Pros and cons of snow removal options

[airbiscuit]

 

[NoJacketRequired]

What an interesting discussion!

My go-to equipment is a B-series tractor, a front-mount blower, and a box scraper. Why?

As Torch suggested, the front mount blower provides the very best solution for moving snow, save for its cost and maintenance requirements. The box scraper behind the tractor allows me to clear within 6" of a garage door and it allows me to scrape off the accumulation of snow left behind by the blower thanks to the blower riding on shoes that prevent the blower from digging into the driveway.

I've spent too many hours to count pushing snow with 4x4 trucks and tractors with front end loaders. When I scraped together enough cash to buy my first tractor it came with a broken and very old 3pth blower. That first winter I wasn't able to source all the parts necessary to repair the blower so I pushed snow with the front end loader. Our lane was always drifted in level with snow, thanks to the banks piled up by pushing snow. The next winter I had the blower in operation and had no snowbanks to deal with - what a totally different situation. The time required to clear the lane with the tractor and blower was substantially less than the time taken with the front end loader - a win for all.

Now fast forward quite a few years to the point where retirement was on the horizon and my lovely wife decided I should get my "retirement equipment", the stuff that we could buy while I was working and would never be able to purchase in retirement. That's when the B7510 with cab, FEL, front mount blower and box scraper came home. The first time I cleared the lane of snow with the combination of front-mounted blower (B2782B) and box scraper I couldn't believe the difference in how I felt and in how good the lane looked. The job was done in a fraction of the time it took with the MF135 and much larger 3pth-mounted push-style blower. My neck didn't ache. I wasn't cold and sore all over. What a difference!

I count myself very fortunate in that I now own and operate three such sets of equipment. The oldest is seen in my avatar, a B2410 with B2550 front mount blower and rear-mounted blade (about to be replaced). I now have a pair of B7510's, one with the B2782B and the other with a B2781B blower and both with box blades to match the width of the blower. Both of the B7510's feature heated cabs although the newer of the two tractors has a truly luxurious cab with a heater that forces me to open the window and strip down to just a t-shirt. I'm spoiled spoiled spoiled!

If anybody asks me what the ultimate snow removal solution might be, I tell them to take a look in my tractor shed. Sure, I could do with a bigger or newer tractor or a maybe even a factory cab but those "upgrades" would be just that, an upgrade. Moving to a cab tractor with heat, a front mount blower and a rear-mounted box scraper is a sea change compared to any other reasonably affordable snow removal solution.

I should mention that in this part of Canada we get snow and cold temperatures. Last winter I clocked more than 70 hours on the tractors removing snow. So far this winter I've hit a grand total of (drumroll, please!) ONE hour. It's been an easy winter so far and I hope it continues this way. If it doesn't, I'm prepared for just about anything Old Man Winter can dish out. I'm keeping my eyes open for a cab tractor to replace the B2410 that I use at the airport - that's the only "upgrade" I can see in my future!

 

[jimh406]

Deep snow 12 "

Hilarious, that 12" is deep. . Meanwhile, some people got what 5-6 ft recently.

 

[bird dogger]

My Lorenz pto blower is now 30+ yrs old and has never suffered a problem. Built like a tank and has only had routine maintenance done to it. I run it along with a 6 ft. snow pusher blade on the front. That blade also has a scraper blade mounted to the top edge so when tilted forward it can scrape back within inches from an OH door, etc.

I've always had a wide horizontal mirror mounted just in front of me while seated. (You can see it in the pic) I'd wager I can blow snow around corners, next to buildings, etc. just about as fast as I could.....if I had a front mount blower, all without looking over my shoulder. The learning curve for mirror steering is next to nothing. And never a stiff neck. The only time needed to turn around and physically look over the shoulder is to safely look for traffic while working at intersections, cross walks, etc.

Notice the double shafts with alternating paddles instead of spiral augers. Those will cut through and chop up the hardest wind driven snow and drifts compared to the spiral augers with the same HP driving the units. A big plus with our sometimes extremely hard packed drifts here in ND.

Another bonus of a 3 pt. blower (as implied earlier): This 3 pt blower (like most of them) isn't necessarily tractor specific. This one was also behind my JD 750MFD in its earlier days. Switching tractors doesn't have to mean a new snowblower as well. It'll be a toss up as to which lasts longer......the Lorenz or the B2650.....or me!

Edit: I didn't see it mentioned earlier.......but if you need your tractor for other "traditional" duties during the winter......it's very easy to drop the 3 pt blower for those duties and reattach at the next snowfall. And your loader is already on, as well.

 

[torch]

Some great responses here!

To touch on a couple of points raised:

I am not sure i missed or it is assumed regarding traction. I would suspect that in general a blade would need more traction (weight and/or traction aide)…with an angled blade it is not unusual for the material(snow) to wash out the steering if no traction aides used.

Plowing certainly requires more weight and traction than blowing. In my defense, I did note that under the advantages of snowblowers. But yeah, I failed to mention the effect on steering, particularly with a front mounted blade.

Lastly my four legged friends help in snow removal…I understand that the human should control the animals…however in my mind I have had an ornery dog charge/chase and in one instance attack front plow (but no harm to the dog or anything like that). I believe a snow blower could pose a problem if operator not really careful. I guess a snowblower could blow a chunk at an ornery dog also, so maybe a wash?

Pets and children! I have my wife keep the dog inside while I'm clearing the snow, otherwise he's apt to try and play with either the augers or the discharge.

For individual implements, you list a lot of good information. However, many people use more than one.

Good point. One of the nice things about using a tractor is the ability to have attachments on both the front and the rear. I myself usually have the rear blower and FEL on the tractor. I usually use the FEL to clean up close to the concrete around the garage and scrape right down to the ice when clearing a rink, but it becomes the prime mover when the snow is really slushy.

I can also swap out the bucket for a front-mount blower if needed. If I used the front blower regularly, I think I'd like a blade on the rear for versatility.

You didn't include an ATV or UTV with a plow. It is ridiculous how much snow they can push and how fast. You just have to have enough area for the plowed snow to go.

No, I didn't. I was focused on tractor-related options.

Yes you can move a lot of snow with an ATV plow. My son does his lane with one. Two of my neighbours also use them. I usually end up at all 3 places once or twice a year relocating their banks once their lanes get narrower than their vehicles. But in an area with less annual accumulation, I can see the ATV/UTV as a viable option.

I would add though that you could expand it a bit for open station vs. cabbed tractors because there's a difference there too.

Ok, I'm trying real hard to come up with some advantages of an open station when clearing snow and I'm drawing a blank here. Cost, maybe?

I have cleared snow with an open station and while it's not too bad if it's not too cold, the sun is out and the air is calm, it gets old real fast at night when it's 20 below, the wind is whipping it back into your face, and you have snotsicles frozen to your upper lip. At a minimum, invest in a snowmobile suit, helmet and mitts.

We could compare types of cabs. At the lower end of the price spectrum is the soft cab, starting at $500 or so for a small universal SCUT enclosure on up to $2K for a custom-fit hardtop cab. Similar to a boat-top, these are generally fabric walls with vinyl windows that either hang from a factory canopy or have a light weight structure and roof. Some even have proper doors but many rely on zippered openings. They are usually secured to the tractor's sheet metal with snap fasteners or similar so they are easily removed and stored in the summer. Don't expect a built-in heater, but accessory heaters are available from farm supply chains that can often be mounted to the tractor inside the cab.

Higher end units may come with a rigid windshield and/or rear window. That doesn't sound like much until you realize you can't add a windshield wiper to a vinyl window. Remember all the wind-driven snow your lovely cab is keeping off your face? Guess where it winds up...

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the factory cab. This one will come with windshield wipers, heat, A/C for the summer, overhead work lights, maybe a stereo system and a cup holder. Oh, and a whopping big price tag. Similarly, there are aftermarket offerings with most of the bells and whistles from companies like Curtis and Sims. $5K and up. Envy the man who can afford one.

In between is the shop-made cab. Mine is little more than a rigid soft cab -- a steel frame and plexiglass windows. But I have those all-important windshield wipers front and rear, proper latching doors and overhead light bars. Enough engine heat makes it's way in so I can unzipper my coat and remove my gloves after a bit. But some rival a Curtis cab. Heat, stereo, sound insulation, GPS, back-up camera -- a bit of time and some fabrication skills can save a lot of dough. I doubt the fanciest required more than $2k in materials. Lots of examples in the fabrication section of this website.

You don't say how long your "long wooded lane" is,

About 750' (feet, not yards <lol>) through the bush, up through a cut in the hill and opening out into a large parking area between the house and the garage. I clear enough of the parking area to comfortably accommodate a dozen cars or so. Once the lake freezes, I clear a path down to the shore and a large ice rink for the grandkids.

 

[ve9aa]

Some great replies. It's easy to see that folks more southerly prefer to plow (or use the FEL/bucket) and a lot of us in the north (not everyone though) prefer to snowblow (or at least snowblow and backblade....or use a rear snowblower and FEL)

Everyones needs are different.

I wish all I needed was a mower in Feb, but my grass is under many feet (1-2 yards?) of snow !

 

[mcmxi]

Ok, I'm trying real hard to come up with some advantages of an open station when clearing snow and I'm drawing a blank here. Cost, maybe?

I don't see many advantages for open station having been there and done that for five winters. But as you say, cost could be a significant advantage. A blower on a cabbed tractor is a joy, not always so much on an open station if the temperature and wind aren't cooperating.

With a cabbed tractor running a snow blower, you have to have hydraulic (or electric) chute rotation and deflection, whereas with an open station you have the option to go mechanical or hydraulic. Of course you could go without those upgrades for both platforms, but that's no fun and far from ideal for many of us. What got me thinking about this is the Herd 750 seeder/spreader I have. I was thinking about running it on the back of the M6060 to put sand/grit down on the gravel driveway, but then I realized that it doesn't have any hydraulics for the sliding door so it would be annoying to adjust. I should probably address that this winter.

 

[skeets]

A frequent question that comes up here revolves around "I have xxxxx. What should I use to remove the snow around here". Usually this results in a plethora of replies with each poster expounding on their own personal favourites. So I thought it might be fun and potentially more useful to condense the pros and cons of each approach in one thread.

Disclaimer: my own personal bias is towards snowblowing, because it seems the best solution for my own particular situation -- up to 18' of snowfall per year through a long wooded lane. So I'll start with the pros and cons of my personal favourite and invite you to join in with your perceptions.

Snowblower.

Advantages:
1. Lowest traction & horsepower requirements in deep snow. Instead of pushing and shoving a heavy load out of the way, a snowblower picks up the snow and tosses it off to the side. In deep snow, one can simply reduce the travel speed and move the snow with no additional stress or strain on the tractor.

2. No tendency to narrow the path over the course of the season. Since the blower tosses the snow well beyond the side of the lane, there are no banks falling back in beside the tractor after the blade passes or shoving the tractor towards the centre.

3. Discharge can be aimed. The combination of chute rotation and deflection allows the operator to place the removed snow anywhere within range of the discharge. EG: pile the snow to the side of an intersecting cleared path or away from the garage.

Snowblower disadvantages:
1. Highest initial cost. A snowblower costs more than a simple blade. In addition, some blades can be used for other purposes like moving dirt, whereas a snowblower is dedicated to one task only.

2. Higher maintenance requirements. A snowblower has moving parts that must be lubed or greased. Chains, gears and bearings eventually wear out.

3. Increased hazards: Snowblowers can ingest objects hidden under the snow -- frequently stones and rocks -- and then either hurl them with considerable force or jam in the mechanism, hopefully breaking only the shear pin. Operations are halted until the mechanism is repaired (it's as much fun changing a shear bolt with frozen fingers as it sounds).

4. Poor performance in wet, sticky snow. Some blowers are better able to handle this than others, but all blowers are subject to plugging under certain circumstances.

5. Slowest method of removing light snow.

Snowblower variations:
1. Rear mounted: Cheapest and often heaviest duty option, this hangs on the existing 3ph, is powered by the existing PTO and requires no special mounts or frames. Will fit a variety of tractors, opening up the used market. The tractor travels on the cleared path. BUT the operator has to twist around in the seat and drive in reverse. Can blow right up to a fixed object.

2. Rear mounted pull-behind: Similar to above, but the intake is on the tractor side so the blower is used while facing forward. Unfortunately, this means the tractor travels on the uncleared snow. Best suited to larger tractors with ag tires. Also, more difficult to get close to fixed objects. Operator can comfortably face forward while operating, although may require some twisting to observe discharge.

3. Front mounted: Most expensive. Tend to be lighter construction to reduce weight. Special mounts or subframes limit models each one can be used with, limiting used market. Requires forward-facing PTO, possibly at non-standard speed, or complicated drive mechanism. More prone to rudder effect (resistance to steering input) in deep snow. Can get right up to fixed objects. Most comfortable operation as the driver faces forward. Best view of discharge for the same reason.

4. Snowthrower (aka: single stage): Lightest construction, usually front mounted and offered for small low-powered (eg: lawn) tractors. These differ from a snowBLOWER in that the intake auger also throws the snow through the chute, instead of a separate impeller below the chute fed by the auger. These are suitable only for dry snow and plug very easily in wet snow. They don't throw the snow as far and may require a higher travel speed to throw it at all in light snow.

Blade:

Advantages:

1. Cheapest and most versatile option. An existing dirt blade can readily be adapted for use with snow, although a lightweight snow blade may not be up to the task of moving dirt.

2. Minimal maintenance. Other than a pivot for angling the blade, there's not much in the way of moving parts to maintain.

3. Fastest method of removing light snow. In fact, sometimes faster is better, giving the snow some momentum to help clear an existing bank.

4. Best way to move wet slushy snow. Blades don't plug up the way a blower can.

5. Best way to get close to objects. Front mounted or rear mounted, the operator can ease right up to an object (eg: garage door), drop the blade and pull the snow away.

6. May push gravel around and off to the side, but doesn't hurl it onto the lawn or through the neighbour's window.

Disadvantages:

1. Doesn't move the snow very far. This can be a huge problem where objects such as trees or fences border the path being cleared. After a few snow falls, such objects become anchors that prevent the bank from moving back and the path starts closing in.

2. Limited control of where the snow ends up. EG: leaves plow rows across intersecting paths that must be cleared.

3. Greatest strain on the equipment. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction; shoving several hundreds of pounds of snow out of the way means several hundreds of pounds of force pushing back. Particularly problematic if the operator tries to ram a frozen bank back further.

4. More likely to require multiple passes. Long paths and/or deep snow eventually leads to spillage past the leading edge of the angled blade, requiring either additional passes or smaller bites.

Variations:

1. Rear mounted. Most commonly seen with dirt blades. While the operator will spend most time facing forward, it may be necessary to twist around when plowing alongside obstructions. Blade and operator must be rotated backwards to push banks back.

2. Front mounted. Usually replaces a FEL bucket. May require 3rd function for angling. Operator faces forward in use with good visibility. Easily pushes banks back without reconfiguring blade direction. In fact, banks can be pushed in stages by initially lifting the blade and pushing the top first. Easy to drag snow back from buildings.

3. Snow pusher. Basically a blade with wings or perhaps a FEL bucket with no bottom, the sides help contain the snow within the confines of the blade without spillage or plow rows. Most useful for piling snow dead ahead instead of off to one side, up to the capacity of the pusher. Of limited use on long runs and deep snow. These tend to come in sizes suitable for large, heavy tractors with good traction and power. The wings limit how close one can get to drag snow back from a building.

Front End Loader

Advantages:

1. Perhaps the most versatile attachment for any tractor. It works with snow as well as it works with dirt. It can pick up loads of snow and cart it away to pile it anywhere you please. And since snow is lighter than dirt, you can fill the bucket to the brim with impunity.

2. Operator is facing forward not twisted around.

3. Possibly the best option for confined areas with limited capacity for piles of snow.

4. Great for heavy, wet, slushy snow.


Disadvantages:

1. Limited capacity. Unlike a blade or blower that continually move snow over a long pass, once the bucket is full you need to go dump it.

2. Limited ability to drag snow backwards away from objects. Even fully dumped, the bucket is angled away from the direction of travel and may tend to ride up on packed snow.

Variations:

1. Since snow is lighter than dirt, one can purchase a separate, larger, snow bucket to increase capacity and further leverage the investment.

OK: What have I missed about your favourite weapon?

My favorite weapon is 80 degrees and light south wind

 

[mcmxi]

My favorite weapon is 80 degrees and light south wind

That's funny! A light south wind is your idea of a snow blower!

 

[ken erickson]

I have maintained my blacktop driveway and my neighbors gravel driveway with my B7100 with B2650 front mount blower and 6 foot scraper blade for 13 years now. Here in central Wisconsin we rarely see 12 inch plus storms, most are in the 4 to 8 inch range.

I use the scraper blade 90% of the time. I never reverse it and I can still push the snow banks pretty high. I do angle the blade and do most of the clearing by pulling with the snow rolling to one side. I use the blower for the rare 12 inch or so storms and to move banks back, clear around the mailboxes and areas that are tough to get with the blade. Heavy drifting is seldom an issue.

I enjoy the open station and fresh air it provides but I have the luxury of waiting till the storm is passed and winds subside before I start cleaning things up.

For me , with our snows , this has been about the perfect machine and implement set-up.

March of 2019 saw the snow start to pile up. The pushed up snow in these pictures was accomplished with the back blade, not reversed , pushing.

 

[nbryan]

Snowblowers remove the snow completely, no piling up banks. For snowier areas I'd say they're the best option. Used to hire a neighbor with a pickup-mouted plow, and always fought after with the huge snowbanks that built up each side of the driveway and parking.
Love my B2782B.

 

[mcmxi]

I have maintained my blacktop driveway and my neighbors gravel driveway with my B7100 with B2650 front mount blower and 6 foot scraper blade for 13 years now. Here in central Wisconsin we rarely see 12 inch plus storms, most are in the 4 to 8 inch range.

I use the scraper blade 90% of the time. I never reverse it and I can still push the snow banks pretty high. I do angle the blade and do most of the clearing by pulling with the snow rolling to one side. I use the blower for the rare 12 inch or so storms and to move banks back, clear around the mailboxes and areas that are tough to get with the blade. Heavy drifting is seldom an issue.

I enjoy the open station and fresh air it provides but I have the luxury of waiting till the storm is passed and winds subside before I start cleaning things up.

For me , with our snows , this has been about the perfect machine and implement set-up.

March of 2019 saw the snow start to pile up. The pushed up snow in these pictures was accomplished with the back blade, not reversed , pushing.

View attachment 92151 View attachment 92153 View attachment 92152

Cool set up and that's one very cool tractor. I really like the aesthetics of that B7100. The pup is awesome too! Guarding the tractor for you.

 

[ken erickson]

Cool set up and that's one very cool tractor. I really like the aesthetics of that B7100.

Thank you! I agree with you on the aesthetics! I prefer tractors and trucks to have a more "squared off" appearance but a lot of that is my age catching up to me!

 

[mcmxi]

Thank you! I agree with you on the aesthetics! I prefer tractors and trucks to have a more "squared off" appearance but a lot of that is my age catching up to me!

I agree 100%. I'd much rather my MX and M had that "squared off" look rather than the rounded look. I grew up in a time when tractors had edges, not curves, so the seeds were sewn long ago. Maybe that's why I've had my Jeep TJ for 22 years. I like the boxy look.

 

[DustyRusty]

Looks like the guard dog is asleep at his job. It's tough being a dog guarding a tractor all day without someone coming by to play with him.

 

[jkrubi12]

@ken erickson that IS an awesome looking tractor (& attachments) looking to be in very well maintained condition!

 

[Sawburner]

Personally I prefer a blade. I used to do my drive with a garden tractor and blower when it got deep, and it didn't matter which way I blew the snow it always came right back in my face. I have been using a Ford Jubilee the last few years, with a back blade and front blade on the FEL which works great to push snow up and back. My new orange tractor gets delivered this week (L2501).

 

[pokey1416]

Pusher for me and when piles get too high I put on the bucket and load the dump trailer - more seat time is ok. I would like to try a rear mounted blade to replace ballast box though.

 

[DustyRusty]

Who do you deliver the snow to? I know of a few people whom I would like to drop it into their driveway when they are not home.

 

[Steamer Pete]

I've used my Jubilee with a back blade for several years in my residential neighborhood. When we bought the current place out in the woods, a LX2610 followed me home. Driveway is 1400' long. Last year, I used a 6' back blade with factory snow skids mounted to keep from removing all of the gravel (those work much better once the ground has frozen, by the way). The thought is that if the snow gets really deep, more bucket work may be needed. Last year's biggest snow was about 12" and we did fine. This tractor was bought with the possibility of a front mounted snow blower if deemed necessary. Ran the numbers when buying the tractor, and the blower at about $5000 plus tractor with cab adding about another $5000, some good Carharts will keep me warm here in central west Michigan. We'll see how the next few winters go.

Also did learn that when back blading, fill your bucket with a scoop of heavy snow & carry it around. Adds more weight to the front axle for pulling & steering.