Its getting close to that time of year when you start thinking about how to clean up snow faster. Right now I have a Case 1840 with a normal bucket. What would a be a faster/ cost effective way of moving more snow. Ideally a snowblower would be the answer but they are expensive and my skid loader doesn't have high flow. I was thinking of a 8 foot snow bucket or a snow pusher or a B.A.T snow pusher.(a big A?? tire that is cut in half, you can see one on youtube if you type in B.A.T snow pusher) A normal plow isn't going to work that great because my yard is more like a parking lot. I wasn't planning on getting a B.A.T snow pusher but more likely finding a big tire and cutting it in half. Any ideas or opinions would be helpfull. Oh I am thinking about getting a skid loader with high flow later. I think I would get a pto attactment with a normal snow blower. I'm not sure how well it will work compared to a tractor 3 point hitch snow blower. But in heavy wet snow or one of the first couple snow falls I am planning to use a snow bucket or pusher first before I even use a snowblower. Thanks.
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skidsteer.ca
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You can push a 8 ft blade or bucket, especially if you run tire chains on the back. The only down fall of buckets is the corners tend to dig in when they get wider then the loader unless you yard is real flat. Also a bucket you have to wait for it to dump at the pile. But you can carry snow around and dump where your want.
Most blades or pusher have some float features that allows for the side ways twist so the corners do not dig in. Also adjustable shoes so they float the cutting edge when desired, for those pre frost situations.
Blowers work faster and plug less in dry snow. Wet snow takes more hp to keep the blower running. With a tractor you have all the engines hp to the pto shaft so the blower is less likely to stall. with a skid you only have the hp that the flow and pressure of your aux hydraulic circuit can muster. If you know the flow in gpm and the pressure you can calculate the hp.
You don't have to have a hi flow machine to blow snow. But in any hydraulic drive application the hydralic motor must be matched to the machine pump to give the proper rpm and to withstand whatever the sytems pressure is designed to run. You can't have a 2500 psi pump and only a 2000 psi blower motor.
The skidsteer will have less brute hp for a blower then a tractor, yours is likely in the 20 hp range at the couplers. it will however make up for some of the lack of hp in handyness, with better manuverabilty and by not having to look over your shoulder.
I use a 8 ft blade with a 1 ft wing angled forward on each side at 30 degrees. 10 ft total. This way I can angle blade if needed or scoop when straight.
I also have a blower that I run on 17 gpm at 3000 psi (27 hp calculated) for areas where there is no place to put snow, so I can blow it into the trees.
The width of the blade makes it faster to gather up snow, as our falls are usually only 6 inches.
The blower shines when the snowfall is real deep, a ft or more, and I can't push the blade and would be back to a dirt bucket. The blower lets you keep going though at a slow and steady pace and throwing the snow 30 ft away. It also really compacts the snow, so it takes less space. A hi flow setup would be faster but I am very satisfied with the peformance I get out of my std flow blower.
We tell customers if your going to blow snow 8 hours a day comercially then you should consider the hi flow setup. But if you only do it a hour or two per storm then std flow blower is likely all you need.
Hope that helps some.
Skidsteer.ca
Most blades or pusher have some float features that allows for the side ways twist so the corners do not dig in. Also adjustable shoes so they float the cutting edge when desired, for those pre frost situations.
Blowers work faster and plug less in dry snow. Wet snow takes more hp to keep the blower running. With a tractor you have all the engines hp to the pto shaft so the blower is less likely to stall. with a skid you only have the hp that the flow and pressure of your aux hydraulic circuit can muster. If you know the flow in gpm and the pressure you can calculate the hp.
You don't have to have a hi flow machine to blow snow. But in any hydraulic drive application the hydralic motor must be matched to the machine pump to give the proper rpm and to withstand whatever the sytems pressure is designed to run. You can't have a 2500 psi pump and only a 2000 psi blower motor.
The skidsteer will have less brute hp for a blower then a tractor, yours is likely in the 20 hp range at the couplers. it will however make up for some of the lack of hp in handyness, with better manuverabilty and by not having to look over your shoulder.
I use a 8 ft blade with a 1 ft wing angled forward on each side at 30 degrees. 10 ft total. This way I can angle blade if needed or scoop when straight.
I also have a blower that I run on 17 gpm at 3000 psi (27 hp calculated) for areas where there is no place to put snow, so I can blow it into the trees.
The width of the blade makes it faster to gather up snow, as our falls are usually only 6 inches.
The blower shines when the snowfall is real deep, a ft or more, and I can't push the blade and would be back to a dirt bucket. The blower lets you keep going though at a slow and steady pace and throwing the snow 30 ft away. It also really compacts the snow, so it takes less space. A hi flow setup would be faster but I am very satisfied with the peformance I get out of my std flow blower.
We tell customers if your going to blow snow 8 hours a day comercially then you should consider the hi flow setup. But if you only do it a hour or two per storm then std flow blower is likely all you need.
Hope that helps some.
Skidsteer.ca
There are a bunch of snow pushes and V-plows from various makers featured here: http://www.forconstructionpros.com/directory/search/snow-handling-equipment:3328/v Hope that's useful.
