vintage tractor w/ Mid/Front PTO for snow and brushhogging?

VTtractornewbie · Jan 30, 2019

Hello everyone,
My family is in the process of purchasing 110 acres in VT. The driveway is about 3/4 of a mile long. The land is old farmland now turned to woods. We are not full-time farmers, but will be raising a few critters and harvesting a little firewood every year. We would also like to plow our own driveway. I am interested in a vintage tractor that probably won't see more than ~100-200 hours of use a year, probably 30-50 hp, with mid/front pto for a snowblower and cutter for brush hogging. Anyone have any recommendations.
I'm looking to spend no more than 10k, ideally less. I'm okay without a cab (some will think I'm crazy). The tractor will be kept in a garage when not in use.
Thanks in advance for the expertise of the hive mind!
Cheers,
Michael

ohiojim · Jan 31, 2019

probably have to look at what i call a modern tractor, i don't know of any vintage tractor with a front or mid mount pto, also 50 horse is a little big for mid mount pto. if you don't want a loader tractor the 35 HP kubota's are in your range.

FBH44 · Jan 31, 2019

Sounds like you're going to really work it. You may want vintage thinking nostalgia, but I'd recommend brand new, because like anybody else you will probably take it to it's limit. Without meaning to, you will want to really work that tractor. I'd recommend finding the nearest established dealer, and start negotiating a new tractor. You will get ROPS, and you will want that.

Traditional Farmer · Jan 31, 2019

Some of the JD tractors in the 60's had mid PTO.

Bob Bancroft · Jan 31, 2019

John Deere 2510 or 2520.

fusion · Jan 31, 2019

Kubota , L model

stevob671 · Jan 31, 2019

Also some blowers have frames under the length of the tractor that power off the rear pto of your tractor when you get into that size.

showcrop · Jan 31, 2019

Like Ohio Jim said, 10K could put you into a Kubota with mid PTO. However, if you are going to make use of this board why not back up a few steps and include the thought process that makes you want to eliminate doing these jobs the way 90% of us here do them?

ss55 · Jan 31, 2019

30 to 50 HP sounds very light for a 6 to 8 foot wide snow blower. That could reduce you ground speed to 2 MPH or less. A front mounted snow blower would be easier to operate and give you better gear choices, but it might tie up the tractor more than a 3 point hitch mounted unit. Some people use a 3 point hitch mounted blower behind a tractor with a front end loader with a wide snow bucket.

Please tell us some more about your situation: 12 inches of fluffy snow or 240 inches of wet heavy snow per year; daily wind drifting or calm winds; hills and woods to catch snow or flat land and a raised drive that blows free of snow; retired with 6 hours of time to clear the drive or working off-farm and only have 20 minutes to clear the 3/4 mile drive. Can you leave the snow blower on one tractor all winter or must you remove the snow blower after each storm to do other chores.

If the tractor will be kept in a garage, does that mean it must fit under a 7 foot high standard garage door?

SHALER · Jan 31, 2019

As Traditional Farmer said, the John Deere's of the 60's (I guess they would be called Vintage these days???) thats 2510's thru 4020's, had 1,000 rpm mid PTO's on them.
They would also fit VT farmer's budget of $10K and be very good tractors to have around his property. That said, there have been a number of posts over the past several
years from guys looking to either buy a snowblower or cobble one together that would run off the mid PTO. It seems few have been successful IIRC.

RedGreenGuy · Jan 31, 2019

Think tractor with a cab. Sure is more enjoyable when wind is blowing lots of snow back
towards you. Also keeps you dry, thus warm.

Leroy · Jan 31, 2019

I cannot see that working. I live in northwest Ohio and renter that cleanerd out my lane used a 150 horse front wheel asist on a 3 point 8' blower and trying to push that blower in the drifts he would be setting with all 4 wheels spinning. He had enough power but not enough traction with that BIG 150 horse tractor.

Tim(NY) · Jan 31, 2019

3/4 mile is a really long driveway, and snowblowers are slow. Even with a (non-heated) cab, you'll freeze your asterisk off. I'd buy an old truck with a plow; they're usually available for $2000 or less in ugly, rusty but running condition. Maybe have a rear mounted snowblower in reserve for the monster blizzards that you hope will never happen. Then look for a good 3PH tractor/ bush hog.

MikeinKy · Jan 31, 2019

Both of my 4020?s have a mid pto and they are more than 50 horse.

VTtractornewbie · Jan 31, 2019

Thanks for the insights. I've thought about a plow truck, but I'd like a machine with more versatility. I'm open to plowing rather than snow blower, but from what I've read from the forum, this gets challenging as the snow banks build up. In the past, I've had pull-off areas to pile snow and this seemed to work, so plowing is not entirely off the table I suppose. My desire for vintage machinery is, to some degree, aesthetic although I'll go modern if need be. Ultimately I'm of a fan of functional old things so if I can get it done with an older machine that please my eye, that's what I'd prefer to do.

caterpillar guy · Feb 1, 2019

Much of a front mounted blower will be pretty heavy on the front end. You will want much more than 50 HP to run a front mounted blower for the front end to handle the weight. A 4020 size would be marginal in my opinion. Just a lot of weight. Also this will remove weight on the rearend to push with. Yes you do get some pretty good snows up there. I've been up there in NH at Christmas time with moms family So am familiar with how you can get a couple feet over night or in a few hours there.
I guess I would plan to plow and clear enough space along the drive to push it plenty far from the beginning. You'll want a cab for that length of time running a plow even. 100 horse can be had for less than your 10,000 figure. a good Cat tractor or road grader would work for pushing snow if you're not working on a lot of side hills. Plenty of weight and traction for plowing and with an angle blade would just roll it off the side well. That could be had for a bit more than your figure more like double that.

rusty6 · Feb 1, 2019

(quoted from post at 09:19:52 02/01/19) Much of a front mounted blower will be pretty heavy on the front end. You will want much more than 50 HP to run a front mounted blower for the front end to handle the weight. A 4020 size would be marginal in my opinion. Just a lot of weight. Also this will remove weight on the rearend to push with.

4020 marginal hp? I don't think so. I know a guy running a 7 foot front mount on his 4020. Mid pto running 1000 rpm on a 540 snow blower so he only needs to run the tractor at half throttle. No shortage of power there. I've kept a half mile driveway open with a 40 hp Cockshutt and rear mount 6 foot snow blower for years. The deeper the snow the slower you go but the blower always chews it's way though. A blade will pile up ridges until you run out of traction and room, then you are beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVeJLimaVHY&t=95s

Leroy · Feb 2, 2019

Rusty, do you normally get a powered snow or a heavy wet snow that crustd over so hard in a couple of hours that you could walk over top of the drifts? The later is what we get here in Ohio a lot of the time. That 150 horse Deere with the 8' rear mount blower just tringing to take a foot or less off the top of a 3' drift I have seen that tractor spinning all tires, front as well as back just trying to get that top crust broken up and off so he could go lower for anouther bite and still lower for still anouther bite. And you can only go just a couple of feet till you have to pull out to get that second or third bite. The conditions I have had in my drive you might as well park anything smaller and forget about getting it open untill it melts. Now all powerded snow I can see a smaller unit working but not in conditions I have had in my drive. And before renter got that outfit I have shoveled that drive many a time. Would plow as much as could with front blade on tractor with loaded rear tires and 300 or more pounds of concrete weights hanging on each rear wheel. Then have to shovel till would get broke thru enough for tractor to go again.

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2019

(quoted from post at 07:33:00 02/02/19) Rusty, do you normally get a powered snow or a heavy wet snow that crustd over so hard in a couple of hours that you could walk over top of the drifts? .

On rare occasions I have seen the snow drifts packed so hard that I could drive on top with the tractor and blower lifted without breaking through. Usually happens if we get real cold and blowing drifting snow. We can set the blower for a little more suction so it digs in but yes, that type of snow is a challenge. I'll take the 2090 and dozer blade to break it up on the rare occasion that happens. Usually it is dry, but heavy, and the blower handles it fine.
Watch the Cockshutt 40 handling snow almost as deep as the back wheel in this video. Slow but steady.
https://youtu.be/9SSPSIDOzd4

vintage tractor w/ Mid/Front PTO for snow and brushhogging?

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