Snow Tractor time in the snow!

   / Tractor time in the snow! #1  

Todd_C

Gold Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Messages
275
Location
Southwest, VA
Tractor
New Holland TC 40A
The first major snow of the season. We got about 6" of snow on the ground and sleet falling as I type this. Took out the TC 30 and had a blast. The 72" rear blade did a good job as well as my new tire chains. I didn't even have to use FWD. Thought I would post since this was my first snow with my tractor.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #2  
What no pictures? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

You've been having so much fun pushing snow I'll bet you haven't had time for pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #3  
Hey Todd,

Glad to see you had a fun time playing. My TC-30 is plugged in and ready to go to work some time here tonite. We have a blizzard warning here and are expecting around 15". It is only 2 degrees here so Iam not sure it will be that much fun in the cold and the extreme wind but that simms cab is sounding better and better. Will let you know how i make out.

Chris
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #4  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 6" of snow )</font>

Wish we could call that a major snow! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon
 
   / Tractor time in the snow!
  • Thread Starter
#5  
The last couple of years have yielded dismal snow fall amounts. We have been getting sleet instead of snow. We had two small Alberta Clippers go through the area this week. Each clipper only dumped a few inches of snow. This morning we had a dense fog and it was 20 degrees. The fog created an icy mess with numerous auto accidents. Then it started snowing and sleeting. We got anoher 3"-4" of snow and the weather man said we may get another 4" tonight. We don't get a lot of snow, but what we do get makes a mess because of the topography. We have a lot of elevation changes 600 feet above sea level in Roanoke to 4,000 feet in next county. At this point, I'll take any amount of snow we can get and only hope for a Noreaster.

I've only posted on photo on here of my tractor. I used my work camera. The computer I use at home is an iMac (wife's) and I don't think I can use a windows software package on it. I promise I will post more photos.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #6  
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The DX 45 has been an excelent pusher. The loader mounted blade. The hyd angle works well. I am able to stack snow 14 feet high. And all this with out chains.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #7  
<font color="blue"> My TC-30 is plugged in and ready to go to work some time here tonite </font>

My TC18 is freshly fueled and plugged in, ready for service in the morning - 8-10" have fallen already, expecting 20". The beauty of the snow blower is you only have to run it once. With my rear blade, I would have already been out twice tonight - instead sit inside by the woodstove.

I'll try to get the Mrs. to snap a couple aciton shots.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow!
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Only going out once? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Doesn't that take all the fun out of it. We got a few more inches of snow and ice last night. I put on my heavy gortex hunting clothes and went out again this morning. It was 8 degrees with a windchill around -15. I still had a ball. I can't believe how well my machine works in the snow. Our old 8n couldn't even begin to plow going up the last slope to my house. My tractor didn't even slow down. I now need more snow.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #9  
I went out the end of the driveway this morning and just kept on going! The 60" snowblower was just humming away as I drove to the neighbor's house (he has a Craftsman L.T., no blower and no blade) so I opened up his driveway for him, then I continued on down the road and cleared the driveway for a couple who's tractor is not at their house. Stopped to talk to another guy on the road and he had his son out with a shovel while he worked a walk behind blower, they were 90% done so I moved on did a couple passes up another neighbor's drive way (older couple, nice folks) and saw another neighbor pushing snow with a blade that was hooked up to the front of his Dixie Chopper ZTR. It worked, but he was making very slow progress. I just backed down and he gave me the thumbs up and a big grin and in a couple passes I opened up about 100' of driveway that he hadn't gotten to yet. I think it took me 5 minutes to do that and from what I observed, he must have been out there for 30+ minutes opening up the 150' or so that he got done before I showed up. I figured by that time the lovely Mrs_Bob was probably wondering where I was so I headed back up the road toward our house and did our driveway too! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I love the snow!!! The only thing I wish is that we would have gotten more! We got an honest 10" over night, drifts in the range of 18" to 24".

I really hate mowing the lawn, but when the snow flies I really love to get out there with the blower to have fun /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #10  
You guys would all have fun here we have had just about 16" and more comming down lightly about over I would say.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #11  
I just had my first chance to plow some real snow with my new TN65D ! In North Central PA we have about 18 inches on the ground from the last 2 snows and my TN just breezes thru the snow like its not even there! The LandPride 84 inch blade rolls it away with ease and I didn't even have to put it in 4WD ! The cab heater is on the lowest setting and I'm so warm that I had to open up the back window! Even the below 0 temperatures don't matter in the cab! For the last 20 years I froze on my Ford 1920. It was a great tractor but it was too light for heavy snow. The wind was mercyless without a cab. I will not miss numb legs and my face freezing so bad I couldn't even talk ! Maybe I'll break out my bathing suit and sandals tomorrow morning when I plow again and pretend its a warm summer day!
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #12  
Careful with the bathing suit and sandals.
Many years ago there was a post here from a member in Alaska. He had gotten a new cab tractor and parked it in his garage. He had the same idea as you and he went out in his garage in his bathing suit and into his heated cab tractor to plow his mile long drive in subzero weather. He was lovin' it. Got out to the end of the driveway and got a flat!
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #13  
You guys keep saying you are pluged in, I cant find the plug on my TC33? Just kidding, I know you have heaters on them tractors.
How do the heaters work?
How hard are they to install?
How much do heaters cost?
Sherpa
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #14  
They work great - tractor doesn't need them to start (Unless it is SIBERIA cold) but is much happier.

They are easy to install - just pop out a freeze plug

They cost about $20-30 +/- from New Holland

We got ~30" of snow. the mighty TC18 handled it in stride including 300' of sidewalk with drifts/piled snow to 6 feet.

At my other property we have a walk behind toro - that wasn't any fun, but better than shoveling.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #15  
Bob_Skurka or anyone,
Someone take a pic of one of them snowblowers in action. I want to see one working!
Sherpa
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #16  
<font color="blue"> Someone take a pic of one of them snowblowers in action. I want to see one working!</font>

Here's one from a fellow TBN'r on a New Holland TC24.

Picture Caption......"Wish you were Here!" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Don
 

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   / Tractor time in the snow! #17  
shoppintractors

Man, that looks like fun! I guess you just back into the snow?

Sherpa
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #18  
<font color="blue"> I guess you just back into the snow? </font>


Yup. And you don't even need to shift out of HIGH range either, the blower can throw it out about as fast as you can drive backwards! And because you are driving on cleared ground, traction is not even much of an issue. When blowing on asphalt you can adjust it to virtually scrape the driveway clean.

According to the talking heads on the TV, we got 12" of snow Saturday night. I have my discharge chute set so it doesn't throw the snow very far, I get a maximum distance of about 20'. I do that because my neighbor has a rock driveway and when it gets bad I go over and do theirs too, but don't want to throw the rocks any farther than necessary. But if I changed the angle on the top of the chute, I'd easly toss a rooster tail of snow 35' into the air. Nice thing about a blower is that you can use a fairly large unit without a lot of HP. I use mine on a TC24D and the blower is 60". The snow has to be really heavy & deep to slow down the progress. I suspect a 21hp tractor could probalby use a blower the same size, but would just go a little bit slower in the heavy stuff.

I think a rear blade is about 3x faster than using the FEL to clear snow, but a blower is 10x faster! Nice thing about a blower is you can blow AFTER the snow stops, even drifts in the 24" to 36" range vanish. Can't really do that with a rear blade, it seems best to get out with one of those when there is 5" to 8" on the ground so under a heavy snow, you have to go out a couple times.
 
   / Tractor time in the snow! #19  
Here is another one. It does not take long to turn into a Snowman when running this thing. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

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