Need Help Plowing Snow With Cub

jobbyjim said:
I'd be interested in some pics of how you mounted the wheel weight to your drawbar.
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ricky racer

Thread 'Adding Weight To Combat Old Man Winter - UPDATE!!'

As the time for plowing snow is fast approaching, I wanted to add some weight to my Cub. The old girl will push a lot of with just the single rear weights and tire chains but I wanted to see what she'd do with a little more lead in her shorts. I plan on adding another set of rear weights but have been thinking of adding additional ballast on the draw-bar too. This has been discussed in earlier threads.

I decided to use a cast front wheel from a Farmall O4 that I just happen to have. It weighs, according to my trusty deer scales, 250 pounds. To minimize the fabrication, I wanted to...

However, I've gone away from the weight on the drawbar to suitcase weights on my step...

ricky racer

Thread 'Correcting Weight Bias'

As most of you know, we plow a lot of snow up here in the great white north, Michigan. That is what originally motivated me to buy my first Cub. Over the years I've spent a lot of time trying to improve my Cub's ability to push snow. One thing that I didn't like was due to the offset design of the Cub, one of the drive wheels is always light. Even though I've added additional cross links to my tire chains and I'm running double wheel weights, when I've reached the edge of traction, the right wheel always breaks loose first.

A while back Urbish measured the weight distribution of a...
 
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SONNY said:
weight on the back will do the most good--- BUT keep in mind a cub is NOT a bulldozer and more weight means more strain on the cub equaling damage to it so you be the judge of how far you want to to go.! Cant beat a 10 hp walk behind snowblower for serious snow removal!! OR one of these!

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I don't think the Cub has enough power to hurt itself due to traction issues. A Cub with double wheel weights and chains is just less likely to spin making it less likely to dig divots in your gravel driveway or yard or scratch up your pavement from the chains. At least that's my opinion.
 
I run 2 sets of weights, front and rear, as well as tire chains on mine. After the 1st pass I try and only take about a half blade width at any time. I also modified my blade to "trip" like a truck snowplow, as seen on the forum.
 
I actually quit plowing with mine since I had the driveway replaced. With how steep it is even with weight and chains it would spin and mark it up. Ice and deep snow made it even worse. With the obscene cost it was 12 years ago I cannot imagine what it would cost to replace now. However before all that the hydraulic angle sure made a big difference


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ajhbike said:
I have a set up like Ricky's....rear weights on the back tires, chains (that do fall in the lugs) and a Super A rear wheel weight on the drawbar. I find that drawbar weight helped a ton. Lots easier to steer. But I have a gravel drive
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Here are a couple of cruddy pics...Lorelei is still in "storage". Note that there is a piece of 3" angle iron across the front of the drawbar by the brackets and the wheel weight is bolted to the drawbar and the angle iron. Crude but it works.20251205_143329 RSZ.jpg20251205_143329 RSZ.jpg20251205_143329 RSZ.jpg
 
I think I found some of my problem, I was out getting firewood today with the old girl and I stopped to take a break. While I was standing there I noticed my blade has no skids. I remember when I was plowing I kept the blade about an inch or so off the ground. Why I didn't realize then that I forgot to order skids is beyond me. I was going to put skids on over the summer and forgot all about it. I bet that alone prob took a good amount of weight off the rear wheels. I ordered a pair of skids this morning. Hopefully that's helps some, once the ground freezes or we get a lot of snow then I'll put the chains on.
 
Here's my set up that l've been using for over 50 yrs without too much trouble.
'48 Cub with '48 blade without skids. No hydralics, handlift only. A single set of wheel weights and no chains.
The key l found over the years is what Sonny said. #1, it's not a bulldozer.
In heavy wet or deep snow, for your first pass only take off the top half. Then go over that a second time. Then just keep pushing the edges back, only taking a half blade width at a time, until you get the desired overall width. I keep my blade tilted all the way to the right so l can see it it's rolling off while l plow. Using a handlift allows me to "instantly" adjust my height if l bite in somewhere. I just keep the thumb button depressed so it doesn't lock in. I weigh over 250 lbs so additional rear weght has never been needed. If l do start to spin, l have two options. Either use the split brakes to stop or slow down the spinning wheel, or stop, back up, realign for a smaller bite and realign where the wheels were spinning, then hit it again.
My driveway is a 1/4 mi long with a hill for half of it. The only time l really have an issue is going uphill. If it's heavy snow l just take smaller bites and make more passes.
I hope this helps some of the less experienced snow plowers in the group.
One other thing l should mention for safety. Always keep your left foot "hovering" over the clutch pedal. You never know what the snow might be hiding. If it's something solid, you don't want to be jolted out of your seat.

Best wishes
Hutch
 

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k hutchins said:
Here's my set up that l've been using for over 50 yrs without too much trouble.
'48 Cub with '48 blade without skids. No hydralics, handlift only. A single set of wheel weights and no chains.
The key l found over the years is what Sonny said. #1, it's not a bulldozer.
In heavy wet or deep snow, for your first pass only take off the top half. Then go over that a second time. Then just keep pushing the edges back, only taking a half blade width at a time, until you get the desired overall width. I keep my blade tilted all the way to the right so l can see it it's rolling off while l plow. Using a handlift allows me to "instantly" adjust my height if l bite in somewhere. I just keep the thumb button depressed so it doesn't lock in. I weigh over 250 lbs so additional rear weght has never been needed. If l do start to spin, l have two options. Either use the split brakes to stop or slow down the spinning wheel, or stop, back up, realign for a smaller bite and realign where the wheels were spinning, then hit it again.
My driveway is a 1/4 mi long with a hill for half of it. The only time l really have an issue is going uphill. If it's heavy snow l just take smaller bites and make more passes.
I hope this helps some of the less experienced snow plowers in the group.
One other thing l should mention for safety. Always keep your left foot "hovering" over the clutch pedal. You never know what the snow might be hiding. If it's something solid, you don't want to be jolted out of your seat.

Best wishes
Hutch
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How many inches of fairly wet and dry snow can the Cub plow at one time without making 2 passes?
 
RunningRed said:
How many inches of fairly wet and dry snow can the Cub plow at one time without making 2 passes?
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I've handled upwards of 12" fairly fluffy. First plow of this year was 6" wet and heavy. That was about max. While going uphill l had to stop, back, realign, then hit it again. Those are just averages. If you're plowing and it starts to blog down and spin, then raise it up a bit (maybe less than 1/2) until you can push easier.
As l said, l've been using this set up for 50+ yrs. Experience with trial and error is a great teacher. If it's bogging down, or you're spinning wheels, you're trying to push too much in my opinion.
 
Rear bull gears are designed to grunt and turn. The only thing stopping them from spinning when power is applied is traction. (Weight and speed vs efficiency.)
Resistance of weight AGAINST your blade is in the front wheel chocks type area of defeating a traction and speed balance.

Take smaller bite/slices/reduce load if conditions are safe enough to keep powering the tractor after a wheel slip.
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5f58...YS9wZGYvNi90dHAyMDAzL0xlY3R1cmUyNy5wZGY&ntb=1
 
RunningRed said:
I think I found some of my problem, I was out getting firewood today with the old girl and I stopped to take a break. While I was standing there I noticed my blade has no skids. I remember when I was plowing I kept the blade about an inch or so off the ground. Why I didn't realize then that I forgot to order skids is beyond me. I was going to put skids on over the summer and forgot all about it. I bet that alone prob took a good amount of weight off the rear wheels. I ordered a pair of skids this morning. Hopefully that's helps some, once the ground freezes or we get a lot of snow then I'll put the chains on.
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The shoes / skids should help out. Mine are set almost even with the cutting edge of the blade, but they do keep it up off the ground just a little bit.
 
Looks like the others have you covered with helpful tips. I used to plow my 850' driveway with my '48 Cub or my '58 LoBoy. With a single set of rear wheel weights, chains on the rear tires, and an overweight operator, both managed pretty well. I've since sold the '48 and put the '58 into long term storage and do everything I need with this subcompact Massey Ferguson. The Cubs were fun and all, but this thing gets the job done quickly and without drama. A HDPE cutting edge added to the blades after this pic was taken protects the newly repaved driveway ($$$$ 😭). The quick attach bucket loader makes it a well-rounded machine that is great for general property maintenance.

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Urbish said:
Looks like the others have you covered with helpful tips. I used to plow my 850' driveway with my '48 Cub or my '58 LoBoy. With a single set of rear wheel weights, chains on the rear tires, and an overweight operator, both managed pretty well. I've since sold the '48 and put the '58 into long term storage and do everything I need with this subcompact Massey Ferguson. The Cubs were fun and all, but this thing gets the job done quickly and without drama. A HDPE cutting edge added to the blades after this pic was taken protects the newly repaved driveway ($$$$ 😭). The quick attach bucket loader makes it a well-rounded machine that is great for general property maintenance.

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I looked into those and as much as I'd love to have one I couldn't manage to get one.
 
jobbyjim said:
Is the angle iron bolted to the drawbar?
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Yes....on one side. The other side is kind of wedged against the draw bar bracket and the wheel weight is bolted to the draw bar so it ain't going anywhere...or at least it hasn't so far. I really just threw it together a few years ago in a storm and it has worked out
 
On #2, it says about moving the rear adjustment of the shock spring unit to the rear hole of the three adjustment holes for snow plowing. Does this actually help? I went and looked at mine to change it per the manual but I can not figure out how to change it.
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One thing l failed to mention in my earlier disortation.
Unless you live somewhere that you don't get a lot of snow. Or you get a thaw in between. Plow for March/April not just Dec.. l like to push my edges back at least a blade width beyond the edge of the driveway. This gives you extra room for successive snow falls.
In my area of Mi we got 6+" of heavy white stuff overnight. I had to make extra passes to not only clear it, but to push it back further. Once it turns cold again and freezes, you'll have a heck of a time moving it, and your driveway might get narrower and narrower.
Shout out to Urbish, l was thinking about you not too long ago and how l hadn't seen any recent posts. Happy you're still around and part of the group.

Be well everyone
Hutch
 
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