Bought a JD Powertek plow for the 850D last fall. Got to use it in the "big" snow last weekend and beyond for clean-up. The deep snow would be too much for the gator so I started plowing when it reached about 6" to keep after. We have a 1/2 mile lane here on the farm. Works good on the straight road but not so great in smaller areas. You can't turn the steering without moving on the 850D and it's worse with the plow weight and bed weight added. Power steering is needed to maneuver at all. I also found out that even with the rear wheels locked and in 4wd the Gator will pull sideways due to only one front wheel driving. I had the thing stuck several times as it would suddenly go sideways into snow banks. I guess chains will help with that. We have 24x10x12 aggressive tires but not enough rear traction to overcome the front end forces.
So, ended up using the heavy equipment to dig out the lane and also to pull the Gator out of the banks. I bought the plow to handle the little nuisance snows we normally get and avoid the big equipment set-ups so probably OK for that. Also, nice to have a heated cab! I guess power steering is in order as well as chains before the next snows.
Anyone have experiences with Gator plowing?
So, ended up using the heavy equipment to dig out the lane and also to pull the Gator out of the banks. I bought the plow to handle the little nuisance snows we normally get and avoid the big equipment set-ups so probably OK for that. Also, nice to have a heated cab! I guess power steering is in order as well as chains before the next snows.
Anyone have experiences with Gator plowing?