home made snow pusher

[jmac]

I am looking for any ideas on how to fab up a snow pusher for my skid steer.
I have a large light material bucket all ready and would like to fab up some wings or extension from the sides of the bucket to make it 10' wide and scoop up more snow with it and and take a bigger swath when using it. Any ideas?

 

[jmac]

And maybe I could have Jeff weld it up for :notworthy

 

[dayexco]

here's one we made several yrs ago for our 544g deere end loader

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i182/dayexco/work pics/snowblade-3.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i182/dayexco/work pics/plow4.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i182/dayexco/work pics/plow1.jpg

 

[murray83]

What size skid do you have?

Off hand I think most skids can handle an 8 foot pusher,but a 10? i'm not shure.

 

[itsgottobegreen]

we have a bunch of protechs 8-12'. 10' models go on only 2500Lb rated machines and larger. 3600lbs rated machines (gehl 7810) get 12' Other wise it get a 8'.

 

[Jeff D.]

It'll be hard without seeing your bucket to come up with a design, atleast on how it would attach to it.

Would you be willing to make a completely seperate pusher plow for just snow?

You could start by getting an attachment plate, like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/DIRT-WORKS-SKID...hZ020QQcategoryZ66927QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Then build from that. A curved back would be best, like Dayexco's, but I bet that wasn't cheap to have bent. Those custom curved braces behind are really nice too, but another expense to add. BTW, very nice work Dayexco.:thumbsup You certainly don't need me to build a lift for your pontoon.

You could make more of a box design with 3/16" or 1/4" flat plate, and maybe just three angles in the back. It wouldn't roll the snow as well, but would be easier/cheaper, and still would push. Something like the pic, with added braces rear and inside.(and two sides:wink2 )

Or maybe someone around has a snowplow that has the mounts damaged, and now they'de gotton a new one instead. As long as the actual blade is good you could use that and somehow mount it to the attaching plate like in the link. You could add box ends to it for more capacity too. Maybe someone from LTS with an old one................cheap?

To me building something out of an old pick-up plow seems like a better idea than the multiple welded plates idea, or motifying your bucket.

Good luck Jmac.

 

[Dozerboy]

I would just use the bucket you have there is no your going to push snow with a 10'er unless it’s only 2"-3".

 

[dayexco]

of course you can push more than 2-3" snows....you just can't take quite as big of a swath when it gets deeper. what it allows us to do with our 544g deere loader is have 10-12 yds of snow in the pile per push instead of the 2.75 yd bucket that came with the machine. we do most of our lots on a "per occurance" basis...the target store with the deere loader with normal bucket, 2 pickups with blades, takes about 3.5-4 hrs....with that big pusher, one pickup/blade, it's done in about hr. and ten mins. on average snow. they're a BIG time saver.

 

[itsgottobegreen]

I would just use the bucket you have there is no your going to push snow with a 10'er unless it’s only 2"-3".

Dude if only you had a clue We had two 8' protechs on a gehl 4635 and a bobcat 773G pushing 8" - 10" at a time last winter. Because we where getting 3-4" an hour for 3 hour straight at one point. They where keeping up. They bascially saved our @$$ on one lot. The trucks couldn't keep up.

I Live for the winter. A bucket is the most inefficent use of a skidloader when its snowing. Even a 1 yard bucket won't come close to the productiveness of a 8' protech snow pusher. One 8' protech will out plow two pickups with 7.5' plows. Been there proved that.

 

[Jeff D.]

itsgottobegreen, if you don't mind me asking............about how much are those snow pusher blades going for?

I've built two skid steer buckets, and after buying the quik-tach plate, cutting edge, plate, having the sides cut, etc., there wasn't much savings really. It cost me about $500 for the materials to build a dirt bucket, and countless hours. If I didn't enjoy doing that kinda stuff there'd be no good reason to do it.

I was wondering if this wouldn't end up the same way? Unless Jmac want's to do it for the same reason's I do, satisfaction.

 

[tylermckee]

Dude if only you had a clue We had two 8' protechs on a gehl 4635 and a bobcat 773G pushing 8" - 10" at a time last winter. Because we where getting 3-4" an hour for 3 hour straight at one point. They where keeping up. They bascially saved our @$$ on one lot. The trucks couldn't keep up.

See his location :bouncegri

 

[itsgottobegreen]

Protech SP08S SKID PUSHER $2332.00

 

[jmac]

This is what I am trying to solve. Picked up a parking lot last week that should take me about 5 hours with one truck to do (Boss "v" 8.2 blade). I want to do it faster even though I bill by the hour. I will just charge more per hour if I use something other than Pick up. I own a LS 160 with oversize rubber and steel tracks. I also own a light material bucket. Plan on taking tracks off and buying a 8' snow pusher for $3000 and use that if it saves me time. Or fab something up for my light material bucket if it saves me money. My truck is nice and cumffy and my skid is not so it better save me alot of time. (no radio, no heat, etc,etc.)

 

[itsgottobegreen]

Here is the question. What are you charging per hour with your truck?

 

[dayexco]

whether you charge per occurance, or by the hour, the only thing that's important is how much you net at the end. we personally prefer the per occurance situation. in fact, our seasonal accounts have been the best money makers for us. i'll stop now, this isn't a snow removal forum

 

[digger242j]

i'll stop now, this isn't a snow removal forum

Yeah, but the snow removal forums have sections about equipment use, so I don't think we're stepping on anyone's toes if some of the discussion here gravitates toward snow removal. Either way, we're never going to be a competitor to Let's Talk Snow...

 

[jmac]

Yeah, but the snow removal forums have sections about equipment use, so I don't think we're stepping on anyone's toes if some of the discussion here gravitates toward snow removal. Either way, we're never going to be a competitor to Let's Talk Snow...
Today 10:50 AM

And I like to here what you guys have to say. The snow forums are "ok" but I think the advise on here is better.

Here is the question. What are you charging per hour with your truck?
Today 09:23 AM

With the truck it is $100 per hour. My concern is if it takes me to long will the customer complain. If they do then I have to find a faster way, same price per hour, just get it done faster. I have plowed for about 5 years and have dropped most of my driveways to do parking lots, but have about 8-10 hours to plow per snow. My other parking lots I have the price is set at 75$ per hour.

whether you charge per occurance, or by the hour, the only thing that's important is how much you net at the end. we personally prefer the per occurance situation. in fact, our seasonal accounts have been the best money makers for us. i'll stop now, this isn't a snow removal forum
Today 10:16 AM

I don't mind per season but by the hour is easier to sell, customer gets what they pay for and I get paid for what I do. We get about 200" per year of snow. The customer will do less shopping for the 50$ less contract by hour, also I can service them to death if the price is by the hour, If they call mid day to go back no problem, I am not counting how many times that I have plowed so far to make sure I am making money. Driveways are contract for the couple I do and I have kept the good ones that are close to home from year to year. Charge more but again service them to death.

 

[dayexco]

we've found out that seasonals are getting very easy to sell, that way the property owner can budget how much this is going to cost him, no matter how much snow there is. a year like 97, we took it in the shorts....the last 3 years, been really, really good for us.

you should be able to go back to your old snow invoices, determine the average amt. of snow occurances you have per year, the average amt. of snow per occurance, the average time it took to do each lot, amt. of sand/salt, etc.....allow yourself about 25% more for the bad years. betcha that 80% of your customers will jump on it. they like knowing what it's going to cost them.

 

[jmac]

Dayco has the snow removal ever come close or surpass the profit made in excavating. IMO it will never be bigger than excavating is to me, but the investment is less than excavating so the profit could be more. I don't really like it, up in the middle of night, you are a slave to winter, no vaca to the south like my wife and kids do. I need the cash flow so plowing fills in the gap.

 

[Dwan Hall]

You could add wings to that V blade.

but the pusher will save you time even over the wings. Lots of time.

First picture is 9' light materials bucket (3yd) on a 975 bobcat, along side a 9.2 Boss V blade with 2 aditional ft. of wings.