# toro snow plow



## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

came across this on the net. looks like it could be an option for those of us that cannot afford skidsteers or bobcats.

what do you guys think of it?

http://ztrplows.com/photos.html


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

woudl be great for sidewalks.


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## Stik208 (Oct 19, 2004)

birddseedd;1527180 said:


> came across this on the net. looks like it could be an option for those of us that cannot afford skidsteers or bobcats.
> 
> what do you guys think of it?
> 
> http://ztrplows.com/photos.html


So you're saying that you could use a Z-Turn mower where a skidsteer/Bobcat is required?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

take a look at their videos. seems to work pretty well. i woudl rather use my mower than shovel. shoot. woudl rather my mower than snow blow a sidewalk.

im not saying it is as good as a skidsteer. just it is a viable option for soemoen that doesnt have 15 grand laying around.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

You already have the mower?


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## CashinH&P (Jan 14, 2012)

Im sure with that it still cant push enough snow to make it worth using instead of a skid steer, I would rather save my money and buy a skid.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

CashinH&P;1527202 said:


> Im sure with that it still cant push enough snow to make it worth using instead of a skid steer, I would rather save my money and buy a skid.


If you can build a plow for a coupe hundred dollars and use your mower, that can earn you the money to buy a skidsteer. not everyone can save up 15 grand in a few weeks.

They have plenty of videos showing it plowing. seems to do a pretty good job. i haul material with my mower, so plowing really isnt much different. if it were icy i could see it being tough



2COR517;1527201 said:


> You already have the mower?


no i just came across it on the web and wanted to share it. i dont have any small places to plow and not enough sidewalks to justify the cost. tho for 1200 bucks i would just buy a tractor plow from craigs list and build a mount for the mower.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

CashinH&P;1527202 said:


> Im sure with that it still cant push enough snow to make it worth using instead of a skid steer, I would rather save my money and buy a skid.


yes a skid steer would be much much more effective. and comfortable


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## CashinH&P (Jan 14, 2012)

birddseedd;1527216 said:


> If you can build a plow for a coupe hundred dollars and use your mower, that can earn you the money to buy a skidsteer. not everyone can save up 15 grand in a few weeks.
> 
> They have plenty of videos showing it plowing. seems to do a pretty good job. i haul material with my mower, so plowing really isnt much different. if it were icy i could see it being tough
> 
> no i just came across it on the web and wanted to share it. i dont have any small places to plow and not enough sidewalks to justify the cost. tho for 1200 bucks i would just buy a tractor plow from craigs list and build a mount for the mower.


Dude you dont save up 15k in a few weeks it takes months or years.

look, you need to plow this season with what you have next year, buy a new plow, the next year a new truck, the year after a peace of equipment. You dont grow over night. it takes years.

My own company will not be where I want it to be for 3 years, I have a business plan, its all writen down so I can check things off as I do them.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

im not saying im buying this. as iv stated above its quite hte opposite. i do not need this.

I just thought it was neat and wanted to share it.

would i get one if i had the need for it? yes. it would make a great stepping stone to getting a skid steer. but as i said. i dont have the work that would cause the need of small equipment like this or a skidsteer, i just wanted to share the link.


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## csi.northcoast (Aug 7, 2010)

idk,, forgive my ignorance i do not do lawns...they say a dixie chopper can do a football field in 9 minutes .. i think that is like an acre give or take... if you can plow and acre in 9 minutes...well i think you got something there...(relax this is all tongue in cheek)

but it may have value in some spots esp if you have the mower, and it is sitting all winter long


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## CashinH&P (Jan 14, 2012)

csi.northcoast;1527259 said:


> idk,, forgive my ignorance i do not do lawns...they say a dixie chopper can do a football field in 9 minutes .. i think that is like an acre give or take... if you can plow and acre in 9 minutes...well i think you got something there...(relax this is all tongue in cheek)
> 
> but it may have value in some spots esp if you have the mower, and it is sitting all winter long


I mow lawns all summer, I dont have a ztr (i run commercial walk behinds) but I thnik it can definelty do side walks, but to take the place of a skid steer...i dont think so, not in a million years


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

CashinH&P;1527260 said:


> I mow lawns all summer, I dont have a ztr (i run commercial walk behinds) but I thnik it can definelty do side walks, but to take the place of a skid steer...i dont think so, not in a million years


Definatly would NOT replace. But starting out if you have the mower it would be great. Esspicialy for someone like me who does not have an atv for sidewalks.

tho. I dont have enough walks to be worth any cost beyond a blower


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

Tho i think most prople here could build one better than what they are selling


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

As long as traction is good, a Z-turn plow would run circles around an atv. Honestly, that looks like a blast to plow with.


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## B-2 Lawncare (Feb 11, 2012)

There is now way I would tear up my mower with that thing.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

B-2 Lawncare;1527426 said:


> There is now way I would tear up my mower with that thing.


Do you use your mower to haul material around job sites? mine came with a hitch built by toro. it is kinda convenient where you cannot always get a vehicle.

just curious.


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## OC&D (Dec 2, 2009)

Geez, lay off the poor guy. Yes, he posts like 50 threads to my 1, but I'll let you in on a little secret--the thread list actually shows who started the thread, and you could actually choose not to click on it if it was started by a certain user.


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## OC&D (Dec 2, 2009)

Banksy;1527280 said:


> As long as traction is good, a Z-turn plow would run circles around an atv. Honestly, that looks like a blast to plow with.


That was my thought as well. Now, if a guy had a cab with heat on his zero turn I might actually be interested. Problem for me would be what would I do with it in the summer?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

OC&D;1527434 said:


> That was my thought as well. Now, if a guy had a cab with heat on his zero turn I might actually be interested. Problem for me would be what would I do with it in the summer?


by the looks of it the plow is only held on by a few bolts.


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## B-2 Lawncare (Feb 11, 2012)

birddseedd;1527429 said:


> Do you use your mower to haul material around job sites? mine came with a hitch built by toro. it is kinda convenient where you cannot always get a vehiclew.
> 
> just curious.


All we do with our mowers is mow, when I was starting out I used a JD la 100, and abused the hell out of that poor little guy.It only made it one season,we then bought a compact tractor. I couldent justify a mower that was going to just sit in the winter. My dealer told me about a plow that I could get for my z but he said it was a joke and that I would spend more time spring my wheels than pushing snow.
I knew that that it wasn't going to mow as well as Z, and that it wasn't going to be as good as a compact tractor. So it was a compromise. 
The snow removal part of our business is the hardest to manage, never knowing how much or if its going to snow. we are more than maxed out on routes this year. Which is good but we can only afford to grow one side of our business at a time. So we have been growing our maintenance and mowing side of the business this year. Next year we will add to the snow side. I would like to add a big payloader next year.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

soudns like you are getting pretty far along. congratz


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Maybe ok for sidewalks or condos?


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

That looks huge from the angle they took the ferris pic at. Also looks like it lifts way higher than I would have anticipated. I can see it having its place for a guy just starting out with a lower end zero turn rider but with the pricetag on a quality commercial zero turn id never be able to justify putting one out in the salt.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

i did notice it goes up high, it also goes down really slow. and i agree. the price tag is huge. but i like the concept of doing it. i could build one out of a tractor plow for pretty cheap. couple hundred


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

Longae29;1527636 said:


> Maybe ok for sidewalks or condos?


Yes. This is nothing new though. JRCO makes a plow that does the same thing. And many of the OEM manufacturers have a snowblower, sweeper or plow attachment that is OEM which first came on the market 25 years ago.

As far as something like this replacing a skidsteer?










A 60" blade vs a 72" bucket on a skidsteer or a 8 or 10 foot pusher on the same skid is far from the same thing.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

skid steers have heat


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Of course its not going to replace a skidsteer. I apologize for not bashing the hell out of the o.p. like seems to be the trend around here lately.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

couldnt find one made by toro. ah well. i get paid hourly on my walks anyway payup


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

birddseedd;1527661 said:


> skid steers have heat


And?

So does my John Deere F930.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

RJ lindblom;1527671 said:


> And?
> 
> So does my John Deere F930.


for someone that is out for 8 hours in 20 below weather i think a skid steer is worth the investment if it can be afforded by the company. those conditions could adversly effect an employee's performance. that's all


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## BMWSTUD25 (Aug 21, 2008)

If he didn't feel the need to start every ridiculous thread on here, and dozens of them a day, nobody would bash him.


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

birddseedd;1527676 said:


> for someone that is out for 8 hours in 20 below weather i think a skid steer is worth the investment if it can be afforded by the company. those conditions could adversly effect an employee's performance. that's all


Once again, and? Done that.

You can always put on another layer of clothing.

As I explained eariler, my John Deere F930 has a cab and heat, but it is no replacement for a skid loader. I can drop snow blower or blade or sweeper that mounts on the front and put a mower on and it when the grass is growing.

It is asinine to think that a ZTR can replace a skid steer. It can't move the amount of snow a skid can, nor can it do the work of a pickup and plow. However, it can and does serve a purpose.


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

BMWSTUD25;1527678 said:


> If he didn't feel the need to start every ridiculous thread on here, and dozens of them a day, nobody would bash him.


 Ding ding ding ding. We have a winning post right here.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

RJ lindblom;1527679 said:


> Once again, and? Done that.
> 
> You can always put on another layer of clothing.
> 
> ...


funny thing is... I never said it would replace a skid steer. I could say that you shouldn't assume things. but in fact I stated several times a product like this would not replace, nor even be nearly as good as a skid steer. actually what I said was it would be better than a shovel...


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

birddseedd;1527685 said:


> funny thing is... I never said it would replace a skid steer. I could say that you shouldn't assume things. but in fact I stated several times a product like this would not replace, nor even be nearly as good as a skid steer. actually what I said was it would be better than a shovel...


Lets go to the first post:



birddseedd;1527180 said:


> came across this on the net. *looks like it could be an option for those of us that cannot afford skidsteers or bobcats.*
> what do you guys think of it?
> 
> http://ztrplows.com/photos.html


Um, your story seems to be changing.


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

birddseedd;1527690 said:


> did you not read the entire post? I said someone that cannot afford a skid steer. aka don't have one. aka caint get one. aka no skidsteer to replace.
> 
> unless you want to crap in your left hand and call that a skidsteer. in that case yes it would be better...












No. You would not. If you need a skid and can't afford one, rent one. Or sub the lot out to someone with a skid.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

RJ lindblom;1527694 said:


> No. You would not. If you need a skid and can't afford one, rent one. Or sub the lot out to someone with a skid.


if its a big project I would definatly agree to subbing it out. if its something with heavy wet snow I can imagine it wouldn't do real well. but say for places that you wouldn't go with a heavy skid steer like business patios, or simply side walks , I think it would work great.

frankly next year ill be doing it for sidewalkks and getting rid of one of my sidewalk subs.


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

I started out doing commercial work with a old Ford lawn tractor with a blade I made myself, moved on to my massey 4x4 tractor.....now I own 3skids, 3 loaders, 2 original tractors, trucks, trailers etc. I own it all outright and owe it all to that little Ford tractor and my own desire to make it work. You work with what you have, and if that means you put up with the cold etc to make the extra money to expand, then so be it.


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## JTVLandscaping (Jan 1, 2010)

I see where he's coming from...I wanted a new truck but since I couldn't afford one I bought a new microwave instead. Thumbs Up


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

JTVLandscaping;1527716 said:


> I see where he's coming from...I wanted a new truck but since I couldn't afford one I bought a new microwave instead. Thumbs Up


never thought of using a microwave for ice removal. bet it saves a lot of salt. doesn't it take longer?

:laughing:


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

JTVLandscaping;1527716 said:


> I see where he's coming from...I wanted a new truck but since I couldn't afford one I bought a new microwave instead. Thumbs Up



Ya know... A half dozen magnatrons and a hood plus a couple of generators. Sure it could work. Would it feasible?

Pulled by a craftsman lawn tractor and sears garden cart.

The only thing I can think of is a monkey trying to make love to football.


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## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

I have 3 ztr's so it would work for me. I did see a used ztr with a 52" blower and I think that would work better then a plow. I still didnt get it because I dont think it will outperform my kubota and I didnt need another mower. The two big issues are traction and transport. Again I dont even like to use my kubota in the winter but it can take care of walks and can move piles.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

sectlandscaping;1527742 said:


> I have 3 ztr's so it would work for me. I did see a used ztr with a 52" blower and I think that would work better then a plow. I still didnt get it because I dont think it will outperform my kubota and I didnt need another mower. The two big issues are traction and transport. Again I dont even like to use my kubota in the winter but it can take care of walks and can move piles.


i'm courious, how much would ur average kubota run? cheaper than a skid steer


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

birddseedd;1527808 said:


> i'm courious, how much would ur average kubota run? cheaper than a skid steer


Average Kubota what?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

Loader that carries a 1 yard bucket. Im assuming that is what he was refering to talking about putting a plow on


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

One yard bucket?


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

Your average Kubota subcompact tractor with a 1/4 bucket (if not smaller), will set you back $10 000-$15 000 new. sometimes you come across them in the $5000 range, but they tend to hold their value quite well.


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## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

buckwheat_la;1527886 said:


> Your average Kubota subcompact tractor with a 1/4 bucket (if not smaller), will set you back $10 000-$15 000 new. sometimes you come across them in the $5000 range, but they tend to hold their value quite well.


Yeah, I paid 8k with a york rake, 60" mowing deck, 1/3 yard bucket, ballast, and extra tires. Its been reliable but the parts are pricey when something does break.

I really just bought it for the bucket for mulch, gravel, loading salt, etc. I mowed with it once or twice and used the rake a few times.


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

sectlandscaping;1527912 said:


> Yeah, I paid 8k with a york rake, 60" mowing deck, 1/3 yard bucket, ballast, and extra tires. Its been reliable but the parts are pricey when something does break.
> 
> I really just bought it for the bucket for mulch, gravel, loading salt, etc. I mowed with it once or twice and used the rake a few times.


We don't get deals like that in Canada,:crying:


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

2COR517;1527880 said:


> One yard bucket?


Yeah, you know, a bucket that can fit 1 entire yard.


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

dfd9;1527917 said:


> Yeah, you know, a bucket that can fit 1 entire yard.


I just got really excited....


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

I would like to drive something like that for one day.


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

2COR517;1527940 said:


> I would like to drive something like that for one day.


That would be fun. For a while. The electrice drives on the LeTourneau would be interesting.

Even Cat is getting into the electric game: 
http://www.cat.com/D7E


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

JTVLandscaping;1527716 said:


> I see where he's coming from...I wanted a new truck but since I couldn't afford one I bought a new microwave instead. Thumbs Up


Sig worthy...ussmileyflag:laughing:


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## Stik208 (Oct 19, 2004)

2COR517;1527940 said:


> I would like to drive something like *this* for one day.


Fixed it for ya.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

That would be pretty sweet


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

Stik208;1528017 said:


> Fixed it for ya.


eh? its not even a big truck...


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

dfd9;1527917 said:


> Yeah, you know, a bucket that can fit 1 entire yard.


I could fit about half my hosue in that. literally.


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## tebletlawns (Oct 26, 2010)

Those plows are actually built really well. They have actual down pressure that can lift the front wheels off the groundn (don't recommend plowing like this) I have a 72" blade on my turf tiger. Biggest baddest ztr, wash the crap out of it after every storm just like I do my truck. All the weight is over the drive tires so traction is not a problem. I do have a set of chains incase I ever need them. Some ztr manufacturers make blades and blowers for their mowers so I'm not really concerned with wearing out the pumps. Maybe if I had a smaller, non commercial mower. Grasshopper makes a cab for their mowers, jealous. I use is it for driveways and it works great and fast. I would never dream of using it where a skid was needed.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

The website is down. as was asked earlier, i did not have a ztr, now i have one. now i cant find the plow to put on it.


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