FEL with blade snow removal

[Tazz]

I bought a QA kubota front blade with my B2650. They are calling for 12" of snow this week. My driveway is un-even and it's gravel i was told by the dealer to let it float and i would be fine.

I have tried the float position with no snow on my driveway in reverse and it still seems to dig into the road the ground is not frozen yet. I did have the blade straight at the time instead of using it at an angle. I was only trying to even out my gravel.

When it does snow i was going to put the shoes down a few inches and let it float over my road all i can see after the snow melts is two ruts going down my road from the shoes on the blade lol

I will need to plow some of my yard to for the dogs.

My road has hills to make it worse. Any tips for a newbe?

 

[Diydave]

If you have the blade angled, you can curl the bucket, up or down, to match the mounded contour of the road. You prolly will have some scraping, it's the nature of a gravel road...

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Ive only used my new to me blade twice this year. Any car can drive thru 1-2" of snow. So the first 2 snows I skipped the float and just set the blade about an 1 higher than the gravel. The shoes were dragging but not really any weight on them. I figure once I get a good snow pack then I could drop it and float. The snow pack has melted again this year, waiting for some more practice time.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Tazz,

Get some bucket shoes. They are $25 apiece and three will bolt on the bottom of your bucket lip and keep it from digging in. A buddy does his gravel drive and loves them. I'll try and get the link to where he bought them.

Ray

Here you go: http://r2manufacturing.com/

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I don't know if your ground really freezes up solid, and I suspect you don't build up a snow pack on your driveway that stays there all winter. You may need to build or buy oversize shoes or wheels for your blade. If the ground isn't frozen and even worse is wet and soft you could really dig in even with the shoes all the way down. The yard for the dogs will be an even bigger problem if soft and wet under the snow.
You might reduce the digging in by replacing the cutting edge on your blade with rubber. There are several threads on OTT about rubber edges on blades.

 

[Tazz]

So is the dealer wrong about just letting the blade float? Should i not even use the snow blades shoes?

It sounds like i would be better off just keep it a inch or two off the ground but the trouble is my road has hills so i would have to adjust it constantly and it's really hard to judge how far up you have the blade.

This is what i have

and the shoes look like these

 

[Ike]

When you drive is soft tilt you blade forward so that it does not dig in as bad. The cutting edge will them ride over the ground in stead of trying to dig in. That is what I do to mine and have been using it for the last 20 years on my skidsteer. It will still get some gravel in the snowbanks but not as bad

 

[Tazz]

When you drive is soft tilt you blade forward so that it does not dig in as bad. The cutting edge will them ride over the ground in stead of trying to dig in. That is what I do to mine and have been using it for the last 20 years on my skidsteer. It will still get some gravel in the snowbanks but not as bad

In the float position?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Set the shoes all the way down, set the blade down so it's not digging in, note the tilt angle, put the loader down in float so it will follow the ground.
If you don't normally freeze up ever consider changing the mushroom pads with wide caster wheels.

 

[Ike]

In the float position?

Yes and another thing is I took the round pads off the blade and made a couple of longer flat ones and this made a big difference. I like the idea of the ones that someone suggested that go under the cutting edge as I think they would work great when the ground is soft. I would take the off one the ground froze up. I don't know how cold it gets where you are t bu here it is -9 tonight. One other word of caution go slow the first time plowing as I was going to fast and the blade hit a stump when made me leave a nse print on the glass door. Not to mention the black and blue spots across the tops of both legs

 

[Tazz]

Yes and another thing is I took the round pads off the blade and made a couple of longer flat ones and this made a big difference. I like the idea of the ones that someone suggested that go under the cutting edge as I think they would work great when the ground is soft. I would take the off one the ground froze up. I don't know how cold it gets where you are t bu here it is -9 tonight. One other word of caution go slow the first time plowing as I was going to fast and the blade hit a stump when made me leave a nse print on the glass door. Not to mention the black and blue spots across the tops of both legs

Where can i buy sled type shoes? The ones posted are for a bucket. Now they are calling for 20+ inches of snow. I should have bought a blower for that much snow.

Ground does freeze at night but once the sun comes up it thaws out and re-freezes at night.

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Edge Tamers

http://r2manufacturing.com/

 

[Lil Foot]

Where can i buy sled type shoes? The ones posted are for a bucket.

I would also be interested in sled type shoes for a front blade.
I have the same "mushroom" skids on my blade, and they work great on a hard packed surface, but are completely useless on my cinder driveway- they just dive down to the hard-packed dirt under the cinders & scrape away all the cinders. I will probably get some edge tamers for the bucket, but something for the blade would be useful also.

 

[Tazz]

Edge Tamers

http://r2manufacturing.com/

Don't think they will fit a snow blade?

 

[Milo Holroyd]

Try these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Square-SN...emblies-Snowplow-Snowblade-used-/252257635896

 

[Greenhead]

I've done almost 40 years of snowplowing. The shoes are a must on gravel. If the blade digs in, adjust the shoes down so the cutting edge of the blade has more clearance (more washers on the bottom). Float is they way to go as it will follow the contours of the drive. The gravel must be frozen. If not just drive on it to get a snow pack base for the next plowing (there always is a next). As you approach the banks lift the blade simultaneously to stack the snow up a bit. This saves room for the next snow. Now the float thing is not a given. There will be times when it doesn't work, but after there is frost in the ground it should work fine. Every plowing will have a little different conditions. Be sure to push the snow back as far as you can in the early snows so you don't run out of room. Always think of the next storm.

 

[Tazz]

Found some locally. Already have a inch or two of snow. I can already tell that traction is going to be a issue. That 72" front plow is heavy. My rear tires are loaded and the ground is frozen. I should have got a ballast box to offset the front blade.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Found some locally. Already have a inch or two of snow. I can already tell that traction is going to be a issue. That 72" front plow is heavy. My rear tires are loaded and the ground is frozen. I should have got a ballast box to offset the front blade.

While Greenhead is generally correct you want to plow with the blade in float, there are times you will want to take it out of float:
When you have the blade in float the loaded rear tires should give you enough traction. If you raise the blade you will reduce rear traction, but increase front traction. If you lower the front blade you can increase rear traction but may lose front traction completely. So vary the blade position at times to provide the best traction for the situation.

Sometimes the blade will push the front end around and your steering will be ineffective. If you take the blade out of float and just bump it up enough so that you see the blade just start to raise you will give the front wheels enough traction to regain steering. With my snowblower I just raise the blower long enough to correct my direction and then go back to float. You may find you need to keep a little weigh on the front wheel longer to keep control.

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Tazz those look nice, where did you get them and how much?

 

[Tazz]

Tazz those look nice, where did you get them and how much?

Tractor Supply $29 each.