B2650 rear or front blower for emergency use

[nrbocke]

Hi everyone
I've been reading up on 3 point vs front mount snow blower for my B2650. I was hoping to get some thoughts on my specific situation. I live in South Central Nebraska on about a 2 mile dead end gravel road with about 100ft crushed concrete driveway. I've live at this place for 8 years. So far I've been able to open things up with my blade/bucket. Been back home for 15 years and we've really only had one snow I don't think I could've handled but lived in town then. But this summer we've had alot of rain and there has been calls for this to continue when the snow starts. I've also been lucky when snow had fallen I've had a couple days off to clean up. But I need to be at work and I had some 3:00am mornings just cleaning off what I had to get to work on time. That was just opening the driveway. Road was drivable.
So I guess I was wondering would in make sense to buy a blower for use if big snow comes/save time in the morning? I have an area in my road that can fill in about 2-3ft deep for 75ft. Will either option for my tractor be big enough to open this up? Entire 2 miles if needed? Would a rear blower work good enough, to save some money, if I only want to use when absolutely needed?
I'll also mention I have plenty of room to store either option indoors when not in use. Also my crushed concrete driveway section is pretty steep. Would either option with better for this? I would probably try to stay above my crushed concrete as much as reasonable (2-3") to be drivable (4x4 pickup/Outback).
Thanks everyone!!!

 

[nbryan]

I really like our front mount 63" Kubota Blower. With the 60" box blade on the 3pt as ballast (and a useful snow moving tool) get good traction. Here's a link to a video of it in action last winter, clearing a winter's worth of drift compacted snow off the the 1000ft driveway in under an hour. This is a max load job the whole way, WAY faster with regular removal of smaller amounts.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oYLDjdvsAy4BETEE6

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[sheepfarmer]

I would NOT like to use a rear mount blower for 2 miles in say a driving snowstorm! So if you are thinking of a blower I recommend front mount.

My experience with an L3560 bucket and blade and a B2650 with front snowblower is that you can get it done with bucket and blade, but it is much slower and you have to figure out where you want your banks and snow piles. The smaller tractor with blower with drift cutters has done about 18 inches at once with no trouble, low gear, loaded turf tires. Deep drifts you would likely have to do a bit at a time. A front snowblower with a back blade would be a good rig.

The key question is do you need your front end loader on all winter? It is not impossible to swap the blower and the fel, but it is not fast at least for me. Not a fun thing at 3 am.

 

[nrbocke]

I really like our front mount 63" Kubota Blower. With the 60" box blade on the 3pt as ballast (and a useful snow moving tool) get good traction. Here's a link to a video of it in action last winter, clearing a winter's worth of drift compacted snow off the the 1000ft driveway in under an hour. This is a max load job the whole way, WAY faster with regular removal of smaller amounts.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oYLDjdvsAy4BETEE6

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Thanks-That's pretty impressive. I assume it's gravel? Didn't look like you were picking much if any up?

 

[nrbocke]

I would NOT like to use a rear mount blower for 2 miles in say a driving snowstorm! So if you are thinking of a blower I recommend front mount.

My experience with an L3560 bucket and blade and a B2650 with front snowblower is that you can get it done with bucket and blade, but it is much slower and you have to figure out where you want your banks and snow piles. The smaller tractor with blower with drift cutters has done about 18 inches at once with no trouble, low gear, loaded turf tires. Deep drifts you would likely have to do a bit at a time. A front snowblower with a back blade would be a good rig.

The key question is do you need your front end loader on all winter? It is not impossible to swap the blower and the fel, but it is not fast at least for me. Not a fun thing at 3 am.

I've read alot of posts that said people ended up with the 3 point blower because they use the loader all winter. I really don't. At least I haven't yet. If I did it would be to unload something not firewood or anything. It works well to push snow on my level driveway but not on my sloped crushed concrete so I have been bladdng it. So I don't think that's an issue. It's probably more of a cost thing. I'll be ok with buying a 3 point blower and hopefully never having to use it or once every 5-10 years. The cost of a front mount plus assuming it's not nearly as easy to install will not leave me as thrilled.
I guess I've had people tell me too "just use the loader to dig out". Around here about the only people with tractor snow blowers are ones that need to keep cattle fed. I don't know a single person that has one for a CUT. I'm just concerned that's not going to cut it some morning. If I have time to dig out I probably have time to wait until county comes by with the maintainer and opens my road.
Thanks!

 

[nbryan]

Thanks-That's pretty impressive. I assume it's gravel? Didn't look like you were picking much if any up?

That was my neighbor's driveway wanted it cleared before she started using in spring, and mostly grass grown over the gravel. My driveway is solid gravel, and if yours is 3/4 down crushed gravel and level, just set the drag shoes a little lower at least at first snow in season until ground freezes and ice saturates gravel and you'll have no gravel throwing issues. My driveway is 300ft crushed gravel, but parking area still pit run where bigger stones & rocks reside and are hard to totally avoid, but keep a handful of auger and blower shear pins at all times in case of a jam.

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[D2Cat]

How about an 8' blade on your pickup truck? Then you have heat and no wind in the face!

 

[bird dogger]

Greetings! Nice tractor, by the way!! I've been running a 60 inch rear snowblower on my CUT for the last 35 +/- years. (same snowblower, too!) Last year it was transferred to my new B2650 and works GREAT. RE backing up with a 3 pt snow blower: a mirror mounted so you can see the snowblower while facing forwards takes almost all of the strain off your neck. You do have to watch for traffic but if you're on a dead end road that's even easier until you get to the entrance crossing and need to really check for traffic. I use a semi truck side mirror mounted horizontally and it gives a very wide view of the snow blower and the road as your moving snow. Mine is mounted inside a homemade cab but any mirror/s could be mounted and utilized without a cab too. If you can back a vehicle up using its rear view mirror you'd have no trouble doing the same with a pto driven snow blower. You could search "B2650 Cab Fabrication" and see my rig.
with a blade/bucket on the front and a blower on the back you'd be in fine shape. I like having the pusher blade on the front for light snow removal and cleanup which happens most of the time. The rear blower is good ballast and is already hooked up for the heavy snowfalls or the occasional drifts that accumulate. Everybody's situation is different and it just boils down to what you'd like, fits your situation, or are comfortable doing. Here's a pic of my mechanical steed dressed up for winter:

 

[pauly]

I have the front mount blower on my open station B2650. I do a quarter mile gravel drive with a fairly steep section that tends to drift in when the wind acts up. It has been very reliable and does a great job. I use a rear blade in reverse for getting down to the gravel, clean up and light snow. Changing from loader to blower is not quick but also not that bad especially if you can do it inside a building, preferably with heat!

 

[nrbocke]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to start getting quotes for both options and go from there. I think if I get the front blower I would probably just install it every year while it's still nice after mowing season is over. If I get the 3 point I would probably run with my rear blade and install the blower when needed.

 

[jkcolo22]

Have you done much with your 3pt that requires you to look behind the tractor for extended amounts of time? It KILLS my neck. But I do have a bad neck. I’m kind of confused why you are relegating the blower only to emergency use? Why not plan to use it on every snowfall, big or small? Implements are happy being used!


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[nrbocke]

Have you done much with your 3pt that requires you to look behind the tractor for extended amounts of time? It KILLS my neck. But I do have a bad neck. IÂ’m kind of confused why you are relegating the blower only to emergency use? Why not plan to use it on every snowfall, big or small? Implements are happy being used!


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No, I mostly just use my shredder regularly and "pull" snow forward with my blade. Every once once in a while dirt work or push snow. So not much looking back at all.

I guess my "emergency use" I'm trying to say I've got by 8 years without a blower but I'm guessing at some point they'll be a snow with either/or depth or timing I will need one. Most of the posts I've read is from people that live much further north or higher elevation than I do and sounds like they are very nessesary.

If I bought a front mount I would probably leave it on all winter and use it all the time. But, for far less money would it make sense to just go with the rear mount for "emergency use". I can see the many benefits of front mount but I don't need it/haven't needed a snow blower for every snow. So is the big price difference justified? If I bought the 3 point I would probably only use it when I don't have the time or it's not practical to dig out with the blade/loader. I wouldn't be backing down my driveway/road everytime it snows. Just would do it when "needed". Does that makes sense or am I thinking about this all wrong?
Please keep up the comments everyone! I really appreciate it! Like I said no one else around me really has experience with snow blowers on CUT.

 

[bird dogger]

You have a wonderful dilemma a lot of people would be quite envious of: a great tractor and soon to be coupled to a snow blower at one end or the other. Either way is a win/win situation for you and you'll be laughing at the forecast of snowfall. You don't say what other implements you own, could update, or purchase if needed with any cost savings from a 3 pt blower. Maybe those considerations could influence your decision making if you opt for the cheaper of the two types. Examples: Pirhana tooth bar, PTO leaf blower, PTO auger, etc. Again, a nice position to be in. Or.....you could get your SO a new toaster and more with any savings!

 

[SMKK]

I had a similar dilemma, I spoke with a friend who runs a snow removal company about his thoughts. His only question was how long is the driveway? Mine is about 1800 feet, in my situation he was adamant about going front mount, he said the only other option would be a pull type but those are more for commercial and made for larger tractors.

Since you are only looking for emergency situations a rear mount might do in a pinch, but like others have said driving backwards for long distances and looking over your shoulder gets old quick.

 

[bearbait]

I've used both for a mile long driveway and the front mount is by far way better than a rear mount. After hours of cleaning up snow with the rear mount as a joke I would come in the house and kneel down on the couch, look behind me and ask my wife whats on the tube. After 3 years of using the rear mount it wasn't a joke anymore. Only you can decide what's gonna work for you but the less strain on your body now makes a big difference as you get older.

 

[nrbocke]

You have a wonderful dilemma a lot of people would be quite envious of: a great tractor and soon to be coupled to a snow blower at one end or the other. Either way is a win/win situation for you and you'll be laughing at the forecast of snowfall. You don't say what other implements you own, could update, or purchase if needed with any cost savings from a 3 pt blower. Maybe those considerations could influence your decision making if you opt for the cheaper of the two types. Examples: Pirhana tooth bar, PTO leaf blower, PTO auger, etc. Again, a nice position to be in. Or.....you could get your SO a new toaster and more with any savings!

I have a 5ft shredder, 5 ft blade, and the loader.
I know the tractor alone is a nice luxury. I had been using an 8n the first 6 winters. That being said I did have to do everything in reverse and push snow with the tractor. If the snow was deep enough to use the tractor it was too deep to get the tractor through pulling a blade full of snow.

 

[nrbocke]

So here's some pictures of my actual driveway. One from my garage looking down and one from the road. The 3rd picture is the section of road just eat of my house that has filled in with snow. The smaller rise is my property. That other side is not my property and is very high 6-10ft. In the past though, the times I couldn't wait for the county, I was able to drive in my property around this area. Snow blew almost clean on top of the level area.
I guess that's the other thing. The guy that did my dirt work tried to make everything so it would blow clean with us being up on a hill. So alot of times my driveway will have 3-4 drifts and the rest will be blown clean down to the rocks. Another reason I was thinking 3 point would be ok. I wouldn't be driving in reverse the entire time. Just line it up with a drift and back into it. The being said all the snow we got last year felt straight down and then the next day (after it was cleaned up) the wind would come up. So I guess I can't even say what normal is...

 

[jkcolo22]

If you are set on a blower, I’d strongly recommend the front mount. I don’t agree with the argument that you’d only use it in an emergency. Sure, you might spend a little more, but you will get your money’s worth and enjoy it much more. If it’s there, and you spent the money, you are going to want to use it. With a rear mount, I still bet you will want to use it, you will just be kicking yourself that you didn’t spend a little more and you’ll end up kicking yourself that you didn’t get the front mount. On the other hand, a front blade (preferably with hydraulic angle kit) and a commitment to getting after it before it accumulates, would probably be just fine. I live in Colorado at 6800ft and manage my 800’ driveway with a blade on a BX. It looks like you have plenty of room to push snow off to either side. I think you would find that a blade is soooooo much faster than the bucket. Would save you some coin as well. You just can’t let the snow get too stacked up before you attack it. Now snowblower would be fun, and by all means, it you want one, buy one. But I think you are kidding yourself that you are going to be out there shoveling snow with a bucket when you have a snowblower hanging off the back. You should try sitting on your tractor, put it in low, and drive in reverse, looking backwards over your shoulder the entire time- for the full length of your road- up and back down. Then see how your neck feels and decide if you really want to do that when it’s 15 degrees cold outside.


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[nrbocke]

If you are set on a blower, I’d strongly recommend the front mount. I don’t agree with the argument that you’d only use it in an emergency. Sure, your might spend a little more, but you will get your money’s worth and enjoy it much more. If it’s there, and you spent the money, you are going to want to use it. With a rear mount, I still bet you will want to use it, you will just be kicking yourself that you didn’t spend a little more and you’ll end up kicking yourself that you didn’t get the front mount. On the other hand, a front blade (preferably with hydraulic angle kit) and a commitment to getting after it before it accumulates, would probably be just fine. I live in Colorado at 6800ft and manage my 800’ driveway with a blade on a BX. It looks like you have plenty of room to push snow off to either side. I think you would find that a blade is soooooo much faster than the bucket. Would save you some coin as well. You just can’t let the snow get too stacked up before you attack it. Now snowblower would be fun, and by all means, it you want one, buy one. But I think you are kidding yourself that you are going to be out there shoveling snow with a bucket when you have a snowblower hanging off the back. You should try sitting on your tractor, put it in low, and drive in reverse, looking backwards over your shoulder the entire time- for the full length of your road- up and back down. Then see how your neck feels and decide if you really want to do that when it’s 15 degrees cold outside.


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Those are some good points and what you're saying is probably true. Believe me, if I'm home (and not sleeping) I have no problem staying on top of the snow. Sometimes all I get is a drift in front of my garage door and I'll go out and scoop it every hour or 2. I've all pushed snow of my entire driveway with a shovel a time or two when I didn't think it was worth tearing up my crushed concrete. Now that might change as I get older but now I don't mind the work if I have the time. Issue is I work 12 hour shifts rotating between night and days. Sometimes I have 7 days off and other times in the schedule I work 7 in a row. So if you need to stay up on it for a blade to work well that's probably not a realistic option.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Here is one more argument to get a good front mount blower: better to have your dollars tied up in a good piece of equipment that goes with your tractor. Like money in the bank, and safer than the stock market.

Life is too short and it sounds like calling in and saying you are snowed in is not an option.

I take the mower off mine in the fall, put the snow blower on, and in the two winters we've had since I got it, have only had about 6 really deep snowfalls, but before I got it we had two killer winters and you could have skied on the snow pile I created in my back yard. It would take 2 days to clean up my farm yard, and that was with neighbor plowing my drive with his truck. So no telling what this winter will bring.

I decided I'd like to enjoy my little farm and the winter shoveling was getting old so the B2650 with a cab and front blower was a treat. The older I get the more important good visibility is to me. You will probably want to consider Rops lights next