[AT] Cold weather: 3 pt. snow blowers

[Phil M. Vorwerk]

I had a Ford 2000 SOS with a loader and a 3 point blower. I had been using a
Scout Traveler with a blade to move snow prior to that. I used the Ford for
one year and sold it; absolutely hated using it. It moved snow great but I
couldn't tolerate having to twist my body and neck to operate the blower
going backwards. Also, I didn't have a cab, and it seemed that no matter
what day it was, the wind was always perfect to blow the snow directly back
at me.

I sold the setup and starting hiring it done for my commercial properties.
Now I have a couple of John Deere 425 AWS garden tractors; one set up with a
blade, the other with a blower. I use them to clear snow at my home and
occasionally bring the blower setup in town to clean up the lots and loading
docks for my business. I would never go back. 

Just my 2 cents.

Phil M. Vorwerk
Sunny Courtland, Minnesota.

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Greg Hass
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2016 1:16 AM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: [AT] Cold weather: 3 pt. snow blowers

Have been thinking snow blower on and off for several years but was never
very serious. However, a couple of things have got me thinking again. First,
my skid steer has been down for a couple of months. Due to a knee problem I
have not been able to work on it ( takes over 6 weeks to see a knee Dr.
x-rays from reg. Dr. say bone spurs in knee). Also a guy I know at the
coffee shop has one for sale. I looked at it today, did not bother him, just
stopped by the road. Main problem I see is I think it's a little narrow (65
inches- he had it on a New Holland compact with a fairly narrow wheelbase).
Both tractors I might use it on have a 74 inch or slightly wider wheelbase;
IH 574 or JD3020. How much this matters I do not know. I thought about
putting 6 inch wings on each side but question that. His asking price is not
bad- around $1200 but we found a new one at a dealer 45 miles from here for
under $4000. Besides new it is 74 inches wide. It might be nice to go a
little wider than 74 inches but that change really ups the price. My drive
is only 300 feet long and in our part of Michigan some years you only clean
twice and sometimes 20 times. Snow fall varies but nothing close to what
Ralph gets. I have used a skid steer for 35 years and have gotten by; the
hardest part is because you do not know the snowfall you will get, you must
start by cleaning a big area so as to not get boxed in ( don't ask how I
know this). A blower would avoid this problem. We plan to look at the
dealers tomorrow. It is a Land Pride SB15 series. If the salesperson told
the wife correctly, the one they have in stock has hydraulic turn on the
spout. I did not see a brand on the used one but it looks the same in every
detail to the Land Pride. Also,how important are tire chains. I don't have
any and have put some on before and certainly don't like that job. As to
tractors, my 574 is handy to get on and off but is diesel; the 3020 on the
other hand is harder to get on,higher up, but is gas and has differential
lock. I know I could get along without one but at my age,68, I fight with
myself whether to stay cheap or enjoy a few things in life. My dad taught us
that having fun in life was wrong and that all that mattered was work, work,
and more work. Enough of that. 
Anyway; any advice on snow blowers would be welcome; if they work, don't
work, if I should stick to my loader, etc.  One last thing; a front or rear
blade are not in my future.
      Greg Hass



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