Snow plowing with a skidsteer

[Ken07AOVette]

I have a little contract here, and have plowed snow for them for over a decade. I have used a quad with a blade, then a few different 1/2t and 3/4t 4x4's, a couple utility tractors with front end loaders, then finally last year a Case 621b payloader. I absolutely loved it, but it was huge for my needs, and I was worried about stripping the pavement off to the bone. It cut down plowing time by over 60%. I ended up selling it, am sure going to miss the power and speed.
This year I have finally found a skidsteer I like, for the right price. The truck is excellent, warm cheap to run, peanuts to repair but the blade has zero down force.

The little tractor (currently for sale in the forums) is great, but with no cab it is a sunny warm day thing only. After plowing for several hours I am cold for way too long, there is no way to dress warm enough.

Which brings me to the skidsteer. Has anyone used one for any length of time plowing snow? I see there are cheap blades and snow buckets at Uncle Weiners dot com, which are interesting. This is a wheeled unit, btw.

[buckbrush]

No real help on this one. I have used a skidsteer for my snow removal at home and the driveway for the last six years. I only use a small bucket so if I dont want big piles on the driveway its lots of back and forth.

I might get a blade or snow bucket down the road but it only takes me an hour if the snow is deep and much faster if just a few inches.

When I used to use the quad and a blade I would dread having to clear snow, now in a heated cab with a stereo and good lights, it's not so bad.

[zeek]

yep i use a bobcat all the time. i bought a plate for the front mount from canterra (i think that's how you spell it) . i mounted a trailer receiver on the plate itself because we use it for moving boats around...anyways we bought a snow bear 82" blade and it mounts into the receiver. you don't even need the lift winch because that is controlled by the bobcat itself. the blade floats so all is good in that department. i'll never go back to anything else because we have 1/4 mile of driveway to do every year and we get a ton of blowing snow across the driveway from the fields . oh one other thing i will mention...go to uncle wieners and get some tire chains for the bobcat or you will just get pushed around. LOL
zeek

PS look at snow Bear Blades we are not sorry we did...

[Greatwest]

I have used a skidsteer for great lengths of time loading out fertilizer at a plant and also for plowing snow. I find after being in the small cab for longer intervals I get dizzy and also feel sick to my stomach and also my neck and shoulders start to hurt from sitting straight up for so long. What type of skidsteer does it have hand controls or foot controls for your hydraulics?

[bushbug]

I have a skidsteer that i use all the time plowing snow .A smooth bucket is okay but a blade you can angle is twice as fast.

[tikka250]

we use a skidsteer at work for multiple things one of which is plowing snow. i have found that with the snow bucket (no tire chains) the bucket gets so full and heavy that i end up spinning my tires on the ice. unless im clearing big areas of light fluffy snow i end up using the regular bucket to maintain traction. one thing to note is to get a good bar for breaking up hard chunks of snow packed into the bucket as it can get out of hand and become a huge pain in the rear.

[silver]

[QUOTE=Ken07AOVette;4028150

The little tractor (currently for sale in the forums) is great, but with no cab it is a sunny warm day thing only. After plowing for several hours I am cold for way too long, there is no way to dress warm enough.

Which brings me to the skidsteer. Has anyone used one for any length of time plowing snow? I see there are cheap blades and snow buckets at Uncle Weiners dot com, which are interesting. This is a wheeled unit, btw.[/QUOTE]

If cold was the only problem, then I would get an electric vest. I rode with one for years, the longest ride was to Wainwright at -8.

I traded a friend some not-useful-to-me stuff for a piece of steel that could be made into a blade. I will be getting some time off soon, it will give me some time to build a frame for it.

I have given it some thought lately. I have a friend with a business in town and he plows his parking lot with a one ton and a blade. He can only plow in one direction, a skid steer can change the blade angle and plow both ways. I think a skid steer could do the job in a fraction of the time of his truck. In his favour, he does plow a number of different places and in that way a truck could be faster.

A modification I am thinking about is an extension to the blade top so that the blade could be tilted forward and used to pull snow away from a garage door or a wall.

[Ken07AOVette]

Thanks guys, good info.



this one has hand controls

I was pushing the snow from the main areas into huge windrows, say 12' wide x 7' high x 75 feet long with the half ton. Then I would go to the end with the payloader, and walk right through them, pushing the snow across the road into the ditch. It saved so much time it was awesome, I am hoping to do the same with the skidsteer.

Packed snow is never a real problem, I generally stay ahead of it. With the Case there was no issue at all lol, damn that old girl was amazing. I am hoping to use this for a while then get a mini payloader at some point.

[Puma]

I run a wheeled Cat skid steer (brush grapple , forks, or smooth bucket) at work. I find them next to useless on wet dirt, mud, ice or slick surfaces. Nothing for clearance under them either. If I ever buy one it will have tracks.

For snow at home, 90 hp open station tractor with a 3 pt 7' snowblower on rear and loader on front.

Insulated coveralls and a good hat and I'm good for hours.

Why do you have 0 pressure on the blade ? You should be able to lift the front end right up on that machine.

[yoteblaster]

I have a 9 foot snow plow blade on my skid steer. Plows amazingly fast Also have a loader tractor currently and a pay loader years ago. Much much faster than the loader or tractor. Changes angle hydraulically. Also have a 8 foot snow bucket that I can use if the snow banks get to high. A 2 speed skid steer is a must in my opinion

[expedition]

Many moons ago had access to a 863 bobcat with 8 foot blade amazing . 3/4 mile drive way two passes ten or 15 min . Took longer to unload and load the unit back onto trailer . Very slick . From what I heard a tracked skidsteer is not preferred. May not be as good as a loader for heavy packed down snow .

[tri777]

A skid steer with a set up like this would make for some quick
clearing of lots/yards/driveway/approaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8mOP6g-XcQ

[amosfella]

I'd suggests buying a good blower for the skidsteer. For some reason, running snow through the blower reduces the volume of it in the piles.

[jstubbs]

Thanks for posting this. I’ve had the same question. Had one friend suggest look into getting a tracked skid steer as it’s easier on the pavement and gets better snow traction. No idea if that is true? I have a line on a good deal for a medium sized skid steer with heated enclosed cab for a fair price and I an tempted to get it. Also curious about blower/brush attachments

[Blastoff]

I use a skid steer with snow bucket 84 inch, I got lots of time but also have a smaller yard no problems, also do a few neighbors. Used a quad before and still use on small dumps, skid steer would be more for placing it rather than loosing it. Heated cab is nice with a light jacket better than freezing my arse on a quad

[Ken07AOVette]

I started plowing with a Griz 660. I put 1800km on it at 2.5mph, only in winter. Way more hours than miles on it. When I put on a real good windshield it was like heaven, almost like having a heater. Almost.

Then I rode in a half ton with a blade with a friend, and was hooked. Heat, stereo, comfy seat, did I mention heat?

I love using a truck, my 08 F250 even had heated seats and a DVD player, just nothing but comfort in the late hours. I am right now changing the transmission in my old 07 F150, they do not like plowing apparently.

But, after countless hours and a couple decades I have found that I would rather spend some money on better equipment, so I can spend less time behind the wheel. I really regret selling the payloader, but it was working perfectly and I got an offer I just could not refuse. After initial purchase and plowing with it for a year the profit from selling the loader is paying for the skidsteer, and this is a 95hp unit, not a little one. I am a little worried about being cramped for hours, but the idea is to plow windrows with the truck, and push the piles out with the skidsteer if I can not handle sitting the entire time in the Cat.

We will see how winter goes.

[Ronan_357]

We use skid steers for clearing snow on site during the winter as well as our office yard and occasionally i’ll use dads to clear snow at the farm. Never got the chance to use a blade only buckets, it works okay depending on which machine I get to use. We have 45 hp to 95 hp and the larger ones have the muscle to move more but I can get a 45 to do a fair bit. Tires and tracks both suck on ice so a set of chains might not be a bad idea.

I think you’re just going to have to get into the machine before buying it and just play around for awhile to see if you can handle being in it for hours on end. I’ve used new holland, cat, deer, bobcat and kabota, the kabota’s are the best I’ve been in. They have the best response and power out of our machines and large cabs.

[Jim Blake]

I had the snow blade for my Bobcat and didn't really like it much.

Traded it off for the hydraulic 6 way blade and love it. You can angle it, tilt it to any road profile and put as much or as little (has a float) pressure as you want.

[lannie]

I have a couple skid steers that are used for commercial snow clearing in the winter and this is what works for me. I don't use chains on parking lots but always have a set handy for doing acreages with steep driveways. I put them on when i need them, and take them off as soon as they are not needed. Put the screw in studs on the tires for the ice that you will encountered and that will be a big help. I don't know anyone that keeps chains on who does it on a commercial basis and there are many around. Most efficient is a large snow bucket. Make sure any snow bucket you get has a replaceable edge. I have a hydraulic John Deere 84" blade that never gets used and its a good one. If you can't lift the snow, a blade has very limited in use. Large snow push works well in large lots as the windrows you end up chasing no matter what you use is what slows you down. Still need to have a bucket as nothing else works as well when the snow is deep.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by lannie

I have a couple skid steers that are used for commercial snow clearing in the winter and this is what works for me. I don't use chains on parking lots but always have a set handy for doing acreages with steep driveways. I put them on when i need them, and take them off as soon as they are not needed. Put the screw in studs on the tires for the ice that you will encountered and that will be a big help. I don't know anyone that keeps chains on who does it on a commercial basis and there are many around. Most efficient is a large snow bucket. Make sure any snow bucket you get has a replaceable edge. I have a hydraulic John Deere 84" blade that never gets used and its a good one. If you can't lift the snow, a blade has very limited in use. Large snow push works well in large lots as the windrows you end up chasing no matter what you use is what slows you down. Still need to have a bucket as nothing else works as well when the snow is deep.

X2 on this.

I did it for a living for a while, and we used large snow buckets exclusively. The only time we'd change them out was to put a tooth bucket on to break up thick hard packed snow in a parking lot or driveway.

The big snow buckets are the same size as a blade when pushing forward, so the area you can clear in one pass is a wash, but the bucket has huge advantages.

It holds snow, so you spend WAY less time chasing the little windrows and trying to push snow sideways or backing up.

Being able to raise the bucket and use the cutting edge to precisely pull the snow back away from curbs, walls, etc...,

And of course, the the biggest and most obvious advantage, the ability to lift, pile or carry the snow. They're big, but their built quite light, and you can move, load, or carry a lot of snow in a single bucket, and they're surprisingly easy and agile to use once you get onto them.

In all the years I did commercial snow removal, I can't think of a single situation, at our company, or any other, where the Bobcats had blades/plows on them. It kinda defeats the whole purpose of clearing snow with a Bobcat.

Tracks were pretty new on the scene when I moved on, but in my experience at the time, wheeled loaders were WAY better in the snow. It wasn't even close. Ground clearance on tracks was poor, and their low ground pressure meant they had very little traction as soon as the snow got even slightly packed. And the worst part was, they tended to pack the snow on their own and created their own ice. I hated the tracked machines in winter.

[Puma]

The nice thing about using a blower, is you never get windrows along your drive or have to handle the snow twice. Mine throws it about 30 feet at 90 degrees or I adjust the chute angle for less when closer to the buildings.

If I do use the quad/blade for smaller snows, I can blow the windrows away when they build up.

Where I do have trouble is more in the late spring with heavy wet snow, it will ball up in front & plug up the discharge chute. Im going to repaint the inside this fall with a slicker enamel and see if that helps.

My drive is north/south and 1860 feet long through open field. I used tractor with a loader for years before I finally clued into a blower.

[sharpstick]

Ken,
You are an above average sized man, possibly the largest man on this forum, and I would bet that getting in and out of a skidsteer will get old real fast for you. I think a skidsteer is a great snow plowing option for many but I would bet you will be back in your truck sooner than later or looking at another payloader. My buddy had a mini payloader (Whacker) and it is great for doing all types of plowing/lifting etc. and has more room and sight lines than a skidsteer.
Just my 2 cents.

SS

[Rancid Crabtree]

I have a 624J John Deere loader for many duties on the farm.

You may as well start shopping for your next wheel loader, that's where you will end up after running that 621 case.
If you had a wheel loader with a hydraulic angle blade you'd likely never use the pickup plow again.
Manoeuvrability, capacity, visibility and comfort all in one machine.

Best of luck in your decision.

[Stubb]

I have a skid steer snow blade that i was using with a bobcat 753. I found it worked well until you hit some hard pack on the outside of the blade, then it would want to spin the machine into the drift. There was a comment above about using chains and i think that would solve that problem. I now use a larger tractor so haven't touched the skidsteer blade in 8 or 9 years. I'd gladly sell it if anyone is interested. It has hydraulic attachments for tilt.

[sarahfaye]

Get the biggest bucket you can find. My 104" Bobcat brand bucket has done an obscene amount of work and is still straight. This is the 10th year, 10,000 pound machine behind it.
Doing it again I would pass on the blower. Good ones are expensive (10K)and mine just sits in the shed. Noisy, slow and wow the fuel you burn is prohibitive. Chains stay on all winter.

[Suzukisam]

Don’t even consider the blade from uncle wieners. It is Chinese steel and very thin where it counts. You will be rebuilding every piece of you use it on skidsteer. I bought one and have replaced everything but the mould board. If you want to see the cheap crap they are made of send me a msg I will let you look at mine. They sell 10 every richi bros auction and the go for 950. Still a crap deal. There buckets are the same

[protect]

Ken I used a bobcat for few years. Driveway was total back and forth 1 mile long. I had a pivot blade 7 feet. Angle it either way. I plowed lots of snow with it.

If u go this route i suggest rods each top of blade so you see angle and ends of blade.
Plus 2 plates on bottom so blade wont dig into ground and stop you fast.

Hope this helps.

[Ken07AOVette]

Well I drove to Stettler for the 2nd time in 2 days, and ended up coming back home with a envelope full of money. When I pulled the plug as it was idling there was terrible blow by. The funny thing was when you speed it up the blow by went away, but back again full bore when you idle it down.
Also, he said there was ~4500 hours, but on a filter it said 3569 hours Oct 2009. I am guessing twice the hours he claims.

I agree about the loader and in and out of the skidsteer, but I make with do with what I have.

The search continues.

[mooseknuckle]

A guy your size ken.... a flag pole and 8' blade and you could do it by hand. But a guy has to keep warm too. Good look in the search, i used to clear snow with an old case in newer developments with showhomes, all fun and games until you hit a manhole cover on road when they havent done the finish layer of asphalt. Teeth through lip. No fun.

[Sitting Bull]

I have been plowing snow for over 20 years commercially. All I ever use is a 7'1/2" Western pro plow on my dodge 2500.I push and pile. Only once have I needed a skid steer to reduce the piles as I ran out of space to put the snow. If getting down to the pavement is not necessary, this works great. If you need to get to pavement then you will need something else. I like the truck as it is quick, keeps me nice and warm, I can listen to music, easier on my aging sore body and do not have to be bundled up with clothes plus it is a lot cheaper option, easier and less expensive to repair than a skid steer or loader. You can buy new blade set up starting at about $8000.+ . Be careful buying used.