WHY KUBOTA FOR WINTER
Why Buy Kubota For Winter
Wet snow packs to ice overnight. A thaw turns it to slush, then a cold snap locks the whole lot solid. Your equipment has to handle every version of that, start on the coldest morning of the year, and keep earning long after the snow is gone. That is where Kubota holds up, and it is what we spec, service and stock parts for.
What Kubota gets right in the cold.
The machine has to start, keep the operator warm, change attachments without a fight, and still earn once the snow is gone. Kubota is built and tested against all four.
It Starts, And It Warms Up Fast
Kubota diesels use glow plugs to pre-heat the chamber before you crank, and block heaters are available. Kubota has worked specifically on cutting the dead minutes between the key and real work.
Cabs Built For A Twelve Hour Night
Heat, air conditioning and defrost are engineered in at the factory. Operator comfort is the first thing Kubota tests in the cold, and clear glass was called a safety issue, not a comfort one.
One Machine, Every Attachment
Quick-attach systems and the front hitch let one machine run a blade, a blower, a pusher or a broom. Ice around pins and couplers is tested for directly, so change-overs stay quick.
It Earns All Twelve Months
The same tractor or loader that clears snow in February hauls, grades, loads and mows the rest of the year. That turns a seasonal cost into a machine that pays for itself.
Cold tested down to -40°C before it reaches you.
Kubota has been winter testing its equipment for more than 30 years and now runs a dedicated cold weather testing facility in Timmins, Ontario. Machines are left outside overnight to soak in the cold, then tested first thing in the morning for cab warm-up, defrost and engine start. The rest of the day goes to running every function the machine has, in those conditions.
Temperatures at the facility reach -40°C. Functional testing targets below -20°C, and cab testing is done at -30°C. Freezing rain and cab condensation are simulated so Kubota can time how long the glass takes to clear.
What came out of it: rubber compounds revised for the Canadian market, better seals with minimal to no leaks, and shorter warm-up times.
Kubota's stated focus is operator comfort and the reliability of components in the cold. Sauve calls that a struggle across the whole industry given current emissions and regulatory demands, and puts Kubota's position on it down to one thing.
"The level of testing we have done in the cold... we have stayed ahead."
Nill Sauve, Director of Engineering and Product Solutions, Kubota TimminsFour series, four different jobs.
There is no single best snow machine. There is the right one for your surfaces, your access and the hours you have to clear in. Here is how we usually place them.
Sidewalks And Tight Access
LX Series
The sidewalk answer. Narrow enough for walkways, gates and courtyards, but a real tractor underneath with a loader on the front. Kubota's own description of the line is haul, dig, mow and snowblow.
- Kubota 4-point front hitch takes blades, brooms and snow blowers
- K-Connect for faster attachment changes
- LED work lights standard front and rear for pre-dawn routes
- LX20N narrow model is 39.4 inches wide for gated walkways
Lots, Roads And Long Routes
M6 Series
For when volume is the problem. This is the base for our M6 snow package, which pairs the tractor with a wing plow and containment blades to move double the snow volume of a standard truck in a single pass.
Popular size for snow work: the M6-111, at 114.1 HP rated engine and 92 PTO HP.
- Optional front 3-point hitch and PTO for front snow blowers and blades
- Work Kruise holds engine speed so PTO output does not drop in heavy snow
- Grand X Cab drops the centre pillars for close to 360 degree visibility
- We pair it with HLA, Metal Pless and Cotech wing and containment blades
Stacking, Loading And Packed Ice
SVL Series
Traction and push power. Wide rubber tracks spread the load and grip packed snow and ice where wheels spin, and vertical lift stacks the piles high or loads them out once the lot runs out of room.
The one we place most often: the SVL75-3, at 74.3 HP with a 2,490 lb rated operating capacity at 35 percent of tipping load.
- Snow blowers, pushers, blades and angle brooms all bolt on
- High flow hydraulics option for the hungrier snow attachments
- Tracks spread the load, so less damage to turf and soft edges
- Kubota publishes a dedicated SVL Series snow solutions guide
Site Rounds And Salting
RTV-X Series
The machine that does the rounds. Plow the laneways, run a spreader, haul the bagged product and move a crew across a large site quickly. The factory cab version is what we sell most of for snow work.
- Straight blade, V-plow and rotary broom options
- Factory cab with heat, A/C, defroster, wiper and washer
- Cargo box for salt, tools and spare shear pins
- Moves crews and material between sites without a trailer
Not sure which one fits your site?
| LX | M6 | SVL | RTV-X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Sidewalks and tight access | Lots, roads and long routes | Stacking and packed ice | Site rounds and salting |
| Typical Setup | Front blade, broom or snow blower | Wing plow, front blower or blade | Snow pusher, blade or blower | Blade, V-plow or rotary broom |
| Engine HP | 23.3 to 39.8 HP | 104.5 to 141.4 HP | 68.4 to 96.4 HP | 23.3 HP |
| Enclosed Cab | HVAC cab available | Grand X Cab standard | Enclosed cab available | Factory heat and A/C cab |
Anyone can sell you a machine. February is the test.
Downtime in a storm comes straight off your bottom line. This is the part of the purchase that decides whether you finish the season on schedule.
Service And Repairs In House
Full servicing and repairs handled at our own shop by certified technicians who work on this equipment every day. Machines come in, get sorted properly, and go back out ready for the next storm.
On-Site Mobile Repair
Fully equipped service trucks running on-site diagnostics and repairs, so the large equipment does not have to come off the job and onto a trailer in the middle of a storm.
Extended Hours When It Storms
During major storms we run extended hours for emergency parts, fluids and shop service. Having the cutting edge or the shear bolt at two in the morning is the difference between finishing the route and phoning the client.
Spec'd To Your Actual Route
Tell us the surfaces, the gate widths and the window you have to clear in, and we will size the machine and the blade properly the first time instead of selling you too much machine.
Financing Built Around A Snow Season
Snow revenue does not arrive evenly, so the payment should not either. We offer in-house financing through Providential Financial and customize payment structures to match your budget and seasonal cash flow, so your equipment earns before the bill comes due.
Get sorted before the first storm.
Tell us what you have to clear and how fast you have to clear it. We will come back with the right Kubota, the right blade and a real price, and we will tell you straight if a smaller machine does the job.
Request A Quote
Send us your site details and we will come back with a recommendation and pricing.
