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Snow removal

4K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  TonyBMI 
#1 ·
Greetings. I've been a long time lurker on this forum but have never posted. Long-time JD owner with the current machine being a 3046R Cab. Before I get to my question, I want to thank everyone for all of the tips and advice I've read over the last two years. I'll also try to post a picture as I've seen a few get lectured for not posting a picture in their first post. :) :greentractorride:

My first question (I'll have more as I get more comfortable posting) regards snow removal. I've gotten by with using the bucket and a backblade but have been thinking about some kind of plow for the front end loader. My driveway is about 300 yards long, so you can imagine a bucket and backblade aren't the most efficient. I initially thought about some sort of a frame mounted plow but I have a mid-mount mower and that prevents anything being attached to the frame under the tractor. So, I've been looking at some loader attached plows. The loader is a skid-steer quick attach with the hydraulic hook ups so there are a few nice options from Meyer and Boss available but I've also looked a few v-plows from Bobcat, Hiniker, and FFC. Has anyone had any experience with a skid-steer attach type plow on a John Deere? Would the v-plows be too heavy (most have a weight of about 900 lbs)? Are the Meyer and Boss options too over-priced for what they can do? I've had some concerns with using a plow on the loader arms as I don't want to damage them or the tractor, but I am interested in others thoughts.

I'm sure some more questions will arise based on some of the responses, so I look forward to discussing. Also, I have a lot of thoughts on the 3046R machine as well, mostly positive, that I will be more than happy to discuss. Again, thanks for all of the tips I've received from my lurking and I look forward to trying to be a little more engaged on the forum.

Mark

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#2 ·
plow

Greetings. I've been a long time lurker on this forum but have never posted. Long-time JD owner with the current machine being a 3046R Cab. Before I get to my question, I want to thank everyone for all of the tips and advice I've read over the last two years. I'll also try to post a picture as I've seen a few get lectured for not posting a picture in their first post. :) :greentractorride:

My first question (I'll have more as I get more comfortable posting) regards snow removal. I've gotten by with using the bucket and a backblade but have been thinking about some kind of plow for the front end loader. My driveway is about 300 yards long, so you can imagine a bucket and backblade aren't the most efficient. I initially thought about some sort of a frame mounted plow but I have a mid-mount mower and that prevents anything being attached to the frame under the tractor. So, I've been looking at some loader attached plows. The loader is a skid-steer quick attach with the hydraulic hook ups so there are a few nice options from Meyer and Boss available but I've also looked a few v-plows from Bobcat, Hiniker, and FFC. Has anyone had any experience with a skid-steer attach type plow on a John Deere? Would the v-plows be too heavy (most have a weight of about 900 lbs)? Are the Meyer and Boss options too over-priced for what they can do? I've had some concerns with using a plow on the loader arms as I don't want to damage them or the tractor, but I am interested in others thoughts.

I'm sure some more questions will arise based on some of the responses, so I look forward to discussing. Also, I have a lot of thoughts on the 3046R machine as well, mostly positive, that I will be more than happy to discuss. Again, thanks for all of the tips I've received from my lurking and I look forward to trying to be a little more engaged on the forum.

Mark

View attachment 136641
I think this would look great on your tractor
 

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#3 ·
PAute; welcome from south western PA. to GTT. :wgtt: glad u finally joined, u will like it.

now-my question to u-is why isn't ur mower deck off ur tractor for the winter time? it looks like it's a drive over deck same design as my mine on my 2520 mcut. don't u have any room to store it, just curious that's all. good luck for ur search for a plow, and that's a nice looking tractor u got their.
 
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#5 ·
Welcome from West Virginia

:wgtt:
 
#6 ·
Welcome

I wouldn't worry about the weight all that much. I would imagine a 3046R can lift 900# with no problem. Look at it this way. If you have a heavy bucket or pallet forks, this impacts the performance of your machine because it eats into the lifting capacity of what you are use the loader for. This isn't the case in plowing though. When you pick it up the only thing you are trying to lift is the blade and whatever snow might be sticking to it. Also the weight of the blade helps scrape the driveway clean when the loader is in float. Granted if you have a gravel driveway you may not want this.

I guess some of your limiting options are going to be what you have for hydraulics up at the front end. A V plow would be great but how useful it is kind of depends on what you are plowing. Now I have a much smaller tractor and no V Plow option but when I am making runs down the driveway I just tilt to one side and make a run down and back and it is pretty much clear. Where a V plow or something with wings would come in handy is when clearing the parking areas. Then the blade could be turned into the V to keep more of the snow in the blade rather leaving a trail on each side or leaving it angled and not really moving that much snow.
 
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#7 ·
I'm a huge believer in going the snowblower route. It is incredibly efficient at the both the removal (ie ejecting it away from the area you are trying to clear) and use of the tractor (ie reduced back & forth to manage piles you would be pushing with the plow). The major downside, of course, is they will be more expensive by a factor 2 or maybe 3. However I would choose this route over and over again. Lastly I personally believe the front blower is the way to go and not even worth considering the 3 pt mount.
 
#9 ·
I am pretty much the complete opposite. I have a blower and a plow. Over the last 3 years I have put the blower on once and it was only for a big snowfall (over a foot). In fact since I have owned the machine I have used the blower maybe 10 times. There are advantages to the blower like when there is a lot of snow, but I would rather go out and plow mid storm and again to clean up at the end that use the blower. Blowers don't work very well in the small snowfalls of 2-3" or less. Then I don't have a cab and it never fails that I have to blow into the wind and freeze. If I had a cab, I might be more likely to use it but since I don't I would definitely rather use a blade. There may be more back and forth but I also don't need to run the engine at full throttle.

I will add that if you live in a rural area and have a driveway prone to drifting that a blower is probably a better because it gets the snow away from the driveway. Where if you plow it will drift in between your snowbanks and you will be plowing every day. While we are in a rural area, we have lots of trees around us so drifting isn't much of a concern. This is where how you use it and your layout comes into personal preference. I do agree that the front mount is better than the 3 pt.
 
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#8 ·
Welcome. I grew up in North Central PA. Have not needed snow equipment here in Georgia but staring transition to WI this weekend so will need something by fall. Allot will depend on the drive we end up with gravel or paved and length. Have 10 acres now and want at least hat much in WI.

In my looking I have liked what I have seen from Horst/HLASnow. They have allot of options and set units up to quick connect straight to loader with no adapters. If you haven't checked them out yet it maybe worth a look. Also they will ship in JD Green.

:plowsnow:
 
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#10 ·
First off, :wgtt:

I'd think you could run any of the common plows provided you can find the correct mounts to get it on your loader. IMO, a V-plow is of limited use and jacks the price up by quite a bit. The big advantage of a V-Plow is for something like plowing sidewalks where you are (usually) only making a single pass.

On a driveway you're usually only using a V-plow in the "V" configuration for the first pass. After that, you straighten the plow out and use it as you would a plow with a straight moldboard. Is it worth the extra cost for something you are only going to use 2% of your time?

As far as brands, I don't think there is really all that much difference. In my area, the guys that sell plows all tend to open 24-hours when big storms roll in. So the question becomes "If something breaks in the middle of this storm, who can I rely on to be open and have parts so I can fix it and get back to work?" There is a lot to be said for a local dealer.

Also, plowing season is pretty much winding up. Watch Craigslist for tractor plows. There should be quite a few coming up with the end of the season.
 
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#11 ·
I agree that the V is of limited value but the inverted /\ does better at moving snow from a parking area. Or add snow wings to a regular blade but then it isn't as good at pushing snow off to the slide.
 
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#13 ·
Thanks guys for the feedback so far. I'll try to cover the questions as best I can. I have considered a blower, but for my intended uses a plow is the best option. In addition to my driveway, I also would intend to use the plow doing some cleanup work in parking lots. The lots are primarily plowed by a plowing contractor who does a good job, but sometimes a little fine tuning is needed. That's also the reason for looking at a v- plow option rather than just a straight blade. Being able to use the scoop function when doing clean up would be very helpful and efficient. The lots in question are about a mile and a half away so there is some road travel that I have to consider as well.

Another obvious option would be a truck with a plow, but I already have the tractor and enjoy as much seat time as I can get. Plus, there are times when a tractor can be more maneuverable in tight spots and can also stack snow much higher than a truck.
 
#14 ·
Now that I have had both a plow and a blower for one season each. Both have their place. Faster with a plow less cleanup. Blower moves the snow does not push the tractor sideways. Slower and some clean up. For me the best is both worlds, blower on front and a 6 foot blade on back. The blade weights enough that is scrapes ver well and with the hydraulic top link and I match you can vary the aggressive cutting action. You can clean up and blow at the same time or just clean up light snow.
 

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