# Snowblowers



## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Looking for responses from owners of John Deere lawn tractors that use a snowblower attachment.

I have the JD X-360 and I'm thinking about getting the blower, weights, etc. Walking behind a JD 1032 and yanking that around is getting old. So anyone have the 44" blower on their lawn tractor and how well do you like it????


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

I'm on my 4th season with a JD X320 with a 40" Berco blower. It's an outstanding piece of equipment. I had a 36" Ariens before that,( a hell-uv-a machine mind you ) and the JD runs circles around it. I built my own weight bracket and bought scrap wheel weights to cast my own weights, aftermarket tire chains were about half the price of the factory units if memory serves me right.


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## lmholmes11 (Nov 12, 2008)

Lawn mowers aren't made for snow blowing in my opinion. Depends where hour at I guess. Here in Northern Michigan, no way


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

lmholmes11 said:


> Lawn mowers aren't made for snow blowing in my opinion. Depends where hour at I guess. Here in Northern Michigan, no way


Bet me and lose.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

I went up to Gambles and looked them over and checked the price. Learned quite a little. The X360 will handle the blower with no problems.
My problem is the wife, who is the one yanking around the walk behind. I prefer the quad and blade myself. I'd buy it in a minute, but the wife has to learn to run it


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## hommer23 (Nov 20, 2012)

I have an old John Deere 318 that has blown snow since 1984. I used the quad and blade in the mid 90's for two years and went back to the blower. I found I would run out of areas to pile the snow with a blade, I also spent a lot of time spinning the tires and chains with wet heavy snow. One thing I did was have the tires filled with beet juice to add some weight plus I have homemade wheel weights and chains. The past couple years I have started doing 4 drives in and all the sidewalks on our block and it takes me about 45 minutes.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

hommer23 said:


> I have an old John Deere 318 that has blown snow since 1984. I used the quad and blade in the mid 90's for two years and went back to the blower. I found I would run out of areas to pile the snow with a blade, I also spent a lot of time spinning the tires and chains with wet heavy snow. One thing I did was have the tires filled with beet juice to add some weight plus I have homemade wheel weights and chains. The past couple years I have started doing 4 drives in and all the sidewalks on our block and it takes me about 45 minutes.


I see they have these new rubber outfits that replace chains. Was told that they work better than chains, especially on blacktop and concrete, where they don't scar things up.


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## hommer23 (Nov 20, 2012)

http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/TerraKing-90001/p9700.html

Not sure if the link will work but if this is the product you are talking about don't waste your money on them if you have asphalt. I have tried the rubber and cord style and they just don't hold up. When I added the beet juice to my tires that took care of most of the wheel spin unless I am on ice and give it to much power.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Last August I sold my house with a 1988 JD 318. Included in the sale was a 48" two stage blower, weight box and chains. The drive was 1/4 mile long and no challenge for the tractor blower combo. The only snow it wouldn't handle well was slush other than that it did everything I asked for 27 seasons, no repairs only an occasional shear bolt when I would pick up a rock. To extend the life of the height shoes I ran a couple of passes of hard face rod across the bottom.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

hommer23 said:


> http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/TerraKing-90001/p9700.html
> 
> Not sure if the link will work but if this is the product you are talking about don't waste your money on them if you have asphalt. I have tried the rubber and cord style and they just don't hold up. When I added the beet juice to my tires that took care of most of the wheel spin unless I am on ice and give it to much power.


Yes, those look like the things I was shown. I'd be getting 4 of those weights which I believe are 40#+, which just hang on the rear. I just don't want to tear up the sealer..


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## hommer23 (Nov 20, 2012)

If you take it easy the sealer should be ok I found the wheel weights worked better that the boxes on the back. Only thing you can do is try the rubber straps and see how they work. I think it's going to be like 150 grains or 100 grains in the muzzle loader.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

hommer23 said:


> If you take it easy the sealer should be ok I found the wheel weights worked better that the boxes on the back. Only thing you can do is try the rubber straps and see how they work. I think it's going to be like 150 grains or 100 grains in the muzzle loader.


The X360 doesn't require a box. The weights just hang on the pre-built area of the frame. Some guys have told me that they don't use any type of chains, just weight on asphalt. Not certain exactly what yet.......


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

My X320 and your X360 have thew same rear tires and transmission.. JD didn't recommend or manufacture wheel weights to fit my model when I purchased it. Your needs may be different, but my rig doesn't get around worth a darn without the chains on it.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

wyandot said:


> My X320 and your X360 have thew same rear tires and transmission.. JD didn't recommend or manufacture wheel weights to fit my model when I purchased it. Your needs may be different, but my rig doesn't get around worth a darn without the chains on it.


Yeah, I know I'll end up needing one or the other. It actually comes together in a package, blower, 4-suitcase weights 42# each and chains or I could replace them with the rubber straps. I believe those straps would wear and just bounce the living daylights out of the rider.


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