Archive through January 22, 2015

[jlspicer]

Jeff,
Guess you should've kept that 450 blower you got with the 2072. Wonder who bought it?

Harry,
Out here in the wide open spaces in Iowa and prolly at Jeff's place, BTW I've been at his place, we don't usually get dumped on by two feet of snow at a time. Now I'm never gonna say never. IIRC in February 2011, we got dumped on by 14-16 inches of snow. Then the wind starts blowing. I'll have spots with an inch on the ground, and spots with 3-4 feet of drifting. I clean up with the blade and on the drifts, pull out the loader. Used to use a well tuned QA42A and while I could eat through those huge drifts, it took forever and I had to make 2-3 passes at different levels, eat snow, etc. All my neighbors clean their drives with skidsteers or garden tractors with blades. My one neighbor blades his prolly 5-6 feet wider than his drive on both sides. So if any snow adds up, he has plenty of room to move it. I do live on an acreage and am not in town. Not trying to argue here and see both sides, but nothing wrong with blading snow if done right. I will say if we got dumped on like Buffalo, NY earlier this year, 5-6 feet, neither a blower/thrower or blade would've done much.

Jeff,
Now we just have to watch out for that lake effect snow.

 

[snicklas]

I'm with Jeff on this one. We have always had a blade since we've had a Cub. We even had one and used it in the Blizzard of '78. Did did not get a thrower until about 10 years ago. I've had a blade since I had Cub at this house (8+ years) and just got a thrower in the Spring of 2014. I have both mounted, and the 1 time I've had to move snow this winter, I used both. I cleared the drive and part of the cul-de-sac and in front of my mailbox with the blade. I used the thrower (QA42A)to clear the sidewalks as they are about 45 inches wide. Both worked great for what I was doing with them. The big thing to remember with a blade, you don't just push to the edge of the drive and stop. You overhang into the grass beside the drive at least half to a complete blade width. This way, as it does start to pile up, you have a median between the snow and the drive to start filling up. Like Jeff, if it does get that bad, I do have a thrower to "chuck it over the top" but I will say, I get on the tractor with the blade first, every time. As for the piles, I have found as long as the pile is not over hood high, and proper application of BRS, you can still push the pile back. Once it gets over hood deep, it doesn't want to move...

I don't think Dad has even mounted his QA36A in the last 2 or 3 years. But the 782 is sitting there with the blade and chains on it right now.......

 

[hydroharry]

Jeff and Josh - well, as long as you like a lot of seat time you just as well use the blade and push the snow off a lot wider than your driveway width. One thing tho, it sounds like Jeff may have made a mistake. That 2072 with the 450 thrower would have been an ultimate snow machine. Jeff oh Jeff oh Jeff - you should have never sold the 450. (Josh - did you get it?)

Ah heck, I'm just causing trouble here. I like using a blade and I like using a thrower. Depending on the amount of snow, each one can be better. Just another reason for you to have one of each AND a tractor for each.

 

[dlbarnett]

Harry what have you got on that trailer queen 169, a blade or thrower?

 

[hydroharry]

Doug - thanks for asking. I've got a 42" Dozer blade for it AND a bunch or parts of a QA42A thrower - well, couple right angle gearboxes in various condition, drive pulley, thrower driveshaft and chain sprocket, housing cutting edge. I missing the thrower housing itself, auger and bearings, chain, skidders, and all the mounting stuff and misc. stuff. Since it don't hardly ever snow in my location I don't know what I'd do with a thrower if I came up with all the other parts.

One thing I was wondering about. I heard stories of farmers using the throwers to move shelled corn around. If you've got a thrower with a rusty auger and housing and you used it to move shelled corn, would this clean up the rust nice enough to paint it up for snow use? Likely would save time from the sand blaster or wire wheel.

 

[kostendorf]

Back on jan. 19 I asked which steering cap I should have and everyone said the IH emblem one so I found one for $10.00. Looks a lot better than the ccc plain one.

Still waiting for snow and getting bored.

 

[dfrisk]

HARRY - If you'd ever seen the inside workings of a combine, grain auger, even a wagon used to haul shell corn you'd know how well dry corn shines up dirty rusty or painted steel.

 

[snicklas]

Harry,

Trust me, a QA36A can move things other than snow...... I won't share that story because I am sure it may cause a heart attack or two.....

But I will say if I would have filmed it, I woulda won $10,000 and maybe even the $100,000........

 

[hydroharry]

Dennis - ya know, I never did see the inside workings. Saw the outsides a lot where I grew up. What do they do with the corn cobs these days?

Keith O - yup-er-eee, that looks really nice on your wheel. Now you can sell that plain one to one of those guys with a CCC unit.

 

[dlbarnett]

Harry good to hear you have some sort of attachment for your trailer queen.

Scott N. now you have to share just what you did.

On the subject of dozer blades, do I need the shoes for pushing things other that snow on pavement? Do you need them for pushing dirt, brush or a pile of horse sh*t over the hill this weekend