Re: My tractor Sucks Plowing snow

Mr. Bob · Feb 10, 2009

The Ford 850 is a very nice, powerful tractor; however, unballasted it's like having a Chevy Corvette with bald tires on ice headed up a steep hill. Put on the weights an' load the tires and you will have a nearly unstoppable force.
Mr. Bob

Ken Macfarlane · Feb 10, 2009

If your tractor slow in reverse at pto speed? Cause thats what the
blower needs.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 10, 2009

I can't answer yes or no, but unless you have run a snowblower with a live pto, you best pass on that deal. No live pto is probably going to be more of a problem than convincing your wife to shovel the snow. I personaly just can't imagine it having a snow balls chance in He!! of working.

Why not ask to try it on the next snow storm? You could offer to pay him a little maybe. You probably best take a bottle of your favorite spirits along on your first attempt to blow snow. I'm a old man, and can't remember anyone even trying it without live pto in my life.

What item would have the most trade in value? Your tiller is useless to you, and so would the snowblower probably. But if you could sell the blower for more money than the tiller....???

MapleStone · Feb 10, 2009

Mr Bob's advise is good. Load your tires and try agian. That being said.

The blower idea also depends on your location. You have to realize that when you want to stop blowing you'd have to raise the blower and let it clear itself before you shove the clutch. This mean you have to run out the end of each pass with the blower. Obviously a problem if you have a small space. This can be avoided if you can "slip" out of reverse with out touching the clutch or doing damage to your transmission. You'd want to try it with out load first.

Like someone else suggested, perhaps you could offer to rent it to try it out before you deal.

The 850 should have the hp to run the blower it's just the lack of live pto that is your issue.

Around here a GOOD snow blower is just as valuable as tiller. Make sure your trading apples for apples though. Don't take a rusted out POS blower for a tiller that's in good shape.

cadet trooper · Feb 10, 2009

First of all are we talking 850 Ford or JD (Yanmar)an 850 Ford should definitely have enough B****s to handle a five foot blower an 850JD maybe iffy. Those of us who grew up without Live PTO say no problem you can work around it as someone else said.

cArNaGe · Feb 10, 2009

It's a Ford. I'm going to see if he will let me use if for a bit first. He bought a Cat skid steer with enclosed cab and 7 foot snowplow on it so he has no used for the blower.

Stovepipe · Feb 10, 2009

I learned to blow snow on a tractor with no live pto. Slow reverse gear is way more important, although live pto as certainly nicer, just like pretty much every other situation I've come across. I'd try it first.

RWK in WI · Feb 10, 2009

If your tractor is a Ford 850 it CAN run a 6 foot
snowblower. It will be a challege to
remember to raise it so it clears before
touching the clutch.
I have a snowblower on an 860 and it works
great BUT it does have live PTO AND my
snowblower is a pull behind type like the old V
style Erskine or Allied so I am using the super
low 1st gear.

RodinNS · Feb 10, 2009

Hmmmmm.
No, you're not going to run a 6' blower on an 850, or 5' or 4' for that matter.
If you have depth enough of snow that you need a blower, the 850 will be far too fast in reverse to even think about making the opening cut. You could probably use the 850 to widen the drive out in narrow slices once you get a track through it... but in the kind of snow I work with, just forget about it.
I run a 6'6" blower on a Ford 3930 and that has a fairly slow reverse (much slower than the 850 at least), and if it's got more than 1' of snow I'm usually waiting for the blower or tractor to catch up in low gear. That's with independant PTO where I can sit there and wait for the blower to chew the bank down and blow it away.
With an 850, forget about it. An 860 would be pitiful enough.
You would still need a full set of weight and loaded tires and chains to push the blower into a bank here.
You'd be further ahead with a front blade...

Rod

Re: My tractor Sucks Plowing snow

Mr. Bob

Member

Ken Macfarlane

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

MapleStone

Member

cadet trooper

Well-known Member

cArNaGe

Member

Stovepipe

Member

RWK in WI

Member

RodinNS

Well-known Member

Similar threads