Three points, bucket is closed three sides, how big is blower? Will it fit within or be smaller width or have to be structured ahead of the loader bucket and what of tie downs? Air movement for engine, will being semi enclosed cause excess heat build up or will additional snow packing around that engine occur? Last, how to monitor, little to no Feel of load against bucket, potential to crush the blower potential to overload and destroy drive mechanism? All that even as just in front of you with snow accumulation on cab glass may not see until too late. Blowing snow from the blower will block some visibility. No cab glass with the machine and no heat would be a horrid day.
There are ready made blowers for Skid Steers, all too easy to unpin/pinup and drive hydraulically.
DMiller..... All very good points. Being a southerner, I had the CAT 420D moved up from Dixie, so, needless to say, it's an OROPS type machine. As I've moved snow with it for years, I know exactly what you mean about being out in the open in winter conditions, but, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're telling me that blown snow will [at least sometimes] end up in the cab ... and, if that's the case, YES, that would make for a very long day. Your point about crushing the unit is also very well received. If you can't see what's going on in the loader bucket, how do you know that you're not destroying the snowblower? Makes perfect sense to me.
On Friday (9-6-19), an ASV guy had a new RT-75 CTL dropped off at the bottom of the mountain. Needless to say, I spent the weekend operating the machine -- and the first thing I liked about it was the ability to see the cutting edge on the loader bucket. When it comes to seeing what's going on in front of you, it can't be beat. When it comes to seeing what's behind you, though ... that's an entirely different story.
