Dirt Blade vs Snow Blade

thebunns

Member
What is the difference between a regular grader type blade and a snow blade. I have a 6' King Kutter blade on the back of my 9N Ford and it works fine for plowing snow, provided it's not too deep. If too deep, it will pile up snow under the tractor. My neighbor won't buy one for plowing snow because King Kutter doesn't sell "snow blades". My understanding between the two is that snow blades have lighter blades & frames than "dirt" blades. Are there other differences?
 
I've never seen a hitch-mounted rear blade advertised or described as strictly a "snow blade".
Blades like this are designed for anything - dirt, gravel, snow, etc. There's a wide range of
classes available from lightweight to very heavy duty but for snow use any would work fine. I
think of a "snow blade" as a front-mounted unit that includes a spring trip function for when you
run into stuff like curbs that are hidden under the snow.
 
My thoughts, exactly! My neighbor can shop all day for a rear mounted "snow" blade. It doesn't matter what he puts on that Kubota of his if he continues to refuse to put chains on it. I told him that I would not back a rubber tired tractor out of the barn in winter without chains on it---especially if I wanted to do something with it other than get stuck.
 
I have been farming for well over 50 years and don't own any tire chains and don't remember the last time I got stuck in the snow.
 
(quoted from post at 21:00:50 01/21/18) I have been farming for well over 50 years and don't own any tire chains and don't remember the last time I got stuck in the snow.
oes it snow where you live?
 
Here in central Kansas I don't know of anyone who has chains for their tractors. But, I see a lot
of them being used for snow removal, including my own. I've plowed a lot of snow over the years
with my "bare tired" Deere M and 6-ft rear blade. I'm sure chains would make it even better but
that doesn't mean at all that it's useless the way it is. All depends on the conditions. An 8"
snow would be a lot for us and is completely managable without chains but much more than that would
probably give problems.
 
(quoted from post at 04:29:59 01/22/18) Here in central Kansas I don't know of anyone who has chains for their tractors. But, I see a lot
of them being used for snow removal, including my own. I've plowed a lot of snow over the years
with my "bare tired" Deere M and 6-ft rear blade. I'm sure chains would make it even better but
that doesn't mean at all that it's useless the way it is. All depends on the conditions. An 8"
snow would be a lot for us and is completely managable without chains but much more than that would
probably give problems.
here you go---not having to use anything more than a back blade to plow snow says a lot. That's just not much snow. I use a bulldozer with a 44" high bladt to plow my driveway & can have snow spill over the top of it. When I get done plowing with the crawler I clean up with a back blade on my 9N Ford.
 
I have chains for my loader tractor and 99% of the time they hang in the machine shed all year long. Only time I need them is when we have had ice before snow and been doing my mile long drive for 37 years now. I do have a 8.5 wide V plow I built some 25 years ago so I plow what I drive in before the tires hit it but there are places I have to drive where I do not plow and never had problems
 
I would guess that the only thing crucial about the blade angle is that it's positioned so that the snow slides off the side as opposed to stacking up in front of it.
 
My 2 wheel drive Ford 7700 has fluid in the tires, it walks through snow pretty good, no chains. I take round bales to the cattle on the three
point, it will get hung up with heavy wet snow dragging the transmission but chains don't help for that either.

Paul
 
(quoted from post at 01:23:45 01/23/18) My 2 wheel drive Ford 7700 has fluid in the tires, it walks through snow pretty good, no chains. I take round bales to the cattle on the three
point, it will get hung up with heavy wet snow dragging the transmission but chains don't help for that either.

Paul
high centered my little crawler one time playing in the woods. That's like setting it on blocks. I had to pull it home with one of my big ones.
9482.jpg
 
How much snow are you talking about.We had 28" at one time a few years ago and I was able to go thru it and plow it with no chains.Tractors with 38" rear tires did the best
because of the higher clearance.
 
(quoted from post at 21:00:50 01/21/18) I have been farming for well over 50 years and don't own any tire chains and don't remember the last time I got stuck in the snow.
think I've found the answer to plowing snow here in the mountains without chains on the tractor. Now, if I could just find a 25' back blade I'd be in business.
9605.jpg
 

The problem isn't so much snow, it's the ice. If you have a little ice under the snow the rubber tires won't catch. Chains grip on ice through the snow. my N's on ice can plow maybe 4" of snow before the rear end shifts sideways and lets some of the snow build-up of the blade

Dirt equipment is a lot heavier than Snow equipment. you can really see the difference in buckets for loaders.
 
Not going to comment on the snow blade topic. ANY snow removal implement you have to either run in
reverse or make tracks in the snow ahead of the blade is worthless in my opinion.

I have two loader tractors, '51 M with Stan-Hoist Loader with 80 inch wide materials bucket, and CHAINS.
On my concrete driveway, and even on my grass yard I can spin the rear tires easily without the chains.
My concrete driveway slopes uphill to the road and without chains the M won't make it to the road, start
spinning and slide backwards down the driveway. #1 Snow mover is '54 Stage II Super H, live 2-way hyd,
and a modified Ford loader, would have been factory loader for an 860 Ford probably, have a HEAVY 80 inch
wide x 16 inch tall blade to push snow with, AND A HEAVY AS ALL HECK SET OF CHAINS! With chains on grass
I can push thru two feet tall drifts, without chains an inch of snow keeps me from driving on the
concrete.

So, I'm assuming you guys without chains have dirt or crushed rock drives, NOT smooth concrete. I got
900# of wheel weights on the M and 600# on the SH and wish I had more. The chains on the SH weigh
probably 200# EACH chain. M's chains about 150# each chain.

So, I'm not about to give up my concrete driveway, and I have to have the chains to clean it. And I'm
not the least bit impressed that you don't need chains to clear your driveway. I've cleaned dirt and
crushed rock drivways. They suck!
 

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