am now with a new(er) tractor, big snow blower for when the berms get big and the road gets small, and the 94" front blade for the majority (I hope) snow work. I think it will work pretty good once I get a handle on how to use it. I've noticed that when changing angles on the blade you have to "adjust" the roll back on the plow to keep it level so one side doesn't dig in. That was an interesting discovery. Also in answer to Jerry, I have done a two inch steel pipe tack welded to the cutting edge and a 12" piece of stall mat that rolls under the pipe. Read about that from someone. Seems to work pretty well so far, and I'm sure I'll tear up less road with this setup than I would with just the blade edge. The best by far was the dump truck and plow but man, I had that in some tight spots around the neighborhood that I wasn't sure I would ever get out of. I probably should add that the "driveway" was originally built with a D8 dozer run up through the woods and a bunch of rip rap dropped for a road base. Over the years and a lot of gravel and it is what it is. Up hill all the way to my house, not level in any direction with humps and bumps with a few small "donikers" sticking up when the gravel starts getting moved out thrown in. When I first moved here I would not haul my horses down it inside the trailer, I would tie them off and let them walk. It was a bona fide 5MPH road in my 4x4 cause' it was so rough. You could actually (if you were so inclined) drive it at 20 today without to much drama, I still only go about 10 though. Sorry for the book size reply guys.
