Snow Technique to clear 30" of snow w. Kubota B3300SU

[Teikas Dad]

So far, loaded R4s with the ballast of the box blade on my B3200 and I haven't run into a traction problem yet. My surface beneath the snow is gravel/ dirt.

View attachment 302273

That may be my problem, I've got a paved driveway so once the asphalt got lubricated with the snow it got kinda slippery. I've got 450lbs in a ballast box to give me some weight on the rear.

 

[xring100]

So far, loaded R4s with the ballast of the box blade on my B3200 and I haven't run into a traction problem yet. My surface beneath the snow is gravel/ dirt.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=302273"/>

Wait until you get some ice. On top of that gravel. I have trouble on hard pack snow or ice not even pushing pushing snow. I have R1's

Dave

 

[xring100]

I've got a B3200, so basically the same tractor. I took the backhoe off for the winter and replaced it with a ballast box.

This was my first storm with the tractor. I kind of made it up as I went along, learning in the process. I could push about 20 feet at a time before the snow piled up so high that the tires started to spin. At that point I got a bucketfull of snow, backed up and dumped it on the side of the driveway. I finally figured out to cut back and area, actually a couple of them, along the side of the driveway to dump the snow in. I pushed back the sides lifting the loader at the same time then dumped the snow in the bucket over the top.

I found that on long flat stretches I seemed to make out better when I put the transmission in H instead of M. I could build up more speed and the tractor could push the snow farther. If I was just moving shorter distances I would leave the transmission in M. I ran at about 2000rpm which seemed to give it plenty of power. The only time it bogged down was when I had the loader buried in a 5 or 6 foot high mound of snow. Then all I had to do was lift it and dump it over the top of the mound.

I just took my time and kept pushing, lifting and dumping until I got it done. I got about 4 hours seat time between my driveway and the neighbor's driveway so I'm not complaining!

I don't know if my technique was the proper one or recommended one, but it worked.

Looks like fun. Send some of the snow up to Michigan

Dave

 

[boggen]

one of reasons why i encourage folks to get "split rear" brake pedals, so you can lock up left or right rear wheels. to allow for tighter cornering.

what has it been 2 or has it been 3 years now. when i had 6 foot drifts, in the drive way.

i genarelly find a spot in the yard, that i will purpose scratch up, and push snow back in that area., and then will bucket full at a time, go and get a heaping bucket of snow, and drive it back to that given spot to dump the snow. the snow pile gets rather large quickly. and will get some speed and slam into the snow pile some times to compact it, and try and get the snow pushed back further, some times just working on the front face of the pile lift snow up low on the bottom and moving it more to the top.

i like doing above, for the gravel driveway here. due to it helps keep the gravel i do end up getting / picking up with FEL, into a better single area, to be picked up come spring time.

i try my best to keep the area were the tires will be, clean of snow, and due my best to keep tires on good ground and not going through snow. (so i do not get in situation were tractor bottom gets lifted up off the ground via snow, and tires no longer have enough weight on ground to gain tractor.)

a FEL does work, but so wish i had a regular "plow" errr snow pusher, instead of a generic duty bucket on the FEL. so i could angle the blade some and let the snow roll off to the side. but that is another thing.

if you have a 3pt hitch rear blade. there good only for a couple inches of snow depth, but they add good counter weight on rear, and they can help clean up your mess as you use the FEL to take care of the deeper snow drifts.

"back dragging" put the cutting of the FEL bucket down, and rear end of the bucket off the ground, and driving backwards. trying your best to keep front wheels on the ground, and enough pressure on front wheels to allow you to turn (i love my split rear left and right steering brakes for rear wheels) due to it may be only way i can turn. but locking up left or right rear wheel independent of each other. back dragging is rough, and as the front cutting edge of bucket skips and hops across the ground. but it works in scrapping down to the ground and cleaning up messes

 

[ericher69]

this is how

http://youtu.be/pxp6TQ64QNw

I feel for you if you did all that plowing with the FEL

Beats a shovel any day but is not the most efficient snow removal attachment.

Look into getting a rear blower (used) if only doing your own drive. You can generally resell them for the money you put out.

 

[SPMMD]

No, watching my son and his best friend play in it is the best part!

 

[BuzzardA91]

We got about 24" here best I could tell. A couple of 4' drifts across driveway. Kids measured over 50" in a few spots in our yard. Crazy snow. At least the ground was frozen. I only tore up half my grass Instead of all the grass.

:cool2:

 

[tc18ny]

That may be my problem, I've got a paved driveway so once the asphalt got lubricated with the snow it got kinda slippery. I've got 450lbs in a ballast box to give me some weight on the rear.

So far, no problems with my R4's in the snow. I'll take these over my old turfs any day of the week. My turfs would lose traction much sooner than what I have seen from the R4's.

 

[mike69440]

I hate pushing snow. It wears out my L39 and i freeze without a Cab. The cluch and the loader pins take a beating. Even with a heated electric vest, 5 hours in the wind gets cold. I tear up my driveway, weven with 7" hd buttons on the blade trip. I mess up the landscape rocls bordering the walks and driveway. and scape off gravel I do not want to have to replace in the spring. I like worling on a tractor, but only the work that improves my property.

I have an 8' Commercial duty Fisher plow with a snow deflector on top mounted on a QA set-up. At a total weight of about 8,300 lbs my weighted L39 with chains pushes well except for the front end will get pushed around with the blade angled in heavy snow. I plow 3/4 mile of road and in total about an acre of graveled area beside the road. At least 6 hours in this last storm of 18" avg. The drifts are huge.
A snow plow is about twice as quick as a bucket, I can still push the snow ito 10' high piles and the plow is much easier on the tractor. The L39 will push through +2' of powder snow and keep going. The snow just falls off the sides. The tractor could use another 10-12 HP.

I'll try to post some pics