Works for me

Looks good! Hope you get a chance to try it out this year yet!
Have you checked the overall width? That looks like it might just go right down a RR track...

 

It’s about 48” wide… same as the plow blade. I’ll check the railroad later
Tomorrow night we’re supposed to get significant snowfall so I’ll find out on Sunday morning how it does. Yesterday I plowed the 2.5” of snow we got but I didn’t have the weights on yet (other than the factory ones)

 

I like your weight idea. Here's what i came up with for mine. Can fit 6 cinder blocks on the tray and then strap them down with a ratchet strap. Doesn't add much length to the unit but adds about 225lbs to her.

 

Looks great I think that’s the better way to do it too, having a snowblower out front rather than a plow blade.

 

It works better on a long, tight driveway with nowhere to push off but it's way heavier. When i bought that thing there was no extra weight on the rear and when loading it, as soon as the front tires hit the ramp, the rear tires would start spinning. Didn't help having chains on concrete. How we got it loaded you ask? I can remember getting the front tires on the deck of the trailer and then basically lifting the rear up the ramp while pushing the front tires on the deck with no one driving. Basically, wheel barrow the thing cause the front was so heavy.

 

I made one pass to the end of the driveway with the Cub Cadet and then lost all my forward gears. There was only 4” of snow on the ground with 1/4” of crust on top. It took me 3 hours to shovel everything but I got it done. I think this concludes the chapter of snow plowing with this machine. It doesn’t want to run when it’s below 25F outside anyway. If not for that I’d continue beating my head against the wall trying to make this work. From now on the tractor will be relegated to mowing the lawn and moving wood. Time to buy another snowblower.

 

You haven't had good luck with OPE in recent months. Good thing it was only 4" of snow. We got about the same maybe a bit more. Did you have to drive home in it? Coming down pretty good late last night.

 

That's an understatement... The whole plan with the garden tractor was to eliminate having another engine to worry about. All that accomplished was giving me half a dozen other problems to deal with. And now I have to fix this transmission problem or else I can't mow my grass this spring.

I didn't work yesterday so didn't have to deal with snow until this morning. I'm looking at this week's forecast and I'm already dreading more manual shoveling. The snowbanks on the sides of my driveway are already getting precariously tall. I'm going to have to start heaving snow onto the pump house property next door.

 

Eric Wanderweg were you able to use reverse to back it up to the house? Yours has a trans with individual gears?

 

Yes 3 forward plus reverse. I had to lift the plow blade then back down the sidewalk to my neighbor's driveway, then back up onto the street, and keep reversing until I got up the hill to my driveway then kept going to the back of my house.

 

That's crummy but at least you didn't have to push it. I kinda wonder what you'll find when you open it up. You don't necessarily have to fix it though.... you'll just have ta fashion that front blade into a back blade and plan on mowing in reverse this summer.

 

I'm getting burned out with issues lately. I've got my 372XP that I'm in the middle of rebuilding, and I just got a 288XP in yesterday that I've already torn halfway apart to go through it, so this is just one more thing to add to the pile. But I'll be the first to admit that this is all of my own making.

 

Or get a JD. The day we brought this old girl home in 2019. Ended up with above average snow that spring.

 

What else you gonna do? Sit around and watch tv? Just gotta remember to prioritize them and then stay focused. A little at a time goes a long way.

 

A couple snow shovels for the boys? 22" Briggs and Stratton push mower? Even for an allowance?

I did and acre and a half with one and her long driveway that way with NO allowance! That's why in my adult life I vowed NEVER to cut grass again.