Kubotas at play. Er, I mean work!

Kubota L305DT doing the lifting!

 

I used the box blade to clear 6” of wet heavy snow last week and it looks like I’ll get the chance again tomorrow. The snowblower will get mounted when the first big storm comes along or if it starts to pile up first which I doubt. Get the moldboards level and the BB cleans to the pavement in both directions and it’s easy to see what you’re doing. First time using one for snow and I’m impressed by how well it works. Anyone else use theirs for snow?

 

I've considered this, it's basically what they have on all the snow trucks around these parts.
I have a 7' standard back blade and I wasn't impressed with it in the snow, anyone else have any luck with one. Mines hitting CL soon, if I remember this yr, 3rd or 4th winter I've wanted to list it lol.

 

Maina I certainly do, I got a quarter mile driveway, but I did it with a 2-foot Honda track snowblower for three years. Once I paid off a Kubota, I invested in Chains and a 6-foot meteor snowblower. My driveway is gravel, and it takes the about 30 minutes to do the whole thing once the kubota's warm. With a push blower, it took three and a half hours. The push blower can only do one foot at a time, the meteor can do 30 inches at a time. It's not perfect, more of a sledgehammer then a finish nailer. You basically end up leaving about half an inch to an inch on the ground so I don't dig up the gravel. But with the way my driveway is plowing it is difficult because when we get the rain and snow the edges freeze in and it gets too narrow. One day I'll put on extra hydraulics and a quick release on the front. And redneck engineer, a way to sand it while I blow.

 

I hear you there! I used to spend a couple hours with a 32” walk behind blower and much more if it was wet or deep. Then the JD X530 and 47” blower cut that time by half at least. The 64” on the Kubota does it in 20 minutes easy even with 2’ like last year. Blowing is the only way to go imo if you get much snow and it doesn’t melt away after every storm. I’m just having a little fun with an implement I bought for other purposes. I had a Yamaha Rhino with a 6’ plow for 3 winters and it worked surprisingly well but you still have the same issues with running out of room and the mess in the spring, so I’m not planning to do much plowing. But for now until it starts piling up it’s great fun. I have about half gravel and grassy areas to clean off and I hate doing that with the blower early in the season until you get a good frozen base. I had a lot better success with the BB in those areas without digging in. That’s the part I wasn’t sure about but I seem to have better control with the BB and I can keep my shoes on the blower adjusted to clean the pavement better. I like to set it so the cutting edge sits just above the surface and let the shoes do the job.
Our driveway was pea gravel when we moved here and that just sucks with a snowblower. Of course the guy we bought from was from Arizona and he was headed back that way after a couple winters in Maine. Anywho, I played the up and down game with the shoes back then. PITA and I’m too old and sore to play that game anymore. I couldn’t wrestle a walk behind now either and I’m not paying someone to plow and screw up my yard thank you very much.

 

Speaking of box blades , I built this one last year just for snow work. It detaches so that I can hook up from the other side and use it as a pusher box in reverse.

With the plow on the front, I hardly make a move without pushing snow one way or another. It really is a time saver.
This is the front end

That plow is getting put on standby. Being replaced by a brand spanking new 9'6 Fisher XV2 v blade that I'm rigging up now.

 

Very nice BB/snow pusher!

 

Sweet, bring on the snow.

 

Hope you post some progress pics!!

 

Kubota l3000 with an old fransgard winch, the industrial tires don't do well going up the hill in the wood lot with 12" of wet snow, so I pulled some stuff out on the more level lower end. I need AG tires with chains, I have no room for chains with the current tires on it.

 

The "mounting" between the blade & the tactor is pretty simple, just running a flat 3/4 x 4" bar uphill to the tractor mounting that's just like back the old days when the pusher beam stayed on the truck. This plow did not come with blade stops, (wouldn't you know it's an option) and I don't agree with the cylinders "bottoming out" at full retraction so I built some.


and the stops

It all has a coat of red rustoleum on it right now, hopefully I have some black paint and if it's dry that can go on tomorrow.
Then I need to order some hyd. lines. I'd love to get it together by Tues, "they" are talking about another 8" of snow.

 

This is the tractor plow mount I built for the other blade. I drop it off after plowing season is over for ground clearance. The loader valve works the plow & the 3rd function valve works the lift cyl.

 

Follow up; It done, now prolly wont snow till Jan.Snow/ice now rain all day.

 

Yeah I’m thinking you probably jinxed us! Oh well, always next year Plow looks awesome! Looks like a factory job.

 

Nice job on the fabrication Fuelrod!

 

Impressive work.

 

Jnb , I am really digging those three point winches! (yeah, I know it's a tractor thread...digging )

Dare I even ask what it cost you? I've never actually seen one in person. Only pics. Implement envy IS a thing.

 

I bought the winch about 7 years ago and it didn't cost me to much as it was 25 or 30 years old and well used when I got it. I did replace all the bearings, drive chain, cable, and pto shaft after I got it, and have been using it without any issues since. To buy one of this size now would be around $3500 I think. The winch is my favourite attachment.

 

I’ve been able to get a decent amount of work done with the Echo CS 680 chainsaw and the Kubota M59 TLB. Little to no snow and things are starting to freeze up pretty well so I can get into spots that are normally too soft. Getting unwanted trees thinned out of an area and got rid of some big rocks as well. Also making firewood for next season is a nice plus.

So yesterday I paid my neighbor to trailer my M59 over to the Kubota dealership and had them do an oil change and install a block heater that threads right into a plug space on the side of the engine. I wasn’t having any trouble with it starting but it starts a little harder when it’s 0 degrees out. So now I’ll plug it in an hour or two before I start it when it’s...oh say below 25 F.

Then this morning my neighbor and I installed the new tire chains on the front tires. While he finished tightening them up I had to run and get a shower and get ready for work so never did get any pictures. But I’ll take a few the next time I get out in the woods with her.

I’m glad I got all three of those things done. A relief to have that off my mind.

 

Block heater is so nice. It's a very simple install, you just need a huge socket/ wrench. Your tractor will thank you for that.

On mine, I leave it plugged into a Wifi switch. On those days when she needs to wake up, I use my phone to turn it on, wait an hour, and everyone is happy when I turn they key.