What size snow bucket - DS4510HS

[gladehound]

Hi all, looking for some opinions (hopefully educated opinions) on the following:

The questions is: What size snow bucket will be most efficient for snow removal with at Kioti DS4510HS? Of better yet... any reasons I shouldn't get an 8 foot wide snow bucket? This is for snows too heavy/deep to do with back blade.

Considerations: 8 foot would allow one pass clearing but may get bent more easily or put more stress on loader arms if I catch a corner. 8 foot requires better build quality to stay straight which means more weight and price. 8 foot may not push through some places where a smaller bucket would.

Some buckets I've looked at (keep in mind I have a 66" bucket for digging):
- Tomahawk snow bucket 27" high 37" deep and 6-8 feet wide (450 pounds in 7 foot width) - cheapest and lightest - but is it too light to go 8 foot?
- Local Amish made snow bucket 30" high 39" deep and 6-8 feet wide (600 pounds in 7 foot width) - most expensive - still not too heavy
- BD standard snow bucket (don't know hight / depth) looks like Tomahawk bucket. Assume 6-8ft width available (500 pounds in 6 foot width) - in between price of other two
I don't want to be over ~$1200

Additional related information so that you don't have to ask these questions:
- Tractor width 69 inches
- Loader lift ~2800 full hights, ~3700 at ground
- Bucket roll back force ~3000 pounds at 20" from pin
- tractor weight ~6500 pounds with loader, standard bucket a little balast and me. Can add a lot more balast if needed - not an issue.
- Has skid steer style quick attached with 66" bucket (my digging bucket). Bucket weight is probably ~350 pounds. ~20" high ~20" deep
- Removing snow from 4 gravel and 4 paved driveways (as a favor in return for other favors)
- will use edge tamers or pipe on gravel
- Starting from street and going towards house / garage
- most drives are single lane and 200-400 ft long with a turn around area at the house end
- Typical snow under 1 foot but sometimes get a heavy 2-3 footer (once every few years)
- would love power angle v-plow on loader arms but too much $$$
- A straight power angle plow will be too far out front for the wheel base
- A snow blower cost too much $$$
- A pusher is no good when starting from road and going towards house

Hope that's not too much information up front! I know how you guys like to ask questions

 

[DK35vince]

- A snow blower cost too much $$$:

Have you ever checked into a used snow blower ?
I decided to look for used snow blowers this year.
I didn't look long and came across this 63" dual stage blower for $800.
Very good condition and works great.

 

[DK35vince]

- A straight power angle plow will be too far out front for the wheel base

Sorry, I'm still not really answering your bucket question.
But when running my straight power angle blade front blade (converted 9' Western truck plow) in the straight position I don't think my wheel base is any/much longer than with the bucket.
I kept my front blade as far back as I could to weld the SSQA plate on. The blades angle cylinders run underneath the front of the loader arms.
I think I have around $500 in my converted truck plow front blade setup.

 

[oosik]

Well - I have a 72"- 465# bucket on my tractor. However, the size of the bucket is not the point. A bucket, of any kind & size, is really not that efficient for snow removal/clearing, especially if the snow is deep/heavy. I would just stay with your 66" bucket and save the $$$ for something else. A used snow blower is a much more efficient snow removal implement.
However, if you are set on a wider bucket - I think 7' should be about max. As you get wider it will be putting a lot of extra side torque on the loader arms.

 

[Rustyiron]

My guess Glade, is that if your snow is too deep for your rear blade, a little bit bigger bucker (smooth edge) would help. In my past experience, if the storm "got ahead of me" and I needed to clear it "full depth" with only a bucket, the best approach was to push it diagonally to the side, kinda herringbone pattern. The deeper the snow, the quicker you headed for the side. Don't worry about a neat job, just remove 50-60% then switch back to "normal" operations, going long way with the drive. You may need to be creative if your in the woods with this method.
I like your "sweeps" on your tractor! Do you work it a lot in the woods?

 

[gladehound]

My cousin has a 9' power angle truck plow sitting in the field that he offered to give me. He owns a metal shop and would help me convert it to a quick attach plate. However, I'm not new at this game. I've used angle plows on loader arms before and have always found the result unsatisfactory.

1) tractor walks sideways far to soon because the wheel base is short and the distance from the front wheels to the angled blade is long.
2) There seems to be a lot of concern about bending loader arms with this set up. Although I never bent a loader.

That being said, I like your set up DK35vince. Maybe I could get the blade back far enough if I mounted it the way that you did. Do you get heavy snow where you are and if so how deep can you run with the blade angled and still steer?

I previously set up a 6 foot plow on a 20 hp tractor that worked well enough but that was mounted under the frame. I still plowed with it straight rather than angled much of the time because it was easier to keep the pipe on the blade in the gravel with the blade straight.

That same cousin has a 6 foot blower sitting in same field and has nothing he can run it on. Said I can borrow it until he sets up something to run it. I'm anxious to play with it but have never been a fan of operating the tractor backwards in that half twisted position that we all are too familiar with. Plus, i don't want to throw stones.

A power V-plow would be the ticket because the tractor would not walk sideways. With a v-plow, it doesn't matter how far it is in front of you. In the past when using buckets, they actually act like a v-plow if you have enough weight behind them. The snow piles in front of the bucket and if you can push it, the snow spills off both sides of the pile. If the bucket were the same width as the driveway (8 feet). You could drive down one time and clear the long skinny part of the driveway. Once in the turn around a bucket is better than a blade because there is often limited space to put snow so you need to move it.

I'll have to run my cousin's blower and see if I like using it. For some reason I can't help to think it will be a mess (throw snow up in the air and all over me on an otherwise nice post storm day), it will be a pain (will wake up next day with back and neck issues due to operating in that twisted position) and finally, I think it will be slow... but maybe not.

Regarding the comment about putting stress on the loader arms with an 8 foot bucket... wouldn't an 8 foot blade put just as much stress on them? Sure, it has a trip edge but sometimes when the snow bank doesn't move the trip edge doesn't help.

 

[gladehound]

My guess Glade, is that if your snow is too deep for your rear blade, a little bit bigger bucker (smooth edge) would help. In my past experience, if the storm "got ahead of me" and I needed to clear it "full depth" with only a bucket, the best approach was to push it diagonally to the side, kinda herringbone pattern. The deeper the snow, the quicker you headed for the side. Don't worry about a neat job, just remove 50-60% then switch back to "normal" operations, going long way with the drive. You may need to be creative if your in the woods with this method.
I like your "sweeps" on your tractor! Do you work it a lot in the woods?

Thanks for the reply. I do work the the woods a lot. Not sure what you're refereing to as "sweeps"

 

[DK35vince]

That being said, I like your set up DK35vince. Maybe I could get the blade back far enough if I mounted it the way that you did. Do you get heavy snow where you are and if so how deep can you run with the blade angled and still steer?.

In my area of Pa. I think we average around 60 inches per year snowfall.
Most of our snowfalls are under a foot, but we do get the occasional 1' to 1 1/2' snowfall.
If I don't put a lot of weight on the blade (just set the blade down lightly, do not float the FEL) I rarely have any problem steering. I run chains on all 4.
I can get drifting here and push back the snow backs with the blade angled with no problems.

 

[arrow]

Thanks for the reply. I do work the the woods a lot. Not sure what you're refereing to as "sweeps"

I believe the poster is referring to the "cage" around your tractor as pictured in your avatar. It is nice. Did you make this yourself?

 

[skyhook]

Take the 9' plow from your cousin, and keep your bucket.
That tractor should be able to handle it with no problems, you could always shorten the plow if needed.
With good rear ballast, the plow sticking out that far shouldn't be an issue "with that tractor".IMO