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SNOW PLOW MANUFACTURES AND SIZE

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ESCHLAK
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2004-07-31          92392


I currently have a Kubota HS5700 (21 hp). I live in VT so snowfalls can be quite large and frequent. My driveway is 2100' and all uphill. Are there any manufactures that make fork mount plows other than Curtis ? I've also been told not to go larger than 5' due to snow weight. I keep thinking whats 1 more foot, it just 6" each side.



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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2004-08-01          92463


I have a 4x4 33hp New Holland. And I'm a snow plowing contractor in Michigan. I wouldn't even consider using a tractor, or even a bobcat (skidsteer loader--have one too) to plow snow. It's not practical considering the weight of the tractor not to mention traction---let alone stopping. For the price of a good plow setup you can buy a 4x4 truck with a plow. I have even seen guys with 2wd dually trucks weighted down plowing---but there's nothing like 4wd when it comes to snow and ice. I use a 8-1/2' BOSS v-plow on my '03 Dodge diesel and love it. It's made in the upper penninsula of Michigan where snow is measured in yards, not feet, or inches. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-08-03          92600


I'm going to be the dissenting opinion on this thread, I can see it coming.

We have plowed commercially for years with CUT's equipped with FEL & frame-mounted plows. See my pic. # 6. In certain instances they will plow circles around a pickup truck with a plow on it.

I maintain my own place and a bunch of neighbours with a 7.5" pickup blade mounted on the FEL, the bracket only is shown in pic. # 18, it connects via the trailer hitch and created the wear strip visible on the lower horizontal member.

We plow some rural areas (private cottage roads & driveways) that a typical 4x4 has problems climbing AFTER we plow.

I used to run that plow on a 35hp machine, but that was a bit of a stretch considering it was on turf tires. A 5' blade should be OK, but you will have a few problems if the snow is deep or wet. Raising the blade and plowing it of in two layers might work, experience with your local conditions will tell.

Best of luck. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2004-08-03          92631


MURF:
What would those certian circumstances be when a CUT is better than a truck? I was addressing ESCHLAK's question about his road and being uphill. Around here, for a even a truck plow to be effective you to reach speeds of at least 15-25 mph which to me doesn't seem practical or safe or a CUT. Just my opinion. Hey, and nice equipment! ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-08-04          92670


In places where manouverability or tough terrian is an issue a CUT beats a truck hands down. We service certain niches ONLY, we don't want to be the 'shopping mall parking lot kings' too much competition means too little profit.

The situations that come to mind first would be the bad roads and driveways we plow in cottage country, some of our sites have grades and curves that far exceed anything close to reasonable. One in particular wasn't snowplowed for several years because they couldn't get anybody willing to do it, with a tractor we are able to turn around and get back up a snow covered hill no problem, the guy who had been doing came and watched the first time and just shook his head in amazement. He later asked us to buy several other 'problem' sites from him.

Another is in commercial & condominuim sites where there are obstacles (parked cars) that have to be plowed around, or long wide sidewalks that would take forever to do with a walk-behind blower. Around here most contracts forbid the use of SSL's (skid steer loaders) because of the damage they do. We can zip in & out between parked cars and roll over curbs no problem. We can also stack snow in tall tight piles like no truck could ever do, or with a 2 second changeover go back to a bucket and load it into trucks or carry it somewhere else.

We have gotten LOTS of estate residential work in the last few years also, because a CUT is capable of cleaning the snow neatly and quietly while simultaneously doing ice control it is becoming a popular choice, we have several subdivisions where we do every single house now. One private gated community specified snow removal by CUT only in their by-laws.

Really tight commercial sites downtown are also a fast growing segment of our client list and because they are all close together we can move between sites quickly & easily by walking the machiune down the road. It is also good advertising, we get a lot of sub-contract work from others seeing us work.

Thanks for the compliment, that is just some of the fleet, those were new units we got last year for just ONE contract. They have asked us to put 10 more machines on this winter, those ones replaced a bunch of Trackless MT's and Bombi plows. They plow faster and for about 15% less by the mile. The operators also like them a LOT more.

Plowing with CUT's is going to be the way of the future for a growing segment of the market.

Best of luck. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2004-08-04          92684


MURF: Got ya. I'm southwest of Detroit so everything is pretty much level around here--no bad grades to worry about. We do have "bad roads" though---but that's a different topic. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-08-04          92696


Just to give you an idea of what some of these 'rural' places we maintain are like I put up a picture I took, during the summer, of one of the driveways.

Picture # 17 shows the driveway into a customer's place. It is that size and condition because that's the way he WANTS it. Believe it or not that how he had it designed, if you call it that, and built. It was so far from 'normal' construction the contractor who built it insisted the customer sign a statement attached to a copy of the plans that basically certified that he wanted it just like that.

It is hard to tell from the picture, but the hill is so steep that the trucks delivering building materials had to be towed up the hill by a bulldozer. Fuel oil & propane are delivered by a 1 ton 4x4 only, no 5 ton would go up the hill, and if you did there is nowhere at the end to turn around anything that big.

The owner wanted to maintain the 'rustic charm' of the property, so the driveway was designed to be passable in the owner's Range Rover, but just barely.

Best of luck. ....


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eschlak1
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1 Vermont
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2004-08-04          92741


Thanks for the varied opinions.
I do have studded chains all the way around and understand the liabilities envolved with this. My neighbor whom I share the driveway with has a Kubota L3130 with front mount Kubota snow blower so if I have anything major he can come in (the blower is amazing). Considered a blower but with the grade of my driveway, need to get even a few inches off and didn't think a blower was practical.
I had a Dodge 4X4 with Western plow but the truck is pretty used up, rust, mech. issues. Plows tend to beat up the front end of a truck pretty fast.
....


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091755
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 143 brantwood wisconsin
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2004-08-06          92903


to earthworks

please bring your truck up here to northern wisc.
and clean my quarter mile driveway when there is
2 to 3 feet of snow. IMPOSSIBLE to do with a truck
unless you work with a road truck. I have used a
62 inch front blower for two years. I also have two
tractors with backblades and a 250 ford with a hiniker
plow. THe snowblower is tops!

butch ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2004-08-06          92907


Well, if you really want me to--but it's $100 an hour plus travel time. Me thinks yer pullin' my chain 'cause it's SUMMER!
But seriously folks...I use a 8'-6" Boss v-plow and 2-3' of snow is nothing. I have gone right through--in one pass- a 6'-high pile that some smart alecks snow-blowed in my way thinking they could stop me---and that wasn't with the plow in the folded back v-position, that was folded fully forward (and yep, the snow was newly-fallen and the road was asphalt---so the odds were in my favor). When it comes to raods the trick is having enough weight/downpressure for traction (diesel) and being able to plow straight through it. And yep, you have to make a few passes to get it done with enough speed. But it can be done. In fact when I plow parking lots, alleys and mini-storage facilities that is the only way to plow it is with a v-plow. So when do you want me up there... ....


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Mikef54
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 43 CT
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2004-08-07          92916


Murph, You say that you use a CUT for estate snow removal and ice control, may I ask what you do for ice control? I have the front mounted snow blower on my JD which I use to clear the drive, and if needed I put potassium chloride in a lawn spreader to melt ice. Am looking into spreader for the 3pt.-but if I go that route it has to be big enough to ballast the blower. Just curious as to what you and anyone else uses.
Thanks, Mike. ....


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Oliver
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 210 Massachusetts
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2004-08-07          92929


We have a Fischer spreader that has been modified to mount on the 3PH. It works great for spreading a mix of sand/salt. With a 6' blade omn the front, the buildings and grounds guy can clear and sand the sidewalks in one quick pass. The only thing we did wrong is we did not get a quick-attavch bucket and blade; we will correct that before this winter. ....


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lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
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2004-08-08          92963


Oliver, for snow plow blades and alot of other things check out M.C.Faulkner, they make them pin on or quick release. I have a hydraulic thumb of theirs and it works great. Go to the link I posted(if I did it right) and click on snow movers ....


Link:   

Click Here


 

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-08-09          93031


Mike, we use 2 different products depending on the situation and customer prefferences.

The one that we use the most, and like the best, is a blend known commercially as simply 'brine', it is a blend of several different chlorides, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium.

With liquid we have better control over the rate of application as well as the area being treated. We use a 3pth mounted electric sprayer on the CUT's that sits on top of the existing counter balance. Any good weed sprayer will work for this task.

The blades we use are stock pickup truck blades, the quick-tatch plate is adapted to accept the blade. You can usually find a good used blade for under $300 and can often use an existing plate and just add the mounts to it.

Best of luck. ....


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Mikef54
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 43 CT
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2004-08-09          93068


Thanks Murph, I am leaning more toward a 3pt spreader, that I can use for salt and (maybe salt and sand mix) for winter use and fertilizer and grass seed at other times. Of course the fertilizer just means that the grass will grow even faster! Just means more seat time! I will say that tee "brine" solution sounds very interesting. Thanks, Mike. ....


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adamshatch
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 9 Upstate NY
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2006-01-05          122296


Murf,

I have a new l4430 that I would like to mount a front blade on for snow removal. Kubota wants close to 4 grand for their setup. Are you saying that you use a standard truck snowplow blade and adapt it to your kubota somehow? If so, how is it done and what is the overall cost? Do you set it up with Hyrdraulic lift and angling capabilities as well?

Thanks,

John ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2006-01-05          122304


John, the Orange paint seems to cost about $6k a gallon. LOL. That is exactly why I have designed & made so many implements myself.

Now, to answer your questions;

"Are you saying that you use a standard truck snowplow blade and adapt it to your kubota somehow?" Yes, that's exactly right. See my picture # 15.

"If so, how is it done and what is the overall cost?" This is just, in my case, the easiest way to do it. There are many ways it can be done, with, or without, a quick detatch bucket. Aside from the utility frame which I was making anyways, the whole thing was about $500, plus my time but it didn't take more than a few hours one afternoon.

"Do you set it up with Hyrdraulic lift and angling capabilities as well?" It has both, the FEL provides the lift, the angle is operated (on this one) by one of the remote outlets via two long hoses. On others I've made the curl function is locked by means of an add-on brace to tether it stationary, and lines that splice into the curl circuit via Quick couplers on Tee's in the lines. This way the side to side motion of the loader control also angles the blade as well. I don't personally like this method since I use both the angle and the curl functions all the time. If you raise the FEL arms slightly, and then lower the blade using the curl function. This makes the plow edge cut right in for things like scraping ice & slush off. Likewise, lowering the arms a little means the blade cuts less and will slide over grass without chewing it up too badly.

Best of luck. ....


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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-01-14          122757


Murf in this area what happens with that style in the wet snow it pushes the tractor front to the side when angling the blade. ....


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