Yanmar for snowplowing....How big?

[RockyMtn]

I want a 4wd Yanmar to clear snow from my 150 foot gravel driveway. Snows are frequently one to two feet deep at my elevation. Any thoughts about how big a tractor I need? Other uses (barn cleaning, mowing), would be best done on a small tractor. Thanks for your help.

 

[CAT793]

Mate,
I use a YM2210D with 5 ft hydraulic blade mounted on the front of the tractor. I have about 450 ft of gravel driveway to look after.

 

[RockyMtn]

Thanks for your input. Would a smaller tractor work for what you do? How about a rear blade?

 

[VT_Hokie]

We had 5-6 in of heavy wet snow fall here in VA on Thursday that I used my 1500D to clear using a 5' rear scraper. I used the blade facing forwards, I have seen some using it facing back and driving the tractor in reverse. Either way you are looking back all the time. Took me about 2 hours to do 300 or so yards of drive way. If you get frequent snow then something on the front would be the way to go. Also models with shuttleshift would probably be useful. If you are going to let 2 feet pile up before plowing then you are going to have to get something with a big enough blade and the 1500D would most likely not handle it.

VT

 

[swedish-fish]

Although I don't have any experience with a blade, I don't think you'd have a problem with even a very small Yanmar tractor especially if it's 4wd. My Yanmar is smaller than those mentioned so far and it does fine on my 65' two lane driveway. I use the FEL to cleanup anything 4" and less and the rear blower for heavier snowfalls. It's a YM155D and my driveway is fairly flat and paved. In my area we average about 75-90 inches of snow a year.

 

[RockyMtn]

Thanks for very helpful responses! Does the snowblower scrape the ground or is it possible to hold it above the surface to avoid picking up gravel?

 

[swedish-fish]

Thanks for very helpful responses! Does the snowblower scrape the ground or is it possible to hold it above the surface to avoid picking up gravel?

In my case, there are some times I wish it would scrape more for when I clear the driveway after having driven on it with the car. The FEL helps with getting down to pavement if I really want to. If you have a gravel drive, and want to leave a layer of snow, I think you'd have good luck adjusting the toplink which has the effect (at least on my model blower) of rocking the scraping edge up and riding more on the skid shoes.

 

[VT_Hokie]

Wow, that blower looks neat! Now how am I going to justify buying one to my wife???

 

[dieselgeek]

I want a 4wd Yanmar to clear snow from my 150 foot gravel driveway. Snows are frequently one to two feet deep at my elevation. Any thoughts about how big a tractor I need? Other uses (barn cleaning, mowing), would be best done on a small tractor. Thanks for your help.

Well, I've only plowed with it one time (I've owned this tractor 1 week). But I'd say for the quantity of snow you're moving, you'd want a blower if you needed a lighter/smaller tractor, or a heavier/larger tractor if you preferred a plow. I have a similar length driveway to yours, but around here we only get snow in 2-8" increments. Swedish' Fish's setup looks appropriate to your needs!


Here's me yesterday,

 

[hosejockey2002]

Wow, that blower looks neat! Now how am I going to justify buying one to my wife???

Hand her the shovel next time it snows!!

 

[svcguy]

It sounds like we have similar snow conditions in British Columbia. Although much of our snow falls 4 to 6 inches at a time, it is not unusual to have a 10 to 15 inch drop when conditions support it. I think the most important consideration is not the quantity of snow, but the type. If your temps always stay a couple of degrees below freezing, you are fine, because the snow stays light and dry. In the Kootenays here, our conditions are often in transition immediately after a storm, resulting in above freezing temps and heavy wet snow. Snowblowers plug up, tractors lose traction and the snow scoops come out because it's too heavy to lift. The other consideration is topography, you don't need a steep incline to stop a small tractor pushing a load. It's fine pushing downhill, but small units don't have the traction to push uphill.

I have a 20hp Iseki TU205F and a 24hp Yanmar 240D. Both are 4WD. The Iseki (loader and rear blade) does fine with cold, dry snow - but if it turns warm, the short wheel base and weight makes it marginal pushing heavy loads. Not that it can't do it, it's just with a 500 foot driveway, you run out of places to push it. The Yanmar (front blade and snowblower) does a better job, likely because of the longer wheel base, but also because I run chains on the back tires. I push all the snow to one side, then blow it out of the way - which is far superior to trying to manage placement all winter. The difference between the power of the older 2 cyl 24hp and the newer 3 cyl 20hp is also quite substantial.

A consideration is an older domestic with chains. Depending on where you are, you might be able to find a good clean tractor (about 50hp) for less money than an import. It may not be 4WD, but you may not need it with a heavier tractor. I have seen some primo domestic diesels in that hp range with a front end loader for about $4000. A bit bigger, certainly heavier, but very good units.

 

[RockyMtn]

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to reply to my questions! Each one of your perspectives was really helpful.
Cliff

 

[rock2610D]

I live in the mountains of Wyoming and have HUGE snow issues. Mostly 6 to 8 inch snow with 70 mph winds that PACK the snow in so tight that I can drive my tractor up on top of 4 foot drifts if I wanted to. I actually drove the front of my F250 diesel 4X4 on top of a drift once it was so packed.

I have a 2610D with a FEL and a Loranz 66" snowblower. I have blown snow 30 ft in the air with this blower and in high winds the snow just disappears to someone elses property.

Had to turn the front tires around to keep traction but other than that no real issues other than trying to clear snow without a cab in 50 mph winds.....

Even in packed drifts the Loranz works beautifully. If you have my kind of snow I would suggest at least a 336D as my tractor is a 26 HP pto and 32 HP engine that is turbocharged due to elevation. So, I suggest at least a 32 HP tractor, or a 40 HP sea level rated tractor if you live in any elevation above 4000 feet.

 

[ToadHill]

VT Hokie: You want a blower, well lets make a deal, I have a Yanmar blower that needs some tlc. It works well but needs someone to take care of some of the surface rust from chipped paint.
If my memory is right it's about 50" and I used to use it on my ford. PM me and we can work a deal.