Duals and snowplowing

St Johns Mi, We had a few inches of snow today and a strong wind all day long. This on top of 9 inches a few days ago.

One of the neighbors called saying his wife is stuck down on the corner. So I got the JD 4320 with 9' 3pt blade and duals out and went down to see. To get her home I had to plow several 3' drifts out of the way. It was catching the duals and trying to spin the tractor around a lot so I determined the duals were coming off soon as I was done. Got the neighbor home and three other fools. Went and took off the duals and thought, wonder how it works now. Well The tractor was much more stable but didn't have near the traction as before. Oh well the tire chains are on order. I'll just use the old trusty JD620 I do have chains for, until they arrive.

Oh the 620 has E85 in it and runs just fine in this cold weather. Just a bit more cold blooded until it warms up.

Amazing how much better a 4wd tractor is on ice and snow. If you got 4wd, then you don't need to put chains on for just plowing snow. A 2wd tractor for the most part is pretty worthless without chains.

Don't tell my 4020 that it doesn't know!Mark

That"s right, keep that information about the chains and 2wd quiet, so my Oliver 1650 doesn"t hear that. It will get jealous and want those shiney things on it"s wheels too!

Seems to me that the larger tractors are more helpless plowing snow ? I think the weight works against you if there is any slopes or hills. Had to put tire chains on our 4020.

A 4wd tractor is all fine and good if you have the $$ to get one. Maybe I'll win the lottery. Maybe not since I don't play.

"Seems to me that the larger tractors are more helpless plowing snow ? I think the weight works against you if there is any slopes or hills. Had to put tire chains on our 4020."

I agree, the weight seems to help push it down to the low spots. Many times I put it in the ditch but so far have been able to get traction enough to climb back out. Have to get spun around and get out in forward. I got mad and ordered some chains for the 4320 Friday. Doesn't do me any good today though. 8~(

Aired up duals in snow makes for some pretty good floatation. Hard to argue with chains on a single set. Ever get a loaded or weighted tire stuck, expecially in the cold and you'll be hating your day pretty quick. I saw a guy tonight on the icy snowy hilly interstate running his KW bobtail...and he was having a miserable time with 8 aired up rears and no weight. I don't think he got above 35 at best. I'll bet his knuckles were ready to pop.

Mark

onefarmer: Snow plowing is a funny business, what works under some conditions, can be rather useless in other conditions. This has been my experience and most big two wheel drive tractors are not the answer. Here in Canada, anyone doing serious snow plowing use Canadian ring chains with 2" corks

I did my first snow plowing back in the 1950s with a Farmall H, chloride, wheel weights, chains and a front blade. By the end of the decade we had switched that same equipment to a new Farmall 300. By 1958 we had a new Farmall 130. My dad and I got plowed out after a storm and went to the feed store in a village of roughly 50 homes, church, bank, post office and several assorted other businesses. At that time 3 guys did all the private snow plowing with a Super A, Super C and a MF 65. From the feed store we watched the guy with the Super A, and man could that guy move snow, he was running circles arund the other two. I'll admit part of this was operator. On the way home dad commented, "I think we plow snow with the wrong tractor, should be using the new 130." A second problem we used 300 for hauling logs and fire wood from the bush, and every time we went to the bush, we had to remove the blade. We never did change.

Later I plowed snow around the farm with Farmall 560, 45 hp skid loaders and an articulated Deere forestry skidder with 4 ring chains, 8 speed power shift and 3'x 12' blade. It took a lot of snow to stump that old Deere. If one got off the roadway he had crab steer plus the winch.

Since that time, I've plowed snow some for a logging company, 300hp Champion road grader, front angle blade, wing and ice blades on the 18' grader blade. 4 wheel chins. That machine required a bit of room. It was also quite useless if you got in a ditch even as shallow as 15". That can be quite easy on logging roads, in the middle of a blizzard.

Now that I'm retired, I finally put a 7' angle blade on the 130, just my own driveway, maybe the ocasional neighbor in trouble.

After 60 years my accessment, nothing will match those articulated skidders or tractors, not even the Champion road grader, TOO HEAVY. For the dollars invested, the little Farmall 130 comes out on top. When I moved here, all the farmers laughed at my thinking I was going to keep my 400' driveway clear of snow. They are all using 100hp plus. They don't laugh anymore.

An interesting mote about snow plowing in my home town, probably 100 homes today. It takes about a dozen pickups, two wheel loaders, 3-4 skid loaders, and they don't get it done as fast as the guys with SA, SC and MF 65. Mind you the old guys didn't have a coffee shop or a cab, so other than the ocasional hot toddie at the end of a driveway, they kept the heavy clothes on and kept on plowing. Hasen't progress been great.

I have a Minneapolis Moline 335. I had to have wheels repaired and I didn't refill with calcium. It makes quite a difference for pushing snow and pulling the disc, but so far the old girl is still doing a good job.
Here in South Western Ontario we got between 6 and 10 inches over the last few days.

DUALS RULE! (Sorry, inside joke...)

But I agree, sometimes bigger and heavier is not the answer...