[lsturbointeg]

Hey guys! Winter is around the corner and i'm torn between getting a snow blower or a snow plow for my Husquvarna? hopefully those who have either one can chime in as i'll be ordering something here within the next couple of weeks. I'm here in Ohio so the snow hasn't been bad the last couple of years. I believe last year nobody even took out their snow blower cause there wasn't enough snow?

I saw there's a few snow blades I can use on my Husqvarna. one from Husqvarna, another from Craftsman and the other is made from AgriFab. all running from $250-500

they do have the snow blower but that cost $1250 way out of my budget!

so here's the Husqvarna with the snow blade


here's AgriFab universal snow blade. pretty much does the samething as the Husqvarna but $100 less



Snow chains will run $80 pair


Wheel weights $90 pair


and here's the snow blower for $1200. which would be ideal but damn that price!


so i'm looking at $400 for a snow blade attachment including snow chains and wheel weights. or spend between $500-1000 for a walk behind snow blower. any insights on guys who already have either one with pros or cons? thanks!

[dinonz]

In Texas we use... um, what is snow?

[2000cs]

If the snow is light you can push it with a blade. In heavy snow you either need to push often as it accumulates, or use the snowblower attachment. What works best for you will depend on how often you can push, how deep it typically snows, and how much driveway (etc) you have to clear.

[bvrider1]

Get a two stage snow blower. I get tons of lake effect snow and it can accumulate quick.

[Our03z4]

I'll be using this. 8 ft Boss V-plow, nothing stops it.

[amgraham]

Kind of depends on how big/long your driveway is and how often you need to use it. I'm Western PA, north of Pittsburgh. It can be hit and miss each year. At our old house, a typical place in a development with probably a flat 30-40' long driveway, two cars wide. I used a snow blower. In fact, I "split" it with our neighbors. Whoever got around to clearing the snow did both driveways pretty quickly. Of course, you've got to have a good relationship with your neighbor.

At our current house... the driveway is 300' feet long, 3 wide at the top, with a 2.5 car wide turnaround. All uphill from the road. I have a plow for the tractor but the tractor is a 24hp 4wd diesel. The plow is full hydraulic, angle and lift. I don't use chains or weights but my tires are the "industrial" tread, not ag tires nor turf tires... kind of in between. If the snow is really deep and heavy, it'll have trouble going uphill as the front end wants to move in the opposite direction I'm plowing the snow. (If I have the plow angled to push to the right, the front end washes out to the left.) In those rare cases, I just plow downhill, turn around, come back up to the top.

It's kind of a hassle doing the 2x per year switchover and once I have the plow on... I can't use the front loader. (The switchover is an annual Black Friday routine for me while my wife and daughter are out shopping. As is putting the snow tires/wheels on and putting reflective poles in along the driveway edge so I don't plow the yard.) My dad had a Kubota with the blower. It was awesome but very pricey. Much more than yours. But... his driveway was about 800' long. Looked like a ski resort running the snow-making-machines when he or I was clearing his driveway.

Unless you have a lot of space to clear, I'd just go with the blower. I also typically plow some of the neighbors driveways. Another is similar to ours and the other is 1/4 mile long, all uphill too. But... I only do his when he's out of town and unable to get to it with his own SxS with a plow.

[DDD31]

Bought a Toro 724 QXE last year and was very happy with its performance. We had quite a bit of snow last year in Michigan and it had no problems. Had a storm that dumped almost a foot of snow and the Toro plowed right through it.

Currently it’s selling in the $700-750 range.

[are0lies]

Originally Posted by dinonz

In Texas we use... um, what is snow?

I understand it looks like this, and it makes everyone happy, as they sit in front of their cozy fireplaces.

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by are0lies

I understand it looks like this, and it makes everyone happy, as they sit in front of their cozy fireplaces.

Nah it actually looks like this

[are0lies]

Originally Posted by DDD31

Nah it actually looks like this

[Darth One]

Here's my snowplow:

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by are0lies

I understand it looks like this, and it makes everyone happy, as they sit in front of their cozy fireplaces.

I hear it's just like confectioners sugar!

[Maynard]

I pay a guy by the season, and it is cleared by 6am and 5pm. Enough to worry about with the roadways (conti snows and x-drive for that). Finding a reliable guy took a few seasons, but that's a few long stories....

[eatsleepboost]

I live just north of Boston and it's certainly snowblower or snow plow on a pickup truck. Those small blades on a 4 wheeler or similar can't push over a foot of heavy snow which we get multiple times per year.

[wdb]

Walk behind snowblower or hire someone.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

Hey guys! Winter is around the corner and i'm torn between getting a snow blower or a snow plow for my Husquvarna? hopefully those who have either one can chime in as i'll be ordering something here within the next couple of weeks. I'm here in Ohio so the snow hasn't been bad the last couple of years. I believe last year nobody even took out their snow blower cause there wasn't enough snow?

I saw there's a few snow blades I can use on my Husqvarna. one from Husqvarna, another from Craftsman and the other is made from AgriFab. all running from $250-500

they do have the snow blower but that cost $1250 way out of my budget!

so here's the Husqvarna with the snow blade





Snow chains will run $80 pair



and here's the snow blower for $1200. which would be ideal but damn that price!


so i'm looking at $400 for a snow blade attachment including snow chains and wheel weights. or spend between $500-1000 for a walk behind snow blower. any insights on guys who already have either one with pros or cons? thanks!

I'd go for the snowblower attachment and tire chains since you already have the tractor. if you get any real accumulation or have a long driveway i don't think the blade will get the job done as the tractor doesn't have the weight to move a lot of heavy wet snow. Again, depending on how long your driveway is the walk behind might be more versatile in close spaces.

[lsturbointeg]

funny thing guys as i'm bored as f at work but i'm browsing Craigslist in my local area and this guy is selling a brand new Craftsman 48 snow blade and I basically cross reference the part# and it comes out Husqvarna actually makes these snow blades and just relabels them with Agrifab, Craftman, Poulan, ect...new this thing cost $399 Craftsman branded and around $250-300 under other names. same box same part #. it came with his Craftsman Tractor but he never used it and it's still new in the box sealed up with the plastic straps. he's asking $150 OBO and I got him to let it go for $125. saved some $ with this deal. I got some responses from some YouTuber's who made videos on these and they said they have had great results with this. I think i'll be fine since my driveway and sidewalks are paved and not gravel which one YouTuber claimed that his gravel driveway really put an abuse on the plow but he felt if your driveway was paved this plow should do just fine




should be fine to do the horse shoe driveway



and my drive way

[wdb]

As several people have already said, with that plow rig you will need to keep up with snow removal as the snow is falling. A neighbor used to plow his driveway with a garden tractor and he could not let the snow get much deeper than 2" before he had to go out and plow. (He also had 2 garden tractors and did not have to switch equipment back/forth for the seasons.)

Light, dry snow vs. wet heavy snow will make a difference here as well.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by DDD31

Bought a Toro 724 QXE last year and was very happy with its performance. We had quite a bit of snow last year in Michigan and it had no problems. Had a storm that dumped almost a foot of snow and the Toro plowed right through it.

Currently it’s selling in the $700-750 range.

Been thinking about one of these. But I haven't had to remove snow for the past two years. Three years ago we had several heavy snowfalls, but nothing the past two years. So I keep holding off buying a blower.

[CTinline-six]

Snowblower all the way. My parents had one of those "snow blades" for their John Deere and it was way too flimsy and only picks up about 3" off the ground. Probably fine for 3-4" of snow, but anything higher was a pain.

I'd look for a good used Ariens or Toro walk behind snowblower on Craigslist. I use a 1984 Toro 724 snowblower that I re-powered with a newer engine. Works flawlessly.

Edit: Here's mine. I bought the blower for $50 on craigslist with a blown engine, and found a used almost-new engine for $150.

[Joekerr]

Snow blower. I have a Husq lawn tractor as well, and would never dream of putting a blade on it.

Consider also the cold weather starting on each (lawn tractor vs dedicated walk behind snow blower). My tractor takes a little to start season after season, but is ok, because I'm starting it up in warm weather each time.

Whereas my walk behind snow blower - it's made for starting in cold temps - and starts no problem every time. It's awesome. Frankly, doesn't add much time either, I can get my driveway done in 30 - 35 minutes every time. And I'd say my driveway is about 100ft by about two car lengths wide.

Plus, you are blowing the snow about 10 ft off the end, so there is no buildup. If you use a blade, you are building up at the edge, and next time you do it, you are going to hit the buildup. Don't do it.

Go snowblower all the way. If you have any snow at all anyways. Or get a blade for a pickup truck so you can actually push it all the way off the edge and not worry about build up.

Speaking from a person who deals with a reasonable amount of snow every year. So...experience.

[M_Six]

Excuse the semi-threadjack, but how bad are stones with snowblowers. Years ago I was running the snowblower where I worked and picked up a good size stone. It broke the shear pin as it was designed to do, so no big deal. Just the time it took to replace the pin. But my driveway has an 8 foot section of stone between the end of the driveway and the street. There's a drainage culvert under it as well as the utility lines. The town doesn't mind if you pave that section, but they won't repave it or reimburse you if they need to dig it up for maintenance. I don't intend to pave it. But I have no doubt when the plows come by they'll throw some stones into the driveway along with the snow they plow. Are the newer blowers better with stones? The time I broke the one at work was back in the late 80's.