# Grader blade for snow - how well does it work?



## DanielWilson

I was all lined up on a Ford 901 and a grader blade to solve my snow-removal problems. I live in northern Indiana and have just acquired a 400-foot driveway.

Then I talked to the guy I was going to borrow some equipment from to bring the tractor & blade home if I actually made the purchase.

He tells me that the only satisfactory way to move snow is a blade on the front of a rig with a heated cab -- like his F150 4x4. He says a grader blade on the back of a tractor doesn't work well with snow and will take an awfully long time. Even an FEL doesn't work nearly as well as a front blade.

Is he right?

Thanks!


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## MFreund

*What is "right*

He may be faster but a loader and box blade is what I use. I can pile all the snow where I want it, not just push it out of the way or to the side of the drive. I will give him it is a nice way to stay warm but he is not on a tractor and I am 

What workd for you will be different depending on your preferences and what equipment you have available. In short, a loader and rear blade will work well. There are other option only limited by your pocket book.


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## chrpmaster

:ditto: especially about only limited by the size of your pocket book. My brother has a long driveway (900') and he clears it with a 7' blade on the back of his tractor. Are there faster and more comfortable ways? Sure but you can't beat the price compared to buying a truck and plow setup or getting a cab with heater and front plow on the 901. Try pricing the options out and you will see.

Andy

P.S. Congratulations on the "new" 901!


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## fordf150farmer

for a long drive, a fel and a blade are only beaten by a blower. you can bust out with a loader and push piles back and then maintain it all with the blade.


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## DanielWilson

Having used the rig a couple winters, I find that it does pretty well. this last winter, I did have a 7-inch snow-fall to plow. That was a bit of a struggle, but the FEL came through where I bogged down w/ the grader blade. 3-4 inches plow very nicely.


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## Hoodoo Valley

fordf150farmer said:


> for a long drive, a fel and a blade are only beaten by a blower. you can bust out with a loader and push piles back and then maintain it all with the blade.


 I so agree. The blade configuration won't work when the snow gets 3 or 4 feet deep, but a FEL allows you to keep picking it up and pushing it back. With a front blade, once you get burmed in, you are calling someone with a FEL, so may as well get the FEL, if you live in a snow area. Plus, you can use the FEL in the summer too!


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## fordf150farmer

music in a bott said:


> I so agree. The blade configuration won't work when the snow gets 3 or 4 feet deep, but a FEL allows you to keep picking it up and pushing it back. With a front blade, once you get burmed in, you are calling someone with a FEL, so may as well get the FEL, if you live in a snow area. Plus, you can use the FEL in the summer too!



that is it exactly. we have a 1720 ford with a loader (4x4) and we throw on about a 7 foot blad on the 3 point. the drive is right about a half a mile long with some really bad drift spots.... 4 inches turns into three feet.lol and the blade is then useless. but go at it with the loader, and get the majority away from the drive, make a pass down and back with the blade to clean up and then you can generally keep it open after that. and with the way this drive is, a truck and blade are just as useless in a bad storm


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## SHARTEL

What is snow?






Oh, how I'd love to jump in here and give you all of my snow blowin' wisdom.......which is "Zilch" 

Shartel


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## Hoodoo Valley

SHARTEL said:


> What is snow?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, how I'd love to jump in here and give you all of my snow blowin' wisdom.......which is "Zilch"
> 
> Shartel


Yup! But I bet you can elaborate on Armadillos and excess heat! What is the tempurature today Shartel?


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## SHARTEL

music in a bott said:


> Yup! But I bet you can elaborate on Armadillos and excess heat! What is the tempurature today Shartel?


Yesterday was supposed to hit 90°, never happened as we only hit °89 :lmao:...Today could be a different story (It could get a little warm).

I'm really not unfamiliar with snow as I'm not a native born Texican...born and raised in N. California where there's lots of snow. Problem was when it snowed I didn't have a tractor


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## Smarterthanfox

Depends on your needs......a long narrow road would be fast handled with an angled blade making the first pass down the middle moving some to the sides then finishing by making a second and third pass throwing it off to the side.....however if it is piling on the side you may have to snow plow the sides as well. You would also have to get up and go before snow is too deep. This is fast snowplowing. Now if you have a large parking lot with lots of area you may need a way to pile it up.....FEL necessary for that. Tedious but necessary in large areas. I prefer to work the snow down with a wide blade delivering to the side. I can accomplish more this way but I have to stay ahead of the depth. Too deep and a blade may need a bigger tractor to do it. You should have good lights to warn others and keep them from hitting you as people get panicky driving in the snow. I get up at night so good lights are necessary to be safe doing that. I am working on rural country roads that go by my house. The county won't reach our area for a couple days so we have to do it if someone needs out for their job.


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## Heatdr1

*snow removal*

I have about 300 foot drive,in the last big storm around Christmas we had 18 inches.I run through with my york rake then go back with the loader bucket.Seems to work well,tractor ran like Cr-- but it did move the snow


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