Snow Removal (Brunswick: to buy, live, price)

[Maineah]

Our tractor is a 33 hp New Holland TC33D. It's hydrostatic drive, four wheel drive, three cylinder diesel. We have turf tires as we were told that unless we were plowing unbroken ground we didn't need the agricultural tires. Such has been the case. We've had the tractor for seven years now and never had it stuck enough that it had to be pulled out. Sure it's been stuck but I managed to get it out with the front end loader. The turf tires are much better in snow than the agricultural ones, so much so that I don't need chains to plow my driveway even though it has an incline to it. Along with the 7308 front end loader we have a 60 inch finish mower, york rake and a PTO driven concrete mixer for it. My inlaws have a nice rototiller I borrow all the time and a bush hog. It really has been a great tractor. We used it to dig the foundation hole for our barn and to put the lawns and driveway in after the barn was done. My son and I put in a frost wall for our patio and we have turned over the garden with it every year. We have hauled logs with it, put in fence,built a stone wall,landscaped, put in a woods road and driveway,mowed, bush hogged, winched huge granite rocks, and of course plowed seven winters of snow. I wouldn't be without it. I do think that next time I'd like to get the backhoe attachment but my Father-in-law has a backhoe on rubber tracks and loves to come over and do all kinds of stumping and rock moving for us.

[Cornerguy1]

The great thing about using a tractor is the sheer versatility of the machine due to number of attachments available. Many times, the attachments are quite cheap because they don't have a power unit.

For example, 10 years ago I paid $700 for a 7-foot 2-tier snowblower. At the time, a 10-hp walk-behind blower was going for about $1200. I've conservatively put 750 hours on that blower since buying it with the only maintenence cost being $25 for a coat of paint.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

The lift arm on my Kubota has a bumper sticker that says, "I put snow where it belongs." That can be 50 feet out in the woods.

Remind me, everyone, NOT to get into a snowball fight with NMLM, ok? LOL

Seriously, sounds like you have a machine to have some real fun with! I rented a little Kubota long ago to till my very large, sandy soil garden in CO. I was very pleased with it, and wouldn't mind getting one of its younger kin when I have a place that I can use it.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

The great thing about using a tractor is the sheer versatility of the machine due to number of attachments available. Many times, the attachments are quite cheap because they don't have a power unit.

For example, 10 years ago I paid $700 for a 7-foot 2-tier snowblower. At the time, a 10-hp walk-behind blower was going for about $1200. I've conservatively put 750 hours on that blower since buying it with the only maintenence cost being $25 for a coat of paint.

You bet! Tractor attachments are the only way to go! You see the commercials on TV for the home owner type of motor driven self propelled brush hog that can take down a small sapling. These things are $2500!! You can get a used bush hog for a tractor for less than half that price that will cut down 2 1/2 inch trees with ease!
My father-in law has a 6 foot two stage snow blower for his tractor. It runs off the PTO and will throw snow 50-60 feet easily. He only uses it when we get over 18 inches of snow and his garden tractor snowblower won't handle it.
Their garden tractor snowblower is nothing to sneeze at either. It's pretty good sized and hydraulically driven. That thing will throw snow halfway across the yard!. They just got it this winter. It's funny to see my brother in law and father in law jockey to see who gets to use it first! Brother in law beat F-I-L to the punch last storm and got them all plowed out before breakfast. Not to be outdone F-I-L drove the thing up to our house to do our driveway! He never does that but told my wife it was the only way he could get to play!

[AustinB]

None of those attachments will work on my 1939 farmall model A. I still use it religiously to go into the woods to get my firewood. I put canadian chains on it because the snow and ice are too slippery when you are coming up out of the swamp onto the ledges.
I get to start it much of the time with the hand crank. It's a great machine.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by AustinB

None of those attachments will work on my 1939 farmall model A. I still use it religiously to go into the woods to get my firewood. I put canadian chains on it because the snow and ice are too slippery when you are coming up out of the swamp onto the ledges.
I get to start it much of the time with the hand crank. It's a great machine.

I always loved the Farmall tractors. I want a restored Farmall Cub one of these days. That's one of my favorite things to look at at the fall fairs, the old tractors. I send Muthah off to look at the quilts and strawberry preserves and I go off to see the old antique engines and tractors. We eventually meet back up at the pulling arena.
A friend's farm we used to visit when we were young had an old tractor that had a big flywheel on the side of the engine. To start it Redge would spin that flywheel by hand then jump up into the seat and work the throttle and choke. That thing always started though. I don't remember what brand it was but I do remember it was red and BIG

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Got your roofs shoveled? We are due for another 10 to 15 inches of winter wonderland tomorrow. More Sunday night. This time it comes with a high wind so the drifts should be huge. Hey, MaineWriter. This is going to be a photo op like we have not seen in 10 or 12 years.

I'm headed to the feed store to buy some deer feed. Oh yes, and Milk, Bread and Eggs!

[MehmLena]

Good afternoon all. This is my first post on here. I recently moved to Maine from Florida and chose to rent a home. I really thought that this snow clearing would be a great work out not knowing how bad it is here. I have to say that I am using my little shovel and not a blower. Well I am tired already of the snow and I am ready to invest in a snow blower for next year. Which one would you recommend as the best? Is it better to pay someone to do the driveway for me? How much is the ongoing rate usually? Thanks you.

[msina]

HI and welcome to the forums MehmLena, I don't know much about snowblowers but some here sure do We pay a young man to plow our drive, shovel the stairs and walk as well as clear a path for the Mail Carrier. We call him when there is a "lot" of snow. He charges us $20.00

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by MehmLena

Good afternoon all. This is my first post on here. I recently moved to Maine from Florida and chose to rent a home. I really thought that this snow clearing would be a great work out not knowing how bad it is here. I have to say that I am using my little shovel and not a blower. Well I am tired already of the snow and I am ready to invest in a snow blower for next year. Which one would you recommend as the best? Is it better to pay someone to do the driveway for me? How much is the ongoing rate usually? Thanks you.

It really depends on the size of your driveway. My brother in Brunswick pays a guy $25.00 a storm for plowing
He has a real small driveway and could probably shovel it or snowblow it.
His plow guy usually comes back at least once and cleans up from the town plows. It's usually a good deal for him though this year he's spent quite a bit more than in other years. If you have a big driveway a snowblower attachment on a garden sized tractor will probably work well for you. If the driveway is medium sized or small (you're shoveling it so I assume it's not too big) a walk behind snowblower is probably good. Make sure you look for a two stage snowblower with at least a 10 horsepower engine and electric start. Anything smaller won't throw the wet stuff. Single stage snowblowers are just about completely useless. All snow blowers have a tough time in the fall and spring as they can't handle really wet or slushy snow. It kind of dribbles out of the chute and makes more of a mess than if you just leave it alone. Contrary to popular belief snowblowers take a fair amount of wrestling to move around. Though you use different muscles when you shovel you'll still feel like you had a good workout when you're through snowblowing the driveway.