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Need some sound advice.

C

Chiptruck128

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Hello everyone, my name is Curt and i am a new member here to this great Forum. I live in central British Columbia Canada and i am looking for a Snow Trac or Snow Cat near my residence. If i found a nice machine in the US, is it a tough and Costly process to ship to British Columbia. I have a line on a 1971 BOMBARDIER SW48 in really good condition with a 5 FT. Snow Blade for $8,500.00. cnd. This machine i heard is really only good for hard ground plowing. I am seeking a machine that i can go out and have fun on the trails or an open field and also have a snow blade on it to plow drive ways, any help would be greatly appreciated, Thank You all for a great forum, Sincerely, Curt. :biggrin:
 
I help my neighbor plow his driveway a couple of times a week. Its 1.5 miles long, and he uses a pisten bully 200. The cat does a fair job, except with the steel grousers you end up leaving 6-8 inches of snow on the drive way , then we have to trim out using the p/U with a plow. If we do that then it will set up smooth and hard.

Snow cats were designed to groom the top surface of the snow, for that they work well, to take that and ask it to plow a driveway well is asking quite a lot.,
 
for something to plow a driveway down to bare ground you are going to want some thing with rubber tracks most of those rigs are fairly new and costly this might be a good application for podd tracks under a pickup like mattracks
 
I think I would look at a bobcat with tracks, and a blower. Or the Bobcat 4wheeler with a blower, I think its the 5600
 
also consider a set of podd tracks under a pickup with a plow blade not the perfect rig in deep powder but they are capable and will do the job on your driveway
 
I plow my dirt driveway with a Skidozer 252 that has an 8 foot U blade. It cleans it up really well and leaves about an inch of snow with nice corrugations from the blade.
It also is good in the snow but in British Columbia you get more powder snow than New England so it may not do as well there.

Hope this helps
 
I would suggest getting two machines. Its hard to beat a SW48 for plowing. Its NOT a snowcat by any means! As far as a Snowcat the Snow Trac is an excellent machine. What ever you do stay away from anything with "KRISTI" on the front. Just like a SW48 its not a real Snowcat. Good luck.
 
In general snowcats with steel grousers suck for plowing concrete driveways. They just dont have the traction needed. A rubber track is best for this like on the SW48. I would love to have a SW48 right now!
 
I like and agree with Pixie....On dirt drives

I have spent a fair amount of time in a diesel 252 and they are a good all around machine for the money. Much more robust than a snow trac, and I now have one of them as well. But for your kind of dual use I would think the Ski Dozer would be hard to beat. They are not qute as fast as a Snow trac, but they will do work a Snow Trac could never do too........

I dream of a 252 with a 300 cid Ford straight six and a C6 auto installled...would be great! And maybe somewhat faster if an O.D. trans....

Regards, Kirk
 
Snow Tracs are one of the best cats doing what they were designed to do. Haul people and gear across rough and snowy terrain. You can run them all year long too. Yes, they were never designed to plow. Can you tow a 252 Ski Dozer with a 1/2 ton SUV? No. A ski Dozer 252 weighs in at 6,000 lbs alone and has if memory serves me correct about a 1.10 psi rating unloaded and a 1.40 psi loaded. If you have any type of powder you can scratch that from your list. Again its a steel grousered snowcat. If your plowing dirt then it would be perfect (for that). If your plowing asphault or concrete look for something else. Its almost impossible to find a single cat that will be great for every concievable need or even just the two you outlined. A plow truck with chains can go along way in the plowing arena. A stock snow track has a psi of 0.60. For a great powder cat you need to get into the 0.50 range. The only cat I know that gets below that and can be towed by your average suv is a Snow Master or Trac Master. There down in the 0.45 range but are 8.5 feet wide. The Snow Trac can can be pulled onto any car trailer where as a Snow Master needs a flat deck trailer. I really love the SW48 for plowing. Great small machine that can also be towed by any car hauler.
 
I use a 170 hp farm tractor with a rear mounted dual stage 8 foot snowblower for my driveway, but for normal folks that's probably overkill.:w00t2:
 
Keep it simple!! A sw48 is a sidewalk plow for your driveway only. Thats what its made for, and will do a great job. Off trail in deep snow get whats made to go there, a groomer!!! A Snow Trac st4b is a high slope groomer good up to 12 feet of snow. A skidozer, BR60, anything for grooming will be good in the mountains!!! Best to get a machine made for what you are going to do!!!! I had to go through a SW48, 2 Bombis, an st4b, and a muskeg to end up with a br60+ which is perfect for what I need here in the Northeast. Actually a BR60, would be great for both plowing and the deep stuff!!! Good luck!!!!
 
Why not blow the budget!
Go big .............:bb: hee-hee
 

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If you have to plow hills that are icy then rubber tracks aren't going to cut it. Chains/studs and tires work better. If the road is paved then you don't want to use metal cleats on it.

Most of my plowing is on a steep paved hill. My neighbor's rubber tracked skidsteer had real trouble with the ice.

It's best to describe the actual terrain you will be using it on.
 
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