Farmall Cub

Ok. It is getting cold in these parts too. We just had a good dusting of snow for the first time this season. Here's my dilemma:

I have a Farmall Cub with 3 point hitch, and a rear scrape blade. Cub runs very well, and starts in the coldest of the winter here so far. Ag tires on the rear (good tread), nice tractor tires, 3 ribbed on the front. Cub has been rebuilt, so no problems there.

Cub Cadet has been rebuilt except it probably needs brakes before long - see other posting. Nice V61 tires (new) on front, Ag's (new) in the rear. I do have new chains for those tires, or the original turf tires. I also have the rear wheel weights for the rear. I have the IH snow/dirt scrape blade which can be mounted along with electric lift for the front. Ag tires are weighted with windshield washer fluid.

I really don't have a whole lot of snow plowing experience for a number of reasons. One, it doesn't snow all that often here. Two, I've never had a tractor with this kind of equipment before now. Guess I'm getting lucky in my older years.

Snow plowing would consist of gravel and then black top road way.

So, which tractor would you use? Also, what are the methods in using either one. Oh, BTW. Both tractors' scrape blades have skid shoes of some sort on them.

Opinions? Suggestions?

The Cub (taller and heavier) would work better than the Cadet in deep snow. Actually I have no real opinion. I would use the machine that would move the snow the fastest - less seat time in the cold.

In this area, central Missouri, I don't even bother to scrap snow off of the gravel drive way when it's only an inch or two deep. Just drive the pickup back and forth exposing the gravel. Snow will melt off in a couple of days.

When we get hit with deep snow, the neighbors use big tractors with rear blades. I use a skid steer to move snow off of the drive and parking.

I setup all of them last winter to see for myself and compared them. I found out that the cub cadet with the 70 cc front blade or the 108 cc w/creeper/ snowthrower work very well, the fcub with the front blade works good too, while the int154 with the 54" front blade will push snow too. I compared all of them lastyear during the winter. I enjoyed using every one of them. With wheel weights and chained up of course. This winter its the 70 cub cadet with the snow plow and the int 154 cub with the front blade while the jeep sleeps. The 108 with the creeper and snowthrower impressed me with its speed.

My 4x4 jeep is just backup incase we get deep heavy wet snow. Why beat the tractors if i have a 4x4 jeep? Over 20+ years ago i went looking for a snowblower and came home with a 55 cj5 jeep with a 4way plow for $400. No body just a seat and hood. After many years of use the frame rusted out and i already had the replacement frame which i boxed with 3/8" plate from the front to the rear and installed two loc rites in the 5:38 to 1 diff's. She a bull in a china shop now and is unstoppable. Now it needs 4 new 31" 1550 15 tru power tires. of course the cost just doubled. Everybody thinks i'm nuts when i plow with it but i love the out doors and i'm wearing my cold weather hunting gear to test out it anyway. When i was younger i never needed cold weather gear. But all that thinsulate really works and so do those army cold weather black gloves with the liners. I'm as snug as a bug in a rug when i'm plowing with no heat. But than again i rode dirtbikes with studded tires all winter too street legal.

I should of took pics with all of the snow fighters lined up like snow ninga's.

My buddy in the northwest with his old cj2a jeep goes under the deep snow like a mole and drives under it and out of it. He told me its fun but you need to know where you are so you don't hit stuff like trees.....

Thanks guys for the information. I really do appreciate it a lot.

I scrounged around last night and found the skid shoes for the Farmall Cub's rear scrape blade. I think I'll go ahead and mount them as I don't see much reason to use the scrape blade right now. Probably will not use it again until the spring to scrape my
gravel driveway. So, why not get ready while I can?

I eyed my Cub Cadet again last night too. The IH scrape blade is sitting idly propped by the wall. I might decide to put it on just in case too. Who knows? It only takes about 20 minutes to dismount the Johnny Bucket Jr and mount the IH scrape blade any way. But, I tend to use the JBJr quite often turning mulch.

We'll see.

Cheers folks!

I have an IH Farmall 350 with the rear blade and I have a 1450 with a front mounted snow blade. I use the 1450 the most because its easier to tell if you are pushing gravel onto your grass. Its also easier to get into tight spots. If we get hit with a deep snow I fire up the 350 and get serious about it.

Last year I picked up a snow thrower and mounted it on my 125. It worked to a degree, but the wet snows we got kept clogging it up. While better than scooping by hand (to a degree) I was really wishing it was a two stage.

Since we just had some more snow here in central NC I wanted to add my .02....

When I had the fast-hitch mounted on my '49 it worked well with a rear mounted Leinbach blade on our gravel drive. The fast hitch (and maybe your 3-point) allowed for some adjustment of the blade tilt to keep it from digging so much. My second favorite was the CC1450 and front mounted blade. The only problem I had with it was the front would get pushed around by heavier snow along the edges with turf tires and no dual brakes....better tires or weight may have helped that. Since then I have downsized and use the '49 Cub with the grading/leveling blade mounted in the mid position. It is like having a mini road grader but the disadvantage is it tends to pack snow between the blade and front wheels in heavier snows. My backup is a 1970 Gravely CI with front mounted blade and tire chains It does well and the operator gets a free upper body workout!

Rick:

You just answered your own question

Use the Cub with the blade to move the snow. Push it all into a small area -- sort of piled. Then take the Cadet with the Johnny Bucket and then move the snow. Then you get more seat time which to my mind is a good goal. And ifn it is cold.. just think of the nice mug of hot chocolate/cocoa that could be waiting in the house

SundaySailor wrote:Ok. It is getting cold in these parts too. We just had a good dusting of snow for the first time this season. Here's my dilemma:

...........snip..............

Cub Cadet has been rebuilt except it probably needs brakes before long - see other posting. Nice V61 tires (new) on front, Ag's (new) in the rear. I do have new chains for those tires, or the original turf tires. I also have the rear wheel weights for the rear. I have the IH snow/dirt scrape blade which can be mounted along with electric lift for the front. Ag tires are weighted with windshield washer fluid.

...............snip.............

I'll comment on what I know, if you decide to use the Cub Cadet, put on the turf tires with the wheel weights AND chains. ( the turfs work much better with chains than ags due to the footprint they put down ) Forward momentum is your friend, go as fast as the snow will allow.

For those using the single stage snow thrower, run your Cadet wide open as that makes the unit work best. Use as much forward speed as necessary to keep the thrower loaded with snow as possible. Also, if you have problems with snow clogging the chute, use PAM cooking spray to coat the chute. ( Slip Plate, a graphite based paint works better but it's kind of cold to paint right now )

Jeff

Hey folks.

Yeah, we had a record snow fall for the holidays in my area. Power stuff too. I used both the Farmall Cub and Cub cadet for cleaning some stuff up.

Loads of fun. (Pun not intended).

See ... Loads of seat time

Rick:

We got Gord's 108 with the Q36A Snow Thrower running again last night. Boy was I impressed with the ability of that 108 and thrower. The snow we got yesterday was wet and heavy yet the Q36A was throwing it a good 25 to 30 feet at only 3/4 throttle. Very impressive. Gord made short work of the driveway. Only had the cell so the vid I took is pretty useless. Sure wish I had the camera. Gord showed that a Cub Cadet with a thrower is a very useful item to have in one's arsenal

Good to hear the great news Rudi. I've watched several youtube video's of various garden tractors with snow plows and snow throwers. Some are very impressive while others are only so-so.

It does make one wonder what is wrong with the operator/mechanic of the ones that are only so-so since you can take the same machine with same options with someone else and it does a fine job.

Must be kind of like computer operators. Some can do fine then others leave a vacuum between the monitor, keyboard and seat.