L5740 upgrade to bigger tractor

mtnplower

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Kubota L5740
Jul 15, 2022
67
5
8
Sierra Nevadas
I currently have L5740 with a L2195 snow blower and its primarily used for a lot of snow removal. We can get storms for it dumps 4 feet of heavy snow in 24 hours or less.

My plan is to move to a bigger tractor, install a front PTO and 3 point hitch to run an aftermarket snowblower snoquip or pronovost

What size tractor would you recommend I move up to?
 

BAP

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How big of a snowblower do you want to run? How much area are you snowblowing? I would work backwards from those two things to figure out how big of a tractor you need.
 
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woodman55

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L6060HSTC, RTV 1100
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I agree with BAP, figure out what you want for a blower first, then find a tractor to power it. Another option is to buy a second tractor, as long as you have someone to run it.
 

mtnplower

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Kubota L5740
Jul 15, 2022
67
5
8
Sierra Nevadas
How big of a snowblower do you want to run? How much area are you snowblowing? I would work backwards from those two things to figure out how big of a tractor you need.
This is the blower I want to run

Pretty much 14-18 hour per day, anywhere from 40-60 days a year I use the tractor for snowblowing.
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
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This is the blower I want to run

Pretty much 14-18 hour per day, anywhere from 40-60 days a year I use the tractor for snowblowing.
M5-111 has 89 PTO hp. That blower needs 75-95 PTO HP. So close to top of range, and a good machine.

I see at least a couple of front PTO kits for it:

This video relevant to an M5 with front hitch.

This one on the zuidbergna hitch. Might suggest it's only available on the narrow variant of the tractor?
 
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mtnplower

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Equipment
Kubota L5740
Jul 15, 2022
67
5
8
Sierra Nevadas
M5-111 has 89 PTO hp. That blower needs 75-95 PTO HP. So close to top of range, and a good machine.

I see at least a couple of front PTO kits for it:

This video relevant to an M5 with front hitch.

This one on the zuidbergna hitch. Might suggest it's only available on the narrow variant of the tractor?
thank you for the links, those are the companies I found as well during my research.
I will contact zuidberg to see what the options are.

I was interested in hearing what your opinions where on what size tractor I should get based on the amount of snow I have to deal with
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
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NZ
Ah, that's a clearer question (and reading back, I see it's what you originally asked). I don't have massive snow experience (actually, none), but since nobody else is answering I'll answer anyway.

I understand that more HP = faster clearing. In concept a BX will do what you're asking (well, not with that particular snow blower), it'll just do it really slowly.

So the depth of snow isn't what controls how big of a machine you need, it's the area that you need to clear, and the time you need to clear it in. Perhaps if you give some idea of what you're clearing and timeframe it'd help people to give answers? I'm guessing it's roads, not driveways, so it's xx miles of road you need to clear each day, and you're running 14-18 hours per day.

It looks to me like you could go M5, M6 or M7 in that HP range. I'm assuming you don't need to trailer it - you're going to drive it from place to place? I think a heavier machine would have more traction in the deeper snow, and perhaps a more comfortable cab. The M5 and M6 are available with the same 111 HP engine, the M6 and M7 can be had with the 131HP engine. There's also the 151 and 171 in the M7, but they both would seem overkill for that particular snow blower.

Do you have the budget to stretch to an M6-131? It would certainly make sure the blower never bogged down, and perhaps give a bit more traction.

Ultimately you either have a specific area that needs to be cleared from 4' of snow in a specific timeframe, someone could comment on what machine you need for that. Or you just want the biggest sensible machine you can get, because a bigger machine will let you do more area, and therefore make more money. Someone can probably comment on when you get to the point of diminishing returns. It seems to me that an M7 would be well over that curve, an M6 probably is as well but like I say, I don't know snow.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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I personally think there are way better options or tractors for snow removal.
While the M5 is a very capable tractor it's lacking in so many ways for a good piece of snow removal equipment.
Your investment will be extreme and with a lot of risk for possible failure.
 
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mtnplower

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Kubota L5740
Jul 15, 2022
67
5
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Sierra Nevadas
I personally think there are way better options or tractors for snow removal.
While the M5 is a very capable tractor it's lacking in so many ways for a good piece of snow removal equipment.
Your investment will be extreme and with a lot of risk for possible failure.
in what ways is it lacking?

and what are the better options?