# Bobcat S100 plow size and other newbie questions



## Ozark Hillbilly (Feb 10, 2011)

Hi everyone. As the possessor of both a little Bobcat S100 skid steer and a lot of ignorance I am hoping you all can help me enhance the one while diminishing the other.

If you will bear with me I will try to be fairly specific with my questions.
My son and I run a tree service in SW Missouri. We also have used 3/4 and 1 ton pickups with plows to do a little commercial plowing for a couple of hotels, apartment complexes and stores. The biggest of the lots is only about 2 acres.
Around here we do not get lots of snow. Typically I would be looking at 3"-6" snows, every few years one with a little more, and rare snows in the 12" range.

Our "heavy equipment" in question weighs only about 4300 pounds even with foam filled tires and has about 35 hp. Single speed. It normally runs around with a grapple and grabs brush and wood out of back yards that larger vehicles cannot access. I have used it at the hotels a couple of times with a little 56" utility bucket to do sidewalks and clear back the street entrances, but its small bucket is not useful for the parking lot and definitely not worth sitting in an unenclosed cab for. 

I enjoy fabricating things so I plan to put a plow and enclosure on it. I will save my enclosure questions for another thread. Regarding the plow though, what size can I get away with on this little thing. Can it push an 8' plow like the F250? Smaller? Larger? The F250 weighs a little more but has open diffs instead of the true 4 wheel drive of the skid.

Since it is a small machine would it benefit from using tire chains without doing a lot of damage? Would other tire options help? 

And I guess the bottom line is whether it is even worth putting a plow on such a small machine.

Any and all advice will be appreciated.


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

I would forget about the plow, and get a 6' light material bucket(Snow Bucket). That's my initial thought anyway. It would push a plow, but probably to slow to really accomplish anything.


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## Ozark Hillbilly (Feb 10, 2011)

So I guess the question there becomes would the extra 16" width of the snow bucket really make enough difference to make the machine seem efficient or is the machine just too small regarding snow plowing to be worth messing with any snow attachments for it and just stick with the trucks. 

I had been picturing using a plow to windrow back and forth 25 foot wide or so down the 250' length of a hotel side with a wide angled blade and then folding the wings in to shove from the cleared area sideways off the side of the lot. I would also like to be able to backdrag some of the parking spots with it if it can move a wide enough area. The current 56" utility bucket is so pitiful in the amount it clears while also leaving a little trail line of snow on the cleared lot side of the bucket making a mess that I wonder if a slightly larger bucket would make enough difference or should I just leave it at home


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

The snow bucket is not going to be a wider version of your bucket, it is much taller and deeper. I agree that the snow bucket would be your best bet on a small machine.
Robert


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Ozark Hillbilly;1246721 said:


> So I guess the question there becomes would the extra 16" width of the snow bucket really make enough difference to make the machine seem efficient or is the machine just too small regarding snow plowing to be worth messing with any snow attachments for it and just stick with the trucks.
> 
> I had been picturing using a plow to windrow back and forth 25 foot wide or so down the 250' length of a hotel side with a wide angled blade and then folding the wings in to shove from the cleared area sideways off the side of the lot. I would also like to be able to backdrag some of the parking spots with it if it can move a wide enough area. The current 56" utility bucket is so pitiful in the amount it clears while also leaving a little trail line of snow on the cleared lot side of the bucket making a mess that I wonder if a slightly larger bucket would make enough difference or should I just leave it at home


The truck will be faster in that large area. Use it for back dragging the parking spots, it would be perfect for that. But still, the larger bucket will make a difference. I think you can use the machine effectively, you just gotta figure out what it will do best. Speed and strength...no...agility...yes.


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## Ozark Hillbilly (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. Since both of you think snow buckets are the way to go, I will start investigating them. So far on this site my main search had been the 14 pages I got from "skid steer plow". Looks like it is time for the "snow bucket" search.

Any thoughts on whether chains would be ok with a small machine or if they are even needed?


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Ozark Hillbilly;1246849 said:


> Thanks for the replies. Since both of you think snow buckets are the way to go, I will start investigating them. So far on this site my main search had been the 14 pages I got from "skid steer plow". Looks like it is time for the "snow bucket" search.
> 
> Any thoughts on whether chains would be ok with a small machine or if they are even needed?


I would see how it goes without chains. They will mark up surfaces because of the skidding action. My guess is you won't need them.


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## snocrete (Feb 28, 2009)

Not sure what size tire a s100 has, but you may be able to find a good snow tire to fit your factory rims at your local tire store? I doubt chains would go over well in Missouri...I know they wouldnt here.

I have watched that size machine run 5 & 6ft plows efficiently on large sidewalks, but doubt it could handle much more. Maybe a 6ft pusher would work? Like some others said, a snow bucket may be your best bet?


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

snocrete;1246925 said:


> Not sure what size tire a s100 has, but you may be able to find a good snow tire to fit your factory rims at your local tire store? I doubt chains would go over well in Missouri...I know they wouldnt here.
> 
> I have watched that size machine run 5 & 6ft plows efficiently on large sidewalks, but doubt it could handle much more. Maybe a 6ft pusher would work? Like some others said, a snow bucket may be your best bet?


You are so late to this party, welcome to Plowsite.


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## lumberjack4567 (Feb 11, 2010)

What about a 5ft blower for sidewalks?


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## mnglocker (Dec 24, 2008)

lumberjack4567;1247842 said:


> What about a 5ft blower for sidewalks?


That machine doesn't have enough hydrolic flow to run one worth a hill of beans.


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## Ozark Hillbilly (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I like the relative unanimity of trying something about 6' wide. The snow bucket definitely seems worth trying and also costs noticeably less than the plow. The only drawback I see is that I was looking forward to designing and fabbing a cool extendable plow with hydraulic wings. Thumbs Up Building a bucket does not interest me so I might as well just buy one. I'll just have to think up something else to make.

Glad to know that even this little machine will likely leave marks with chains. I'll just try using the regular tires and see how that goes. It seems almost unstoppable with its little bucket so it may well do okay with the snow bucket.

mnglocker 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lumberjack4567 View Post
What about a 5ft blower for sidewalks?
That machine doesn't have enough hydrolic flow to run one worth a hill of beans. 

Nice idea but mnglocker is right. My flow rate is only about 14gpm.


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