Buying Advice Tractor for Snow removal -> NEWBIE

[speedyvelo]

Problem:
I have a 1 mile hilly dirt road to access my house. I have been looking in different tools for snow removal and after many threads in this great forum, it seems a tractor with the correct attachments would be the best solution.

Constrains:
1. I do not have unlimited resources ;-) I though that a Chinese tractor would be OK for my limited use and save me a lot.
2. I want a tractor with a cabin and warmer
3. I have not find any dealer in Colorado that sells Chinese tractors like Jimna etc.

Need advice

1, Size of the tractor
2. What attachments? snow plow, FL. snow blower??. Please with details like size etc.
3. If no dealer in Colorado, is that OK to order out of the state? do they deliver the tractor home?

I am kind of embarrassed to ask for these type of questions in this forum of heavy tractor users but....I do not know how even to drive a tractor.

TIA to all

-=terry=-

PS: I saw many chinese manufacturers to sell and ship tractors directly to the US and prices are very low but I will not go that route, I will get the tractor from a US dealer.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would recommend you look at the cab tractors available in your locale rather than buying out of state first. Have you talked to your local dealers about your needs?

Most all of the popular brands are good choices today and seem to have good financing deals too. A Deere 3520 or newer model comes to mind, good cab and available with a front mount snow blower and a rear blade which should do what you wan't. Lots of other choices just depends on what dealers you have.

 

[mikehaugen]

I have absolutely no idea of the reliability, but northerntool sells nortrac tractors, and the prices don't seem bad. But since you know absolutely nothing about tractors, buying from a dealer that can answer questions and show you how to use it seems imperative. I think I would also buy a used name brand tractor long before I would buy a new cheap tractor. Since your use sounds somewhat limited, you probably won't put a lot of hours on a tractor so buying used and maintaining it well it should last you an awfully long time.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

1 mile.
Hilly.
Denver, Colorado.
Denver usually gets 5 to 10 feet of snow every year. Boulder gets about a foot more apparently. Either place, that's quite a variance.

I'd lean toward a blower, but only because I've seen horrible snowfalls in other places in the Rockies. If you ever get more than a foot of snow at a time, that might be too much for a smaller tractor and plow. 6 inches or less of wet and heavy and I can plow straight through. A foot of wet and heavy means I have to herringbone the snow off my quarter mile long dirt and gravel driveway with the loader/plow and my 30 hp Bobcat CT230; which is probably NOT what you want to do for a mile as it takes about 4 times longer than plowing straight.

If the road's dirt, you can use either a blower or a plow. If you've got gravel, that might be a problem for a blower.

You're going to want at least a 30 hp machine. For you, I'd be looking more for a 50 hp, and maybe a front mount blower or rollover plow, not a loader & bucket.

Jinma chinese tractors (and their rebrands like Nortrac) are inexpensive relatively speaking. But unless you're into doing repairs on your own, they're probably not the optimum solution. I'd go with one of the 3 to 5 tractor dealers closest to you, that has a decent price and a good service department. And the only way to determine that is to visit them and talk to some of their customers, and try out a couple of their tractors - preferably in the snow, but you can substitute a sandpit for plow testing.

 

[speedyvelo]

Thanks ALL!
I will visit a couple of local dealer and see what is available.
-=terry=-

 

[nybirdman]

High snowfall areas call for a snow-blower for sure.Cabs with a snow-blower are "almost" a must but doable with an open station.Four wheel drive and R1(AG) tires.You may want to shop used,it won't be cheap.Start now before it snows!

 

[tcreeley]

A snow blower - front mounted is your best bet- 40 hp + if you can do it. Consider used as a possibility. You need a cab.

 

[Lt CHEG]

Do you have an idea of budget? Is snow removal the only use you'll have for the tractor? Undoubtedly a cabbed tractor with a front mounted snowblower would likely be very close to ideal, but they will not be cheap.

If you only plan on using the tractor for snow removal you might want to get one that is loader ready but without the loader. Loaders can get pretty expensive, especially as you go up in tractor size. If you don't plan on moving material around much and just want to blow/plow snow and mow with the tractor a front end loader (FEL) might not be a must for you.

I would probably put the John Deere 3X20 series, the Kubota B3000 (cab model) and smaller Grand L series tractors fairly high on the list. I was also a big fan of the New Holland Boomer cab tractors (I thought they had the best cab in the industry) but they are a touch bigger and I'm not sure if you can get them with hydrostatic transmissions any longer and the CVT transmission is pricey. I liked the Massey Ferguson 1643 that I tested quite a bit and the 1635 model would also probably work well for you. Every one of those tractors has a front mounted snowblower available and they are all fairly small and easy for a newbie to operate. I'm not sure if Mahindra has a front mounted blower available but they have some nice looking smaller cabbed tractors available as well.

Another option that's worth considering at least would be a front mounted blade with a rear mounted blower. I know that backing up can be a real pain, especially for a one mile road but if you're on a private road with no traffic there's nothing that says you couldn't use your mirrors for most of the time. The biggest advantage to a front blade, rear blower setup is that nothing will be quicker than a plow if you keep up with the storm. You can use the plow to windrow the snow and then once the snow is stopped you can just make one pass down the road to blow away the windrowed snow. Rear mounted blowers are generally cheaper than front mounted ones. You might be able to get yourself a nice front blade setup and a rear blower for not much more money than the cost of just a front mounted blower.

 

[Yandaddy1110]

If your open to ideas, Im thinking a used 3/4-1 ton truck and plow may be your cheapest option. Very comfortable heated cab and stereo too. Jinma dont have cabs available that Ive seen. A 30hp used tractor set up with blower and heated cab is expensive.

 

[vtsnowedin]

About $450 a month for 60 months if bought today at Zero percent. Works well and can push snow as high as the loader arms will reach if needed. A blower on back can be added if needed.