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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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pgalanti
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2 Oley, PA
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2006-02-21          124900

I have a JD 4600 with FEL. I just bought a house in NE Pennsylvania with a 2,200' driveway. I'm considering buying a used commercial Loftness 66" 3PH mounted blower for $1,600 that is in excellent condition. Having looked through all the discussion threads, I'm starting to think I should consider a front mounted snowblower. Which snow blower (front or rear) would be best for my use? Also, should I just wait to find a used non-commercial blower instead of the heavier duty commercial one I found? I don't plan on moving for a long time(hopefully).

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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dsg
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 528 Franklin, Maine
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2006-02-21          124917

If you don't mind have a crick in your neck, get the rear mount. Seriously, I would get the front mount if I was in the market for a snow blower. I don't know what material your drive way is made of but have you considered an older pick-up with a plow. I think you could pick one up for less than the price of a blower and stay warm while plowing.

David ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2006-02-21          124918

I have the front blower to me the rear blower on a 1000 foot drive is out of the question. I think you would be making a big misstake getting the rear mount, hey but maybe the $$ are the most important factor. Its your neck and it is a pain. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2006-02-21          124919

I used to have an 8 ft. blower on the rear of a 100 HP tractor. It got rid of lots of snow in a little time, but my longest driveway was only 75 ft. long. I sold it when I got the plow for the pickup, but if I were to get another blower especially for that long of a drive it would be a front mount. I'm afraid you will spend the money difference at the chiropractor doing a drive that long with a rear mount. Frank. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2006-02-21          124926

I would look at the system Murf uses for his commercial business, a front mounted plow on the FEL (Murf picture 15). Unless you get a lot of snow and no where to move it, it is a lot faster and cheaper. Then again I have not lived with snow in 7 years so what do I know. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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091755
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 143 brantwood wisconsin
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2006-02-21          124927

pqalanti
It is hard to beat a front snowblower and with 2200 feet to blow out, I would consider it. That is over 4/10ths of a mile and I get a sore neck even thinking of it. Also a front blower allows you to get just about anywhere you want near your buildings. Had a rear one once and after I got the front one, I thought I had gone to heaven!
doc ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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091755
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 143 brantwood wisconsin
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2006-02-21          124928

Peters
A FEL with a blade is fine if you get no drifting. I would make sure he knows his prevailing winds and then determine. On my driveway (about 1500 feet)- it runs north-south and with NW and W winds prevailing up here in N. Central Wisconsin - all I ended up with, while using a blade was a nice place for snow to drift in. I have used a front-snow blower for the last 3 years and have not once had to get my bulldozer out to get thru it. Otherwise, it was 2-3 or more times per year with heavy snows and drifting. Many things to consider. No one answer, but for me the blower saves me alot of work.
doc ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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091755
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 143 brantwood wisconsin
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2006-02-21          124929

Peters
I am sorry - my driveway runs east-west. A little tired, just got done cleaning out the last snow we had here.
doc ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2006-02-21          124935

Doc;
You are right wind drifted snow on the prairies can be very difficult to move. I don't believe he will get this type of snow in PA much. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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pgalanti
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2 Oley, PA
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2006-02-22          124941

Thanks for the feedback! The driveway flows West-East with the wind blowing West to East. A third of the driveway is gravel with a slight to moderate incline up. The other two thirds is dirt/grass and is relatively flat. Various parts of it have hills rising up from one of the sides which could make it a little difficult to push snow to the side. Also, the third with gravel cuts through evergreens on either side. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2006-02-22          124945

I haven't measured exactly, but I can only stack snow, or push back banks up to about 12' up, after that I need the big machine. LOL.

The blade sticks out about 2' (with the plow not angled much) past the outside of my rear wheels. I just raise the FEL until I am just rolling the top 1' or so of the snow bank over to the outside, then repeat if necessary. If it gets real bad I can turn 90° to the bank and the plow will push snow back about 6' ahead of my front tires.

I also timed it in the last snow fall we had. I cleaned a neighbours place (he's in Florida) and it took 5 minutes with the blade. It takes him nearly 30 minutes with a blower.

I can plow a 6.5' wide pass (because of the angle of the blade) at 10 to 14 mph. in snow up to a 1' deep after that I have to slow down a bit.

Try blowing snow at 10+ mph........

Best of luck.
....

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MacDaddy
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 95 Western NY
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2006-02-22          124982

This is my first winter clearing an 2000' driveway. I bought a rear mount blower which works pretty well for me. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to clear the drive and do misc. clean-up. It is slightly uncomfortable on the back and neck, but not unbearable. I'm sure I would love a front mount unit, but I dont want to give up the FEL. I use it A LOT not only for snow-removal, but for moving logs and lots of other jobs. Also, since I have a gravel drive, I have found that the FEL works pretty well to pack down the first few snowfalls so that Im not shooting stone all over my lawn when I use the blower. You'll find that there are many situations where a FEL is more appropriate to clear a path. Then again, I've never had a front-mount so I can't really compare. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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203005215
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 10 Windsor, MA
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2006-02-23          125021

My driveway is only about 300 feet but I clear some other areas of my property as well. I had wanted to get a front mounted blower but ended up with a rear blower since that was available with the used tractor I bought. I have found it to be fine and I also find that I use the FEL an awful lot. This combination works great for me. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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Ym1110d
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 22 Wisconsin
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2006-03-01          125374

I have a front blower for my little tractor. The first time I used I realized the advantage of having multiple forward speeds (powershift trans). As the snow depth varied I was able to gear up or down to match the load. Unfortinatly, this sucked when backing up as I have to clutch to shift ranges (only one reverse speed in the range). Not being familiar with your tractor this might be something to consider. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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regniflow
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 6 Maryland
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2006-04-03          127057

Do not even think about the rear mount, ita pain in the butt to use. I have one (woods 84") and was planning to mount it on the from and driving it with a hydr. motor. Better still< at leat for me was the Kubota 900 with a closed cab, heater, and power angled blade. Here in mid Maryland it seems to work well. I guess some day I will convert the snow blower to work on the front but not sure if I will ever need it. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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amckenas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 4 New York
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2006-10-20          136120

I've plowed my 800 foot driveway 2 years now with just a front loader. There is nothing like dumping a full load into a 30 mph wind! This year I bought a front-mounted snow blower. The dealer will need to mount it the first time but thereafter it should be easy to switch between front loader and snow blower since my JD 4100 has a quick-detach loader. My other choice would have been a snow pusher but by the time I got the quick attach adapter and pusher it would have cost more than the (used) snow blower. ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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JAZAK5
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 276 coxsackie,ny
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2006-10-20          136122

I traded a f-350 4x4 with a fisher 8ft speedcast for a jd 790 4x4 with a 60 inch front mounted erskine blower and will never go back on my 700ft driveway the main reason was several back to back snow storms with some melting in between.,which caused the piles to turn into ice blocks.AND IS ON A SLIGHT GRADE with a small area to stop in,SNOW PLOWS NEED ALOT OF SPEED TO CURL TO SNOW OUT OF THE WAY . I have limited space to push it to. NOW I place it 30 +++ ft any way /out of the way/.Yeah,it may take a little longer but its done once.
Erskine makes front mount blowers up to 9 ft wide,just a matter how large of a tractor you have. Front mount is the ONLY WAY TO GO BUT IS ALSO MORE $$$$$$.
Only on bad point,I live on a dead end and the village trucks plow me in now knowing I can move it,I KNOW I COULD NOT DO IT WITH THE F350 !!!
I do clean up with a 72 inch box blade,maybe a new rear blade(early X-MAS present). ....

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Front End Snowblower vs 3 PH Rear Mounted Snowblower

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gozarian
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 13 Juneau, Alaska
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2007-03-05          140221

Any of you checked out the Erskine 3 point mount PULL (not push) behind snowblower? I'm considering that option over a front mount snowblower because I would like to keep my FEL! Maybe the only problem would be driving over real deep snow, I guess that could be alleviated by lowering the FEL and shaving some snow off! ....

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