The winter of 2014-15 was devastating. My farm in Northern NY received 320" of snow and sub-zero temperatures for a month. It was the worst winter I'd experienced since I purchased the property in 2010. During one visit, the snow was so deep I had to use my bulldozer to clear the road. I have just about every 3pt attachment ever made - except for a snow blower. For the upcoming winter of 2016, that would change.

I received my Woods SB84C in October - with both the hydraulic chute rotator and deflector - and then waited for the snow to start.

In 2015 we received our Woods SB84C snow blower. One look is all it takes to know this is quite a piece of machinery.

Unlike the previous winter, El Nino' patterns made the winter of 2015-16 the warmest on record and I only had to use my new Woods SB84C snow blower once, but that first storm dumped 18" in one night followed by another 6" the next - and that was enough for me to spend hours with the unit and provide you with a thorough review.

Specifications for the Woods SB84C Snow Blower

Duty Class	Standard-Duty
PTO Horsepower	35-60 hp
Tractor PTO speed	540 rpm
Hitch	Cat 1 & 2
Working width	84"
Transport width	86"
Working height	26"
Approximate weight	632 lbs
Driveline	Cat 3
Driveline protection	shear bolt
Drive Type-Fan	gearbox
Drive Type-Auger	gearbox & chain
Number of Feeder Augers	1
Auger Flighting	.313" x 2"
Chute Rotation	270 degrees
Hydraulic Chute Rotator	optional
Fan Diameter	24"
Fan Depth	8"
Replaceable Skids	yes
Adjustable Skids	yes
Replaceable Cutting Edge	no
Telescoping 3-Point Hitch	no

 

Setup

Setup was a breeze. A simple 3pt connection to the back of my 55HP tractor followed by attaching the shaft to the PTO and finally connecting the hydraulics to the rear remotes. If you don't have remotes, Woods Equipment also sells an electric version or you can simply order the manual chute which is standard.

 

 

Day One Tests (good snow)

My first 100' went well until I hit uneven ground, then I started to throw crushed driveway stone through the Chute. This was fixed in 5 minutes by adjusting the skid shoes 2-3" lower than the factory set. After that, I did my entire 1500' driveway in 15 minutes with fantastic results. I then started on my dirt roads, my barn parking lot, and the tight quarters of the driveway around our house. All of these tests were completed effortlessly.

The Woods Equipment Snow Blower can really toss the snow. On this 25-degree winter day I was getting plumes 20-30' out after I kicked up my RPMs. The first day's snow was in between a slush and powder so it was neither light nor heavy.

After the first hour I knew the Hydraulic chute rotator was a must. I highly recommend either that or the electric version over the standard manual crank. I did find the Hydraulic chute deflector to be handy, but it was a luxury and not as critical as the hydraulic chute rotator.

For this first storm I had 18 inches on the ground and that provided a good test. But I wanted to see what would happen when I had 24" which was near the 26" max height of the SB84C unit. So I pushed the snow with my loader to get a deeper test. The results were just as impressive with the higher snow totals - It chewed through the snow easily before shooting it out in a perfect, uniformed pattern.

 

Watch our video review of the Woods Snow Blower

 

Day Two Test (Icy snow)

The second day it had turned colder and the softer snow turned to ice overnight. This provided a much different snow characteristic to test.

The only difference I noticed was that the unit would push the snow back for a few seconds before the resistance allowed the augers to do their thing and pull the snow into the fan. It chewed through the ice without effort and moved it easily.

My number one concern was the inevitable, ingesting of a stone or ice chunk. My property is loaded with stones ranging from golf ball size to rocks the size of a suitcase. While I was confident that any stones pulled up from our gravel driveway would be no bigger than a softball, that was almost guaranteed to happen. It didn't take long. I pulled up one stone the size of a small foot. It was too big to get drawn into the chute and was harmlessly left behind. But a series of smaller stones were ingested and thrown out with the snow. Same with ice chunks. They made a few clinks and clacks but that was about it. Try to avoid this if possible - and be very mindful of where your chute is pointed since the stones and ice will go farther than the snow.

Conclusion

I ended up spending nearly five hours (over two days) with my new Woods SB84C snow blower and I was absolutely delighted and impressed with its performance. It was simple to operate, handled snow totals to 24 inches easily, withstood ingested rocks and ice, and easily manipulate snow plumes thanks to the optional hydraulic chute rotator and deflector.

The unit is extremely well built and sturdy. Just like any attachment, you get what you pay for. Snow blowers, like ground engaging equipment, take a lot of abuse so make sure you pay close attention to details like a heavier gauge steel, a four blade blower, and heavy duty augers that can handle rocks and icy chunks without bogging down the unit. Don't forget the smaller details like ease of maintenance and the ability to clear blockages. Everything on my Woods unit was easy to reach and simple to maintain.

One final note. Be sure to size your snow blower properly. Woods snow blowers don't need a ton of horsepower to function but they do need to be size-matched for the tractor. A good rule of thumb is to pick a unit as wide as your machine. In my case I did one foot larger than my tractor and that worked well, but discuss it with your dealer and take thier advice.

 

 

A Closer Look

	Heavy Duty Fan and Auger
	Hydraulic Chute Rotator
	Hydraulic Chute Deflector
	Connection to your tractor