B7100HSD snowblower size, 60" too much?

[F250SD]

I am looking to purchase a 3pt snowblower for my 1993 Kubota B7100 HSD. Ideally i am looking for a 50" blower.
However, I found a Farm King 60" 3pt snowblower going up for auction in one week and wanting to know if this is too much for my tractor?
I asked my local Kubota dealer and he tells me it can handle the 60" blower if i take my time, however he was also trying to sell me a 60" blower he had in the warehouse.
Does anybody run a 60" blower on their B7100?
Will this be too large of blower for my tractor?
Would I be better off to keep looking for a 50" blower?
Thanks.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yea a 60" is a big bite for a B7100, wet snow would really tax it, you would be better off with a 50".

 

[Sterno]

I agree with Wolfman.
I run a 51" blower behind my B7100 and when the snow gets wet and sticky it's slow going. I would also be careful of the weight of the blower, Steering can be tricky especially if you don't have a loader or some weights on the front of your tractor

 

[F250SD]

I do have a front end loader to help offset the weight of the blower. When we get a good snowstorm, i normally have 3ft to 4ft drifts in my driveway, so that first pass would be tough going I am afraid, especially the 60" blower...
What are the pros / cons to front blowers vs. rear blowers? Obviously not having to turn backwards is the biggest thing. However, i wasn't sure if there were differences in PTO RPM at the different locations. Any slight HP advantage in front vs. rear due to losses, as well as lift height between the two? Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Mainah]

I have a 64” on the back of my L2501 and it handles 22” of wet heavy snow very well. That was about a week after an even wetter 15” storm. I was impressed for a tractor with just under 20 hp at the pto.
I can’t say if your B would handle a 60” but I needed 64” to cover my tracks and it’s what Kubota recommends.
As far as front vs rear goes, I decided to go rear partially because of ground clearance issues. I don’t have a tremendous amount to clean but I have some rough areas and the rear blower is much easier to handle in that I find. It’s very easy to lift it just above the surface and watch it closely to adjust when needed vs the front. It lifts pretty high and it’s great for clearing back high banks.
I also like having the loader on so I can still use the bucket to back drag when necessary or knock down a bank.
I used a JD X530 with a 47” front blower before and while it worked ok most of the time it was easy to get stuck if you’re not very careful. Best to keep a front blower setup on pavement imho.

 

[torch]

I've got a 51" rear blower on mine. Empty weight is 420lbs, which is about 80lbs more than Kubota rates the B7100 3PH for. No problem blowing through a foot or more of reasonably dry snow at full speed in low range. Need to slow down for heavy, wet snow. Need to really creep in to move dense banks and plow rows back, but it will do it.

I think a 60" would be ok for dry stuff, but might be too much blower under extreme circumstances. You might be OK if you overlapped passes, taking a smaller bite or go blow things out at 6" in heavy wet stuff instead of 12". My biggest concern would be the overall weight. How much more does the 60" weigh compared to a 50"? Remember, it's not just the dry weight, but also the weight when coated in icy snow inside and out.

 

[Woodsie]

hey F250SD,
I have a factory Kubota from mount complete snowthrower for a B7100. Perfect mechanical working order, I even have a Kevlar belt for it. would include pulley, blower, belt, lift cyl (you would need some hoses made) $800 firm, send me a PM and I could send some pics. I ship lots of cumbersome machined parts for my business, prob be around $200 to ship to Iowa.
(john)

 

[Dave_eng]

My friend has a B7100 HST from about 1978.

If you are looking for a cheap, last forever, 3 pt blower for a B7100, look for ones which may be orange, green or red. Many look so rusty you would be inclined to think they were just scrap.

They will have been made by McKee for several manufacturers to sell as their own brand.

Distinguished by their open gears with no lube and 3 blade fan. About 48" wide.

On the other forum, "Eric the Oracle," has become an expert on all the models McKee made, and has parts lists and other info.

My friend has run the blower on the higher pto speed of the B7100, perhaps 825, not the usual 540 pto rpm, since be bought it almost 55 years ago.

Dave