# Snowblower Sulky?



## vis (Nov 20, 2004)

I currently have a 10 hp craftsman 2 stage snow blower. This is a very nice unit and moves snow quickly and easily. i was wondering if it was possible to put a sulky on one of these units...a pro slide would probably work well, but it could make things more slick than they were to begin with...i was thinking about maybe a single wheeled sulky for these units....any one ever trieed?
Also any one ever try a 2 stage snow blower on lawn tractors...

Sorry if i posted this in the wrong section, i wasnt sure where to place it...any info would be great. Thanks!!


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## Vaughn Schultz (Nov 18, 2004)

For the sulky Idea, that is the best thing sense the plow. the only thing that i am worried about is traction an turning. tell me how it works and post pictures.

for the tractor snow blower, if you are talking about a Garden tractor that you would buy from sears ( like 25 hp.) they will work but not as well as they look. the problem is the blower is like 900 lb. considering the weight of your tractor that is allot. so traction again is your biggest problem, any type of hill and forget it. second is the price. they are almost a grand, plus chains 100, wheel weights ( just make some). that is almost 1200 when you are all done (tax). you can buy one hug a** snowblower for that price that you know will work. But then again that snow blower on the front of a tractor would be allot of fun.

I have a snowplow on my 16.5 hp lawn tractor and it works great. Just pile the weight on any wear possible.


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## Vaughn Schultz (Nov 18, 2004)

With the tractor, I would say do it if you have a locking rear diff, or could build one. let me know. like i said my little craftsman 16.5 1999 tractor can push a ton! of snow. plowed 3 years with it.(so far) blade is only like 190.00 or something. you can angle left right, and raise and lower it from your seat. very easy to use. 

just what i have to say, please don't kill me.


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## bolensdriver (Oct 12, 2004)

No trust me, the big Craftsman tractor will cost much more than $1,200 ... if you price the snowblower alone is around $1,000

I use Bolens tractors. They work great. I only use single stage snowblowers and they work great. I've done a 29inch snow storm with a single stage snowblower. Did good.


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

If you want to do some serious snow blowing it is tuff to beat a good 8 or 10HP self propeled 2 stage blower new or used. Lawn tractors are okay for light to medium stuff but can have problems with the bad stuff.


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## vis (Nov 20, 2004)

I have an 18 hp Craftsman LT 2000 Tractor that i am considering putting a 2 stage blower on. I think the tractor will have enought power because the blower is only 180 lbs. I have pulled 400-500 lbs of sand in the trailer on soft grass and have not had a problem pulling it....so i think that it will be able to handle pushing the 180lb unit. The only thing that im concerned about is if it takes alot of turns to get it into postition...i was just planning on clearing my 200 ft straight/flat driveway.

any one have experience using a tractor mount unit? i already have a walk behind but i think that it would be easier on riding around on a tractor than walking the entire thing.


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

vis said:


> I have an 18 hp Craftsman LT 2000 Tractor that i am considering putting a 2 stage blower on. I think the tractor will have enought power because the blower is only 180 lbs. I have pulled 400-500 lbs of sand in the trailer on soft grass and have not had a problem pulling it....so i think that it will be able to handle pushing the 180lb unit. The only thing that im concerned about is if it takes alot of turns to get it into postition...i was just planning on clearing my 200 ft straight/flat driveway.
> 
> any one have experience using a tractor mount unit? i already have a walk behind but i think that it would be easier on riding around on a tractor than walking the entire thing.


Make sure you have atlleast 100 lbs of back of back of mower and tire chains can help too. You can fill rear tires with fluid too. Any place the services farm tractor should be able to load them for you. My years ago my cousin used a blower on a old Craftsman 16HP tractor (back when they were a lot bigger a sturdier too) and it did a pretty fair job in snow with weights and tire chains on his long driveway


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

I would LOVE to get a sulky for my snowblower. That would be so great. Especially for the long walkways.


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## vis (Nov 20, 2004)

i think with a strong mounting area on the back of the blower i can get away with a standard 1 wheel sulky....proslide would work but it will pack down the snow that is left and leave me with a slick surface....any one ever tried a 1 wheel standard walkbehind mower sulky?


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Would a sulky lift the front of the snowblower? I know sometimes you have to lift up on it a bit so it will cut better on packed snow. I thought we were all out there for the exercise(just kidding).


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

I would think a 2 wheel system that has most of your weight balanced on the sulky wheels would work the best. Easier to back up and puts less weight on each wheel and creates less friction, thus keeping the blower driving forward well.


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## Vaughn Schultz (Nov 18, 2004)

I think it would be allot like the scag's,and bob-cat commercial mower, all the weight is in the back, and if you push down on the handle the front will lift off.


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

Grassbusters said:


> I think it would be allot like the scag's,and bob-cat commercial mower, all the weight is in the back, and if you push down on the handle the front will lift off.


And that wouldn't necessarily be a "bad" thing. I know I have to lift the front of the blower up on occasion whe I hit a lip in the pavement.

Plus, the same can be said for lifting up on the handles. This would create a downward force on the blower scoop, insuring a positive contact with the ground.


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## Vaughn Schultz (Nov 18, 2004)

I completely agree with you, I meant that to be a good thing for maneuvering.
If I had a blower, with allot of power. I would bolt a sulky on that puppy in a heart beat. YOU NEED TO DO THIS A POST PICTURES !!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS YOUR CALLING, YOU ARE A GENIUS !!!


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## Vaughn Schultz (Nov 18, 2004)

Did you ever build this? where did you go ?


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## brian m (Aug 12, 2004)

Tarkus said:


> If you want to do some serious snow blowing it is tuff to beat a good 8 or 10HP self propeled 2 stage blower new or used. Lawn tractors are okay for light to medium stuff but can have problems with the bad stuff.


Nothing can be further from the truth!
I've been clearing my 300' of sidewalk not to mention almost all my neighbors' sidewalks for the past 30 years now using garden tractors of different makes with the blower upfront, presently I have a JD320 with a 42" single stage snowblower. This thing is an animal when it comes to the deep heavy stuff that the city plows throw onto the sidewalks and pack in front of the driveways, it can also carve through the bank of snow that is sometimes 4-5' tall between the sidewalk and the street, even banks that have been there for weeks(frozen and hard packed). I'd like to see any walk behind snowblower to that!
Sure some of the cheapos will have their share of problems.
Get a John Deere tractor and you'll have fun clearing snow in your neighborhood!


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## lawn king (Nov 21, 2004)

*snowblowers.*

We have 50 inch front mount kubota, 2 stage. We had to make some modifications for commercial use. The cutting edge was a joke and we had to weld flatbar to the outside edges of the drift knives. The flatbar prevents the hull from bending if you hit an unseen curb! We run the tractor @2200 rpm and this beast throws the snow 40 feet!!! Plow on.


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## Kirby ent (Aug 24, 2005)

What kind of Kubota? I do a lot of condos and residential and use a skidsteer right now but I am thinking of going to a kubota or truck plow. But the plow will be useless in the res.
Thanks


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## Remsen1 (Jan 5, 2001)

A sulky on a WB Snowblower won't work that good especially when you consider that it would be unecessary to ride behind something that goes so slow. Even top speed is slower than the speed that I normally walk.


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## AintNoFun (Nov 26, 2003)

what about a thing called traction?


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## lawnandplow42 (Mar 22, 2005)

Remsen1 said:


> A sulky on a WB Snowblower won't work that good especially when you consider that it would be unecessary to ride behind something that goes so slow. Even top speed is slower than the speed that I normally walk.


ya, but it would still be cool !!


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## lawnandplow42 (Mar 22, 2005)

cet said:


> Would a sulky lift the front of the snowblower?


No, not neccessarily. The your body wieght is on the wheels of the sulky, not on the blower.


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