Go BottomTechniques for snow removal with loader bucket
 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2004-01-10 73664
Normally our winters are pretty mild, sometimes with no snow at all. This year has been different, though, with the big pacific NW snowstorm. We had about 30 inches pile up and haven't left the house for the last 10 days. I tried to get the truck out today in 4WD and couldn't get up the driveway incline.
So I used the tractor and loader bucket to try to clear the way. An amateur effort at best. When in float the bucket would dig into the gravel drive or ride over the top few inches of snow and not clear. Trying to adjust the bucket downforce was difficult because it was either too low and digging in or too high and leaving too much behind. I tried going backwards with the bucket edge pointing at various angles and the loader in float and it left quite a bit of snow behind. Eventually I got enough off the driveway to get the truck out, but there has to be a better way.
I'm wondering if there are any effective techniques for removing a few feet of snow with a loader bucket. Since it rarely snows this much I'd rather not buy a plow or blower. Besides, it seems to me a plow would have the same digging-in problem that the loader bucket has.
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 | 44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 110 western NY 
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2004-01-10 73666
I've been using your techniques, but starting long before "a few feet" accumulates. At Tom G's suggestion, I use the rollback position on the bucket, intentionally leaving some snow behind, then shove 'er in float and go on down the road. I can see where that wouldn't work if you've already got a bunch on the ground, but maybe you can make something like this work? Good luck! ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY 
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2004-01-10 73669
Ken I've found the easiest way with the bucket only in deep snow and unfrozen ground, is to keep it level or just slightly rolled back. The top of the bucket is paraell to the bottom. I'd keep the pressure on just enough so you maintain steering.
Once you have it clean or lighter snows and ground frozen the stuff Tom talkes about works fine. I usually use my bucket his way especially pulling snow back from doors and walkways.
Essentially Toms just packs enough snow to allow the ground to freeze then he gets serious like me. I use the cutter on scraper and blower not at a steep angle to peel the snow pack down. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-10 73676
Thanks, guys. I tried rolling the bucket back a little and shoving it in float but I wasn't happy with the amount of snow left behind. Multiple passes didn't help either. I probably waited too long to start and the base got hard packed on me. Next time I'll start before the accumulation grows too deep. ....
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 | shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 848 Wisconsin 
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2004-01-10 73681
Ken, I'll bet the clamp on pipe that Murf described a few weeks ago for the cutting edge of the bucket would work well with deep snow too. It basically makes the sharp edge round so it will slide over the gravel. If you had a piece of pipe and an angle grinder and drill you could probably make one up in an afternoon.
It looks like you have a similar situation to mine with the overgrown Christmas trees. That's what my "logging operation" was all about. I know that 20 years from now the thinning I've done will be well worth it.
A question for you: Do you think the R4s you replaced had anything to do with the rollover you show in your profile? Did they make the side slipping worse in the clay?
Dave ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-10 73686
Dave, I remember that thread about the pipe-over-cutting-edge idea. It seemed to me that for gravel you'd need about a 3" pipe to keep from picking up gravel. I'll look around to see what's available.
It sounds like you have a real nice property setup there. A lot more acreage than us.
I know the R4s caused the rollover, simply because I wouldn't have been that close to the edge if I hadn't lost traction. The R4s plugged completely with clay and no matter which way I turned the steering wheel the tractor was sliding toward the edge. I tried to show the plugging in one of the pictures but it didn't turn out very clear. The new Titan Hi-Traction R1s really give great traction, even in soupy clay and the recent slushy snow. They are far superior for traction, but they also leave big tracks. I won't be mowing with these I can tell ya. ....
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| harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2004-01-11 73694
Ken keep it level or roll it back just a tad and do not use the float. Keep your down pressure there. Follow the contour of drive with up/down or a slight curl/uncurl.
If you have a build up you'll want to keep it closer to level and use enought down pressure to hold bucket on ground and maintain steering.
The only time I use the float is: if I am back dragging snow away from entrances and have the bucket cutting edge 45-90 degrees to the driveway.
The pipe trick sounds like a good idea, until you need to start removing snow pack then your skills at utilizing the cutting edge in relation to skimming or cutting will become necessary. ....
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 | TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-01-11 73707
There's no easy way in this buz I think. Seems like no matter how much box scraper work I do on the drive in the late summer, after some traffic there still are enough dips and bumps to make trying to follow the ground contour with the curl tricky. I did worse than usual at making divots the fall.
I tend to use float rather than down-pressure but I still have to ride the curl to follow the ground unless I want to leave a bunch of snow behind. The problem is that I'm depending on the bucket bottom to hold the edge off the gravel so the edge is very much at a cutting angle--when it digs in it really gouges. Using float has an additional problem because the edge tends to dig in as the bucket fills up with snow and gains weight. My other problem is that with significant snows the bucket isn't like an angled moldboard. Snow doesn't come off one end. It tends to fill up the bucket and then push snow ahead of it until the traction gives up. Then I have to stack some off to the side before carrying on. I end up doing that eventually anyway since the snow that isn't pushed ahead comes off both ends of the bucket. At best, half of the snow is moved to the side and the other half is moved further the centre of the drive.
My best solution is to go slow and then the divots you're going to make aren't very long. I just back up and dump the bucket in the divot and then pack it down by back-dragging with the bucket bottom. I do sometimes cut down snow pack by back-dragging with down-pressure and the bucket angled for scrapping. Oh well, it's almost fun but I'm happy I now have my frozen snow pack. Maybe next year I'll be looking at pipes or squeegees. ....
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| shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 848 Wisconsin
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2004-01-11 73708
Ken, I wish I had three feet of snow to play in! I should say, get my snow removal techniques down.
Dave ....
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2004-01-11 73710
Ken, A front blade is much, much easier to use than a FEL in the conditions you describe.
Please pass some of that snow down this way. Our trees are dying here. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-11 73722
I'd love to pass some snow down that way. You folks in Nevada and Arizona have been hurting for some time. Was in Flagstaff a year or so ago and I couldn't believe all the dead and dying trees from the bark beetle. More moisture is needed to keep the trees healthy.
I'd love to try a blade but it's sort of hard to justify. We average about 3" of snow in January, and maybe 6" total each winter, so this storm is an exception to the norm. Heck, we've had two winters in the last five with no snow at all. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-01-12 73763
Ken: I think you're on the right track. It'd be hard for me to justify an implement if the only use was going to be the amount of snow you describe. A loader should work just fine and you'll probably discover your own set of tricks to make the work easier.
A Murf pipe might make things easier a bit faster. I think I'll make one myself because I do make a few divots the first snow fall or two. It'd have to be an easy detach since a main use of my loader during the winter is cutting down snow pack with the blade. They do sound like they're easy enough to take on and off. ....
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 | drcjv.
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 334 southeastern pa
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2004-01-12 73764
Ken I made the pipe attachment that Murf described we have not had snow since I made it, but I did try it in the stone and it did not dig in. I have a couple pictures of it in my album check it out. I am just waiting for some snow to try it. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-12 73773
drcjv, nice work on the murf pipe! Your pictures show you know your way around equipment. What diameter pipe did you use?
....
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| drcjv.
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 334 southeastern pa
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2004-01-12 73792
The pipe I used had a 2" diameter. I opted for regular galvanized pipe instead of the lighter gauge fence post. I thought it would hold up much better. ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-01-13 73863
For what it's worth the original Murf Pipe Ver. 1.00 was made from a corner post for a 6' commercial chain link fence. It was heavy wall galv. pipe that was 3" or 4" in diameter.
The design can, however, be adapted to local site conditions, or to conform to whatever scrap pipe is available, LOL.
Best of luck. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-13 73870
On the Borgford web site I saw a picture of a nice looking front blade that had some adjustable skid pads mounted behind it hold it off the ground. I don't know if this is typical for blades but it seems that could be made to work for loader buckets too.
Go to this site and scroll down to the blue NH picture on the bottom and click to enlarge it. ....
Link: Borgford
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-01-13 73878
Those are standard snow plow skid-shoes, they are available from any dealer who sells snow plows for pickups.
They usually have a 1"-1.5" round stem depending on the brand, they fit through mounts on the back of the blade and height is adjusted by moving spacers from above the mount to below or vice-versa to control clearance below the blade's cutting edge.
Best of luck. ....
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| tk_csa
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 28 western New York
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2004-01-26 75125
Curtis makes a nice plow for the your loader. Last time I checked a price on it, it was about $1250. Easy on/off, affordable, can pile snow HIGH with it. ....
Link:
Click Here
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-01-27 75192
Thanks for the link. That looks like a nice blade but the price is a lot higher than $1250. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) we only have major snow events once every 5-6 years so spending that money doesn't make a lot of sense if the blade will sit unused for years at a time. Still, if I run across a good deal on a used blade I might pick one up. ....
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