Pick the machine by the size of the job: a compact or sub-compact tractor for a lane and a yard, a utility vehicle for paths, and a compact track loader for big yards and business lots. Then pick the attachment by the snow: a blower to throw it, and a blade, bucket or pusher to move it.
We're Grande Prairie Kubota, out of Sexsmith. Every winter we help acreage owners, farmers and contractors across the Peace Country get their machines set up for snow and keep them running through the cold. This page walks through what we'd tell you at the counter.
Which machine handles how much snow?
An acreage lane or a farm yard. A Kubota LX cab tractor or a BX sub-compact is where most people start. Both take snow blowers (front- or rear-mount, depending on the model) and front blades, plus a loader bucket for stacking. If you also mow, haul and do loader work the rest of the year, this is the one machine that does all of it. Kubota offers heated cab options on the BX and LX Series, with high-visibility glass and defoggers, so you're not clearing the lane in the open at −30 °C.
Paths, sidewalks and tight spots. A utility vehicle with a blade fits where a tractor won't. Kubota's RTV-X Cab is a heated, enclosed side-by-side that takes quick-attach snow accessories, and it does yard chores and site checks all winter.
Big yards, shops and business lots. A Kubota SVL compact track loader with a cab clears big areas and stacks snow high. SVLs take blowers, pushers, blades and buckets on the standard skid steer quick-attach. New SVLs in our area come with Kubota's Cold Climate Cab, with a defogger and high-capacity alternator.
How do I keep a machine starting at −30 °C?
From Kubota Canada's winter starting tips:
- Plug in a block heater when you have one. It warms the engine and oil so the machine turns over in freezing weather.
- Check the battery before winter. Cold cuts cranking power, so start the season with a strong, fully charged battery.
- Use winter-grade diesel, or a fuel conditioner that stops gelling, and keep the tank topped up so condensation is less likely to freeze.
- Use winter-grade engine oil suited to the cold. Thick oil makes the engine harder to turn over.
- Once it starts, let it idle for a few minutes so the oil can circulate and warm up.
Store the machine in a sheltered spot when you can, and clear snow off tracks and linkages after each use so ice doesn't lock them up.
What our shop checks before winter
The best time to find a cracked hydraulic hose is before the first storm, not in the middle of it. Book a pre-winter service before the winter rush.