New tractor purchase with snowblower

[dj2016]

Hello all, hopefully I am posting this in the right place as I am new to OTT. From reading many of the sites this is the go to place for Kubota questions, so I’m hoping someone can help me.

To begin I have a 2003 Kubota L3130 with a FEL and have been recently looking into trading it in on either a new L3560 or L4060. I’d like to get the new unit with a FEL, cab and a snow blower but I’m getting limited information from the dealers, especially with the snow blower.

Since I’ve never used a snow blower on a tractor I have a few concerns. First, will the blower get all the way down to the asphalt pavement? The second thing is if the blower can be outfitted or optioned with a poly type blade to prevent scratching the driveway? Third, which is the better way to go, put the blower on the back or the front? I know this is a hot topic (no pun intended) but what are the pros and cons to each?
And lastly, which tractor would be best for using a snow blower?

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

Welcome to OTT!
Yes you can set the snowblower up to scrape down to the tar, will depend how you set the shoes and also the lift mechanism for a depth of cut.

Your choice on front or back,a3pt on the rear will be lower priced & you can still have a loader on. I went with a front mount as didn't want to look over my shoulder all the time. I run a rear blade on the back to pull away from doors or buildings. Love the blower and wish I had a real cab and not just a Carhardt Cab ***55357;***56832;

 

[dj2016]

Thanks for the feedback. I haven't talked to anyone with a front blower.
I'm looking at the 74" blower which the dealer tells me Kubota offers with two seperate subframes for the front units. One is supposedly hydraulic mounted and the other is manual. I can't find any information on either to help decide what works best.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I have a BX with a 54" front mount snowblower, that I use for a 1/2 mile driveway. The driveway goes up a hill and is not perfectly straight. It was well worth the extra cost for the front mount. No idea what you will be clearing, but for a straight 200' driveway I would get the rear mount and save enough to buy a couple of other attachments. A 72" blower on your L will really cut down on the number of passes, front or rear.

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

I am sure someone can add to this nut would go toward the hydraulic version as with a cab might be a pain to turn the chute. Have the hydraulic version on my BX and is nice using the loader controls to raise/lower & turn the chute without leaving my seat. The upgrade is the control over the chute top, remote will get added at some point so full control from the seat. Takes a little time to get it all dialed in or win the lottery.

 

[dj2016]

I have about a 1/4 mile of drive that whines through some woods and it includes a tricky turn around near my barn. That's why I was thinking I might have better luck blowing the snow instead of building mountains with the plow. It sounds like hydraulic controls are the way to go with a cab. Do you have hydro on the deflector also?

 

[sheepfarmer]

I think either the 3560 or 4060 would be fine for snowblowing, they are very similar, and not to be biased are great tractors. Hydraulic chute controls are a must if you have a cab. However I am clueless and curious about the mounts and subframes you mention. They are listed as choices on the Kubota website, and are not choices for the smaller tractors. Maybe they are needed to help manage the much heavier snowblower? Please keep us posted if you find a dealer that has them or has a picture.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

A 1/4 mile of crooked driveway would be to much backing up for me, I would go with the front mount blower. To get both hydraulic chute rotation and hydraulic chute tilt you will need a third hydraulic function. You can also easily add electric chute tilt for a lot lees then a third hydraulic function, unless you have other needs for the third function.

 

[dj2016]

Thanks for all the input so far, It's starting to sound like the front mount might be the way to go. Just as a test I backed my 3130 around part of the drive the other day to see how a rear blower might be. I found some spots to be a little tricky making sure not to hit something with the FEL.

Is there a big difference in cost between the electric and hydraulic chute tilt? Plus has anyone heard of or used some type of poly or rubber blade to prevent scratching the asphalt.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

There are several threads on using a linear actuator for building a chute deflector. Total cost is usually under $150. The largest cost for a hydraulic actuator will probably be the hydraulic third function. Check with Kubota for the cost on the tractor you choose. It will probably be tough to justify for the snowblower chute for just blowing your own driveway. Adding 4 or 5 neighbors driveways to your snowblowing time might make it a necessity. The real justification for the third function would be some of the loader add-ons like a grapple.

I have not used a rubber edge on my rear blade, all my rear blade snow removal is in the yard, gravel driveway, or concrete driveway. I have found reversing the blade works well.

 

[dj2016]

Thanks Larry for your input, I'll have to check out those other threads to get some more information on the actuator idea. It sounds like it might be the way to go since I really don't expect to have a need for third funtion hydraulics.