You forgot to rank "Fun". Blower wins the fun category, especially in deep snow. Just don't let the wife know any of this is fun. It's all "hard work and sacrifice".
I live in New Brunswick Canada and use a walk behind snow blower, so not the same but the bases are there. At times, we can get a storm every week or 2 on average. I have done an impeller mod to zero out the clearance on the throwing impeller (use some rubber / tire side wall). I can throw complete slash let alone wet heavy snow so don't think it can't be done. After the mod, the snow is thrown further as well since you're basically extending the impeller blades and in doing so increase the speed at the furthest tip. Thanks for the great video, I think people will get some value out of it
That looked like a fun race for your bro and dad. I have been plowing my driveway, sidewalks and parking areas (lots of variation there) in central Minnesota for 26 years now. First with a 3/4T pickup - extremely easy and obviously warm and comfortable - then 8 years ago I bought a compact Kubota L3901 tractor/loader/bucket combo. That worked well but took 2-3 times longer and I got quite cold when the temp dropped to -10 or colder. This past fall I bought an old snow plow with no hydraulics (manual angling) that I use with my forks. This is almost as fast as my 3/4T pickup used to be and I don't get as cold as when using the bucket because I'm only plowing for 2/3 the time. P.S. I plow 2/3 gravel an 1/3 concrete. I drive over the 1st couple of smaller snowfalls to pack the snow and it turns into an extremely smooth, concrete-like driveway for the rest of the year... until late March/April, e.g. At that point I add a few washers to my plow shoes and away I go. A snowblower is just too expensive, a pain to install and has lots of moving parts to go wrong just when you need it the most. BTW - I plow (on average) 10 times per year with amounts ranging from 3" to 12". Once every 2-3 years mother nature has to prove her superiority and dump 20"+ on me. ha
I went back and fourth before eventually settling on the blade! Your commentary is spot on, each method has it's advantages and disadvantages. It is a sizeable investment and if you do not get a lot of snow the loader is just fine. I have a 1025R with a Frontier 60 inch plow and about 600 lbs. of ballast. It has no traction problems whatsoever, in fact I've never taken the chains out of the box. My 1025R would run rings around the plow you used. That said, the disadvantages are; the blade is not tall; anything over 12 to 15 inches of snow could be a problem. The blade does not lift very high off the ground, so stacking can be an issue. It is not John Deere Quick Attach, it takes a few minutes to get the bucket back on; which is important if you want to stack or re-locate snow. The good side is; it is quick and nimble. Love your analysis, it is very helpful to someone considering this type of investment. Keep up the great work and best of luck to you!! Thank you!
I have the 1025r with the 60in frontier loader mounted blade. Can pile snow 5 to 6 feet high no problem. But on gravel it is a pain. Need to adjust the tilt of the blade often.
I have all three for my tractor. Living in Michigan, we tend to get more snow than Indiana. So I prefer a snowblower over the others. I made a pusher box attachment for my loader last fall, but haven't tried it out yet.
After watching the video it may be worth mentioning the skill and efficiency that the operator of the snow blade showed probably made the race much closer than it ever should have been and may have skewed the results. Again, just my opinion.
I agree. Just my opinion but after many years with the snow blade it usually takes me one good snow a year to get back into the swing of using the blade. Once I do I can move a lot of snow faster during the normal light to moderate snows with the blade than the blower. If we get a LOT of snow, 12 inches or more, that's where the snow blower shines.
Hafta agree with you Neil. I've used all three implements and made the choice to stick with the loader. It's the best choice for me. I opted to sale my 750 J.D. with the front hydraulic blade. Of course here in W.Virginia we normally have pretty mild winters. So I kept my loader tractor and rear 3 point scraper blade. Suits me fine. You did a great comparison here bud, and I'm sure everyone has their own opinions.
Great video. I am from up-north, and a blower is a must for heavy snowfall. Last winter my tractor was broken, and I had to survive with only an ATV and a blade. A friend had to come help me with his snowblower, because the blade could not push snow pass the snowbanks after a few snowfall. But for small snowfall, a blade is much faster. In fact those two are complementary. I usually push the snow in piles that I blows at the end. This is why I have a front mounted snow blade on my John Deere 855, and a snowblower on the 3 points in the back. I used to clear snow with a skid-steer, but it was a long process (but fun). Loose gravel is only an issue in early winter. One the driveway is frozen, the bottom is rock solid. To conclude, if I had to chose only one implement, it would definitely be the snowblower. Thanks for sharing
I am lucky to have a pusher, backblade and snowblower. The issue with each of them is conditions, mainly ground not froze on gravel driveway. I interchange as conditions allow (again lucky that I can). I do agree with your assessment. This was another well thought out video. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Richard. I hope that most folks will agree but all situations are so different. When the conditions are right I always find myself going for the blower and cab. That's the one that my brother always uses too :)
for your application you are absolutely correct, in my situation I load a lot of hay into livestock using my pallet forks so I made sockets on a snowplow that I can simply drive into and throw a chain on. It is half the width of my laneway so after feeding hay I can drive out and back and have lane done then go and put a pallet of wood into my outdoor woodstove room and I am done. Obviously this only works for me so everybody has their own best way.
Ground snow drifting on side ridges. Blade move lots of snow, but snow ridges to block with snow drifting. Loader space snow piles, ground drifting deeper snow drifts. Blower through snow distance, ground drifting to snow depth. Prairie snow issues. Great effort build scorecard, thank you.
YES!! I love snow blowers!!! Dad would blow the snow into the yard in Hampstead, MD, where my brother and I designated our snow forts, there was walkway in between, and we would build our forts facing each other and have a blast. Grandpa Meinke had a blower attachment for his JD, don't ask me which model, and he would clear the cul-de-sac, neighbors parking pads and the long drive every winter in Conneaut, OH. He never took money for clearing the snow. Grandpa was that kind of guy, just neighborly. He did receive the occasional five gallon gas can filled to the brim in the summer and winter from the neighbors though. Thank you for this video and the memories it brings to the forefront 💖💖🥰🥰💖💖 I especially love the ending when you built the snow pile for the girls to sled on! Happy Valentine's Day! 💝💝
Great video as always Neil. Good conclusions in moderate snow. 15" storms would convince everyone the blower is best, but the correct answer to your question is to have multiple tractors and not have to change attachments. Thank you
Great explanation and great scores. And accurate as well I would say. I think the biggest consideration to have in this comparison is the size and type of the tractor. At my friends farm we use a JD 4320 with stock loader on the front and a Rear Mounted PTO to clear the farm and neighboring drives (friend and family). Combo works awesome. And snowblower hook up doesn’t take long, usually out it on before the first “big” snow fall and leave it on unless we need to swap it out. Heavy wet snow can cause a lot of clogs and shear pin failures. All in all it does a great job though, what we can’t do with the blower we use the bucket for. And most of the stuff we need in winter swaps out with the bucket (forks being number 1). I look forward to next years race with the back hoe vs the compact tractor ha ha ha!
Great video! Totally agree. I’ve done the same comparisons with my Case 646,446 with blower and 442 with blade over the past years. This year I have only kept the 446 with blower and newly installed cab out of cold storage.
Gerat video. I started moving snow with a bucket, then used a blade for yrs and finally went to a front end blower and I totally agree with everything you said. Along with the front end snow blower I put a "box" type blade on the back so I could back drag. I do a number of the neighbours driveways and a couple of them have some pretty tight areas or large planting circles and other obstructions in the middle of their driveways where there is no where to push the snow and all of them have garages which require back dragging. The other thing that your "test" didn't include was with a blade or bucket, you have to push that snow across the road or pick it up with a bucket and dump it on your lawn. Anyway, good job.
A snow blower is a lot of fun, IF you get enough snow. This year at my dad's farm I'm using a 12' blade on a 225hp cab tractor. That makes snow removal fun and quick.
My only experience with blowers is the PTO driven units that go on a 3 point hitch. The problems with those is most bigger tractors cannot go slow enough in reverse to keep from bogging down. I use a front end loader with a blade on the rear. With chains on the tires there nothing I can't plow through. I can make a quick pass with the front bucket to open things up, then use the blade on the rear to really scrape down to gravel (or right through it if I'm not paying attention).
I've seen that in action and it is a fine specimen. Can't go wrong with the versatility of a loader. I really need to find a rear blade to play with. Thanks Wes!
Agreed I am from Ontario - for deep and drifted snow the blower is hands down the best option - And a cab and a heater is the way to go - Too expensive to buy so I made my own - now I look forward to snow days - great videos
Thanks, great fun! Okay, I live in the Catskill mountains, we get everything here from wet to a couple of feet and more - 600 foot plus driveway. My JD 3320 takes about 20 to 30 minutes the most to change from the bucket to the blower. Yes, I use a blower. I've tried with the bucket and it just digs the driveway to bits and is horrible in wet snow. In wet snow I wait till it gets cold then it's easier to move with the front blower which is my absolute first choice for speed, neatness and let's not forget as the season goes on blades run out of places to push snow especially when you're building up four and five foot banks of it! You have to take that into account, the first snow with the blade is easier and quicker then in Feb and March.
Thank You , I personally use an 855 with loader and snow blower on the back , the only bad thing is looking backward. In my opinion any choice is a compromise, blowers are great if you have room, loader can make placed piles . What I want is a Bi Drive with a blower on one end and a big loader on the other , to bad they are so hard to find , expensive and big . I did like the pile that you made with the backhoe.
It all depends (ignoring cost) on what kind of snow you get and how much plowing (miles and width). For me, we get wet snow and I have to plow 2-3 miles of road. A blower is generally narrower and wet snow will freeze in the ejection tube. Worse if it’s windy and you’re in the open, then you get ice blasted. I added Artillian wings on my blade so I only had to make 2 passes. With a blower I had to make 4 passes ….. and passes equals time freezing your fingers and toes. And there are things in the road you can hit. Snow pushers? There are folks who love them. In my experience with my snow the snow just flows around the pusher. So there is no absolute answer….. just a situationally dependent answer.
Great comparison and I like how you highlighted the pros and cons of each. My preference is snowblower all the way. Not because it's faster, but for versatility and nicer finished results. I can open my driveway the exact same size every time, with a plow or bucket, the driveway shrinks every storm. Also where I live, the snow banks by the road are too high for a blade, but fine for loader or blower. My snowblower is mounted on the 3 point hitch, so I can still keep my loader in the front, so I do use the bucket for backblading in front of the garage or if I have to move slush. Adding rubber strips on the fins of the impeller does help with wet and slushy snow on the snowblower though. You are right that the blower is the most expensive and harder to install, however a rear blower is cheaper than a front blower because it requires less parts, and also easier to install.
Great information to help others decide which option will be best for their situation. My location is in northern Wisconsin where large snowfalls are common as well as getting a few inches at a time. I chose to go with the rear snowblower as well as having the snow pusher on my loader. This setup provides great weight distribution as well as versatility for varying conditions. My driveways are all gravel as well. Thanks for sharing!
Having lived in NJ, MA, and MN I am so happy to not to need any kind of cloud dandruff removal here in TX. For the 2 days a year that we get a light snow it is easy to take off and just hibernate while looking at the whitness. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with your assessment here. Living in MN, it's definitely a blower for me. I thought about a blade for the wheeler, but I didn't want to deal with managing piles. I like the idea of seeing if you can get a snow bucket for the front end loader and see how that does!
For what we get here, I run the loader down the mile lane one time on each tire path. What stays in the middle or rolls off the edge stays there. I spent my money on AWD. I fully expect a PTO blower on the back and a blower on the front to maximize production for next year's race. (Because that makes financial sense) Awesome sequel to the first comparison, can't wait for next year's!
Excellent video and comparison, Neil! I'm a snow plow guy myself (but own a loader, plow, blower, and broom for my tractor), but as you mentioned, conditions are different for everyone. I like not choosing and just getting them all!
I think you hit it on the head with results/situations will vary. I've used all three. I think all three have a place given the proper setup. Here in northern PA we get a surprising amount of wet snow especially near the highway where the salt soaks into the plows spoils in my driveway. I've used all 3 on my current property and the snowblower was awesome when it worked and didn't constantly plug. The plow did okay except I would run out of room to push it back far enough. The winner for me has been the loader for 2 seasons now. I cam pile it up or pick it up and move it without too much trouble. I like the race you did and thought it made for a fun video.
If you get frequent snowfalls like we do here in MN I prefer to own/use 2 Deere tractors. One has the snowblower attachment for the heavier snow, it's hard to beat the speed and distance it moves it away from the drive and parking areas. A second tractor with a loader(better yet with a snow pusher or blade) for the lighter snowfall cleanups that blowers don't always due well and for the ease of swapping out to pallet forks for doing other non snow related chores in the winter like lifting logs and pallets stacked with splits for firewood work or unloading heavy items from trucks/trailers. It can be done with one tractor but it takes to much time to swap out snowblower to loader and back and forth thru out the season for my preference. Great video, appreciate all the time you took to show/document the 3 options.
I have a home made straight blade on the loader of my old tractor and a rear blade for extra ballast and clean up. It worked great for years and I could even pile snow up well with the front blade. The tractor just sets in the shed most of the time now, because the neighbor I help with field work, comes by with his heated cab skid loader and opens the drive up for me while I look out the window! 😎😁
Good one Neil! I have a 7ft pusher box on my Kubota B2601. Love it. It's actually an Ebling rear drag blade from a truck that was totaled out. I bought it for $100 and welded on a skid steer QA and off I go. I can change out to my pallet forks or bucket in 2-3 minutes. Cheers. Love the Videos as always.
I think the "no piles" from the snow blower is reason enough. Especially in the spring when you can see green grass but still have mountains of snow everywhere destroying my hope for an early spring!
i agree 100% with what you scored.i have a 84 inch front mount snow blower .it costs a lot hard to put on ,but i cant live without it.last year 37 in snow storm with drifts over 5 ft the only thing that worked was my snow blower.no pickup truck could do any of the drive ways in my area.i made a killing.meaning i did all my neighbors for free.i also have a front blade on my rtv900 which i use on small amount of snow.this year we had a snow fall the was very wet and my blower did great.i have over a 600 foot drive way on top of a mountain with very strong winds.i just picked ups rear blade for the tractor for next year to see if that will be better then the rtv.the best thing about the snowblower is i can put snow where i want and the grandkids make great igloos .
That sounds awesome Ron. I like that you made a killing "doing it for free" :) You've given me something to shoot for as I would like nothing more than to be stranded home from work and just drive around blowing snow with a massive blower from the comfort of a heated cab!!
I'm in NE Ohio and own a Bx23S and use front blower with grader blade on 3 point. Light snows just use blade, deeper with the blower or to clean up piles. I had a plow for my truck and hard to store and still had to move piles back in my small area. My blower switch over to winter mode only takes me about a 1.5 hours. Other advantage of a blower is the ability to follow curves on the driveway also, no pushing of the front end. Great video and scorecard
Wet snow? I'll take a Blower EVERY time. Maybe it's just my equipment, but the tractor mounted blower I have can not only sling slush over 15 feet, but I had a storm earlier this season where I was throwing mostly water. In the end, getting the water off the driveway meant that we had a lot less ice on the drive when it froze. Even my walk-behind blower will make impressive ice sausages in the slush. If the snow is not watery, the only thing I notice is that I need to go slower to process the more dense material and it does not sling quite as far. If you score the blower high in dryer snow, it should also score high in the wet. As for sticking, just spray the inner of the blower with a cheap cooking spray. I've never had anything stay stuck doing that.
I have both a snowthrower (single stage) and a blade on my 355D (and I dream of one day owning a 755). On my uneven gravel driveway the blade is worthless, especially if there is ice underneath that isn't smooth. The snowthrower is a champ - if my chained and weighted tractor can get there, the thrower will clear the snow - even if the drifts are well above the height of the thrower box (as often happens in upstate NY). Love these videos, and still watching for my 755... someday....
Very good evaluation, and fun too. It’s sort of a shame that JD doesn’t have this type of video to help customers evaluate and see the comparisons that matter to their situations. I remember ages ago using a lawn tractor to “race” a ZTR mower and could see directly that despite the straightline parity and increased width, he kept gaining based on maneuverability every pass. I’m sure this video will get lots of views every fall as new folks make this decision themselves.
Hey Jeremy! Great to see you on here! (I think this is the Jeremy I know?) That's a great idea with the lawn mower racing. That would be nice follow up for me for this summer! I hope you're right and that people find this video helpful in the fall when they start thinking about the winter snow wars. Thanks so much for watching and for the comment.
@@digdrivediy Yeah mom shared one of your videos and was nice to find you over here, you are doing some good stuff and look like you are having fun too
Thank you for your time. Trying to find what best to invest in. Something to mow in the summer n move snow in the winter. This was the most info in a video I can find so far. Thank you!
Hate to a stick in the snow but, one the tractor with the blower can used the turf tires its not pushing anything just rolling in behind the blower, the tractors with loader and blade need an AG style tires so they can get better traction, and like you said at end of video a blade on the bucket arms or one of those snow scoop things are the best if they you can angle them, along with the backblade, you back up in you tight places drop the backblade pull forward the same time as your plowing with the front, don't know if anyone else commented this, but with a buck or a plow you ( I as the way I was taught) always start in the middle and work out to the sides less snow pell off to clean up. For the snow plow, I've always found the a 2-3 inch clearance is good for stone or dirt driveways, with the backblade picking up the rest, but I agree with you if you can afford a snowblower use it as long as you have a place to blow it to, if not then you're stuck pushing it somewhere.
Clearly the loader or a loader mounted pusher and blade are the winner because you make snow piles for the kiddos. :) That said, I have a dirt bucket, snow bucket and snow plow for my mini skidsteer and a blower for my lawn tractor. They all get used in the winter depending on the snow type and area I am doing snow removal so I agree with your determination that mileage may vary. Quick and easy attachment changes makes a world of difference. I find myself using 2 or three different attachments in one cleanup session around the house.
Interesting video. Even if it's 2 years old by the time it showed up in my recommendations. So I had a 400 with a blade. And I've both blown snow and used the fel on my 4410. For a light snow the blade was by far the fastest. With the blower second and the fel third.The blower wins in deep snow and the fel is even with the blade in deep snow as long as you have somewhere to push it. What I do to control the gravel leaving the driveway is pack the snow with a homemade box blade with a roller on the back. You set the box blade to level out the snow and the roller packs it. After a few days the snow is hard enough that you can use the blower without worrying about the gravel. Snow blowing is still my favorite method of removing snow.
I didn't read every comment but when I lived in a windswept area and had a snow blade, I was plowing every few hours. I had snow piles everywhere. I purchased a snow blower and I cut my snow time down to 2 passes vs hours of moving snow. That was the good part, the bad part was I lost all that tractor time outside in the fresh air. Now live in a wooded area and use the tractor bucket and I throw the back blade on the 3-point hitch for the weight and any fine tuning I might have near structures. The snowblower just sits but I am afraid to sell it because it would cost me too much to replace it, if I ever needed one.
They’re all better than a shovel!! I was impressed with TTWT’s new video showing moving snow with edge tamers on the bucket. I have a Kubota L3010 with a loader and 7ft rear blade. I push all my snow in reverse using the back side of the blade. This is the only way I have found to push the snow without tearing out all of my gravel.
Interesting comparison. I'd like to add my two cents on this. Like mentioned, there are lots of variables in regards to customers needs/wants, especially in what local bylaws there are in regards to placement of snow. In my area, no snow can be placed on public roadway and or drainage ditches. All snow must remain on property, unless hauled to proper snow dumping/melt locations. Many life times ago, I did a cost analysis on this subject for a company that I was working with. They were wondering if they should buy one of those new, (at the time when they first came out), 'pushing' blades. These would be working on larger articulating loaders, like a Case 821-921, etc. There are a few customer questions that need to be asked first: First is the customer a residential, industrial, or an acreage/farm. With that, where does the customer want the snow, removed from site, in a pile, in a windrow along one side of the drive/parking lot, or spread evenly in a grass/tree/shrubbery area. Second, does the customer use chemicals to control ice, this will also dictate what can be done with the snow. Some local regulations will not allow chemical mixed snow in dumping/melting locations. Both the above questions will tell me what type of equipment will be required. For the ease of this we won't go into the industrial or residential, but stay with the acreages. We also won't go into the scale of the equipment, as that depends on if one is just using it for one's self or as an actual snow removal business. For this acreage scenario my first choice will always be a snow thrower. Yes the initial cost will always be more, but that will be offset by the cost of time in the use of it, compared with a blade or bucket. Not to mention the cost of fuel that it takes to push snow as compared to throwing snow. Pushing consistently more weight each foot forward will always take much more energy/fuel to move it. It doesn't matter how much snow one gets per year, what matters is where the snow has to go and the time it takes to get it there. With a snow thrower, (done right) one can place the snow, once, where ever it needs to be. If one has a place where it can only be thrown going forward, do that, until it can be thrown to one side or the other. While it does look like a snow thrower goes slower, it does the work in one pass. If one needs a smooth surface to be free and clear of snow and ice, one can always use a rotary brush/broom, either as a walk behind or a stick held piece of equipment. With a blade or bucket one is always moving snow in a cumulative way, meaning one cubic foot of snow might be touched by the blade or bucket multiple times to get it to the desired location. That costs money, every time that same cubic foot of snow is touched, moving it into a pile or windrow. Especially with a blade, as the multiple windrows are moved along the width of the driveway. Does the surface of the drive dictate what equipment to use? Yes and no. A snow thrower will work best on a smooth surface like asphalt or cement (and grass!), but it will also work on an aggregate drive as well. One just needs to add a correct height wear block under the OEM skid blocks. On long drives one would go back and forth, by turning at each end, how many passes will depend on the width of the drive and the width of the thrower. If one needs a cab would depend on where one throws the snow, does one go against the wind or with the wind, throwing it to one side or both sides of the drive. In the long run a snow thrower will always cost less. What it really breaks down to, is, how much is your time worth to you. Yes it is a thrower, it throws snow with a rotary blade, it doesn't use air to blow the snow..
If you have frequent snowfalls of 18” or more, then a blower makes a lot of sense. For 6 - 18” snowfalls, a blade is the way to go. For 6” or less, a loader works and is versatile in the summer. It all depends on your situation.
Loader/backhoe for the win, because you can make your own sledding hill if there isn't one around. Seriously though the best option is the one that works for your conditions. Being in a suburban Mid-Atlantic area wet snow / slush is definitely a problem. I have a long-ish driveway (comparatively to my neighbors [210ft]) so I have been pondering buying a sub-compact tractor to speed up snow removal. Currently we use a 24" walk behind blower and while that can gunk up with slush and ice; it is less backbreaking than shoveling. For a light amount of fluffy snow I will pick which ever I fancy. For more accumulation the blower is the go to choice. However I will make a second pass with a scraper shovel to remove the small amount that the blower can't remove, especially if we are expecting a quick that and refreeze cycle (this is easier than trying to recover a vehicle that is precariously about to slide down the hillside, ask me how I know).
Real American ingenuity, thank you. The snowblower is ideal when there is an immediate area to blow the snow in rather tight spaces. I wish I had a snowblade for my farm lane as I can't use a snowblower for a packed gravel roadway. Your Dad used the right move. Next time let's see some snow removal with Buffalo-style snow.
Without being able to try all of the options it is impossible to determine what will work best for someone’s specific situation. I have had the chance to try quite a few options and I find that driveway shape plays a major role in selecting the correct tool. With frequent light snowfalls the front blade is hands down my favorite.
Really? For most people with a concrete or asphalt driveway, the blower is usually going to be the winner. 1/2 the country gets real snow is waves, light snowfalls of 2-3" can usually be either ignored or wait a few days until it get to a decent depth and blow it then. People with minimal snow probably can just get away with a simple plow attachment. Rest of us have no where to push the snow, especially since its illegal to push on street sides, and over the course of the winter your driveway now has 3-5' cliffs of snow/ice.
1-3 inches, blade. Anything over 6 inches, Blower. Loader for pushing piles during a bad winter. Never wanted a snow blower will my first walk behind but I'd never not have one now. I have a JD 318 with modded blower and back blade, another 318 with 4 way blade, and a Cub 169 with Johnson loader...Honda HSS928 walk behind for good measure. Like you, I buy them needing work...at most I have $1700 in everything. The toys definitely make a winter chore pretty damn fun.
Cleared snow at cemetery 3 times last week and will be 3 times this week. 30" of compacted and crusty snow. I use the loader to pull snow out of some areas that may have debris, rocks etc. The blower does 99% of the work and it can put a 6" rock through the chute without much issue. 84" blower, 66hp 4066r cab tractor and it will blow snow far faster than I could ever move with the loader. The quick hitch also makes the rear blower a 5-10 minute hook up. Still waiting for the inverted Normand blower to show up, running a conventional blower until then. I also have a 3520 with front mount 59" blower and it does a good job, but there is no comparison to the 84". I went through 12 or so shear pins in 2 months with the 59"Probably double the capacity, speed and ease of use. A rear blower would clear the area you marked out within 2-3 minutes.
That's awesome! An 84" blower would be a beast. I should make this part of my 5 year plan. I will just drive around the neighborhood and be the favorite neighbor!
This was fun to watch. I own a large tracked skid steer and have been doing multiple rural driveways and about a mile of road from my house. I started with a bucket then moved to a 6 way dozer blade for multi season use and just purchased a snowblower for most of the same reasons you outlined in the video. There are so many different situations that no one tool can be perfect at all of it. The biggest difference for me is that unlike your snowblower mine goes on in the same amount of time as hooking up the blade. I wish the ground I was working on was anywhere close to as flat as yours as that seems to be my biggest problem, high spots and ruts.
Best solution is to have multiple tractors with each attachment for different situations. Our that's how I think. Thanks for the videos always interesting to watch! 🤠👍
Great video. I'm a maintenance mechanic for a school district near Chicago. We have two John deere 1025r compact tractors. We have front mounted blower, blade, and rotary broom. We primarily use it for sidewalks but I do some blacktop playground areas as well. I've not needed to use the blower yet. The blade has been my favorite but the broom does quite well too. We have a rear blade on order this year. I'm eager to see how that works in combination with the broom up front.
Great vid, I started out with a compact with a 48" blade. With time, results looked ok, but the key is "with time", then I went to a compact with a loader 48" bucket, a little faster but looked "dirty" when I was done. Then the loader tractor with a 72" back blade. Faster yet because the bucket complemented the blade but darn, it killed my back looking t9 the rear all the time. Then came an F935 Deere with 48" 2 stage blower and heated cab. Omg, it is awesome!!! Clean looking job, easily 3 times faster and comfortable! I blow my 2 large drives and 4 or 5 neighbors in 1 to 1.5 hrs while smoking a good cigar and drinking a beer. Retired the F935 from mowing this year so its an exclusive snow machine now, till I modify the cab and blower to fit the 1435 front mount. The added HP and 4wd will make the snow blower without any question the king of the neighborhood.
@@digdrivediyl also had a snowblower on my JD F930 no cab, never been so cold. Now I have a tractor mounted V-Blade and l use the snowblower JD as a snowpusher with tire chains and diff lock. Now we haven't had any measurable snow in the last few years, oh well
Blower is nice if you can afford it, no question. The blade is very dependant on the mass of the vehicle pushing it. Unfortunately that little tractor wasn't heavy enough to do the job. One way to compensate for the lack of mass of that tractor would have been to cut one straight push down the middle and then work the snow out to both sides as opposed to trying to roll the whole mass of snow to one side or the other. Then again, a larger tractor wouldn't have been able to fit through your tight spaces. On our farm, we use a 12 foot blade salvaged from the highways department mounted to a full sized front end loader and that clears the entire roadway at the top speed of the loader while the speed throws all that snow well clear of the roadway. We've run massive snowblowers in the past, but there's too much downtime as debris, or even just ice chunks, from back roads inevitably jams the blower, taking out shier pins all over the place. And at a certain size, blowers just can't touch the speed of a blade.
Love this video! It was neat seeing side by side how the methods of snow removal did. We have used a slow blade and blower at our place and definitely prefer the blower. Thanks for taking time to put this together!
The blade's struggle with the first drift shows one of the problems I've run into, and not really mentioned anywhere. The need for momentum to break through, and continue pushing without spinning the tires/tearing up the terrain. Momentum means speed. Speed breaks things. I broke welds 2 winters in a row using blades before I got a used ATV blade with a trip function. Now relate that to cleaning out the end of the driveway between concrete curbs. I hit those more than once with the bucket and blade. The slow and steady chewing and throwing of the blower made finding the edge of the driveway easier, and less damaging.
Years ago I bought a Deere lawn tractor with all wheel drive and turning. The dealer said to forget about chains and weights. I was skeptical but he was right; have not had a single traction problem just using blade.
@@warrenSPQRXxl you lawn tractor probably has turf tires. The R4s on my subcompact are nearly worthless in the snow. I've spun all 4 tires with chains on all of them and 500lbs of ballast on the rear. Our sealed asphalt driveway might as well be a skating rink with a light dusting of snow or thin layer of ice. And trying to push through a foot of the road slush thrown onto the sidewalks by the plow trucks has stopped everything smaller than a skid steer in our town. Glad it works for you though. 👍
I've used all 3 - on the same day. I'd add one more attachment - a sweeper. While the others will get accumulated snow off, a sweeper will take it down to bare pavement.
Love the race. I am a snow blower fan myself. Pushing it leaves huge piles on the edges of your driveway and eventually you're 28 foot wide driveway is now only 22 feet depending on how much snowfall you got. Snow blower you can put that snow in the neighbors yard if you want to or throw it over the house into the back yard. It also causes less damage to your yard and concrete or asphalt.
I agree the snowblower is not convenient and sometimes I use it to push no as long as it's not too heavy. The main thing with a snowblower is to have a plan so that you know where the snows going to go. Not all your neighbours wants to have snow on their yard.
Interesting comparison. After watching all these videos, I still use my 1979 Simplicity lawn tractor with a blower as my dedicated machine to move snow. The 1025R doesn't leave the barn. I do wish I had a cab, windy nights are no fun. :)
A 1974 Allis Chalmers 712h is the basis of my homemade compact tractor I call the Chore-Handler! I had to fab up a larger front cabinet for the 42" blower to be wider than my axles (52" now). I was worried it would struggle to keep up with a heavy snow, but the last storm dropped 18" of non-fluffy stuff and I could only bog the engine with the heavy crud at the roadside. I'm impressed with how overbuilt the rear axles and pumps were on those machines. The goal is to make it articulate this summer, as the original steering setup struggles against the larger front wheels (23x10.5s) and to power the front axle for a true 4x4. Every time I see these JD 755s work though, I think the Chore-Handler is going to be passed to my kids so I can upgrade to a more capable project!
I would add in off season storage space needed. The loader would be 1 because it would be used frequently in the other seasons. Blade would be 2 because it can be stored flat on its blade taking up less room and kept in a corner somewhere out of the way and the snow blower would be 3 it takes up extra space when not in use. Neil it was a good calculitive breakdown on the pros and cons of the devices. Very well done
Great video. My experience gives the blower the winner AND the PADDLE blower tops for wet snow and slush. My 150’ x 40’ driveway is locked in with a stone wall on one side and 10’ high railroad tie wall on the other. I’ve cleared blizzard snow here in upstate NY for the last 48 yrs and still get calls from bladders to blow them out.
Definitely a little bias in this one, but it was very well thought out. I personally use a 7' grader blade with a couple custom plow shoe brakets. I mount the blade to my FEL using an adapter plate from Titan. With the right amount of curl, the shoes keep the blade from picking up gravel.
Interesting that you say that cause I am trying hard to not have a bias. I wouldn't have that snowblower if not for TH-cam. I wish for my loader to be the only thing I needed so badly. But, after using the blower with a cab I probably am biased I suppose. It's just fun blasting that snow out there 😋 Nice work on those custom shoes! It's all about saving the gravel for me! Thanks as always Curt!
I haven't even watched the video and my vote is already the blower for one simple reason: the reduction in the volume of accumulated snow. Removing snow with a blade or a bucket requires not only an area but a height as well. The mechanical action of the blower must break down the crystalline structure of the ice and that allows the air to be removed. Blow a winter's worth of snow: no pile or maybe a small pile. Plow/scoop snow for a winter: you have a new mountain range along your driveway. Blower FTW.
Most expensive but also the very best option for any of your scenarios is a skid steer with a snow bucket. The combination of square sides and a wide mouth are the ultimate in snow removal from small to largeish spaces. Obviously not a Walmart parking lot but for most acreages or smaller farm yards or businesses, it's king. I clear about a 2 acre space with many obstacles with a dirt bucket in an old 863 bobcat in around an hour. Your poor tractor with any of your attachments would be at that for a minimum of 3 hours. I'd wager that I could clear your yard faster with my 863 than you can with your backhoe. It's that much better in my opinion.
I've got all three, and all three have their place. The 7' blower is on a field tractor that doesn't like to start below 30°. The bucket and blade are on my skid steer. The driveway is 2000' and mostly straight. I have a couple loops to clear and a short stretch of concrete. The blower is great if you like driving slowly in reverse (stiff neck), but it really is the best option for getting rid of the snow. The blade is great to quickly clear light snow, but drifts become problematic, and eventually you run out of room on the side. The bucket takes about 8 passes to adequately clear a straight section, which really bites without a cab in the wind. But in tight spaces, or when the snow piles up and I just need to muscle my way through, the bucket can't be beat. Options are great, but if I had to do without, I'd probably stick with the blower and my stiff neck. Or upgrade to a frontend blower on a newer tractor. A guy can dream. 😏
Yea I have to agree never ran a blower, but I have ran a rear blade on a 4020 and I have to say that the looking back kills and I would rather risk getting the skid loader stuck than looking back
Six months later... I swapped out my skid steer for a heavier skid steer. I've gotta say, it makes a world of difference, especially with a heated cab in the equation!
Thank you for this three way test. I've contemplated these three for some time. I am currently using a blade on my Deere. Originally I had extra weight on the back, like your brother did. But I found you can have too much weight on the back which takes too much weight off the front wheels, causing the sliding he was experiencing. Try removing about half of that ballast weight from the back and I think he have an easier time on the snow. In the end, your results were identical to what I concluded as well. For me, the Kabota loader was great but the blade did a better job, especially with the wet snow that we get in the Pac NW. Thanks, and happy plowing
One category I think you "missed" would be curves, (or maybe include within the aesthetics portion), because you need a fairly wide blade to be able to push back snow on a curve and not drive through the bank. That's another reason why a blower works better on your father-in-law's driveway. And as a person that uses a blade exclusively, albeit on a truck - not a tractor, Nate needs some more experience on how to use a blade. You want the snow to fall off the blade as quickly as possible! In your scenario, Nate should have started on the left side and kept pushing it to the left (I'm assuming the blade is manual angle and not hydraulic). He still wasn't going to beat the blower, but I think he could have moved faster than he did. And with a blade you would have to make a lot of passes back and forth compared to the blower. Great video and even though I have never used a blower, I agree with your assessment that the blower is best overall! 😁👨🚒
Oooh, good point about the curves. Definite win for the blower. Nate and Dad were equally inexperienced, so I thought that was at least fair in that regard. The blower is easier to use from that point of view I suppose. Nate plowed snow with a pickup for many years like me. I've used the blade one or two times since the video for the concrete and left the blower sit. Just depends on the snow. Thanks D.A.!
I just wanted to add a couple more dollars and cents to the pot. I live in a part of Canada where the “fun” factor wears off about 4 months before snow season is done. Maybe 20 - 30 snow plowing events per year. I have and do use all 3 of the options covered here, and your assessments are on the money. The blade is great for light and frequent snowfalls, but when it gets deeper or when the banks on the side of the driveway (that is 1/4 mile long) get too large, the blower is without a doubt the best tool for the job. Regarding the gravel loss, the blade is by far the worst for it, even with shoes. We have about $5,000 of 3/4 clear crush in our actual driveway yard area, and the blade can easily lose a few hundred dollars of this gravel over the period of a season. The blade is much less of an issue on the hard-packed road base section gravel which is the 1/4 mile section of driveway. Another hidden cost is the $130 for the pair of blade shoes we will go through in a year without a blower. Good job on the video!
I think all options are great options and I feel it comes down to ur location and mostly ur preference on which works best for u and in most cases (cost) has a lot do do with it unfortunately. I have a small landscaping business which in winter I plow few commercial lots and residential driveways I finally purchased a plow for my truck but for longest time I got by using just the loader on my tractor but anyway another great video and love the ending
Depends on the snow, depends on what you're trying to clear, and where you can deposit the excess snow. So.... depends. But my overall favorite for small scale/driveway; definitely a snowblower.
Blade seems to work for snow that's under a foot. Deep powder the snow blower. Loaders nice to be able to put snow off to the side wherever you want but my first time using one I didn't set the bucket the right way and ended up scraping lines in my driveway even though I floated the bucket. I had it tilted. Luckily some blacktop sealer should fix that in the summer. I also found you don't go far till the bucket loads up. I'm sure as you said everyone has a different method for what they do. Great comparison. Thanks.
In Northern Ontario my preferred setup is front loader and 3 point rear blower. We get a lot of snow and my driveway is long, the blower is by far the best option, but having the loader on the front is nice for knocking down banks when they get up to 6’ or higher.
I have all 3, here are my take aways in my experience. 1- snow blade 2-blower 3 bucket. the blade has to have chains, you angle it and this could have been done in 3 -4 passes. The blower will do it more clear every time though.
Well, I'd have to agree on all fronts. Being from Michigan, we get plenty of snow. I haven't had the opportunity to use a blade but my Grandpa used one for the first 5 years after buying his 445 new. He went to a 2 stage 47 blower afterwards and said it was a major difference, in a good way. I do have a somewhat off topic question (still regarding tractors) if you've got the time to answer it: I've currently got my Grandpa's old 1995 445 with a 47in 2 stage blower, a cab, and a 54in deck. He bought a new X738 and let me take over the reins to the 445. I got the tractor back in May just before turning 20, and after climbing around on it since I was born, it was an awesome gift to have. Since it's more of a sentimental piece, I'd like to keep from working it too much and so I considered maybe buying a 455 to swap all the attachments to. However recently I've been considering a different route, that being going with a 55 series compact (855 or 955). I part our vehicles so I'm always needing to lift heavy stuff and the nearly 1000lb lift capacity of a 955 versus 450lbs on the 455 is pretty enticing and would make my part out jobs MUCH easier. However I obviously can't swap any of my 445 attachments to the 55 series, and the 55 series is gonna be at least triple the price with a loader, at least the ones I've seen. Hopefully that's enough info to go on, but my question based on all that is what would you do? I've got just over an acre and a good size driveway. I figure if I can find an 855/955 with a loader and a 72in deck it'd be perfect for everything I need but again, I wouldn't be able to swap my attachments from the 445, however with the loader and deck, I don't think I'd need to anyways. But I'm rambling now Lol. If you got a sec to shoot me your thoughts on this, I'd appreciate it. Also, thanks for the follow over on Instagram 🤙
I would go with the 8 or 955 for sure. Even a 755 will be more capable than the 445. If you're gonna use it to lift stuff than even less doubt. Glad to follow you on Insta. Thanks for watching!
Yeah , the smaller tractor with the blade has a tendency to have the front end get pushed to the side in deeper snow . I have a 2019 2025r with a boom mounted front blade . It works pretty well at piling snow and costs a bunch less than a blower . I did just buy a used frontier 60 in snow pusher and can't wait (not really lookin forward to snow!) to try it out . This one has a back drag to clean up by my garage door also . I also have a 60 in frontier rear blade that works well as long as the ground is frozen . Thinkin bout fabricating some plow shoes for it . I also have a pair of edge tamers for my bucket . You can clean up grassy areas without tearing up the yard with them .
I’m using a bucket on the front and use my box blade on the rear. I find it’s a great way to open things up, provides extra rear weight and reverse operations aren’t wasted time. If I need to drag snow as the driveway is being cleared I can drag it out and drop it in a more convenient area that still needs more snow removal. We don’t have a snowblower and have heard the argument for one, but only ones available used are way over priced or too large for my tractor. I get the argument for tight spaces with the bucket though. Someday I might consider one, but not today for now. I’ll continue to be happy using the bucket and box blade and thankfully not need to do it all by hand!!!
I'm in a somewhat rare situation. I get tons of snow (up north). No trees and flat plains results in drifts often double or triple the height of a walk behind snow blower. But my driveway is about 5 car lengths long and 4 wide. I used to move the snow with a combination of an atv and blade (only worked if I got started before it was drifting) and a walk behind snowblower and just taking a ton of time. I have an acre and a half (reason I now own a small tractor - 1025r). For my unusual situation, the bucket wins. I can take the snow and pile it out of the way, it came with the tractor, and the whole thing can fit in a garage stall ready to open the door and plow the driveway. This is a cool video showing the situations each is good at.
I have a rear mounted snow blower and works well with dry powder snow, but clogs with wet heavy snow...under ideal conditions it works faster than my bucket and pull blade...my tractor is chained up for traction...good video...
It's pretty nice you just happen to have 3-755's for the test! AWESOME! Blower all the way in my opinion! Cleans up the snow better BY FAR! Nice video man! Thanks! 👍
I think your evaluation is pretty fair. At the very least it was entertaining to watch. You said it best at least at one point, that it’s all situational. Another piece of equipment to consider is the snow pushers. I think these are best situationally for clearing parking lots/areas, do well on both concrete and gravel, and you can still make big piles of snow. They definitely wouldn’t be a great choice for long driveways. I wish I could justify a pusher or blower but I fall pretty squarely in the bucket category and can’t justify the cost.
Great video and good job on the comparisons....I would have graded them exactly the way you did. I don't have one either but I would like a snow blade for my loader with a hydraulic angle...I think that would be ideal! Great video Neil...take care from Franklin County, Va.
Nice video Neil! I am a converted snowthrower guy. Plowed my 600’ driveway for years, consistently ran out of room and had to keep making more room. 2015 I got a cub cadet with blower… changed the way I clean the driveway forever. The amount of time it takes to clean is about the same, however, I can literally get rid of the snow. In spring, I will snowblow the remaining snow to give my lawn a chance sooner 😂. Now, with the Kioti, I may use the bucket but only to dig out spots I haven’t snow blowed or if I’m just farting around. 😁
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
You forgot to rank "Fun". Blower wins the fun category, especially in deep snow. Just don't let the wife know any of this is fun. It's all "hard work and sacrifice".
I was trying to come up with 18 things for a golf score card. That would have been a good one. Blower FTW indeed!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Western New York (Buffalo area). No competition!! Blower is the no-brained!!
i disagree sure its cool to watch it eat through the snow but plowing is so much more fun for me. just my opinion though
Nothing about snowblowers is fun if you hit something
The real winner is you! Convincing your family to clear the drive for you!!! Genius!
I live in New Brunswick Canada and use a walk behind snow blower, so not the same but the bases are there. At times, we can get a storm every week or 2 on average. I have done an impeller mod to zero out the clearance on the throwing impeller (use some rubber / tire side wall). I can throw complete slash let alone wet heavy snow so don't think it can't be done. After the mod, the snow is thrown further as well since you're basically extending the impeller blades and in doing so increase the speed at the furthest tip. Thanks for the great video, I think people will get some value out of it
I like how you listen to your fans and try different methods. That make you more trustworthy of testing equipments.
That looked like a fun race for your bro and dad. I have been plowing my driveway, sidewalks and parking areas (lots of variation there) in central Minnesota for 26 years now. First with a 3/4T pickup - extremely easy and obviously warm and comfortable - then 8 years ago I bought a compact Kubota L3901 tractor/loader/bucket combo. That worked well but took 2-3 times longer and I got quite cold when the temp dropped to -10 or colder. This past fall I bought an old snow plow with no hydraulics (manual angling) that I use with my forks. This is almost as fast as my 3/4T pickup used to be and I don't get as cold as when using the bucket because I'm only plowing for 2/3 the time. P.S. I plow 2/3 gravel an 1/3 concrete. I drive over the 1st couple of smaller snowfalls to pack the snow and it turns into an extremely smooth, concrete-like driveway for the rest of the year... until late March/April, e.g. At that point I add a few washers to my plow shoes and away I go. A snowblower is just too expensive, a pain to install and has lots of moving parts to go wrong just when you need it the most. BTW - I plow (on average) 10 times per year with amounts ranging from 3" to 12". Once every 2-3 years mother nature has to prove her superiority and dump 20"+ on me. ha
I went back and fourth before eventually settling on the blade! Your commentary is spot on, each method has it's advantages and disadvantages. It is a sizeable investment and if you do not get a lot of snow the loader is just fine. I have a 1025R with a Frontier 60 inch plow and about 600 lbs. of ballast. It has no traction problems whatsoever, in fact I've never taken the chains out of the box. My 1025R would run rings around the plow you used. That said, the disadvantages are; the blade is not tall; anything over 12 to 15 inches of snow could be a problem. The blade does not lift very high off the ground, so stacking can be an issue. It is not John Deere Quick Attach, it takes a few minutes to get the bucket back on; which is important if you want to stack or re-locate snow. The good side is; it is quick and nimble. Love your analysis, it is very helpful to someone considering this type of investment. Keep up the great work and best of luck to you!! Thank you!
Thanks Bob! Great feedback.
I have the 1025r with the 60in frontier loader mounted blade. Can pile snow 5 to 6 feet high no problem. But on gravel it is a pain. Need to adjust the tilt of the blade often.
I have all three for my tractor. Living in Michigan, we tend to get more snow than Indiana. So I prefer a snowblower over the others. I made a pusher box attachment for my loader last fall, but haven't tried it out yet.
Perfect!
I too live in Michigan, but I use a Kubota BX1870 with a FEL and a rear blade to clear my driveway at my place.
Haven't got my snowblower yet, but agree that having all three is great if agreeable by the wifey...
Agreed
After watching the video it may be worth mentioning the skill and efficiency that the operator of the snow blade showed probably made the race much closer than it ever should have been and may have skewed the results. Again, just my opinion.
Oh yes. Much skills. Many talented. 😂
I agree. Just my opinion but after many years with the snow blade it usually takes me one good snow a year to get back into the swing of using the blade. Once I do I can move a lot of snow faster during the normal light to moderate snows with the blade than the blower. If we get a LOT of snow, 12 inches or more, that's where the snow blower shines.
Hafta agree with you Neil. I've used all three implements and made the choice to stick with the loader. It's the best choice for me. I opted to sale my 750 J.D. with the front hydraulic blade. Of course here in W.Virginia we normally have pretty mild winters. So I kept my loader tractor and rear 3 point scraper blade. Suits me fine. You did a great comparison here bud, and I'm sure everyone has their own opinions.
Great video. I am from up-north, and a blower is a must for heavy snowfall. Last winter my tractor was broken, and I had to survive with only an ATV and a blade. A friend had to come help me with his snowblower, because the blade could not push snow pass the snowbanks after a few snowfall. But for small snowfall, a blade is much faster. In fact those two are complementary. I usually push the snow in piles that I blows at the end. This is why I have a front mounted snow blade on my John Deere 855, and a snowblower on the 3 points in the back. I used to clear snow with a skid-steer, but it was a long process (but fun). Loose gravel is only an issue in early winter. One the driveway is frozen, the bottom is rock solid. To conclude, if I had to chose only one implement, it would definitely be the snowblower. Thanks for sharing
I am lucky to have a pusher, backblade and snowblower. The issue with each of them is conditions, mainly ground not froze on gravel driveway. I interchange as conditions allow (again lucky that I can). I do agree with your assessment. This was another well thought out video. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Richard. I hope that most folks will agree but all situations are so different. When the conditions are right I always find myself going for the blower and cab. That's the one that my brother always uses too :)
for your application you are absolutely correct, in my situation I load a lot of hay into livestock using my pallet forks so I made sockets on a snowplow that I can simply drive into and throw a chain on. It is half the width of my laneway so after feeding hay I can drive out and back and have lane done then go and put a pallet of wood into my outdoor woodstove room and I am done. Obviously this only works for me so everybody has their own best way.
Ground snow drifting on side ridges. Blade move lots of snow, but snow ridges to block with snow drifting. Loader space snow piles, ground drifting deeper snow drifts. Blower through snow distance, ground drifting to snow depth. Prairie snow issues. Great effort build scorecard, thank you.
YES!! I love snow blowers!!!
Dad would blow the snow into the yard in Hampstead, MD, where my brother and I designated our snow forts, there was walkway in between, and we would build our forts facing each other and have a blast.
Grandpa Meinke had a blower attachment for his JD, don't ask me which model, and he would clear the cul-de-sac, neighbors parking pads and the long drive every winter in Conneaut, OH. He never took money for clearing the snow. Grandpa was that kind of guy, just neighborly. He did receive the occasional five gallon gas can filled to the brim in the summer and winter from the neighbors though.
Thank you for this video and the memories it brings to the forefront 💖💖🥰🥰💖💖
I especially love the ending when you built the snow pile for the girls to sled on! Happy Valentine's Day! 💝💝
Thanks Susan. My girls love playing in the snow. I think they get it naturally. Snow days are always great for making memories... and HOT chocolate :)
Great video as always Neil. Good conclusions in moderate snow. 15" storms would convince everyone the blower is best, but the correct answer to your question is to have multiple tractors and not have to change attachments. Thank you
Great explanation and great scores. And accurate as well I would say. I think the biggest consideration to have in this comparison is the size and type of the tractor. At my friends farm we use a JD 4320 with stock loader on the front and a Rear Mounted PTO to clear the farm and neighboring drives (friend and family). Combo works awesome. And snowblower hook up doesn’t take long, usually out it on before the first “big” snow fall and leave it on unless we need to swap it out. Heavy wet snow can cause a lot of clogs and shear pin failures. All in all it does a great job though, what we can’t do with the blower we use the bucket for. And most of the stuff we need in winter swaps out with the bucket (forks being number 1). I look forward to next years race with the back hoe vs the compact tractor ha ha ha!
Great points Stephen. Size does make a big difference. I wouldn't use the little garden tractors on this driveway.
@@digdrivediy A little garden tractor with a snowblower can move a lot of snow for it's size. Way better than a walk behind snowblower or shovel.
I do have to say using an 8 ft blade on a 4020 is a lot different than a 5 ft blade on a 2305 or a newer 1025r
Great video!
Totally agree. I’ve done the same comparisons with my Case 646,446 with blower and 442 with blade over the past years.
This year I have only kept the 446 with blower and newly installed cab out of cold storage.
Gerat video. I started moving snow with a bucket, then used a blade for yrs and finally went to a front end blower and I totally agree with everything you said. Along with the front end snow blower I put a "box" type blade on the back so I could back drag. I do a number of the neighbours driveways and a couple of them have some pretty tight areas or large planting circles and other obstructions in the middle of their driveways where there is no where to push the snow and all of them have garages which require back dragging. The other thing that your "test" didn't include was with a blade or bucket, you have to push that snow across the road or pick it up with a bucket and dump it on your lawn. Anyway, good job.
A snow blower is a lot of fun, IF you get enough snow. This year at my dad's farm I'm using a 12' blade on a 225hp cab tractor. That makes snow removal fun and quick.
OH yeah!!
My only experience with blowers is the PTO driven units that go on a 3 point hitch. The problems with those is most bigger tractors cannot go slow enough in reverse to keep from bogging down. I use a front end loader with a blade on the rear. With chains on the tires there nothing I can't plow through. I can make a quick pass with the front bucket to open things up, then use the blade on the rear to really scrape down to gravel (or right through it if I'm not paying attention).
Good point Wes, back blade goes a long way
I've seen that in action and it is a fine specimen. Can't go wrong with the versatility of a loader. I really need to find a rear blade to play with. Thanks Wes!
Looking for a good offset back blade now to do just like you said.
Agreed I am from Ontario - for deep and drifted snow the blower is hands down the best option - And a cab and a heater is the way to go - Too expensive to buy so I made my own - now I look forward to snow days - great videos
Thanks, great fun!
Okay, I live in the Catskill mountains, we get everything here from wet to a couple of feet and more - 600 foot plus driveway. My JD 3320 takes about 20 to 30 minutes the most to change from the bucket to the blower. Yes, I use a blower. I've tried with the bucket and it just digs the driveway to bits and is horrible in wet snow. In wet snow I wait till it gets cold then it's easier to move with the front blower which is my absolute first choice for speed, neatness and let's not forget as the season goes on blades run out of places to push snow especially when you're building up four and five foot banks of it! You have to take that into account, the first snow with the blade is easier and quicker then in Feb and March.
Thank You , I personally use an 855 with loader and snow blower on the back , the only bad thing is looking backward. In my opinion any choice is a compromise, blowers are great if you have room, loader can make placed piles . What I want is a Bi Drive with a blower on one end and a big loader on the other , to bad they are so hard to find , expensive and big . I did like the pile that you made with the backhoe.
It all depends (ignoring cost) on what kind of snow you get and how much plowing (miles and width). For me, we get wet snow and I have to plow 2-3 miles of road. A blower is generally narrower and wet snow will freeze in the ejection tube. Worse if it’s windy and you’re in the open, then you get ice blasted.
I added Artillian wings on my blade so I only had to make 2 passes. With a blower I had to make 4 passes ….. and passes equals time freezing your fingers and toes.
And there are things in the road you can hit.
Snow pushers? There are folks who love them. In my experience with my snow the snow just flows around the pusher.
So there is no absolute answer….. just a situationally dependent answer.
Exactly right. Good points. Thanks for watching!
Great comparison and I like how you highlighted the pros and cons of each.
My preference is snowblower all the way. Not because it's faster, but for versatility and nicer finished results. I can open my driveway the exact same size every time, with a plow or bucket, the driveway shrinks every storm. Also where I live, the snow banks by the road are too high for a blade, but fine for loader or blower.
My snowblower is mounted on the 3 point hitch, so I can still keep my loader in the front, so I do use the bucket for backblading in front of the garage or if I have to move slush. Adding rubber strips on the fins of the impeller does help with wet and slushy snow on the snowblower though.
You are right that the blower is the most expensive and harder to install, however a rear blower is cheaper than a front blower because it requires less parts, and also easier to install.
Great summary!
Great information to help others decide which option will be best for their situation. My location is in northern Wisconsin where large snowfalls are common as well as getting a few inches at a time. I chose to go with the rear snowblower as well as having the snow pusher on my loader. This setup provides great weight distribution as well as versatility for varying conditions. My driveways are all gravel as well. Thanks for sharing!
Having lived in NJ, MA, and MN I am so happy to not to need any kind of cloud dandruff removal here in TX.
For the 2 days a year that we get a light snow it is easy to take off and just hibernate while looking at the whitness.
Thanks for sharing.
I agree with your assessment here. Living in MN, it's definitely a blower for me. I thought about a blade for the wheeler, but I didn't want to deal with managing piles. I like the idea of seeing if you can get a snow bucket for the front end loader and see how that does!
For what we get here, I run the loader down the mile lane one time on each tire path. What stays in the middle or rolls off the edge stays there. I spent my money on AWD.
I fully expect a PTO blower on the back and a blower on the front to maximize production for next year's race. (Because that makes financial sense)
Awesome sequel to the first comparison, can't wait for next year's!
These snow plowing races are starting to get expensive!
Excellent video and comparison, Neil! I'm a snow plow guy myself (but own a loader, plow, blower, and broom for my tractor), but as you mentioned, conditions are different for everyone. I like not choosing and just getting them all!
Me too!
I think you hit it on the head with results/situations will vary. I've used all three. I think all three have a place given the proper setup. Here in northern PA we get a surprising amount of wet snow especially near the highway where the salt soaks into the plows spoils in my driveway. I've used all 3 on my current property and the snowblower was awesome when it worked and didn't constantly plug. The plow did okay except I would run out of room to push it back far enough. The winner for me has been the loader for 2 seasons now. I cam pile it up or pick it up and move it without too much trouble. I like the race you did and thought it made for a fun video.
If you get frequent snowfalls like we do here in MN I prefer to own/use 2 Deere tractors. One has the snowblower attachment for the heavier snow, it's hard to beat the speed and distance it moves it away from the drive and parking areas. A second tractor with a loader(better yet with a snow pusher or blade) for the lighter snowfall cleanups that blowers don't always due well and for the ease of swapping out to pallet forks for doing other non snow related chores in the winter like lifting logs and pallets stacked with splits for firewood work or unloading heavy items from trucks/trailers. It can be done with one tractor but it takes to much time to swap out snowblower to loader and back and forth thru out the season for my preference. Great video, appreciate all the time you took to show/document the 3 options.
I have a home made straight blade on the loader of my old tractor and a rear blade for extra ballast and clean up. It worked great for years and I could even pile snow up well with the front blade.
The tractor just sets in the shed most of the time now, because the neighbor I help with field work, comes by with his heated cab skid loader and opens the drive up for me while I look out the window! 😎😁
Good one Neil! I have a 7ft pusher box on my Kubota B2601. Love it. It's actually an Ebling rear drag blade from a truck that was totaled out. I bought it for $100 and welded on a skid steer QA and off I go. I can change out to my pallet forks or bucket in 2-3 minutes. Cheers. Love the Videos as always.
I think the "no piles" from the snow blower is reason enough. Especially in the spring when you can see green grass but still have mountains of snow everywhere destroying my hope for an early spring!
Truth right here! :)
i agree 100% with what you scored.i have a 84 inch front mount snow blower .it costs a lot hard to put on ,but i cant live without it.last year 37 in snow storm with drifts over 5 ft the only thing that worked was my snow blower.no pickup truck could do any of the drive ways in my area.i made a killing.meaning i did all my neighbors for free.i also have a front blade on my rtv900 which i use on small amount of snow.this year we had a snow fall the was very wet and my blower did great.i have over a 600 foot drive way on top of a mountain with very strong winds.i just picked ups rear blade for the tractor for next year to see if that will be better then the rtv.the best thing about the snowblower is i can put snow where i want and the grandkids make great igloos .
That sounds awesome Ron. I like that you made a killing "doing it for free" :) You've given me something to shoot for as I would like nothing more than to be stranded home from work and just drive around blowing snow with a massive blower from the comfort of a heated cab!!
I'm in NE Ohio and own a Bx23S and use front blower with grader blade on 3 point. Light snows just use blade, deeper with the blower or to clean up piles. I had a plow for my truck and hard to store and still had to move piles back in my small area. My blower switch over to winter mode only takes me about a 1.5 hours. Other advantage of a blower is the ability to follow curves on the driveway also, no pushing of the front end. Great video and scorecard
Wet snow? I'll take a Blower EVERY time.
Maybe it's just my equipment, but the tractor mounted blower I have can not only sling slush over 15 feet, but I had a storm earlier this season where I was throwing mostly water. In the end, getting the water off the driveway meant that we had a lot less ice on the drive when it froze. Even my walk-behind blower will make impressive ice sausages in the slush.
If the snow is not watery, the only thing I notice is that I need to go slower to process the more dense material and it does not sling quite as far. If you score the blower high in dryer snow, it should also score high in the wet.
As for sticking, just spray the inner of the blower with a cheap cooking spray. I've never had anything stay stuck doing that.
Nice to hear this. I had mine all sprayed down this year and it made a huge difference.
I have both a snowthrower (single stage) and a blade on my 355D (and I dream of one day owning a 755). On my uneven gravel driveway the blade is worthless, especially if there is ice underneath that isn't smooth. The snowthrower is a champ - if my chained and weighted tractor can get there, the thrower will clear the snow - even if the drifts are well above the height of the thrower box (as often happens in upstate NY). Love these videos, and still watching for my 755... someday....
That’s was great! What a fun time testing equipment, and I agree a blower is the way to go for serious snow.
Very good evaluation, and fun too. It’s sort of a shame that JD doesn’t have this type of video to help customers evaluate and see the comparisons that matter to their situations.
I remember ages ago using a lawn tractor to “race” a ZTR mower and could see directly that despite the straightline parity and increased width, he kept gaining based on maneuverability every pass. I’m sure this video will get lots of views every fall as new folks make this decision themselves.
Hey Jeremy! Great to see you on here! (I think this is the Jeremy I know?)
That's a great idea with the lawn mower racing. That would be nice follow up for me for this summer!
I hope you're right and that people find this video helpful in the fall when they start thinking about the winter snow wars. Thanks so much for watching and for the comment.
@@digdrivediy Yeah mom shared one of your videos and was nice to find you over here, you are doing some good stuff and look like you are having fun too
The most fun was seeing you and your girls enjoying the huge snow pile! Great video, Neil.
Thank you for your time. Trying to find what best to invest in. Something to mow in the summer n move snow in the winter. This was the most info in a video I can find so far. Thank you!
Good luck!
That made me smile, especially the end when your girls were having so much fun!
Thanks
Hate to a stick in the snow but, one the tractor with the blower can used the turf tires its not pushing anything just rolling in behind the blower, the tractors with loader and blade need an AG style tires so they can get better traction, and like you said at end of video a blade on the bucket arms or one of those snow scoop things are the best if they you can angle them, along with the backblade, you back up in you tight places drop the backblade pull forward the same time as your plowing with the front, don't know if anyone else commented this, but with a buck or a plow you ( I as the way I was taught) always start in the middle and work out to the sides less snow pell off to clean up. For the snow plow, I've always found the a 2-3 inch clearance is good for stone or dirt driveways, with the backblade picking up the rest, but I agree with you if you can afford a snowblower use it as long as you have a place to blow it to, if not then you're stuck pushing it somewhere.
Clearly the loader or a loader mounted pusher and blade are the winner because you make snow piles for the kiddos. :)
That said, I have a dirt bucket, snow bucket and snow plow for my mini skidsteer and a blower for my lawn tractor. They all get used in the winter depending on the snow type and area I am doing snow removal so I agree with your determination that mileage may vary. Quick and easy attachment changes makes a world of difference. I find myself using 2 or three different attachments in one cleanup session around the house.
Interesting video. Even if it's 2 years old by the time it showed up in my recommendations. So I had a 400 with a blade. And I've both blown snow and used the fel on my 4410. For a light snow the blade was by far the fastest. With the blower second and the fel third.The blower wins in deep snow and the fel is even with the blade in deep snow as long as you have somewhere to push it.
What I do to control the gravel leaving the driveway is pack the snow with a homemade box blade with a roller on the back. You set the box blade to level out the snow and the roller packs it. After a few days the snow is hard enough that you can use the blower without worrying about the gravel. Snow blowing is still my favorite method of removing snow.
I didn't read every comment but when I lived in a windswept area and had a snow blade, I was plowing every few hours. I had snow piles everywhere. I purchased a snow blower and I cut my snow time down to 2 passes vs hours of moving snow. That was the good part, the bad part was I lost all that tractor time outside in the fresh air. Now live in a wooded area and use the tractor bucket and I throw the back blade on the 3-point hitch for the weight and any fine tuning I might have near structures. The snowblower just sits but I am afraid to sell it because it would cost me too much to replace it, if I ever needed one.
Well done overall. It's tough to be totally objective. And the best part was watching the kids enjoy the snow pile!
Great comparison here Neil. Very well thought out and it's great that you have two 755's to make the comparison as fair as possible.
I've always found it handy to have multiple tractors! :) Thanks Michael!
They’re all better than a shovel!! I was impressed with TTWT’s new video showing moving snow with edge tamers on the bucket. I have a Kubota L3010 with a loader and 7ft rear blade. I push all my snow in reverse using the back side of the blade. This is the only way I have found to push the snow without tearing out all of my gravel.
Interesting comparison.
I'd like to add my two cents on this.
Like mentioned, there are lots of variables in regards to customers needs/wants, especially in what local bylaws there are in regards to placement of snow. In my area, no snow can be placed on public roadway and or drainage ditches. All snow must remain on property, unless hauled to proper snow dumping/melt locations.
Many life times ago, I did a cost analysis on this subject for a company that I was working with. They were wondering if they should buy one of those new, (at the time when they first came out), 'pushing' blades. These would be working on larger articulating loaders, like a Case 821-921, etc.
There are a few customer questions that need to be asked first:
First is the customer a residential, industrial, or an acreage/farm. With that, where does the customer want the snow, removed from site, in a pile, in a windrow along one side of the drive/parking lot, or spread evenly in a grass/tree/shrubbery area.
Second, does the customer use chemicals to control ice, this will also dictate what can be done with the snow. Some local regulations will not allow chemical mixed snow in dumping/melting locations.
Both the above questions will tell me what type of equipment will be required. For the ease of this we won't go into the industrial or residential, but stay with the acreages. We also won't go into the scale of the equipment, as that depends on if one is just using it for one's self or as an actual snow removal business.
For this acreage scenario my first choice will always be a snow thrower. Yes the initial cost will always be more, but that will be offset by the cost of time in the use of it, compared with a blade or bucket. Not to mention the cost of fuel that it takes to push snow as compared to throwing snow. Pushing consistently more weight each foot forward will always take much more energy/fuel to move it.
It doesn't matter how much snow one gets per year, what matters is where the snow has to go and the time it takes to get it there.
With a snow thrower, (done right) one can place the snow, once, where ever it needs to be. If one has a place where it can only be thrown going forward, do that, until it can be thrown to one side or the other. While it does look like a snow thrower goes slower, it does the work in one pass. If one needs a smooth surface to be free and clear of snow and ice, one can always use a rotary brush/broom, either as a walk behind or a stick held piece of equipment.
With a blade or bucket one is always moving snow in a cumulative way, meaning one cubic foot of snow might be touched by the blade or bucket multiple times to get it to the desired location. That costs money, every time that same cubic foot of snow is touched, moving it into a pile or windrow. Especially with a blade, as the multiple windrows are moved along the width of the driveway.
Does the surface of the drive dictate what equipment to use? Yes and no. A snow thrower will work best on a smooth surface like asphalt or cement (and grass!), but it will also work on an aggregate drive as well. One just needs to add a correct height wear block under the OEM skid blocks.
On long drives one would go back and forth, by turning at each end, how many passes will depend on the width of the drive and the width of the thrower. If one needs a cab would depend on where one throws the snow, does one go against the wind or with the wind, throwing it to one side or both sides of the drive.
In the long run a snow thrower will always cost less.
What it really breaks down to, is, how much is your time worth to you.
Yes it is a thrower, it throws snow with a rotary blade, it doesn't use air to blow the snow..
Lots of great insight and info. Thanks for such a detailed and thoughtful comment.
If you have frequent snowfalls of 18” or more, then a blower makes a lot of sense. For 6 - 18” snowfalls, a blade is the way to go. For 6” or less, a loader works and is versatile in the summer. It all depends on your situation.
Loader/backhoe for the win, because you can make your own sledding hill if there isn't one around.
Seriously though the best option is the one that works for your conditions. Being in a suburban Mid-Atlantic area wet snow / slush is definitely a problem. I have a long-ish driveway (comparatively to my neighbors [210ft]) so I have been pondering buying a sub-compact tractor to speed up snow removal. Currently we use a 24" walk behind blower and while that can gunk up with slush and ice; it is less backbreaking than shoveling. For a light amount of fluffy snow I will pick which ever I fancy. For more accumulation the blower is the go to choice. However I will make a second pass with a scraper shovel to remove the small amount that the blower can't remove, especially if we are expecting a quick that and refreeze cycle (this is easier than trying to recover a vehicle that is precariously about to slide down the hillside, ask me how I know).
Real American ingenuity, thank you. The snowblower is ideal when there is an immediate area to blow the snow in rather tight spaces. I wish I had a snowblade for my farm lane as I can't use a snowblower for a packed gravel roadway. Your Dad used the right move. Next time let's see some snow removal with Buffalo-style snow.
I'd love to see some buffalo style snow here. Will that happens? You'll see some backhoe style snow removal probably!
Without being able to try all of the options it is impossible to determine what will work best for someone’s specific situation. I have had the chance to try quite a few options and I find that driveway shape plays a major role in selecting the correct tool. With frequent light snowfalls the front blade is hands down my favorite.
Really? For most people with a concrete or asphalt driveway, the blower is usually going to be the winner. 1/2 the country gets real snow is waves, light snowfalls of 2-3" can usually be either ignored or wait a few days until it get to a decent depth and blow it then. People with minimal snow probably can just get away with a simple plow attachment. Rest of us have no where to push the snow, especially since its illegal to push on street sides, and over the course of the winter your driveway now has 3-5' cliffs of snow/ice.
Great video. I live in KY and rarely have to remove snow. Use the blade on the front of my utv to clear my 1900’ driveway and love it.
1-3 inches, blade. Anything over 6 inches, Blower. Loader for pushing piles during a bad winter. Never wanted a snow blower will my first walk behind but I'd never not have one now. I have a JD 318 with modded blower and back blade, another 318 with 4 way blade, and a Cub 169 with Johnson loader...Honda HSS928 walk behind for good measure. Like you, I buy them needing work...at most I have $1700 in everything. The toys definitely make a winter chore pretty damn fun.
Cleared snow at cemetery 3 times last week and will be 3 times this week. 30" of compacted and crusty snow. I use the loader to pull snow out of some areas that may have debris, rocks etc. The blower does 99% of the work and it can put a 6" rock through the chute without much issue. 84" blower, 66hp 4066r cab tractor and it will blow snow far faster than I could ever move with the loader. The quick hitch also makes the rear blower a 5-10 minute hook up. Still waiting for the inverted Normand blower to show up, running a conventional blower until then.
I also have a 3520 with front mount 59" blower and it does a good job, but there is no comparison to the 84". I went through 12 or so shear pins in 2 months with the 59"Probably double the capacity, speed and ease of use. A rear blower would clear the area you marked out within 2-3 minutes.
That's awesome! An 84" blower would be a beast. I should make this part of my 5 year plan. I will just drive around the neighborhood and be the favorite neighbor!
This was fun to watch. I own a large tracked skid steer and have been doing multiple rural driveways and about a mile of road from my house. I started with a bucket then moved to a 6 way dozer blade for multi season use and just purchased a snowblower for most of the same reasons you outlined in the video. There are so many different situations that no one tool can be perfect at all of it. The biggest difference for me is that unlike your snowblower mine goes on in the same amount of time as hooking up the blade.
I wish the ground I was working on was anywhere close to as flat as yours as that seems to be my biggest problem, high spots and ruts.
Best solution is to have multiple tractors with each attachment for different situations. Our that's how I think. Thanks for the videos always interesting to watch! 🤠👍
Great thinking Brette!
Great video. I'm a maintenance mechanic for a school district near Chicago. We have two John deere 1025r compact tractors. We have front mounted blower, blade, and rotary broom. We primarily use it for sidewalks but I do some blacktop playground areas as well. I've not needed to use the blower yet. The blade has been my favorite but the broom does quite well too. We have a rear blade on order this year. I'm eager to see how that works in combination with the broom up front.
Great vid, I started out with a compact with a 48" blade. With time, results looked ok, but the key is "with time", then I went to a compact with a loader 48" bucket, a little faster but looked "dirty" when I was done. Then the loader tractor with a 72" back blade. Faster yet because the bucket complemented the blade but darn, it killed my back looking t9 the rear all the time. Then came an F935 Deere with 48" 2 stage blower and heated cab. Omg, it is awesome!!! Clean looking job, easily 3 times faster and comfortable! I blow my 2 large drives and 4 or 5 neighbors in 1 to 1.5 hrs while smoking a good cigar and drinking a beer. Retired the F935 from mowing this year so its an exclusive snow machine now, till I modify the cab and blower to fit the 1435 front mount. The added HP and 4wd will make the snow blower without any question the king of the neighborhood.
That sounds wonderful! Moving snow can be quite enjoyable when you're set up correctly. Sounds like you have it figured out my friend. 👍🏻
@@digdrivediyl also had a snowblower on my JD F930 no cab, never been so cold. Now I have a tractor mounted V-Blade and l use the snowblower JD as a snowpusher with tire chains and diff lock. Now we haven't had any measurable snow in the last few years, oh well
Blower is nice if you can afford it, no question. The blade is very dependant on the mass of the vehicle pushing it. Unfortunately that little tractor wasn't heavy enough to do the job. One way to compensate for the lack of mass of that tractor would have been to cut one straight push down the middle and then work the snow out to both sides as opposed to trying to roll the whole mass of snow to one side or the other. Then again, a larger tractor wouldn't have been able to fit through your tight spaces. On our farm, we use a 12 foot blade salvaged from the highways department mounted to a full sized front end loader and that clears the entire roadway at the top speed of the loader while the speed throws all that snow well clear of the roadway. We've run massive snowblowers in the past, but there's too much downtime as debris, or even just ice chunks, from back roads inevitably jams the blower, taking out shier pins all over the place. And at a certain size, blowers just can't touch the speed of a blade.
Good points here. Thanks!
Love this video! It was neat seeing side by side how the methods of snow removal did. We have used a slow blade and blower at our place and definitely prefer the blower. Thanks for taking time to put this together!
The blade's struggle with the first drift shows one of the problems I've run into, and not really mentioned anywhere. The need for momentum to break through, and continue pushing without spinning the tires/tearing up the terrain. Momentum means speed. Speed breaks things. I broke welds 2 winters in a row using blades before I got a used ATV blade with a trip function. Now relate that to cleaning out the end of the driveway between concrete curbs. I hit those more than once with the bucket and blade. The slow and steady chewing and throwing of the blower made finding the edge of the driveway easier, and less damaging.
Good point about momentum!
Years ago I bought a Deere lawn tractor with all wheel drive and turning. The dealer said to forget about chains and weights. I was skeptical but he was right; have not had a single traction problem just using blade.
@@warrenSPQRXxl you lawn tractor probably has turf tires. The R4s on my subcompact are nearly worthless in the snow. I've spun all 4 tires with chains on all of them and 500lbs of ballast on the rear. Our sealed asphalt driveway might as well be a skating rink with a light dusting of snow or thin layer of ice. And trying to push through a foot of the road slush thrown onto the sidewalks by the plow trucks has stopped everything smaller than a skid steer in our town. Glad it works for you though. 👍
I've used all 3 - on the same day. I'd add one more attachment - a sweeper. While the others will get accumulated snow off, a sweeper will take it down to bare pavement.
Love the race. I am a snow blower fan myself. Pushing it leaves huge piles on the edges of your driveway and eventually you're 28 foot wide driveway is now only 22 feet depending on how much snowfall you got. Snow blower you can put that snow in the neighbors yard if you want to or throw it over the house into the back yard. It also causes less damage to your yard and concrete or asphalt.
I agree the snowblower is not convenient and sometimes I use it to push no as long as it's not too heavy.
The main thing with a snowblower is to have a plan so that you know where the snows going to go.
Not all your neighbours wants to have snow on their yard.
Interesting comparison. After watching all these videos, I still use my 1979 Simplicity lawn tractor with a blower as my dedicated machine to move snow. The 1025R doesn't leave the barn. I do wish I had a cab, windy nights are no fun. :)
Perfect.
A 1974 Allis Chalmers 712h is the basis of my homemade compact tractor I call the Chore-Handler! I had to fab up a larger front cabinet for the 42" blower to be wider than my axles (52" now). I was worried it would struggle to keep up with a heavy snow, but the last storm dropped 18" of non-fluffy stuff and I could only bog the engine with the heavy crud at the roadside. I'm impressed with how overbuilt the rear axles and pumps were on those machines. The goal is to make it articulate this summer, as the original steering setup struggles against the larger front wheels (23x10.5s) and to power the front axle for a true 4x4.
Every time I see these JD 755s work though, I think the Chore-Handler is going to be passed to my kids so I can upgrade to a more capable project!
I would add in off season storage space needed. The loader would be 1 because it would be used frequently in the other seasons. Blade would be 2 because it can be stored flat on its blade taking up less room and kept in a corner somewhere out of the way and the snow blower would be 3 it takes up extra space when not in use. Neil it was a good calculitive breakdown on the pros and cons of the devices. Very well done
Great categories! May need to update for next year :)
Great video. My experience gives the blower the winner AND the PADDLE blower tops for wet snow and slush. My 150’ x 40’ driveway is locked in with a stone wall on one side and 10’ high railroad tie wall on the other. I’ve cleared blizzard snow here in upstate NY for the last 48 yrs and still get calls from bladders to blow them out.
Right on
Thank you for sharing.
I am sitting here in central Florida watching your very refreshing video where it is a sweltering 97 degrees outside.
Definitely a little bias in this one, but it was very well thought out. I personally use a 7' grader blade with a couple custom plow shoe brakets. I mount the blade to my FEL using an adapter plate from Titan. With the right amount of curl, the shoes keep the blade from picking up gravel.
Interesting that you say that cause I am trying hard to not have a bias. I wouldn't have that snowblower if not for TH-cam. I wish for my loader to be the only thing I needed so badly. But, after using the blower with a cab I probably am biased I suppose. It's just fun blasting that snow out there 😋
Nice work on those custom shoes! It's all about saving the gravel for me!
Thanks as always Curt!
Honestly i think you need someone who usually uses a plow and well you use the blower....im having to agree with curt on this one
I haven't even watched the video and my vote is already the blower for one simple reason: the reduction in the volume of accumulated snow. Removing snow with a blade or a bucket requires not only an area but a height as well. The mechanical action of the blower must break down the crystalline structure of the ice and that allows the air to be removed. Blow a winter's worth of snow: no pile or maybe a small pile. Plow/scoop snow for a winter: you have a new mountain range along your driveway. Blower FTW.
Most expensive but also the very best option for any of your scenarios is a skid steer with a snow bucket. The combination of square sides and a wide mouth are the ultimate in snow removal from small to largeish spaces. Obviously not a Walmart parking lot but for most acreages or smaller farm yards or businesses, it's king. I clear about a 2 acre space with many obstacles with a dirt bucket in an old 863 bobcat in around an hour. Your poor tractor with any of your attachments would be at that for a minimum of 3 hours. I'd wager that I could clear your yard faster with my 863 than you can with your backhoe. It's that much better in my opinion.
I've got all three, and all three have their place. The 7' blower is on a field tractor that doesn't like to start below 30°. The bucket and blade are on my skid steer. The driveway is 2000' and mostly straight. I have a couple loops to clear and a short stretch of concrete. The blower is great if you like driving slowly in reverse (stiff neck), but it really is the best option for getting rid of the snow. The blade is great to quickly clear light snow, but drifts become problematic, and eventually you run out of room on the side. The bucket takes about 8 passes to adequately clear a straight section, which really bites without a cab in the wind. But in tight spaces, or when the snow piles up and I just need to muscle my way through, the bucket can't be beat.
Options are great, but if I had to do without, I'd probably stick with the blower and my stiff neck. Or upgrade to a frontend blower on a newer tractor. A guy can dream. 😏
Yea I have to agree never ran a blower, but I have ran a rear blade on a 4020 and I have to say that the looking back kills and I would rather risk getting the skid loader stuck than looking back
Six months later...
I swapped out my skid steer for a heavier skid steer. I've gotta say, it makes a world of difference, especially with a heated cab in the equation!
Thank you for this three way test. I've contemplated these three for some time. I am currently using a blade on my Deere. Originally I had extra weight on the back, like your brother did. But I found you can have too much weight on the back which takes too much weight off the front wheels, causing the sliding he was experiencing. Try removing about half of that ballast weight from the back and I think he have an easier time on the snow. In the end, your results were identical to what I concluded as well. For me, the Kabota loader was great but the blade did a better job, especially with the wet snow that we get in the Pac NW. Thanks, and happy plowing
One category I think you "missed" would be curves, (or maybe include within the aesthetics portion), because you need a fairly wide blade to be able to push back snow on a curve and not drive through the bank. That's another reason why a blower works better on your father-in-law's driveway. And as a person that uses a blade exclusively, albeit on a truck - not a tractor, Nate needs some more experience on how to use a blade. You want the snow to fall off the blade as quickly as possible! In your scenario, Nate should have started on the left side and kept pushing it to the left (I'm assuming the blade is manual angle and not hydraulic). He still wasn't going to beat the blower, but I think he could have moved faster than he did. And with a blade you would have to make a lot of passes back and forth compared to the blower. Great video and even though I have never used a blower, I agree with your assessment that the blower is best overall! 😁👨🚒
Oooh, good point about the curves. Definite win for the blower. Nate and Dad were equally inexperienced, so I thought that was at least fair in that regard. The blower is easier to use from that point of view I suppose. Nate plowed snow with a pickup for many years like me. I've used the blade one or two times since the video for the concrete and left the blower sit. Just depends on the snow. Thanks D.A.!
Excellent job Presenting the comparison
Well done sir
Thanks Brock! Appreciate that very much.
Never seen snow in my life, so will not judge your methods but I’m sure that a lot of efforts put in this video, thanks and keep the good work.
I just wanted to add a couple more dollars and cents to the pot. I live in a part of Canada where the “fun” factor wears off about 4 months before snow season is done. Maybe 20 - 30 snow plowing events per year. I have and do use all 3 of the options covered here, and your assessments are on the money. The blade is great for light and frequent snowfalls, but when it gets deeper or when the banks on the side of the driveway (that is 1/4 mile long) get too large, the blower is without a doubt the best tool for the job.
Regarding the gravel loss, the blade is by far the worst for it, even with shoes. We have about $5,000 of 3/4 clear crush in our actual driveway yard area, and the blade can easily lose a few hundred dollars of this gravel over the period of a season. The blade is much less of an issue on the hard-packed road base section gravel which is the 1/4 mile section of driveway. Another hidden cost is the $130 for the pair of blade shoes we will go through in a year without a blower.
Good job on the video!
I think all options are great options and I feel it comes down to ur location and mostly ur preference on which works best for u and in most cases (cost) has a lot do do with it unfortunately. I have a small landscaping business which in winter I plow few commercial lots and residential driveways I finally purchased a plow for my truck but for longest time I got by using just the loader on my tractor but anyway another great video and love the ending
Depends on the snow, depends on what you're trying to clear, and where you can deposit the excess snow. So.... depends. But my overall favorite for small scale/driveway; definitely a snowblower.
Blade seems to work for snow that's under a foot. Deep powder the snow blower. Loaders nice to be able to put snow off to the side wherever you want but my first time using one I didn't set the bucket the right way and ended up scraping lines in my driveway even though I floated the bucket. I had it tilted. Luckily some blacktop sealer should fix that in the summer. I also found you don't go far till the bucket loads up. I'm sure as you said everyone has a different method for what they do. Great comparison. Thanks.
In Northern Ontario my preferred setup is front loader and 3 point rear blower. We get a lot of snow and my driveway is long, the blower is by far the best option, but having the loader on the front is nice for knocking down banks when they get up to 6’ or higher.
I have all 3, here are my take aways in my experience. 1- snow blade 2-blower 3 bucket. the blade has to have chains, you angle it and this could have been done in 3 -4 passes. The blower will do it more clear every time though.
Well, I'd have to agree on all fronts. Being from Michigan, we get plenty of snow. I haven't had the opportunity to use a blade but my Grandpa used one for the first 5 years after buying his 445 new. He went to a 2 stage 47 blower afterwards and said it was a major difference, in a good way. I do have a somewhat off topic question (still regarding tractors) if you've got the time to answer it: I've currently got my Grandpa's old 1995 445 with a 47in 2 stage blower, a cab, and a 54in deck. He bought a new X738 and let me take over the reins to the 445. I got the tractor back in May just before turning 20, and after climbing around on it since I was born, it was an awesome gift to have. Since it's more of a sentimental piece, I'd like to keep from working it too much and so I considered maybe buying a 455 to swap all the attachments to. However recently I've been considering a different route, that being going with a 55 series compact (855 or 955). I part our vehicles so I'm always needing to lift heavy stuff and the nearly 1000lb lift capacity of a 955 versus 450lbs on the 455 is pretty enticing and would make my part out jobs MUCH easier. However I obviously can't swap any of my 445 attachments to the 55 series, and the 55 series is gonna be at least triple the price with a loader, at least the ones I've seen. Hopefully that's enough info to go on, but my question based on all that is what would you do? I've got just over an acre and a good size driveway. I figure if I can find an 855/955 with a loader and a 72in deck it'd be perfect for everything I need but again, I wouldn't be able to swap my attachments from the 445, however with the loader and deck, I don't think I'd need to anyways. But I'm rambling now Lol. If you got a sec to shoot me your thoughts on this, I'd appreciate it. Also, thanks for the follow over on Instagram 🤙
I would go with the 8 or 955 for sure. Even a 755 will be more capable than the 445. If you're gonna use it to lift stuff than even less doubt. Glad to follow you on Insta. Thanks for watching!
Great comparison video! My number 1 pick out of what I have to use is a 3 point rear angle blade. I’ve never used a blower any. Really enjoyed this!
Thanks Ben!
Thank your dad for the Laugh, I live just above the arctic circle and most people use a blower here.
Yeah , the smaller tractor with the blade has a tendency to have the front end get pushed to the side in deeper snow . I have a 2019 2025r with a boom mounted front blade . It works pretty well at piling snow and costs a bunch less than a blower . I did just buy a used frontier 60 in snow pusher and can't wait (not really lookin forward to snow!) to try it out . This one has a back drag to clean up by my garage door also . I also have a 60 in frontier rear blade that works well as long as the ground is frozen . Thinkin bout fabricating some plow shoes for it . I also have a pair of edge tamers for my bucket . You can clean up grassy areas without tearing up the yard with them .
I’m using a bucket on the front and use my box blade on the rear. I find it’s a great way to open things up, provides extra rear weight and reverse operations aren’t wasted time. If I need to drag snow as the driveway is being cleared I can drag it out and drop it in a more convenient area that still needs more snow removal. We don’t have a snowblower and have heard the argument for one, but only ones available used are way over priced or too large for my tractor. I get the argument for tight spaces with the bucket though. Someday I might consider one, but not today for now. I’ll continue to be happy using the bucket and box blade and thankfully not need to do it all by hand!!!
That's the best thing...not doing it by hand! Thanks Steven!
I'm in a somewhat rare situation. I get tons of snow (up north). No trees and flat plains results in drifts often double or triple the height of a walk behind snow blower. But my driveway is about 5 car lengths long and 4 wide. I used to move the snow with a combination of an atv and blade (only worked if I got started before it was drifting) and a walk behind snowblower and just taking a ton of time. I have an acre and a half (reason I now own a small tractor - 1025r). For my unusual situation, the bucket wins. I can take the snow and pile it out of the way, it came with the tractor, and the whole thing can fit in a garage stall ready to open the door and plow the driveway. This is a cool video showing the situations each is good at.
I have a rear mounted snow blower and works well with dry powder snow, but clogs with wet heavy snow...under ideal conditions it works faster than my bucket and pull blade...my tractor is chained up for traction...good video...
It's pretty nice you just happen to have 3-755's for the test! AWESOME! Blower all the way in my opinion! Cleans up the snow better BY FAR! Nice video man! Thanks! 👍
Actually I only have two but it is very nice. I took the loader off to install the snow blade on the one. Thanks for watching Adam!
Yeh Buddy!
Each attachment has it's own place, I have a three lane driveway
I personally use my loader /bucket
I'm with ya!
I think your evaluation is pretty fair. At the very least it was entertaining to watch. You said it best at least at one point, that it’s all situational. Another piece of equipment to consider is the snow pushers. I think these are best situationally for clearing parking lots/areas, do well on both concrete and gravel, and you can still make big piles of snow. They definitely wouldn’t be a great choice for long driveways. I wish I could justify a pusher or blower but I fall pretty squarely in the bucket category and can’t justify the cost.
Yeah, I agree. If it weren't for me finding a good deal here and there, I'd be a definite loader guy too. Thanks Phil!
Loved the video, and I’m glad I stayed on til the end! That laugh! 😂
Great video and good job on the comparisons....I would have graded them exactly the way you did. I don't have one either but I would like a snow blade for my loader with a hydraulic angle...I think that would be ideal! Great video Neil...take care from Franklin County, Va.
Nice video Neil! I am a converted snowthrower guy. Plowed my 600’ driveway for years, consistently ran out of room and had to keep making more room. 2015 I got a cub cadet with blower… changed the way I clean the driveway forever. The amount of time it takes to clean is about the same, however, I can literally get rid of the snow. In spring, I will snowblow the remaining snow to give my lawn a chance sooner 😂. Now, with the Kioti, I may use the bucket but only to dig out spots I haven’t snow blowed or if I’m just farting around. 😁
Awesome! Thanks Troy!