Quick Attach FEL+Blade or Blower

[tiktock]

Hi,
In researching the 1880 I now see the QA option for the bucket. This is awesome as I can get forks later easy.

I then noticed that Kubtoa now offers a 60" snow plow that mounts to the Quick attach FEL arms...this seems a big advantage over the plow blade that uses the quick hitch since I could swap back and forth between blade and loader plus use the FEL arm height to push back snowbanks. My concern with going the front mount snowblower route is that it will be less than ideal for smaller snowfalls (probably requiring a back blade) but that a front blade wont be great for big snows. I live in NH so 100"+ winters are very normal (We got 100" in a few weeks a few years back)

The QA blade is only about $1500 vs close to $3800 MSRP for the blower and the required hitch and valves, etc.

Theres also a hydraulic control for the blade but adding that gets it close to the snowblower cost.....

How should I proceed? The blower has pros and cons in the ability to handle bigger snows and not worry about large snowbanks. Blower has cons in that I dont want to run a 50" blower down hundreds of feet of driveway covered in 4" of dust. The blade seems super convenient for 85% of smaller storms and I could use the bucket/blade combo for larger storms.

I see lots of debates between the quick hitch blower vs plow but not many throwing the new quick attach blade into the mix as it does offer advantages over the hitch blade. Thoughts?

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have an old fisher 4way PA plow that I had a QA plate added and I use that on my FEL. With a box blade on the 3 PH my rig is a great snow mover.

 

[tiktock]

I have an old fisher 4way PA plow that I had a QA plate added and I use that on my FEL. With a box blade on the 3 PH my rig is a great snow mover.

Do you find yourself majorly limited without a blower? I was only concerned that the 1880 might not have the mass to push a larger snowfall or that the FEL/Blade alone might struggle with the banks at the end of the driveway the street plows leave. If it truely was a few minutes to pop off the blade and the loader back on with the QA levers, it seemed like a good combo to just use the FEL for moving banks and the blade for the majority of the snow itself.

Any of these options seem a vast improvement over the 2+ hours I spend behind the walking snowblower today.

 

[SDT]

Hi,
In researching the 1880 I now see the QA option for the bucket. This is awesome as I can get forks later easy.

I then noticed that Kubtoa now offers a 60" snow plow that mounts to the Quick attach FEL arms...this seems a big advantage over the plow blade that uses the quick hitch since I could swap back and forth between blade and loader plus use the FEL arm height to push back snowbanks. My concern with going the front mount snowblower route is that it will be less than ideal for smaller snowfalls (probably requiring a back blade) but that a front blade wont be great for big snows. I live in NH so 100"+ winters are very normal (We got 100" in a few weeks a few years back)

The QA blade is only about $1500 vs close to $3800 MSRP for the blower and the required hitch and valves, etc.

Theres also a hydraulic control for the blade but adding that gets it close to the snowblower cost.....

How should I proceed? The blower has pros and cons in the ability to handle bigger snows and not worry about large snowbanks. Blower has cons in that I dont want to run a 50" blower down hundreds of feet of driveway covered in 4" of dust. The blade seems super convenient for 85% of smaller storms and I could use the bucket/blade combo for larger storms.

I see lots of debates between the quick hitch blower vs plow but not many throwing the new quick attach blade into the mix as it does offer advantages over the hitch blade. Thoughts?

The best set-up for you depends upon the amount of snow you expect in your area and your terrain.

I recently bought a B3350 with QA FEL.

I also bought the hydraulically angled QA mounted snow plow, partially because a hard rubber cutting edge is offered for it unlike the electric over hydraulic snow plow that I bought for my RTV-X1100C.

I've been afraid to use the plow on my RTV for fear of damaging my new 1/4 mile driveway. The rubber cutting edge on the QA plow for my B3350 will alleviate this fear.

That said, and unknowing what tractor you plan to use with your plow or blower, be advised that you will need rear counterweight for either a QA plow or a frame mounted blower. You may also need chains for either, depending upon the amount of snow that you expect and the terrain.

Finally, snow blowers suck HP like a Hoover sucks dirt. How much HP do you have?

SDT

 

[tiktock]

The best set-up for you depends upon the amount of snow you expect in your area and your terrain.

I recently bought a B3350 with QA FEL.

I also bought the hydraulically angled QA mounted snow plow, partially because a hard rubber cutting edge is offered for it unlike the electric over hydraulic snow plow that I bought for my RTV-X1100C.

I've been afraid to use the plow on my RTV for fear of damaging my new 1/4 mile driveway. The rubber cutting edge on the QA plow for my B3350 will alleviate this fear.

That said, and unknowing what tractor you plan to use with your plow or blower, be advised that you will need rear counterweight for either a QA plow or a frame mounted blower. You may also need chains for either, depending upon the amount of snow that you expect and the terrain.

Finally, snow blowers suck HP like a Hoover sucks dirt. How much HP do you have?

SDT

I'm in southern NH....we get a decent amount of snow and get at least 2-3 "big" storms a year that can be between a foot to two feet. 100+" seasons are pretty normal.

Driveway is paved, about 200' of straights, no hills with a parking area near the house thats probably 50'X50'.

The machine I plan to get is the BX 1880...so a dont have massive HP to play around with...or weight. I know blowers are HP-intensive whereas plowing is a bit more mass based.

I have no issues adding the ballast box for some weight...will want that for FEL work anyways.

The cost of adding the hydraulic option to the QA blade bumps it into the cost range of the blower....was going to see how hard it was to leave it manual to start with.

 

[Jefferson]

Hi,
In researching the 1880 I now see the QA option for the bucket. This is awesome as I can get forks later easy.

I then noticed that Kubtoa now offers a 60" snow plow that mounts to the Quick attach FEL arms...this seems a big advantage over the plow blade that uses the quick hitch since I could swap back and forth between blade and loader plus use the FEL arm height to push back snowbanks. My concern with going the front mount snowblower route is that it will be less than ideal for smaller snowfalls (probably requiring a back blade) but that a front blade wont be great for big snows. I live in NH so 100"+ winters are very normal (We got 100" in a few weeks a few years back)

The QA blade is only about $1500 vs close to $3800 MSRP for the blower and the required hitch and valves, etc.

Theres also a hydraulic control for the blade but adding that gets it close to the snowblower cost.....

How should I proceed? The blower has pros and cons in the ability to handle bigger snows and not worry about large snowbanks. Blower has cons in that I dont want to run a 50" blower down hundreds of feet of driveway covered in 4" of dust. The blade seems super convenient for 85% of smaller storms and I could use the bucket/blade combo for larger storms.

I see lots of debates between the quick hitch blower vs plow but not many throwing the new quick attach blade into the mix as it does offer advantages over the hitch blade. Thoughts?

I would personally go with the blower. No snow banks sure makes a nicer looking drive and sidewalks. I snow blow a large area out to the pole barn and large banks would be bad with a heavy snow with wind. You could clear that 4" out of your drive in short order! Just my 2 cents!

 

[fruitcakesa]

Do you find yourself majorly limited without a blower? I was only concerned that the 1880 might not have the mass to push a larger snowfall or that the FEL/Blade alone might struggle with the banks at the end of the driveway the street plows leave. If it truely was a few minutes to pop off the blade and the loader back on with the QA levers, it seemed like a good combo to just use the FEL for moving banks and the blade for the majority of the snow itself.

Any of these options seem a vast improvement over the 2+ hours I spend behind the walking snowblower today.

With loaded tires, rear box blade and full wrap rear chains the l4630 has more than enough mass and HP to move pretty much anything.

 

[Charlie5320]

I'm in southern NH....we get a decent amount of snow and get at least 2-3 "big" storms a year that can be between a foot to two feet. 100+" seasons are pretty normal.

Driveway is paved, about 200' of straights, no hills with a parking area near the house thats probably 50'X50'.

The machine I plan to get is the BX 1880...so a dont have massive HP to play around with...or weight. I know blowers are HP-intensive whereas plowing is a bit more mass based.

I have no issues adding the ballast box for some weight...will want that for FEL work anyways.

The cost of adding the hydraulic option to the QA blade bumps it into the cost range of the blower....was going to see how hard it was to leave it manual to start with.

I have a BX2670, and picked up a blower and front blade used. I can change between the two in just a couple minutes. They both use the same hitch. To take the blower off remove the front drive shaft, pull the safety pin throw the lever and back out. Pull up to the blade, throw the lever put the pin back in. Very simple. My blade is NOT a power angle though, so no hoses to unhook. I would rather have the blade on the hitch than on the bucket, myself.

Shouldn't be any extra valves if you have the FEL. The blower will use the same stick the loader does.

 

[chim]

Since we built here in '89 I've used front blades, rear blades, FEL and a rear blower. If I could rub the magic lantern and have a request granted the setup would be 40-ish HP cabbed tractor with front blower and rear blade. We are not in a heavy snow belt here, and there have been times I got up early to scrape snow before it melted. I'm a 69 year old little kid.

Our main paved driveway is about 100 yards long and has a parking area. Another gravel drive going to the shed is a little shorter. I usually clean up for a neighbor or two and for the last 5 or 6 years have been doing our church.

I'm still flexible enough to use the rear blower without going to the chiropractor. In our area a blower is not a necessity, but it is fun. It is often the weapon of choice for the driveways. I can back toward the garage doors and go really slow for the last several feet so the snow is being cleared through the blower. That leaves a really small pile I can quickly get with a shovel. If the blower would be on the front, a rear blade would make short work of it more easily than the FEL

For the larger areas such as the church parking lots, I usually blow a path down one side or for heavier snows down the center. Then I use the FEL with homebrew pusher wings to shove the snow off to the sides. I'm guessing that a larger tractor with a front blower may work OK for me on these small lots compared with the pusher, but am not too sure. Most of the snow crews I see at the malls are using push boxes.

 

[tiktock]

Quick questio: can the FEL be mounted with the quick hitch installed? iR can i take the anowblower off the hitch and quiickly mount the FRL or would it require the whole hitch to be detached as well before the FEL can be mounted?

 

[Howling]

Quick questio: can the FEL be mounted with the quick hitch installed? iR can i take the anowblower off the hitch and quiickly mount the FRL or would it require the whole hitch to be detached as well before the FEL can be mounted?

On my 2370 can mount FEL with quick hitch installed. But get rubbing of FEL frame on quickhitch cylinder prevents getting bucket flat on the ground.

Blade is faster than blower if you space to push the snow to. Blower is easier to put the snow out of the way. I have steep driveway (sledding hill that ends in traffic) and some side sections with no place to push snow.

 

[tiktock]

It seems I've stumbled onto a question with no clear answer.

When I add the hydraulic actuation to the blade (seems obvious to do so) the MSRP price difference between the snowblower and the hydraulic blade is about $500-600 hundred bucks (Blade is ~$1600+Hydraulic actuation kit ~$1000) vs (Snowblower $2000+$1200 hitch/connector)

The big advantages of the QA FEL setup is I can really quickly swap between blade and loader, practically while the machine is still running. If I go snowblower it seems I'd need to be doing a more involved FEL/Quick hitch change more often between storms since I just dont see myself using the 50" snowblower to clear light snows vs zipping up and down the driveway with some kind of blade or loader.

This is the last decision I have to make before I go through with my order....tough one!

 

[Charlie5320]

I don't have the loader on my tractor MOST of the time. I only put it on when I need it. I haven't used my setup yet as I just got it, but my plans are to have the blade mounted for light snows. Then I can put the blower on in just a couple minutes if needed. Didn't need either here last season. On my previous tractors all I ever ran was a single stage blower. If I had to choose just one thing for snow removal, it would be a snowblower. Don't think you can have the snowblower hitch on and the FEL at the same time. The newer setups stick out further than the older ones. I wouldn't even have a blade, but I got it with the correct hitch for my tractor, needed it for the blower I bought.

 

[tiktock]

I don't have the loader on my tractor MOST of the time. I only put it on when I need it. I haven't used my setup yet as I just got it, but my plans are to have the blade mounted for light snows. Then I can put the blower on in just a couple minutes if needed. Didn't need either here last season. On my previous tractors all I ever ran was a single stage blower. If I had to choose just one thing for snow removal, it would be a snowblower. Don't think you can have the snowblower hitch on and the FEL at the same time. The newer setups stick out further than the older ones. I wouldn't even have a blade, but I got it with the correct hitch for my tractor, needed it for the blower I bought.

I think ideally, blade plus blower would be my dream setup. Right now I'm leaning towards the hydraulic blade on the FEL arms as the option I purchase with...no hitch to install and I can swap the bucket for the blade super fast. If it becomes a problem there seems to be a decent used aftermarket for the blowers. I'm almost the opposite as you and plan to leave the FEL on 99% of the time unless I'm mowing.

**Edit/Update: I talked at length with two local dealers. Both think its crazy to put a plow so far out in front for any serious snow moving. Both said snowblower will be far superior for the snows we get in NH and both pointed out the price difference once you articulate the blade hydraulically ends up being a wash in the big picture. They were mixed...one said do ballast box other said fill the tires and leave the hitch free. Of course the dealer less than 5 miles away is priced a lot higher and doesnt seem to want to budge and offers less free options. I'm going to give them a chance to match the other deal exactly then walk.

 

[Charlie5320]

I've used a single stage blower on snows from 1" to 1' for over 25 years. This is my first 2 stage blower and I haven't used it yet. I may change my mind after using this 2 stage, but I doubt it. I've always heard that a 2 stage is much better than a single stage, we shall see. I would think you could change the FEL to the blower setup in 15 minutes or less, after the first time. Hardest part will be hooking up the rear drive shaft. I wouldn't want a blade that installs like the bucket, but that's just my opinion. I think it would be very hard to get used to running it with any speed. 3 point blades are cheap and plentiful if you do end up needing one.

 

[jajiu]

There are pro's and con's on all set-ups, hard to decide for someone else as to what works for them. Not wanting to spend the fortune for a blower, I went with a plow blade and rear grader blade. My driveway is 1000' and gravel with steep hill. I put chains on the rears for a couple years, and just purchased chains for the fronts as icy conditions make me slide to the side and hopefully the chains will help.

 

[Mainah]

I live in southern Maine and wouldn’t even attempt to plow some of the snow we get with my L2501. 22” of heavy wet snow doesn’t push easily. My rear snowblower makes easy work of it though, and I still have the bucket for any additional cleanup or a light dusting. With a rear quick hitch it’s really easy to remove and mount again anytime with no additional framework hanging down sacrificing ground clearance.
Rear blowers for my tractor are much less expensive and heavier built. The only negative is having to turn in the seat to see and I have no issues with that even with my bad back. I’m disabled from failed back surgery.
I’m not sure about rear blowers for the BX series.
I have a JD X530 with a 47” front snowblower and I much prefer the Kubota and rear blower setup. YMMV