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 | Cheesehead
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 2 NW Wisconsin 
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2004-03-07 79198
Just bought a house on 2 acres in NW WI. Fairly flat, no obstacles right now, will probably wind up mowing about an acre and a half, maybe a little less.
Will need to snow blow a 75', 3 car wide driveway, and about 400' of private road.
Suggestions?
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 | grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 677 central Maine 
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2004-03-08 79205
Whatever tractor you pick< I would suggest a Hydro,
and a cab for that much snowblowing. I bought a new 7500
last fall and wish I had bought something with a cab from
the get go.Unless money is not an object, get it when you buy the tractor,or it
ends up being another 1000-2000 thou to come up with later.
That is on top of all the other little goodies you need.
MMM,Box Blade, etc. etc.
What are some of the dealers that are close by? ....
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| hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa 
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2004-03-08 79206
Cheesehead, welcome to the world of compact tractors, the greatest old mans (or ladies) toy ever invented. Your choice will have to depend on how much more you will want to do than blow snow, if you're like the rest of us in time you'll want a loader, box scraper, rotary mower, backhoe, etc., etc. A smaller 20-25 hp. tractor will blow your snow, but if you plan on adding other attachments you should look at something in the 30-35 hp range. If you buy a amaller tractor with only the snowblower, I'd suggest checking the resale values of that size tractor and try to stay with a major brand that has a several long establihed dealerships in your areia such as John Deere, Case IH, Kubota, and shy away from the less popular imports. the majors will cost more but should you decide to trade up in a couple years you'll easily get the difference back. Ask the dealer for a demo before you buy any brand just to be sure you are comfortable with the ride, controls, ease of mounting attachments, etc., and above all, don't even consider a two wheel drive in any brand. Good luck. Frank. ....
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| Cheesehead
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 2 NW Wisconsin
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2004-03-08 79271
Thanks, guys.
Dealers close by are Deere, Kubota and I'm sure others.
I live near Eau Claire, WI.
Hardwood, I'm interested in your statement about 4WD. Is it that critical even with a mostly flat lot? ....
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| hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa
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2004-03-09 79285
Cheesehead; Yes, 4wd. is important especially in snow. You could get buy using tire chains on a 2wd., but that's a mighty rough ride and if the snow and ice get bad enough you may even need chains on a 4wd. A 2wd tractor with a front end loader is almost helpless unless conditions are absolutely perfect and that just don't happen very often. You'll also want to consider tire design, R1's- look like a regular farm tractor tire, they have the best traction in soil, but on turf can leave tracks in the surface, R3's, like on a riding lawnmower, are by far the most gentle on turf and do have good traction on absolutely dry soil conditions or dry grass, but if it is wet, you're stuck, for anything to do with snow they would be a poor choice. R4's, like you see on skidloaders, backhoes etc. Probably 98% of all new compact tractors regardless of brand that I see in east central Iowa will have R4 tires, they seem to be a good compromise, you can do lawn work without leaving tracks yet they have good tracton in wet soil conditions. In snow without ice under it the R1's are probably better than R4's, but with ice under the snow it won't make much difference. There are other things to chose from too such as transmission type - hydro/ shuttle/ basic manual, there are tons of reasons why some folks prefer one over the other, but it basicly boils down to which type you are the most comfortable with. You'll have a ball shoping for your tractor, enjoy it, Frank. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-03-09 79294
Tough stuff to sort out. Without material handling, landscaping or digging chores it sounds like something fairly small would work best. I have a 24 pto hp tractor for two properties that total almost 4 acres and mow around 2 acres. Snow removal for one property plus a neighbour's is similar to your needs. I mow with a riding mower because it's faster than the tractor--the tractor takes too long to maneuver and would leave a lot of trimming. The tractor is heavy enough that it and its turfs don't do the lawn any good when it's a bit wet. However, I do have enough heavier work to keep the tractor busy and it is the right size for me.
My snow removal is on gravel and asphalt. I use a combination of 3ph blower and loader. I wouldn't want to be without either and the turf tires work fine on snow and ice without chains. However, many people prefer a front blower for those distances. They are expensive, require a mid-pto and replace a loader.
If you're particular about the lawn cut, many people prefer mid-mount mowers. They are expensive and also require a mid-pto. Most also are incompatible with a loader but swapping them isn't too big a deal. There are a few factory loaders and MMM's that are compatible. 4wd as well as HST are desirable for both snow removal and loader operations. ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-03-09 79296
If 475 ft. of snow blowing and 1.5 acres of mowing are the primary duties I would suggest something in the smaller range such as the John Deere 2210, maybe an X Series tractor or Kubota BX series. Much more than these would tend to be over kill unless you have other tasks you have not mentioned. I would suggest hydrostatic trans, diesel engine 4WD is a MUST, and the hybid type turf tires that have a mild bar tread. A cab such as a Curtis Soft Cab would be real nice for the snow blowing but will really run the price up. ....
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