Inverted Snowblower Good, Bad, Ugly

[GrumpyFarmer]

One and the same. My video is a Youtube short. Posts on TBN, doesn't work on Orange Tractor Talks, Her is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/L_DznVAh2NU

Thanks…I think this is one of threads I read on the subject recently that i thought had some good considerations and videos

Inverted Snow Blower

I have a 74" conventional rear snow blower, but I'm interested in other folks' experiences with the inverted blowers. Not too interested in the guys doing residential commercial work...more interested in the rural folks using the implement to clear the drives and such My tractor is a Deere 4052R...

www.tractorbynet.com

I feel sort of dirty sharing that link on this site like I’ve been caught cheating on my best girl.

 

[JonM]

ill run my snow pusher on the front along with my inverted. if the drift is deep i can use the pusher about the same height over ground as the axles. no real issue driving over any snow. coild do similar thing with a bucket

 

[mikester]

After Sunday's snowfall and winds the snow is over my front tires. I'd be DOA trying to use a pull behind blower. I could use a double auger blower this year, drifts are over the top of my blower.

Guys trying to push snow have 10+ foot high snow piles at the ends of their driveways and the buggers are now trying to push snow across the road and leaving safety hazards for vehicle traffic. I wish the county would enforce the $300 fines for dumping snow on the roads.

 

[torch]

I suspect the serviceability of a pull- or reverse- type snowblower is related to the size of the tractor -- or at least, the size of the tractor's tires. While a full-size tractor will have the clearance and traction to drive through the snow ahead of the blower my gut feeling is those of us with compact or sub-compact tractors are limited in our choices. The smallest pull type I'm aware of requires 25hp at the PTO and weighs in just shy of 500lbs -- without snow stuck to it, optional hydraulic chute, rear scraper blade, etc.

So for those that own one: What do you think is the smallest size tractor that can reliably be paired with the smallest available pull type blower?

 

[JonM]

I suspect the serviceability of a pull- or reverse- type snowblower is related to the size of the tractor -- or at least, the size of the tractor's tires. While a full-size tractor will have the clearance and traction to drive through the snow ahead of the blower my gut feeling is those of us with compact or sub-compact tractors are limited in our choices. The smallest pull type I'm aware of requires 25hp at the PTO and weighs in just shy of 500lbs -- without snow stuck to it, optional hydraulic chute, rear scraper blade, etc.

So for those that own one: What do you think is the smallest size tractor that can reliably be paired with the smallest available pull type blower?

i have a l6060 and my blower i believe is just around 1000lbs plus. so if i need more traction i just lift the blower a little off the ground

 

[hedgerow]

If have four to five foot deep drifts that could be a hundred or more yards long. You aren't using your inverted snow blower. What you need is a better travel agent

Your are 100% correct. With no in town job anymore and no livestock any more. If I had my way I would be down south for the winter but the boss {Wife} says I would just be board down there. We have had a pretty mild winter here. I have done a lot of scraper dirt work. I moved snow once in Nov and probably didn't need to do that. We only got two inches on this last storm that hit a big part of the midwest and the eastern US. I am sure we will get at least one nasty one before spring we always do. It better rain this spring. We are very dry in this area. We have been fairly dry threw here the last five years. Crops weren't very good last year.

 

[blacktop]

Here is a yotube showing the good, bad and ugly.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Here is a yotube showing the good, bad and ugly.

thats a great video. Shows honest performance.
watching around 15:30 it really shows how the snow they are working with is what we call "sugary / drifted".
would love to see them repeat their test on heavy / wet stuff / settled.

had a call from my dealer yesterday still trying hard to sell me the exact same 72" P model that they are using. They dropped price down to C$6,200 (U$4,500). Prices coming down as winter 1/2 way done.

 

[JonM]

thats a great video. Shows honest performance.
watching around 15:30 it really shows how the snow they are working with is what we call "sugary / drifted".
would love to see them repeat their test on heavy / wet stuff / settled.

had a call from my dealer yesterday still trying hard to sell me the exact same 72" P model that they are using. They dropped price down to C$6,200 (U$4,500). Prices coming down as winter 1/2 way done.

depends on how long its been on the ground and whetherthere was any rain in between or a thaw freeze cycle or two.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Here is a yotube showing the good, bad and ugly.

Couple things jump out at me…

1. That guy married up…you go girl!
2. Traction and weight very important
3. That style seems like there is maybe a learning curve to determine depth vs how low to drop implement.
4. Cabs are awesome.
5. Why not lower bucket to push deep stuff out of way? Not enough traction or why not?
6. Which is better on the loader with that pull type blower: bucket, blade, or push box?
7. Snow is like mud (as expedition travelers know, there are many types / consistencies).
8. Is there a compelling reason not to keep up with the storm / subsequent days of wind and drifting?

great video thanks for sharing.

 

[McMXi]

4. Cabs are awesome.

Yep! And not just in the winter.

There's something very satisfying about watching plumes of snow streaming out of a blower. That's a fun video to watch.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Yep! And not just in the winter.

There's something very satisfying about watching plumes of snow streaming out of a blower. That's a fun video to watch.

View attachment 169034

Yep…actually I had a keep rewinding to rewatch because I kept watching (mesmerized) the plumes of snow (that thing was awesome) and in watching the snow I missed a lot of wheel slippage and some of the technique where she (operator) was trimming the implement.

 

[whatsupdoc]

A front mounted snow blower is king, everything else is a compromise.

 

[torch]

A front mounted snow blower is king, everything else is a compromise.

No. A front mounted blower is just a different combination of compromise.

I have a front mount and a traditional 3ph mount. For shallow to moderate snow depth, I prefer the front mount. For deep snow, I prefer the traditional 3ph mount.

Having watched that L6060 struggle in deep snow with the pull-behind, I'd much rather have the traditional for those conditions. But I do think there'd be less struggle with different tires and/or chains. I hope he posts an updated version after adding chains. It will be interesting to see how much difference it makes.

 

[whatsupdoc]

No. A front mounted blower is just a different combination of compromise.

I have a front mount and a traditional 3ph mount. For shallow to moderate snow depth, I prefer the front mount. For deep snow, I prefer the traditional 3ph mount.

Having watched that L6060 struggle in deep snow with the pull-behind, I'd much rather have the traditional for those conditions. But I do think there'd be less struggle with different tires and/or chains. I hope he posts an updated version after adding chains. It will be interesting to see how much difference it makes.

So driving backwards is more efficient.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

So driving backwards is more efficient.

Certainly improves the bank account balance of physiotherapists

 

[torch]

So driving backwards is more efficient.

I would say rather that driving on a cleared path is more efficient. Less energy wasted trying to get traction, the tires are putting power to the ground instead of trying to push themselves (and possibly the tractor belly) through snow.

The pull-behind clearly works well provided the tractor has sufficient power and traction to spare. But the one in the video was struggling in the deep stuff -- conditions that I believe from experience that my little B7100 with traditional rear blower could handle with turf tires, without chains, and without multiple passes -- but slowly. That said, with more traction she'd probably be fine (or at least, struggling less).

My front mount blower could probably move that snow too -- in a straight line. The front mount blower doesn't handle curves as well as the rear mount. The rear mount blower is much closer to the pivot point (rear axle); the front mount blower is in front of the steering wheels. So while the steering has a bit of leverage on the rear mount blower, the front mount blower acts like a rudder in deep snow so steering has little effect. To be fair, I have the same problem with the rear mount and loader bucket unless I lift the bucket above the snow.

Obviously a bigger, heavier tractor will have more traction on the steering wheels and can handle deeper snow with a front-mount blower. But I think it probably scales.

 

[McMXi]

A front mounted snow blower is king, everything else is a compromise.

I agree, and that's what I said in my earlier post. However, I much prefer a front mounted hydraulic angle snow blade with a standard blower out back, compared to what I used to have which was a blower out front and manual blade out back. The current combination works for me since blowing gravel isn't my idea of fun.

 

[imarobot]

I agree, and that's what I said in my earlier post. However, I much prefer a front mounted hydraulic angle snow blade up front with a standard blower out back, compared to what I used to have which was a blower out front and manual blade out back. The current combination works for me since blowing gravel isn't my idea of fun.

Also agree it is probably the best for snowblowing. However it is the worst FEL

 

[McMXi]

Certainly improves the bank account balance of physiotherapists

You might argue that it's the lack of stretching and mobility that causes the problem. Perhaps make an effort to get in better shape. I go to a chiropractor twice a week to PREVENT issues, not to fix them.

I do squats in the garage using tractor weights (the suitcase kind) as part of my preventative maintenance routine. I have 10 weights for the M that weigh 110 lb each and I've carried them (two at a time) many times when taking them on/off the tractor but I'm not at the point where I want to use them for squats. I use two of the smaller weights (50 lb each) that came with the Buhler/Farm King rear blade. That's still 100 lb of dead weight though.

It's the sedentary lifestyle that is killing so many people in this country.