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Snow Removal - What Method Do You Use?

D

DMP62

Member
Curious what works best for you. Each situation is a little different but for me it's a blower. Wondering if anyone uses a snow pusher and how you like that vs a bucket. Anyone using a Gnuse 3 pt bucket?

What methods have you tried?
 
Blower.

But here in the prairie of Minnesota, we get deep snow that doesn't leave and piles up with the winds. Most years.

Paul
 
I have a 6 ft plow blade and a bucket on my tractor---lite fluffy snow not too deep the plow works great---but deeper snow with freeze/thaw ice layers in it i need the bucket to dig it out.
 
Well the material bucket on the skid steer works pretty good no matter what kind of snow you have to move. That's my 75 year old dad last year, He just could not wait till I got there to do it so he went and did it himself. He really likes to run it even thou he says he doesn't. Bandit
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(quoted from post at 17:15:00 02/19/15) Curious what works best for you. Each situation is a little different but for me it's a blower. Wondering if anyone uses a snow pusher and how you like that vs a bucket. Anyone using a Gnuse 3 pt bucket?

What methods have you tried?
Click to expand...

I have used blades and buckets on the front of my tractors. I like using blades, but use a bucket in case I need to carry the snow away to pile it. That, and I use the bucket to haul wood and coal to the house during the winter.
 
In New Jersey we USUALLY don't get heavy stuff but I LOVE my Gravely C-10 unit with a Dog Eater blower on the front! When you get like 18 inches of powder snow, OH YEA does that baby blow snow. FUN.
 
I have a friend who does a lot of parking lots & business accounts, he says a pusher is the only way to go. A mutual friend of ours has a newer Bobcat and went to the local dealer to buy a pusher, the dealer (who sells both) is not a fan of pushers for farm use and talked him into a 101 inch snow bucket, based I think on durability. Thoughts?
 
I have always used bucket or blade and they did the job but this year I got a blower and like it better.Blades and buckets put the snow in piles and every time it snows and blows the drifts keep getting deeper as the height of piles increase. Snow blower throws out and not in piles so drive doesn't have the deep drifs.
 
I suppose it depends on the topography you are plowing. I never liked a loader bucket for pushing snow. They are made to scoop/load/dump, not push. It's too easy to gouge into the ground. The pusher has nice big skids. The loose way it's hooked to the bucker allows for lots of floating. But now, with everything frozen solid and snow packing/building up, I might need to drop the pusher and use the cutting edge on the bucket to dig up the crusted stuff. I can't remember it being like this around here.
 
Depends on amount of snow and wind. Usually 4x4 pickup and blade. Sometimes MF 492 or IH 886 tractor and loader. If deep or big drifts, snowblower on 6070 AC. If really deep drifts, HD 6 AC crawler. Have not used the crawler since getting the farm king blower we have now. If needing to clean snow out of cattle pens or around buildings, 960 Mustang skidsteer works best in tight places.
 
Im not pushing snow in this photo but have spent about 4 hours this week keeping our 1/2 mile lane open and my neighbors drives. I like the way the narrow front will turn on a dime. Makes getting close to objects very easy.
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I have run just about all of the above. All have their good points under the rite conditions.
I think I use the V plow mounted on the loader arms the most.
 
Most of the time I use my tractor with back blade, don't like to use my blower on the gravel drive as it sends gravel out with the snow. If the ridges get too high though I knock them back with the blower
 
This is what we use in parking lots. Have 2 of these and 2 v plows plus back hoe and skid steer with pushers. Problem with pushers it starts to build up then need to use more chemicals and steel cutting edge to scrape down lot. I just got home from plowing. Greg
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Case 541 with 7 ft rear blade or walk behind snow blower. I have used a case IH 55 with bucket on the loader works real good especially with 4wd
 
Depends on the wind direction and how much snow, prefer using the blower with wind out of the n west and the snows up and gone. Two weeks ago Sunday we got ten/twelve inchs and hi wind out of the north east that left some 3 to 4 ft drifts in all the wrong places, was plowing 2 hours twice on Sun. and another Mon. morning to keep the drive open.
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I use snow thrower on a cabbed 2290 Case for any mojor amounts. FEL on either 60 JD or 3020 JD for cleanup and smaller amounts. Thrower on 318 JD garden tractor for walks and the like.

Mom has a 111 lawntractor at her place I use if I get there before the neighbor does her walks.

LOTS of guys in my area have Gnuse buckets and seem to love them for snow.

jt
 
I use front bucket on my terramite. 7 years ago I made a 7 ft wood protoype. Found if you just chain it in bucket is better than bolting. When it floats, it won't remove rock. I can even push snow off grass and not disturbe grass.

Terramite is down, hyd cylinder is getting rebuilt. So I always wanted to see what it would be like to have a front blade on Framall C. Again this is my prototype. Only had a few inches of snow to test it. I think it will work well. Need to find metal to build a better one. I think design will work for the small snows I get, 5-6 inches max.

I have a 7 ft back blade on Jubilee I use at the other end of county. Need to chain up Jubilee or it spins in snow. I put a 3 inch steel pipe to keep blade out of gravel. Really need a 4-5 inch slag pipe.

My wood prototype has a 4 inch pvc slag pipe. It works better than metal back blade on Ford. However you can't angle front blade without the front wheels getting pushed sideways.

Now all I need is a good friend, Mr. Wilson, to tell me he has what I need to make a front blade.
a183550.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 09:15:00 02/19/15) Curious what works best for you. Each situation is a little different but for me it's a blower. Wondering if anyone uses a snow pusher and how you like that vs a bucket. Anyone using a Gnuse 3 pt bucket?

What methods have you tried?
Click to expand...

For light stuff I use the Honda Foreman 400 and front blade. If it gets heavy but not too deep I use the tractor and back blade.

If it gets deep and I need to stack it, the skidsteer and blade gets the workout....or with slush bucket if it gets real heavy....

Always nice to have options....
This year I used the Honda once...been a dry non-eventful winter here in eastern WA.
 
Gnuse seem popular in Nebraska (where they're made) & Iowa from what I've seen. I asked about them because I'm toying with idea of picking one up. I run my blower on a older bi-directional and have the loader off to use the 3 pt. Thinking the Gnuse would be simple & quick to put on the 3 pt for the few times I'd like to bucket some snow.
 
My preferred method would be global warming. Since that failed I have had to resort back to the little Jap Ford 1520. I scrape it off with the loader bucket and pile it on the doghouse for insulation.
 
Up to about 5" I use the little Ford 125-LGT with a 4' blade.
When we get serious snow, I use the ol' WD with 6'
snow bucket and 6' blade.
It may take a while but I can move mountains of snow with the WD.
a183559.jpg

a183560.jpg
 
This would be perfect if I could afford a tractor with a cab.

As it is, it's better than beating the crap out of my truck with a plow.
blowsnow.jpg

snofighter.jpg
 
I called myself being a real optimist buying a snow plow for a Farmall Cub. Best money I ever spent. I plows with chains upto at least 10 inches of wet snow. The only problem if It gets too deep it will push the front end over. Then I have a 646 Case with a bucket on it, and if its too much for that I have a John Deere 2510 with a bucket. The only problem is they are all cold to operate.
 
Sorry but picture is after the snow that I plowed melted. Snow becomes a bog. Yes a JD MT will slide of the driveway with chains on.
a183581.jpg

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Have no choice but to use a blower these last few years. Can't pile the snow cause it will cause a giant drift, which makes that pile even bigger, which will then cause an even bigger drift. If you have a 6' high pile in the right place, you will soon have a 6' drift 20' long covering the lane. It's not a fluffy drift either.
 
I have the choice of:
1979 one ton Dodge Power Wagon flat bed 4x4 with 8 ft. Western power angle blade.
1959 Moline 445 with full width front bucket.
1963 Cub with Wagner loader with bucket or blade.
I use the Dodge when ever possible, heat is a good thing. I've only plowed once this year. We have had an incredibly mild winter this year.
 
I shouldn't admit this on a tractor site, but I move a lot of snow with a big old barn broom. I sweep lanes and paths to the barns, etc. If more than a four inch snowfall, then I use a snow pusher with a long handle where I don't have to bend a lot. Do have a 6-ft blade and a 7-ft blade if push comes to shove. Half dozen tractors for the 3-pt blades.
 
got a 8 ft blade on the 930 case that really comes in handy ,,. but the fuel tank is off the 930 when this snow caught with my pants down , ,,I have used a variety of tools ,it surprises me how poor a tractor and loader work and a grader blade. asopposed to unorthodox methods ,.lol , I took 20 ft chain , looped the middle thru the bale carrier on the LIBERTY 430 ., fastend both ends around 2 steel old 38 ich wheels and pulled then around ,, that really done a good job and was virtually trouble free ,, and I pulled good too ,,made a cow path down to the pondand the cows liked that very much , went out to where I had some firewood cut and tossed a bunch into the wheel centers ,, and pulled that over to the house ,,had it heaped hi and made it with every blok of wood
 
i mainly use my jd 8875 skidsteer with a snow plow from a truck mounted with a plate. swing with aux. hyd. cab with heat, dont use cab door. 2 speed drive goes 13 mph. turns on a dime, better than a pickup. when snow gets really deep or drifts too big then i use the 8' snowblower on a white 2-150
 
I use a wheel loader with an 8' bucket or a Compact track loader with an 10' hydr angle blade.
I can turn that blade also upside down and scrape snow with the top edge back wards from shop doors and corral gates
 
I gave up on my walk behind snowblower and bought a 920 Cat wheel loader -- warmer and more fun ! next year I'll be looking for contracts as long as the insurance isn't too costly .

Larry -- ont.
 
This is what I use. For small storms I use the L3540 & Bucket but big storms the M7040 plow blade. Super storm "BOTH"
a183649.jpg
 


Pick up for me. Last year the thing wouldn't run and had to do it with the tractor and back blade all year. Sure like this better. I can talk to my dogs while I'm plowing, and I got plenty of heat.
 
I maintain a real close friendship with a farmer in the area I used to work for partime and see at church every week. He's got a big blade on the front and a box scraper on the back of His Magnum 7110 tractor that seems to do a fine job for me if I can't hook it out with my 1968 vintage all steel Snow Giant snow blower.
 
After wanting one for 20 years I finally found a deal on a Gnuse bucket and wished I had it for the last 20 years too! They are very popular in Nebraska where we can usually get by without a big snowblower most of the time.

With the rear mounted Gnuse the weight is on the drive tires vs. a tractor loader without MFWD and/or chains. The buckets are strong and can dig dirt if it is not too hard packed.

When pushing snow in reverse you can use it as a scoop or tip the bucket most of the way open and use it like a snow pusher or blade. When open, you can pull snow or materials forward too.

The newer (many years) ones will have captive pins for the lower three point hookups rather than a pin bolted on each side. The Gnuse guy told me once that the main reason for that is nobody made a pin that was good enough any more so they are now beefed up with a longer pin supported on both ends. I think those will fit CAT 2 or 3 3pt. The steel for the hitch is high grade as the guy said that with mild steel they wouldn't handle the loads. Very nice company to visit with.

Three things to look for on a used one: First is rust underneath if it was parked in the dirt all of its life instead of setting on something. Two is cracks on the hitch area if it has been used really hard. Not common, but I found them on my very well used one. Maybe they used it to dig stumps??? It was cheap and I fixed it. Three is if the bucket has damage around the area where the bucket pivots. If the operator lets too much dirt or ice get packed on top of the arms that hold the bucket, the bucket will have dents or bends near the hinge. It can usually be fixed or ignored if not too bad.
 
Thank you for the information on the Gnuse. As I stated in a response below I'm toying with the idea of picking one up to use on my bi-directional since I have the loader off and 3 pt on in the winter for my blower.

"or tip the bucket most of the way open and use it like a snow pusher or blade. When open, you can pull snow or materials forward too."

Good info- was wondering if they were stout enough for this, one use would be to scrape the asphalt approach into my driveway which gets built up with hardpack from the county snowplow.
 
8n with 7' back blade, not the best, but it's that or stroke a check.
We don't get that much snow most years, 8" this year. Seen a couple of 5 to 6 foot years total.
 
They have a nice cutting edge and you could do it forward or reverse and tweak the angle of the blade to help. If it is packed and hard like ice......I'm not going to bet money on anything but the sun. lol.

If you search on the 'net their website has a good bunch of photos and even video if you look around it some. Look under the "3pt loaders" section.
Gnuse
 
retired, so I'm just playing now.
54 NAA with front and rear blades, loaded tires, 3 sets of chains,
for 'little' snows.
Kubota loader tractor for big snows (don't forget to [i:faad2f4fbc]back[/i:faad2f4fbc] into the shed lol)

When I was working, and there wasn't time to mess around, I always had at least one truck with a plow on it.
Even if it wasn't streetable, it would be there ready to go.
You just can't beat a warm pickup with 4x4, V8 muscle, and lots of mass/weight.
(hard on em though)

I never tried a super wide pusher, just too much snow here.
 
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