# snow blowing vs snow moving w/FEL?



## dicksteel

After breaking my back with a walk behind snow blower for the last 10 years....mama said I can buy a big boy machine this year...okay....so she doesn't REALLY know how much they cost...but I'm SURE she will understand once its sitting in my driveway. So the big question....I'm looking at a jdx728 with deck and snow blower and a jd2305 with deck, bucket (FEL) and grading blade. I have a 300' driveway and 2 acres of flat lawn. Both I'm sure will cut fine.....but what about moving the snow?
THANKS!


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## wjjones

Welcome to the Forum!..dicksteel.. I am sure you will get alot of input, and suggestions on here.


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## Marcintosh

*x728 vs 2305*



dicksteel said:


> After breaking my back with a walk behind snow blower for the last 10 years....mama said I can buy a big boy machine this year...okay....so she doesn't REALLY know how much they cost...but I'm SURE she will understand once its sitting in my driveway. So the big question....I'm looking at a jdx728 with deck and snow blower and a jd2305 with deck, bucket (FEL) and grading blade. I have a 300' driveway and 2 acres of flat lawn. Both I'm sure will cut fine.....but what about moving the snow?
> THANKS!


I did just fine last year with an old JD GT262 and a 48" blade . . . until the very end.
When I couldn't even get out of my storage tent with that set up. My neighbor across the street came over with his snowblower and when it got just so stinking bad my other neighbor became the hero of the neighborhood when he dragged out his elderly IH TLB. It was so bad in my instance the snowblower (never mind my blade) couldn't get it over the prior piles of snow. The TLB was able to dump it into the middle of my lawn.

This winter I've rebuilt my 10hp Snowblower and I'll use the JD+blade set up again. 

I'd like a 2305 but I've just read the turning radius on the X728 is smaller if that makes a difference to you (it might near the garage or other narrow place). You might want to do a fact check on that though.

The moral is that you need to have a place to put it all or you need to be able to hoist it over what's already there. Either machine I'm sure will do the job. 

The other issue might be how clean do you need your driveway? The blower will be able to make it surgically clean. The bucket will require more effort, more back and forth.Unless you intend to use it like a plow and just push. Not sure how good that would be for the hydro though (see a dealer about that)
Dont forget to consider filling your tires or wheel weights and perhaps chains too (depending on your surface and tread design)


Does that help at all?


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## dhopkins55

I too was wondering how a FEL would do for snow removal. I just bought a JD 3032E with FEL and other attachments. If I put the bucket in "float" mode I think it should skim over the top of the gravel driveway without digging in. The dealer has given that indication, so I guess all I can do is wait until a good snow to test out the theory!!


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## Hoodoo Valley

It's a feel it out type of thing, but I use some down pressure and angle the bucket up slightly to prevent picking up gravel in the driveway. It helps to use the down pressure, because it packs the snow and creates a skreed to help you out in further snow plowing operations.


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## dhopkins55

Tractor Beam: Thank you for that advice. I will definitely use it!!


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## Hoodoo Valley

dhopkins55 said:


> Tractor Beam: Thank you for that advice. I will definitely use it!!


I'd still go slow until you get the hang of it. It prevents digging up the lawn and all that. Once you get a run of packed snow, then you can hit it with the bucket at any angle, and all you move is snow. This is of course dependent on you having lots of cold weather where your snow base remains intact until the Spring. Once that happens, if you need to plow again, just roll your bucket up slightly, enough to push snow, but not dig in. Raking gravel off the lawn all Spring just flat out sucks!


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## Vo2et

I use both implements for clearing snow. I use the fel to collect the snow and the blower to get rid of it. On the road to my cottage I use the blower exclusively and pitch the snow in the woods and its gone for good. The old problem with a fel only is space requirements for snow storage until summer. Most people run out of room to put the snow before winters end but with a blower you can send it outta your way.
I have a link to a video of the glorious activity at my cottage, can't wait...its snowing here now !!
[ame=http://youtu.be/5eQgIhGDHy8]FotonTE254B64.wmv - YouTube[/ame]


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## Country Boy

If you have a long, narrow driveway, the snowblower will be your best bet. It can toss the snow farther off the driveway without having to drag snow across the lawn or rut up your lawn. If your main area to clear is a large, open area, then the FEL will probably do a better job because you'd only have to handle the snow once. A blower might not be able to toss the snow far enough, and you'd have to blow it twice. We use a Bobcat Toolcat 5600T to clean out our driveway here on the farm, but I have close to two acres of gravel that needs to be cleaned. Takes 2-3 hours each time it snows, and that's with cruising at over 10mph through the snow. I'd get a blower attachment, but I just can't justify the $$$ right now.


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## chowdahed

dicksteel said:


> After breaking my back with a walk behind snow blower for the last 10 years....mama said I can buy a big boy machine this year...okay....so she doesn't REALLY know how much they cost...but I'm SURE she will understand once its sitting in my driveway. So the big question....I'm looking at a jdx728 with deck and snow blower and a jd2305 with deck, bucket (FEL) and grading blade. I have a 300' driveway and 2 acres of flat lawn. Both I'm sure will cut fine.....but what about moving the snow?
> THANKS!


For what is worth- Have 950 feet of driveway- 150 paved at the house. rest is packed stone. 3+acres
Don't know how much money you can spend but this is how I've tried to get rid of that white stuff. 
Bought used 1990 Dodge W150 4x4 with a 7-1/2 ft Fisher Plow-$1800, not registered- just for stonedriveway and a little part of paved area, pulling tree stumps, grading etc-you will be surprised what you can use a snow plow for when there is no snow. 
1998 Troybilt 2010 Snowthrower- cleaning around the house, you don't really have pain in the butt snowbanks from the plow but nice even straight paths. 
A 48" snow blade on the 2005 GT2254 Manual 8 speed Husqvarna for the light stuff, the 54" deck is great for the 1 1/2 acre lawn area too. 
I had a 42" single stage blower on the tractor but really did not like it, when snow was just damp it would clog up to much. Also had the same on a 1993 WheelHorse 314-8. 
Switched to a walk behind with a cab. 
Blew motor on the Troybilt- picked up used Craftsmen -doing the job.
Want to find a 20-25 + hp horizontal shaft motor that I can " adapt " to the TroyBilt body. I saw a few "adapted" type snow blowers in Maine a few winters ago. It looked like it was actually fun clearing the snow with those units. 
What ever way you go- hope you have some fun with it !


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