# front snowblower, Lawn tractor vs SCUT



## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

I want something to keep my driveway clear of snow. Ive been borrowing a plow truck from a family member when needed. no resentment involved, but id much rather do it myself.got a lawn tractor for mowing. it looks like I could get a snowblower for it for under $1500. Is that something I would want to clear up to 1/2 mile with? (on a private road, and only the 2nd and myself at #5 ever clear snow on the joint road. I often need to get it done before the other guy does it.)
would a SCUT do a better job of it or just last longer? HP numbers are pretty close, and I'm not worried about getting tired manually hoisting the blower.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Groo, that depends. can your lawn tractor push heavy snow better forward or backwards getting it into that snow auger? Some lawn tractors have a rear CAT-0 3PT with PTO. Reverse isn't really that bad. Even for SCUT tractors, there are plenty of rear 3pt snow-blowers. See some YT vids to determine how your lawn tractor can manage that.

FWIW, a lawn tractor has a 3pt CAT-0. A riding mower does not. Some folks get this confused and just call them lawn tractors when they don't even have the rear hook-up ability. 

This is a cheese JD setup, but gets the idea across. This JD has no rear PTO, the belt system is BAD. Now, Honda did make an awesome little SCUT. For your 1/2-MILE drive, that machine would be flawless. Yanmar has the FX-series that is very similar.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

bmaverick said:


> Groo, that depends. can your lawn tractor push heavy snow better forward or backwards getting it into that snow auger? Some lawn tractors have a rear CAT-0 3PT with PTO. Reverse isn't really that bad. Even for SCUT tractors, there are plenty of rear 3pt snow-blowers. See some YT vids to determine how your lawn tractor can manage that.
> 
> FWIW, a lawn tractor has a 3pt CAT-0. A riding mower does not. Some folks get this confused and just call them lawn tractors when they don't even have the rear hook-up ability.
> 
> This is a cheese JD setup, but gets the idea across. This JD has no rear PTO, the belt system is BAD. Now, Honda did make an awesome little SCUT. For your 1/2-MILE drive, that machine would be flawless. Yanmar has the FX-series that is very similar.


I think you are confusing a lawn tractor with a garden tractor. A garden tractor is for working in a garden, aka ground engagement. A lawn tractor is for lawn maintenance. A riding mower is a more broad term that also includes the rear engine riding mowers and the ZT types.

I've seen some ads for the Hondas. Look a little pricey for what it is, when compared to a new SCUT.

PS. no interest in a rear facing blower. My neck would never handle that, especially with more than a 1/2 mile of curving road to cover.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Groo said:


> PS. no interest in a rear facing blower. My neck would never handle that, especially with more than a 1/2 mile of curving road to cover.


As Mater would say, the trick for reverse is having good mirrors.  

Rear snow blowing has the benefit of the rear tires for both traction and weight on the ground. The front end wheels are smaller and have no gription to do any real work. A 4WD SCUT would work, but those are more rare than anything. Maybe the smaller CUTs with 4WD would be ideal for front snow removal. The last thing you need is 1/2-MILE drive with curves, blowing snow and the front wouldn't turn the way you need to go, thus sliding. This would become very frustrating.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

mirrors buzz too much for this type of work. 

Pretty hard to get a 2wd SCUT for the last decade or so. All of them are 4wd now.

Your complaint against a front mounted blower on a tractor would eliminate a front mounted loader on any tractor even more so. Not saying their isn't truth to it, but a tractor can obviously handle weight out front. Besides, a compact telehandler, toolcat or even a ventrac is out of my price range, and I'm too fat for a skid-steer.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Groo said:


> mirrors buzz too much for this type of work.
> Pretty hard to get a 2wd SCUT for the last decade or so. All of them are 4wd now.


I was thinking used like your YM1610D. 



Groo said:


> Your complaint against a front mounted blower on a tractor would eliminate a front mounted loader on any tractor even more so. Not saying their isn't truth to it, but a tractor can obviously handle weight out front. Besides, a compact telehandler, toolcat or even a ventrac is out of my price range, and I'm too fat for a skid-steer.


A FEL offers the extra weight up front. A JD650 really struggles moving snow with a FEL and the front tires going the way the operator is aiming. I've done that already on a sloped drive with curves. The hardest part was, it was gravel and not paved. Paved, I could have pointed the FEL down, lifted the front tires an inch and just creep forward getting all ice and snow removed. I really don't consider the JD650 a CUT, but more like a SCUT. It's 2T80 pop-corn engine only has 3.35-inches of stroke.


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