On most farms and acreages, snow removal is a chore you repeat all winter: the yard, the lane, the path to the calving barn, the bins and the fuel tank. The right tool for your snow and your tractor makes it routine instead of an all-morning fight.
This page compares tractor and loader snow tools, gives general 3 point snow blower sizing rules, covers drift control and winter prep, and lists snow equipment makers and distributors that appear on FarmPages. FarmPages is a directory, not a dealer: we don’t sell equipment or set prices. Use the tractor attachment suppliers on FarmPages to compare and contact dealers directly.
Quick answer: For most farms, a 3 point snow blower at least as wide as the tractor’s rear tires, within the manufacturer’s PTO horsepower range, is the tool for deep or drifted snow; blades and loader snow pushers suit lanes and open yards. Prepare equipment before the first storm and compare snow blower, blade and pusher suppliers directly.
1 Snow Blower vs Blade vs Pusher: Which Tool Fits Your Yard
A 3 point snow blower throws snow off the yard entirely, so it’s the right call where piles have nowhere to go or drifts are deep. A blade is cheaper and simpler for pushing snow aside on long lanes. A pusher or snow box moves large volumes fast on open, flat yards where there’s room to stack.
| Tool | Good for | Limits | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 point snow blower (rear-mount) | Deep or drifted snow, lanes lined with trees or fences, yards with no room to pile | Higher cost; you drive in reverse; slower in light snow | Tractor PTO and 3-point hitch |
| Front-mount or skid steer blower | Large yards with the operator facing forward | Higher cost; specific mounts; skid steer units need the right hydraulic flow | Front PTO or hydraulic drive |
| Rear blade (3-point or 6-way) | Lanes and light to moderate snow; grades gravel in summer | Windrows can drift back in; struggles in deep drifts | Tractor 3-point hitch |
| Loader angle blade | Pushing and windrowing from the front with good visibility | Builds banks you’ll need to move later | Tractor loader or skid steer quick attach |
| Snow pusher or snow box | Yards, pads and feedlot alleys | Needs room to stack; poor on long, narrow lanes | Loader or skid steer quick attach |
| Loader bucket | Stacking piles and loading snow | Slow for clearing large areas | Tractor loader or skid steer |
Tip: Many farms pair tools: a blower for the lane and drifts, a pusher or bucket for the yard.
2 Sizing a Blower to Tractor HP and PTO
Every manufacturer publishes a horsepower range for each blower model, and that range is the rule. These guidelines narrow the shortlist before you call 3 point snow blower suppliers.
- Width: at least as wide as the outside of your rear tires, so you never drive on snow you haven’t cleared.
- Horsepower: stay inside the model’s PTO horsepower range. Too little and it plugs in wet snow; too much risks the driveline without a shear bolt or slip clutch.
- PTO speed: most 3-point blowers run at 540 rpm; some large, high-horsepower units run at 1,000 rpm. Match the blower and driveline to your tractor.
- Hitch category: compact tractors usually have Category 1 hitches, larger utility tractors Category 2. Check your lift capacity too.
- Single or two-stage: single-stage blowers use one rotor to gather and throw; two-stage blowers add an auger that feeds an impeller, throwing deep or packed snow farther.
| Blower width | Typical tractor class | Typical PTO HP (general guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 50–60 in. (about 4–5 ft) | Sub-compact and small compact | About 15–35 HP |
| 66–74 in. (about 5.5–6 ft) | Compact | About 25–50 HP |
| 78–88 in. (about 6.5–7 ft) | Larger compact and small utility | About 35–75 HP |
| 96 in. (8 ft) | Utility | About 50–110 HP |
| 108–120 in. (9–10 ft) | Large utility and row-crop | About 80 HP and up; heavy-duty units rated much higher |
General guide only; go by the manufacturer’s rating for the exact model. For how a blower fits with your other implements, see our tractor attachments guide.
Watch for: Shear bolts break for a reason. Carry spares of the correct grade and never substitute a harder bolt; that just moves the failure into the gearbox or driveline.
3 Skid Steer and Loader Snow Attachments
If the yard is mostly open pads and alleys, a skid steer or tractor loader can do most of the work.
Snow Pushers
Box-style blades with side walls that carry snow forward instead of spilling it. Look for trip or rubber edges on uneven or paved surfaces.
Angle and V-Blades
Hydraulic angle blades windrow snow to one side; V-blades break through drifts. Check the hydraulic hookups on your loader or skid steer.
Snow Buckets
High-capacity buckets for light material, used to load and stack snow and move piles away from buildings before the thaw.
Skid Steer Blowers
Hydraulic blowers for skid steers and track loaders. Match the blower to your auxiliary flow; a high-flow unit won’t perform on a standard-flow machine.
Our skid steer attachments guide covers 20 attachments and what they do. Loader quick-attach snow pushers and a skid steer blower maker appear in the supplier tables below.
4 Yard Layout and Drift Control
The cheapest snow to move is the snow that never lands in your yard.
Shelterbelts
A multi-row shelterbelt on the windward sides, usually north and west on the Prairies, makes snow drop in and behind the trees instead of across the yard. Plant the windward rows well back from buildings and lanes, commonly 30 to 60 m (about 100 to 200 ft), so the drift lands short of the yard; planted too close, it creates the drift it was meant to stop.
Snow fence
Until trees grow in, a snow fence does the same job; about 50% porous fence traps the most snow. A common road-agency rule places it about 35 times its height upwind of what you’re protecting, roughly 140 ft for a 4 ft fence, with a small gap at the bottom. Run it across the prevailing wind and extend it past both ends of the area you’re protecting.
Yard layout
- Pile snow downwind and downslope, where meltwater won’t run into barns, pens, bins or the shop
- Leave room for piles that grow all winter, and plan where the blower throws
- Stake waterers, fence posts, culverts, gas risers and septic lids before the snow
- Keep a clear lane for fuel, feed and livestock trucks, with room to turn around
- Keep snow off fuel and propane tanks, meters and vents
Livestock shelters and windbreaks are covered in our loafing shed sizing and placement guide, and a clear route to the calving pens matters from January on; see the calving season equipment checklist.
5 Winter Equipment Prep Checklist
- Grease every fitting on the blower, blade pivots and loader, and check the gearbox oil
- Inspect the driveline, shields and shear bolts; carry spares of the correct grade
- Check auger and impeller flighting, skid shoes and cutting edges, and replace them before they wear into the housing
- Check hydraulic hoses and couplers; cold weather finds every cracked hose
- Run winter-blend diesel and consider a cold-flow additive; see our winter diesel fuel additives guide
- Plug in block heaters and test batteries and charging systems
- Check tire pressure and chains, and add ballast to balance a rear blower or loaded bucket
- Clean and test lights, beacon and SMV sign for road travel
- Test the cab heater, defrost and wipers; keep an emergency kit and phone charger in the cab
6 Snow Removal & Winter Equipment Suppliers
Listed by province, then alphabetically. Two blade makers are included because pull and skid steer blades are common winter yard tools, though their listings don’t mention snow. Confirm models, sizes and stock with each supplier, or browse all tractor snow blower and attachment suppliers.
Saskatchewan
| Supplier | Location | What they offer |
|---|---|---|
| Schulte Industries Ltd. | Englefeld, SK | Snow blowers, rotary cutters and mowers |
| Yanush Enterprises | Goodeve, SK | Pull dozers, pull graders and skid steer blades; listing doesn’t mention snow, so ask |
Manitoba
| Supplier | Location | What they offer |
|---|---|---|
| Accu-Twist Ltd. | Rosenort, MB | Custom flighting, including snowblower, combine, grain auger and sectional flighting |
| BD Manufacturing | Swan Lake, MB | Loader quick-attach snow pushers and angle blades, 3-point and 6-way blades, land levellers |
| General Metal Fabrication Ltd. | Winkler, MB | Everest snowblowers from 54″ to 108″, plus HD 9′ and 10′ models rated up to 300 HP |
| Jaguar Blades | Grandview, MB | Pull blades and box scrapers, typically 14 to 24 ft; listing doesn’t mention snow, so ask |
Ontario and Quebec
| Supplier | Location | What they offer |
|---|---|---|
| HLA Attachments | Listowel, ON | Snow and yard attachments, including for small acreage owners; listed under tractor attachments and loaders |
| MTI Canada Inc. | Saint-Romuald, QC | Agricultural and outdoor power equipment distributor; lines include snowblowers, bale processors and mowers |
United States
| Supplier | Location | What they offer |
|---|---|---|
| Teamco Inc. | Tea, SD, USA | Snowblast skid-steer mounted snowblowers with dual fan, hydraulically or PTO driven |
We left out listings focused on other work, such as tillage parts, cattle oilers, ditchers and dust control. Road graders, ditchers and dust control are listed under farm road equipment suppliers, and acreage owners can browse lawn, garden and yard equipment suppliers for smaller yard tools.
Tractor Snow Blower FAQ
What size 3 point snow blower do I need for my tractor?
Pick a blower at least as wide as the outside of your rear tires, then check that your tractor’s PTO horsepower falls inside the manufacturer’s range for that model. As a general guide, compact tractors run blowers of about 5 to 7 feet and utility tractors 7 to 9 feet or more, but ratings vary by build and stage, so confirm with the supplier.
Is a snow blower or a blade better for a farm yard?
A snow blower suits deep drifts and yards with no room to pile snow, because it throws snow clear of the yard. A blade costs less and handles light to moderate snow on long lanes, and it can grade gravel in summer. Many farms use a blower for lanes and drifts and a pusher or loader bucket for the yard.
Should I get a single-stage or two-stage tractor snow blower?
Single-stage blowers are simpler and lighter, and they suit smaller tractors and lighter snow. Two-stage blowers use an auger to feed an impeller, so they handle deep, wet and wind-packed snow better and throw it farther. On prairie farms with regular drifting, a two-stage blower matched to your horsepower is the more common choice.
Where can I find tractor snow blower and snow pusher suppliers?
Start with the tractor attachments category on FarmPages, then check the supplier tables on this page, which list snow blower makers, loader snow pusher and blade builders, a skid steer blower maker and a flighting supplier by province. Contact each supplier directly to confirm models, sizes, dealer locations, stock and delivery before winter sets in.
How far from the yard should a shelterbelt or snow fence be?
Snow drops on the downwind side of a windbreak, so place it well back from what you want to protect. Farmyard shelterbelts are commonly planted about 30 to 60 metres (100 to 200 feet) from buildings and lanes. For a snow fence, a common road-agency guide is about 35 times the fence height upwind, or roughly 140 feet for a 4-foot fence.