As record snowfalls blanketed much of the United States recently, you may be thinking about options for snow removal. For lighter snows and small areas, bucket loaders, skid steers, and plow attachments can get the job done, but what if you need to move a lot of snow? A tractor-mounted snowblower might be the right investment. Here’s a quick guide that highlights some key items to consider before you buy.

Tractor Considerations

It may seem obvious, but before you look at snowblowers, you need to look at some key information about the tractor you intend to use for snow removal. Make sure you know some key information about your tractor’s PTO. Is it 540 or 1,000 RPM? If it’s 1,000, is it large or small? While we’re talking about PTOs, how much PTO horsepower is available?

The next thing to consider as it relates to the tractor is where you plan on mounting the snowblower. Traditionally, snowblowers were mounted on the rear because that’s where the PTO was. Nowadays, some tractors may be available with both a front and rear PTO. This opens up the possibility of mounting the snowblower to the front end. Mounting to the front has the advantage of a more natural driving posture and increased field of vision because you don’t have to constantly look over your shoulder while clearing snow. If you decide to go with the front mount option, pay special attention to the direction of rotation of the PTO because some have a left hand rotation which will require a different gearbox.

Snowblower Considerations

Once you’ve identified the specs on the tractor you’re going to use, it’s time to think about what you need from a snowblower to get the job done. Tractor-mounted snowblowers are available in a variety of heights and widths. When looking at these dimensions, consider both the cutting and overall measurements. The cutting height and width directly affect how much snow you can expect to move. In addition to cutting dimensions, think about the augers. Generally speaking, the taller the blower, the more augers it can house and the more augers your snowblower has, the more capable of chewing through deep, hard-packed snow your blower is.

One final but important thing to check is the overall construction of the snowblower. Is the housing thick and reinforced? What about the fan blades and fan housing? A strong fan with equally spaced, heavy duty paddles will more efficiently discharge snow.

Getting a snowblower for your tractor is an investment that will save you time. Be sure you get the most out of it by checking these things before you buy.