Tractors Come in Handy for Snow Removal

Here at Antique Power magazine, we wish all our readers a very happy new year. January is upon us, and I know many of you have snow right now. Last October, my post in The Newbie was How to Winterize Your Antique Tractor, but not every tractor gets to spend all winter tucked away in a cozy barn. Some, including vintage models, end up being used for snow removal, snow blowing, and even winter logging.

I thought it would be fun to gather some videos showing vintage agricultural tractors put to use moving snow and doing other winter chores. It looks like these guys are having fun! So pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy watching.

Some familiar and popular farm tractors are shown here doing a great job. As many fans of these models know, they were simple and built to last, still serving human needs well after decades. Many of you, like Antique Power blogger Brent Frankenhoff, who writes the Tales from the Back 40 blog, have memories of this kind of winter farm work. In November of 2014, he shared his in this post titled Snow — The Farmer’s Other S-Word!

Here are three videos showing some favorite types of vintage tractors working hard:

Plowing snow from the driveway with a 1948 John Deere A

Plowing Snow with the John Deere G

Snow removal isn’t all these tractors can do. Look at this 1948 Farmall Cub, hauling trees during a cold New England winter. I hope this guy has a nice hot supper waiting for him at home.

1948 Farmall Cub Winter Logging in Maine

Crawler-type tractors have been around for a long time, and they are obviously naturals for snow removal. It’s fun to watch this old film footage of a Caterpillar on the job.

Snow Removal with Caterpillar Tractors (Circa 1926)

My December post, Reasons to Collect Garden Tractors, did not really get into how garden tractors can clear driveways of snow, but these small tractors are pretty amazing.

Pushing Snow Feb. 17, 2015 — (1975 Wheel Horse B-80)

If you don’t want to push the snow, try blowing it!

1969 Cub Cadet 125 Blowing Heavy Snow

Depending on the depth of the snow, the power of the tractor, and the surface underneath, the operator might pull a scraper blade at an angle to push the snow off to the side, have the blade attached to the back to simply back up with it, or use a front-end loader to move the snow that has piled up after scraping.

Any use of heavy equipment can be dangerous. These videos are for your entertainment and not meant to be a course in snow removal. They illustrate different techniques suited to different situations.

For more information on technique and implements, I suggest you do a search on YouTube for some of the many excellent videos provided by modern equipment dealers or talk to someone at your local farm supply or tractor retailer. Even though the tractors are newer, the advice is still good.

If you’re lucky, you can just have a “virtual” snow removal experience, watching videos from inside your warm house! Stay safe and comfortable this winter, and have a great 2017!

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