# pushing snow with a tracked machine



## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

I had pretty much given up on the idea of pushing snow with my crawler loader (slow and a narrow bucket) , but I see someone nearby has a snow blade that attaches to a bucket for sale.

I am mainly concerned about traction when it gets really icy

anyone plow with a setup like mine? or maybe a small dozer?

machine in question is a deere 420c with a model 90 loader. figure 30hp and 9000 lbs.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I'd think a tracked machine would do a heck of a lot better than a wheel tractor, even with chains, especially with that kind of weight.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I'd think you'd do pretty well on snow and ice with the tracks, for sure. Not sure of your experience, but don't get yourself sideways on an icy slope, or you may find the dozer will take off on you sideways. Weld some grousers on your tracks to give you a little extra bite if you are a bit leery of the ice. I've seen dozers with a 2"-4" grouser welded to the track pads in the center of the pad to give a little extra bite on ice and snow.
I do great on the ice with the tracks on my 8N, even great in the snow!


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## Loki (Apr 28, 2020)

So you have tracks on a two wheel drive tractor? How do the turning front wheels keep the track on ?


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Loki said:


> So you have tracks on a two wheel drive tractor? How do the turning front wheels keep the track on ?


was this directed at me? Here is my machine, a Deere 420c. You don't turn the wheels









the track kit Ford above, the track idler wheels don't turn either. they are fixed. they still have the normal steering tires in front of the idlers


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## Loki (Apr 28, 2020)

Thanks, I was asking Pogobill, I’d love to see a side view of a two wheel drive with tracks. Yours looks like construction equipment, a tracked dozer. I’m a commercial industrial new work Electrician so am familiar with big equipment but not tractors. I’m a newbie to the tractor game.
I have a MF 255 with loader. I’m in WV and we do get snow. I’m going to have to help clear about 2 miles of dirt rd and 1/4 mile of gravel rd. I’m wondering how my ag tides will do in snow and what implement I should buy.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Mine is old enough where the tracked equipment was often converted farm machinery. The 420 was primarily a line of wheeled tractors from the late 50s

A picture like you wanted from the web


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## Loki (Apr 28, 2020)

That is one cool looking machine!
I bet fantastic in snow. Did it perform well for regular duty ?


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Sorry, I didn't see your post Loki. AS you can see by Groo's post, the tracks aren't wrapped around the front wheels. The tractor doesn't steer as well as it does with the tracks off, but a little left or right brake action and she'll turn on a dime.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Now this is a different story.....








The front wheels were locked so they would not turn, so I imagine that the tractor steered by use of the brakes. The Antarctic!


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Groo said:


> Mine is old enough where the tracked equipment was often converted farm machinery. The 420 was primarily a line of wheeled tractors from the late 50s
> 
> A picture like you wanted from the web


That's a NAA isnt it?.... nice

I bet that steel seat was nice on the equipment in the snow...


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

I would never trust a tracked machine plowing snow,
on frozen ground or iced over ground any kind of a side slope and you are ice skates,
you can weld on studs or grousers to work.
The euro style studded tire chains are about the best you can do for winter plowing traction.


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## Loki (Apr 28, 2020)

I am a believer of Climate Change. Have you noticed less snow and what are predictions for this year. Wondering if should invest in snow removal by tractor. This will be my first winter here in West Virginia, eastern panhandle


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Even after global warming is well entrenched, there would still be snow where I am. Past global temperature changes primarily impact the poles, so while the average temperature may climb 20 degrees there, it will be about 5 degrees in CONUS, figure maybe a 1/2 a state or a state to the south. My area's winters will still get snow, and since we are going into a phase of warmer winters in the northern hemisphere, due to orbit variations, even more snow than we currently have, just wont get so many -20F and -30F days. Then you get the "day after tommow" thinking, and global warming might send us into a severe instant ice-age (although technically, we have been in an ice-age for all of human history). It really isn't quite as stupid as it sounds. The British Isles got significantly colder when the Earth warmed up out of the last "ice-age" thanks to changes in the ocean's currents.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Loki said:


> That is one cool looking machine!
> I bet fantastic in snow. Did it perform well for regular duty ?


if you want your own tracked Ford N
https://up.craigslist.org/grd/d/tawas-city-farm-equipment-for-sale/7157578207.html


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