# Pusher or snow bucket?



## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

NH L185, 75hp skid steer. (L190 is the biggest it goes, so this is one size down) I run a 7' bucket on it for manure pickup. holds fine.

8' scoop dog snow pusher is about 2 grand plus shipping (probably $2500)

8' snow bucket, 2.5 yards is about 2 grand plus shipping (probably $2500)

which is better and why?

I think 8' pusher is the right size for this from all the threads on this (plus makes it easier to transport). When we get pounded it's heavy wet snow, when you would need it most, so I think 8' is right.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

i have a 185 NH and run a 10 foot pusher BUT we are non stop at the property so it never gets more than 2 " deep at any given time...a 10 is a pain to haul...my 8's i leave hooked to the machines and drive on trailer...the 10 you have to transport seperately. i have found that a snow bucket works in confined space where parking is at a premium so that you can lift the snow over curbs, islands, guardrails ect. having said that at your intended property can you push into piles and go back with your normal bucket and remove the snow or does it need to be removed as you go? nice to have a fairly smooth lot to scrape with a bucket too,
steve


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

LoneCowboy. The snow buckets are great if you are digging out (like it did yesturday lol) but if you are cleaning lots i would go with a pusher. They can really move some snow fast. And with your machine a 8ft pusher would be able to handel more than 2 or 3 inches at a time and be easier to transport.
Robert


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Buckets are dangerous for plowing and you can hurt yourself and or the machine using one, plus they are unproductive. With a pusher you can increase your plowing speed and feel confident doing so. We have one skid that only runs a bucket but all it does is backdrag loading docks all night. Buckets are useless for productive plowing. JMO


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Listen to JD,he stayed in a Holiday Inn last night!


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## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

LoneCowboy;846744 said:


> NH L185, 75hp skid steer. (L190 is the biggest it goes, so this is one size down) I run a 7' bucket on it for manure pickup. holds fine.
> 
> 8' scoop dog snow pusher is about 2 grand plus shipping (probably $2500)
> 
> ...


I really like my scoop dog. I have pushed with a bucket before and the difference is huge (once you learn to use the pusher).

I bought it from Horizon in Littleton and picked it up for $2,100. They are on the Scoop Dogg dealer website. Their customer service is horrible but what can you do?

Shoot me a PM if you need more info.


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

Just so we're all clear here, it's not a regular bucket.
it's a snow bucket.
8' wide (same as the pusher), holding 2.5 yards. (it's enormous)

how are pushers to backdrag?

and how about getting good stacking over the curb?


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

LoneCowboy;847135 said:


> Just so we're all clear here, it's not a regular bucket.
> it's a snow bucket.
> 8' wide (same as the pusher), holding 2.5 yards. (it's enormous)
> 
> ...


There is no possible way a bucket will keep up to a pusher and I'll bet we have bigger buckets for our skid than almost anyone. We use Horst pusher and the end plates spring back that allow us to clean flush to curb, a Snodog will not let you do that. Plowing with a bucket vs a pusher is like comparing a blower to a bucket for loading snow, there is no comparison.


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

JD Dave;847351 said:


> the end plates spring back that allow us to clean flush to curb, a Snodog will not let you do that. on.


can you explain this further?


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## In2toys (Jan 25, 2006)

Hey brian, I have a 90 " bucket & it does truly suck for pushing snow. Basically the snow starts piling up at the edge & rolling off the sides with some going into the bucket. I use it for digging out or moving piles.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

LoneCowboy;847360 said:


> can you explain this further?


Most pushers are fixed wings but Horst has an option of spring loades end plates. When you hit a curb the end plate simply fold back and this allows you to clean flush to curb. You can kind of see it in the pic on there site. I made a video of ours doing it but I can't find it. http://www.horstwelding.com/snow_items.php?id=95


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## Pushin_On (Feb 17, 2007)

I had a 8 ft pusher with the rubber cutting ege for my 863 a few years back and i was not happy at all with it. We had a 14 inch wet heavy snow and it did not go well. Just accumulate way to much snow to fast. The rubber cutting ege would fold back and pack a thin layer of snow, and once the tires would connect with the snow, it was over. It would fold back within 20 feet. I personally think the plow is better, with a solid cutting edge, maybe put some wings on it.


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## kcress31 (Sep 20, 2009)

The Horsts are nice but a little pricey and I don't like the idea of having all those moving parts. They look to be built well, but how will they stand up 5 - 6 years down the road. I just ordered a new kage innovations 10 ft plow / pusher for my new Bobcat. It should be in today. I priced out a 9 foot Horst $ $8,950 + shipping and my Kage cost me $6,000. A 8 or 9 foot kage might work well for you. If the snow is too heavy just take off the box and windrow if you have to and you can backblade with the box removed. Another plus with the kage is that all of the weight is on the plow cutting edge, not the sides of the box. They have a good video on their website.

Good luck.


Kageinnovation.com


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## kcress31 (Sep 20, 2009)

LoneCowboy;846744 said:


> NH L185, 75hp skid steer. (L190 is the biggest it goes, so this is one size down) I run a 7' bucket on it for manure pickup. holds fine.
> 
> 8' scoop dog snow pusher is about 2 grand plus shipping (probably $2500)
> 
> ...


Pusher vs bucket

We have an IT 28F with a 5 yard snow bucket and we have a 12 ft pusher for it. The pusher can get a lot done twice as fast or better.


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## plowzilla (Nov 19, 2004)

Why not get a Boss skid plow and throw some wings on them. I had a similiar dilemma so I picked up an 8' blade with wings. If the snow is too heavy, you can take the wings off. If you need to push the snow out or away instead of windrowing it to one side then put the wings on. And the best part is, if the snow isn't to bad, leave the wings on and you have 10' for windrowing. Also, you could push over your curbs/etc..


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

kcress31;863102 said:


> The Horsts are nice but a little pricey and I don't like the idea of having all those moving parts. They look to be built well, but how will they stand up 5 - 6 years down the road. I just ordered a new kage innovations 10 ft plow / pusher for my new Bobcat. It should be in today. I priced out a 9 foot Horst $ $8,950 + shipping and my Kage cost me $6,000. A 8 or 9 foot kage might work well for you. If the snow is too heavy just take off the box and windrow if you have to and you can backblade with the box removed. Another plus with the kage is that all of the weight is on the plow cutting edge, not the sides of the box. They have a good video on their website.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Kageinnovation.com


Your kidding right? A Horst will out plow a Kage anyday and where are you getting your pricing I just bought a 12-18 Horst for $8300 delivered to my door. The Kage doesn't look well built at all IMO and I really can't see the point of one. BTW this is our 7 th year for a few of our Horst blades. Also Horst pushers put all there weight on the cutting edge also, the end plates actually float inside the pusher ends.


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## nhpatriot (Dec 9, 2007)

I am running Horst 9' pushers on a NH 185 and on a NH 175. The machines have plenty of power. To keep traction I run chains on all 4 tires on the 185, and I have 100 carbide studs in each track on the 175. Horst pushers are fully built for commercial use, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.


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## kcress31 (Sep 20, 2009)

JD Dave;868002 said:


> Your kidding right? A Horst will out plow a Kage anyday and where are you getting your pricing I just bought a 12-18 Horst for $8300 delivered to my door. The Kage doesn't look well built at all IMO and I really can't see the point of one. BTW this is our 7 th year for a few of our Horst blades. Also Horst pushers put all there weight on the cutting edge also, the end plates actually float inside the pusher ends.


I am not saying the kage will outplow a horst. It is just a unique simple option. I just went the safe route. I didn't know anyone with the horsts so for $50 % less cost or $3000 it made the decision a little easier. At an hourly rate how much more could I charge If I had a horst. Or how much more production would I get per plow for the horst to pay for itself. I find most clients no matter how much you explain that pushers plow 50 to 100 % faster they never want to pay 50 to a 100 % more per hour. Two years ago we were the only contractor using pushers (protech). 2 years later my competitor bought some and the rates have not gone up they have gone down. What can go wrong with a plow blade or a pusher other then wear and tear and changing wear parts. No moving parts, No motors, no fancy controls, relief valves. I am glad to hear you like your horsts.


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

I think, thus far, that the OP can determine that the majority of posts in this thread favor a snow pusher. There are a million ways to skin a cat, and each implement has advantages and disadvantages. I am looking in from the outside (as far as pushers go), but I am thinking that the pusher will be the best. The most important thing to consider is the application it will be used in. I'm sorry, but it will probably take some personal experience to make the best decision for your application. Read through the replies and try to pick out clues to each opinion that might help you determine how well that post (and opinion) applies to your situation.
I want to jump in to the discussion between JDDave and kcress. In my opinion you guys both make excellent points. I can see that the Kage (or similar designs) can be a good choice for the right situation. In fact it seems to me to be a pretty versatile system. I do however have concerns about how durable it is. I would be worried that it may not have enough frame work to support the ends and keep it's overall integrity. There is someone on this site who has a few and really likes them. Maybe they can comment on durabilty and function. On the other hand the Horst does look to be a little bit more versatile. I can see many ways that it may be the better choice as far as how it works. As kcress said it is more complex and costs more. Dave says that he paid $8300 delivered which is substantially more. Ther are (2) issues that I have about the argument (on both sides). The cost of the Horst will be more (possibly substantially) because it takes more hydraulics to run it. Dave maybe you can shed some light on this subject. How many valves does it take to run the Horst? I assume that it takes (3) circuits (besides the regular lift and tilt circuits) to run it. One for the anlge and one for each wing = 3 (plus the 2 already on it = 5 total). If it does not have a dedicated circuit for each wing than I would say that it's not quite as versatile as it should be (for the expense). If you have to add (2 or 3) circuits to a machine (and the supporting lines and hardware), it could cost thousands of dollars. For some this would have to be added to the price of the attachment, unless they have a machine already equipped that way. 
I was going to say that the Kage could not be compared to the Horst (pricing), because it was smaller than Dave's 12 to 18 footer. When I looked back I saw that kcress compared the Kage and Horst in similar sizes. Dave, could it be that you are getting a smoking deal that was not offered to kcress?


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

I just realized that I assumed Dave, that you were talking about a snow wing (Horst). Is that correct or were you refering to a regular snow pusher?


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