[Ford-ferguson] TO-20 for snow plowing

Mike Sloane mikesloane at verizon.net
Wed Dec 1 14:35:24 PST 2004


Well, I would argue about the difference between pushing and pulling 
snow. For one thing, you will very quickly discover that it is literally 
a pain in the neck to run a tractor backwards plowing snow for any 
length of time. Second, your tires are designed for best traction going 
forward, so you really need to swap them side to side for what you want 
to do. Either way, you are going to need chains AND weights in back.

I have a 7' blade on the back of my Ford 860 and clear two miles of dirt 
road, half a dozen driveways, and clean up around my barn and garage 
with it. The only problem I have is when I let the snow get more than 
about a foot deep - the front of the tractor tends to get pulled around 
by the blade. (I now use a truck mounted plow for the really heavy work 
and leave the tractor for clean-up.) The advantage of pulling is that 
you can back right up to a garage/barn door with the blade up, drop it 
next to the building, and pull it away with you.

As far as hitting something, generally, whether you are going forward or 
backward, those light blades (under about 400 pounds) just bounce up. If 
you really ram the whole mess into something like a big rock, you stand 
a good chance of breaking something in the hitch or bending the blade. I 
have never had that happen. But you won't upset the tractor - generally 
the TO-20 will run out of traction in the snow long before it causes any 
damage.

See <http://public.fotki.com/mikesloane/other_machinery/fordcab2.html> 
for an image of this setup.

Mike

Bob Erickson wrote:
> I'm thinking of putting a 6' blade on the back of my TO-20.  Pushing 
> snow is more effective than pulling it, so if I reverse the blade and 
> drive backwards to push snow off my driveway am I in danger if I hit 
> something solid like ice or digging into turf just off the pavement?  I 
> really don't want to flip the tractor on top of myself or tear it up.
> 
> I could keep using a shovel but it takes an hour or more to clear the 
> whole drive that way, and even more time yet if the kids 'help'.  
> Besides, shoveling was more fun in 1970 than it is today.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Bob
> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. 
-Thomas Carlyle, writer (1795-1881)


-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 265.4.4 - Release Date: 11/30/2004




More information about the AT mailing list