Bucket or plow for snow

[Flukeman]

I have a B7500 with bucket and rear blower. I also received a hydraulic plow for the loader when I bought the tractor. Last year I just left the bucket on to push snow banks back if needed.

Was wondering if:

1. People preferred one over the other?

2. What uses i may not be thinking of for either one in a snow situation?

Thanks in advance

 

[mikester]

Snowblower. I live at the edge of the snow belt so pushing snow doesn't work very well by mid season as my loader only raises 10 feet.

 

[WhitleyStu]

We've got a blower on the back of our B2601 and the FEL bucket up front. The problen with pushing snow up in piles is that when it snows again the wind leaves drifts form from the piles of snow. I like to use the snowblower as much as possible and use the FEL bucket for cleaning around the mail box and pulling snow away fron the garage doors.

 

[Thunder chicken]

I have a rear blower and bucket on the loader. I’d like to try a blade, but the bucket is nice to move snow from where it can’t be blown, then blow it away. Or spreading sand without having to swap (it’s -20 outside the cab remember!!)
An angle blade to quickly plow then blow the windrows away would be handy and quicker then blowing a small amount I’d think.

 

[dvto2]

I have a rear blower and bucket on the loader. I’d like to try a blade, but the bucket is nice to move snow from where it can’t be blown, then blow it away. Or spreading sand without having to swap (it’s -20 outside the cab remember!!)
An angle blade to quickly plow then blow the windrows away would be handy and quicker then blowing a small amount I’d think.

I echo what others have said. I have a front blower, which is useful most of the time, but when the snow is heavy and wet I end up pushing the snow off like a bucket would, and eventually having to clean out the chute. Also, in really heavy years, I've actually removed the blower to put the bucket on to move the tops of the snowbanks cause they got so high I couldn't blow over them. If you can handle driving backwards for however long it takes to do your removal, a rear blower and front bucket would cover all bases.

 

[mcmxi]

I like the combination of hydraulic angle plow up front and blower at the back. I clear snow from a 450 yard driveway and parking areas consisting of about half gravel and half asphalt. I push on gravel and push/blow on asphalt. Works for me.

 

[shelkol]

I can use a front blade, a bucket, or a snow blower. The bucket fills up too fast and doesn't push the snow off to one side, it keeps spilling out of both sides of the bucket. The snow blower works fine, but I have to go slower so I don't overload it and have the snow pile up in the front, plus lots of tress so always have to replace shear pins.

I rely upon the blade. I can go faster, it pushes the snow to the side I want so cleanup is easier. If the banks get too high I can raise the blade ( it is mounted on the loader arms) and push the top off the bank. If we have a real heavy year and the banks get too big I go back to the blower

 

[Flukeman]

Thank you all the input