Mark - glad to see you have covered your bases. We both know how wildfires can be in the Winthrop area.
I'm in the mountains/foothills of WA with a 1-mile dirt/gravel driveway that is seriously steep (13% average, 21% maximum), plus another half mile that I share with neighbors. The driveway is narrow and curvy, and is cut across a steep hill so the edge drops off. We get about 100 of snow per year. Our plow guy has trouble with the volume some years (like this year), so I'm thinking about getting a tractor with a blower to take care of it myself. This would have the additional benefit of avoiding the plow piles that keep the driveway muddy in the spring after the rest of the snow has melted off. I don't want to be craning my neck for 2 miles every time it snows, so it's going to need to be a front blower. And, unless someone wants to talk me out of it, hydrostatic transmission and a cab. I have JD and Mahindra dealers an hour away, and Kubota, Kioti, New Holland, MF, and Bobcat dealers 2 hours away. At this point, I'm mostly looking at Kubota and Kioti.
My main question is around horsepower and ground speed. I don't want to spend more than an hour on a normal 6" snowfall, which means I normally need to be moving 2 mph at a minimum, hopefully at least 3 mph. Many people seem happy with the B2650, and people talk up the Kubota blowers a lot, but based on YouTube videos I've seen they are often moving fairly slow when blowing (perhaps close to 2 mph). If I buy a Kioti, I'm looking towards a 50+ hp DK. Will double the power that translate to being able to move twice as quickly when blowing? Kioti's literature on their DK-compatible blower recommends 25-40 PTO hp. Will it actually be able to effectively use all 40 hp, or does the snowblower design lead to declining ROI with each additional hp? What if I put it on a DK6010SE (which has 45 PTO hp)?
Reliability is a high priority--my driveway is trailer-unfriendly, and with the distance to the dealer it would become quite a headache. Being stranded in the winter would be especially unfortunate. Other than blowing speed and reliability, there are some additional priorities. In the winter, a heavier tractor would do better at breaking up driveway ice (I would have chains, of course), and would be more effective at pulling a stuck vehicle (which I hope won't happen, but good to be prepared). In the summer, my only regular use would be driveway maintenance, but there are lots of projects where I'd love to have a tractor with a FEL to move heavy things around (including when we build a new house to replace our cabin).
For winter maintenance of a steep, high-consequence driveway, what else should I be thinking about? From what I'm reading in threads, a rear blade to get more snow off the driveway (and reduce ice build-up) is a must. Is a salt/sand spreader effective, and if so, how much sand should I be spreading on a 1-mile driveway when I think things are going to get icy? Is there a better way to add traction to an icy surface (or avoid the ice altogether)?
I'm in the mountains/foothills of WA with a 1-mile dirt/gravel driveway that is seriously steep (13% average, 21% maximum), plus another half mile that I share with neighbors. The driveway is narrow and curvy, and is cut across a steep hill so the edge drops off. We get about 100 of snow per year. Our plow guy has trouble with the volume some years (like this year), so I'm thinking about getting a tractor with a blower to take care of it myself. This would have the additional benefit of avoiding the plow piles that keep the driveway muddy in the spring after the rest of the snow has melted off. I don't want to be craning my neck for 2 miles every time it snows, so it's going to need to be a front blower. And, unless someone wants to talk me out of it, hydrostatic transmission and a cab. I have JD and Mahindra dealers an hour away, and Kubota, Kioti, New Holland, MF, and Bobcat dealers 2 hours away. At this point, I'm mostly looking at Kubota and Kioti.
My main question is around horsepower and ground speed. I don't want to spend more than an hour on a normal 6" snowfall, which means I normally need to be moving 2 mph at a minimum, hopefully at least 3 mph. Many people seem happy with the B2650, and people talk up the Kubota blowers a lot, but based on YouTube videos I've seen they are often moving fairly slow when blowing (perhaps close to 2 mph). If I buy a Kioti, I'm looking towards a 50+ hp DK. Will double the power that translate to being able to move twice as quickly when blowing? Kioti's literature on their DK-compatible blower recommends 25-40 PTO hp. Will it actually be able to effectively use all 40 hp, or does the snowblower design lead to declining ROI with each additional hp? What if I put it on a DK6010SE (which has 45 PTO hp)?
Reliability is a high priority--my driveway is trailer-unfriendly, and with the distance to the dealer it would become quite a headache. Being stranded in the winter would be especially unfortunate. Other than blowing speed and reliability, there are some additional priorities. In the winter, a heavier tractor would do better at breaking up driveway ice (I would have chains, of course), and would be more effective at pulling a stuck vehicle (which I hope won't happen, but good to be prepared). In the summer, my only regular use would be driveway maintenance, but there are lots of projects where I'd love to have a tractor with a FEL to move heavy things around (including when we build a new house to replace our cabin).
For winter maintenance of a steep, high-consequence driveway, what else should I be thinking about? From what I'm reading in threads, a rear blade to get more snow off the driveway (and reduce ice build-up) is a must. Is a salt/sand spreader effective, and if so, how much sand should I be spreading on a 1-mile driveway when I think things are going to get icy? Is there a better way to add traction to an icy surface (or avoid the ice altogether)?
Hi , I just saw your post as I just joined the site. Maybe you have already made your decision. If not I thought I might be able to share some information.
I have a similar driveway to yours near the ski hill in Fernie, BC, Canada. 3/4 mile long, narrow with a steep climb curving right on a sidehill. The sidehill is a steep drop off the road. Going off means the vehicle stays there until the snow melts in spring.
I get enough snow to make it impassable unless it is cleared. When cleared only 4x4 vehicles can make it up in the winter.
My neighbor's driveway is like mine. He uses an inverted Provonost rear pull snowblower behind a Case 80hp 4x4 tractor with chains on the tires. Two years ago he got his tractor/blower stuck while trying to clear his road after he had been away in Hawaii for a few weeks. He was even on a slight downhill when he high centered and got stuck. Had to dig out and then back out. This made it so he was unable to clear his road with his machine.
So unless you can keep up with the job and not have accumulation due to being away, a rear mount pull type would not be the best choice for you in my opinion. Nor would anything underpowered. It will take a long time for you to do the job and cause much frustration.
A plow on a tractor or a truck may work most of the time but will cause snow to build up and harden on the sides gradually narrowing your road. Plus pushing uphill can cause loss of traction due to the weight you push ahead of you.
I believe a front mount snowblower on a Utility size 4x4 tractor with chains on the tires would be best for your application because you can clear the snow in front of the tractor tires. Starting from the top is recommended so you don’t lose traction while pushing snow ahead of the blower on the way up. Then when you go uphill, if you start slipping/losing traction, you can take a smaller width (or none) on the way up then repeat the downhill blowing if needed.
The blower throws the snow out away from the road so no narrowing occurs. The weight of the blower on the ground causes friction that slows you down when descending your steep slippery grades.
If it gets really icy you may need a spreader for sand/salt for the steeper areas. You can get attachments for the back of the tractor if needed.
What I have won’t help you because you likely can’t get what I use to clear my road. When I bought my place I inherited an old beast of a machine made by Sicard in 1969 (long out of business) that was acquired by the prior owner. It was used to clear airport runways for the Canadian military. I have attached pictures. It is a beast that chews ip the snow and spits it out. I have cleared 5 foot deep snow out of the whole road length going down then back up once without a problem.
It has Cummins diesel behind the cab that is dedicated to the blower with a driveshaft. An industrial flat 6 engine in front, gas powered, runs the truck wheels with a standard transmission. The blower lifts hydraulically and is 8 feet wide. It also has a chute I can attach to load a dump truck with snow, but I just blow it into the trees. It is right side drive, like the british, so you can see the road edge better. You have to climb up into the cab. My wife is standing beside it in the summer time picture.
It takes some TLC to keep it going. If anything breaks down I usually can’t get parts and have to machine them.
Anyway, good luck on your decision. Hope whatever you decide to do works out well.
