How to Plow Snow with a Snow Blade

A Kubota L 4060 HSTC (Cab with heater) and a Land Pride RB1570 Rear blade make a great plowing rig! 

It’s that time of year again, with little to no warning snow is coming down by the bucket load. This can create hazardous conditions for trying to get around. One thing that can help is to plow the loose snow with a snow blade. This can help your salt work faster, the ice melt faster and create a generally safer environment. Snow removal can be expensive, especially with multiple snow storms in a season. It can be more economical to use your Kubota Tractor in your garage to do it for yourself and for your neighbors. Using a rear blade from Land Pride, you can have your parking lot or driveway, along with your neighbors’ cleared off before your hot chocolate cools off. Here is how:

• Attach your blade: All the Land Pride rear blades that we sell have a basic three-point hitch mounting system.
   
• Set your blade angle: The Land pride rear blades that we sell have 7 forward and 5 reverse angle settings. Selecting the right setting depends on the job you’re trying to accomplish and the direction you want the snow to go.
   
• One of the first things you need to decide is whether to have the blade in the reverse or forward position. The forward position (the blade is facing the back end of the tractor and the tractor moves forward) can be a very aggressive way to move snow. The reverse position (blade pointing away from the tractor and the tractor moves backward) is less aggressive and better suited for gravel driveways and parking lots. We recommend the rear setting.
   
• The next thing you need to look at regarding your angle, whether you’re plowing in the reverse or forward position, is the angle you’re going to push the snow out (the angle of discharge). The more aggressive the angle, the more snow can build up and not necessarily go where you want it.

Adjust the Top Link on your Three-Point hitch to change your tilt

• Set your blade tilt: The blade tilt refers to the up and down angle of your blade. This can be adjusted by changing the length of your top link on your three-point hitch. We typically recommend a parallel blade to the ground, but various jobs can call for more or less aggressive angles. Lengthening the top link makes the blade act more aggressively and shortening makes it less aggressive, but also decreases the chances of the blade digging into uneven ground.

• Begin at the center of your driveway and take multiple passes toward the edges.
  
  
• If you loose traction, consider locking the differential, this allows both rear tires to move on the same rotation and can help you out of a bind. Also make sure that you’re in four-wheel drive. If problems still persists you may want to look into more ballast (filling your tires).
  
  
• If your tractor begins to bog down or go under an inordinate amount of stress, you may have an issue. To correct this, please check your blade tilt (you may be too aggressive) and check your blade angle for snow discharge, as you may not be removing enough snow from the blade itself.  Another thing you’ll want to check is your gear (or range if you’re driving a hydrostat). Lower gears give you more power, which can help in these situations.

Well there are the basic steps to get you started! If you have further questions feel free to contact us anytime! Now get out and start clearing out your snow and if you have time, help out your neighbors! Nothing feels as good as coming home from work and having a clear driveway!