Thoughts on moving snow with a 35hp CUT

[PILOON]

As to power, I run a 60 rear blower on a 30 hp gear box CUT and done so for 15 or so years.
It is all in techniques that you soon develop.
With hydrostatic the challenges are much less.
But then with wet sticky snow you have to develop a new set of skills no matter how much power or traction you have.

 

[SylvainG]

I have a 68" blower on a 23 HP PTO (also geared box CUT). Only used it three times since I bought it last winter (yep, winter is already in the past, we're in spring now ). Had a 12"-16" (not wet) snow storm and it had no problem shewing through it, even at 4 mph (1st gear, high).

 

[chim]

Good thought. I think a moderately clever person could put some modest wings on to increase the width to 66".

Made my 64" Pronovost wider. It was fairly simple. The extensions had a female end (three thicknesses of the steel, holding the middle one back) that slipped over the blower's sides. A couple bolts and it was good. There are reinforcements to prevent them from bending back.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Made my 64" Pronovost wider. It was fairly simple. The extensions had a female end (three thicknesses of the steel, holding the middle one back) that slipped over the blower's sides. A couple bolts and it was good. There are reinforcements to prevent them from bending back.

Those wings look nice and will probably divert freshly fallen snow into the maw of your blower. I'd be interested to know how well they work in compacted, once (or more than once)-moved snow such as the plowback the highway dept. leaves across the end of your driveway.

 

[Varmintmist]

I live at 7,600' elevation in north-central Colorado on the eastern side of the continental divide. My tractor is a Kioti CK3510H with KL4030 FEL and R4 tires with chains, and a 900# ballast block out back. This is the time of year when we get our biggest snows and it is always wet, heavy, and comes down fast. This past weekend we got about 3' and I spent most of the day yesterday clearing our driveway and yard. I hope the road is plowed today so I can make my Covid vaccine appointment later. Following are a few thoughts and questions on using a tractor for snow work.

If you can push up a full bucket and dump it once in a while on a normal snow, a snowblower would be overkill. Fun yes, but overkill.
I move 95% of the snow I get driving forward with a backblade. If I get 12+ then I move the big stuff with the bucket and clean up with the back blade. Last time we got 24" overnight, I started on the right side of the drive with the bucket down, moved fwd and turned left a bucket width at a time. Then dressed with the back blade. Then plowed the neighbor out, then the other neighbor, then the other......... Getting a bucket so that I could move snow 10% faster once a year doesnt make sense to me.
I did make "feet" for the bb that hold it a little off the gravel at least until the gravel is frozen.

 

[JJT]

That's a beautiful picture. Yes, there is still a lot of snow in the ground and some roads in my area are still pretty narrow. We might get 5" more snow out of a front moving through tonight but it all helps for drought relief. We had to evacuate twice last summer/fall due to nearby wildfires so no one with any sense is complaining about building up the high elevation snowpack.

I am rethinking my snowblower options after doing some more research. My Kioti CK3510H is rated at 30 PTO hp and is 63" wide overall with R4 tires. Would a 60" snowblower (Woodmaxx SB-60, for example) be too narrow? The SB-72 is only $100 more but would be a tight fit in my Versatube shelter. The PTO hp rating of my tractor is adequate for either model: SB-60 needs 18hp; SB-72 needs 25hp.

I think I answered my own question in the process of creating this post but would still be glad to hear input from anyone who uses a PTO powered 3-point snowblower in a rural setting.

Thanks...ned.

I have a 78" AgroTrend blower, with a 30 pto hp tractor. I'll never go back to a plow. In 22 years I've sheared exactly 1 pin, hitting a piece of firewood in the neighbor's driveway. My driveway is over 800' long. We typically see 80" of snow a year, with storms over 24" at least once a year. Even in blizzards, I blow once, when the storm is over. 4" or 4', the blower gets the job done. I have a neighbor with a smaller tractor and smaller blower and he shears numerous pins every time he clears his driveway. I've only plugged the blower once, blowing very, very wet snow, way too fast. I don't see any issues with a 72" blower and your tractor. You want the blower to be wider than your tractor.

 

[orezok]

ncoonen, a couple of things to consider. At 7600 MSL you lose about 22% of your HP so now you have about 24 HP on the PTO. Consider that if you buy a blower. Second, if you have at TNT, gauge wheels on a back blade are wonderful.​

Oops, I don't know why my reply is in bold. Can't get rid of it.

 

[ncoonen]

ncoonen, a couple of things to consider. At 7600 MSL you lose about 22% of your HP so now you have about 24 HP on the PTO. Consider that if you buy a blower. Second, if you have at TNT, gauge wheels on a back blade are wonderful.​

Oops, I don't know why my reply is in bold. Can't get rid of it.

I used to think so too but I did some research when I moved here and found that the answer isn't quite as simple as the formula (3% per 1,000' alt) that works for gasoline engines. Even non-turbo diesel engines have a much lower power loss than gasoline engines up to some much higher altitude than where I live. HERE is one explanation. I have seen for more extensive writings about it but no one gives a simple formula to determine the average power loss.

I plan to put a hydraulic top link on the tractor to help fine tune the ride over my gravel drive and parking area.

And don't worry about the bold typeface. Giving snowblower advice when living in the Mojave is also pretty bold!

...ned.

 

[orezok]

Snow in the Mojave? Well I don’t need a snow blower but since I have lived here we have had two 15” storms and some snow every year. Living at 3500 MSL is probably relevant. Loader and back blade handles it for me.

 

[finn1]

My experience is that a truck with a plow is best, as long as you have enough room to store the accumulated snow until spring thaw.

Lacking room, or if you can’t plow immediately after the snow falls, a front mounted blower on a tractor wins every time.

A loader is, in my opinion, about as useful as a teaspoon for regular snow removal, at least in the snow belt.