Considering purchasing a RTV900T6-H mostly for snow removal

O

Onfoot

Member
Looking for experienced advice...

I live in the Yukon 'bush' and have more than 2km (1.24 miles) 'driveway' to plow. 16 months ago I bought a 2007 Arctic Cat Prowler with a Curtis plow. To say the least, I have been extremely disappointed. I am sure it suits hunters and light yard work needs, but it has been nothing but trouble for me, culminating (after only 188 hours) in having the engine seize up after the coolant and oil radiators became (unknown to me) clogged with snow and ice and cooked the motor. Conclusion: The Prowler is not up to the job.

So my question. Is the RTV900 up to the job? I was not familiar with the Kubota side by side tractor series when I was looking for something to handle my snow removal needs while also serving as a useful work vehicle in my woodlot management. But now I have looked at one in town and read the specs and it looks like a much tougher work platform, albeit with some shifting issues and u-joint issues from the sound of things.

I would be grateful for input and recommendations, as well as some feedback on anyone's experience with serious work. Also wondering about cold temperature performance. We do get cold in the Yukon (below -40 is not unusual in winter cold snaps, even to -60 is possible--though I would not be out plowing at those temps!).

Thanks!!!
 
While I don't use mine for plowing snow I do believe it will be up to the task. I use mine almost exclusively for hauling firewood and granddaughters. when I was still farming and making hay I used it to pull empty wagons and even raked hay if needed. It is the best vehicle we ever used for getting around and gathering firewood. The dump bed is great and the hauling capacity is surprising. I have restrained myself from putting side boards on the bed for fear of overloading it without realizing it . Have hauled manure and sand/gravel for road repairs and it will certainly carry weight with no problem. Norfolk Southern Railroad uses them a lot around here for right of way maintenance and various pipeline companies are also using them. This is tough and demanding work for a machine. As far as cold temps you may want to get block and tranny heaters. they help a lot . I use a stick on pan heater when needed. The Kubota has never been a problem to start using the glowplugs but the tranny is a bit sluggish till it warms up. No worse than the skid steer or backhoe. You will be happy with it. Bill</p>
 
I use mine for plowing snow and everything else on my little 30 acre plot. I have the Curtis plow and it is by far the weakest link. I would suggest moving to something with a bit more testosterone. I live in Missouri so a couple degrees below zero is as bad as it gets and the RTV is always in the shed and starts right up. With the way the engine is positioned I don't see how you would have a problem with snow packing the radiator. The cool part of the RTV is that with the diesel and engine and substantial tranny, you have enough weight to hold it down. I plowed about 8 inches of snow last week on a drive about 1/4 mile long and up some pretty impressive hills and never put it in 4 wheel drive. It was a light fluffy snow and I finished everything in about 20 min. Some of the heavy snows require 4wd and a bit more time. I have a cab on mine and a heater so the snow plowing became fun as opposed to sitting on a cold tractor for hours.</p>


</p>


Bottom line, I don't think you will find another like machine made to work as much as the RTV. Invest the money in a better plow than the Curtis. I have modified mine a lot to make it work. Should have just spent more and got one that is worthwhile.</p>


</p>
 
Thanks to Muleman and DigOrange for their helpful input--both with regard to the RTV900 and the Curtis plow. I actually have already ordered a 60" two stage snowblower with is self-powered and designed to be propelled by a UTV. You can check them out at: http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com/utility-vehicle-snow-blower.htm. My problem is that my road is narrow and after a heavy snow winter (as we have had this year) there is simply no way to keep the banks from falling back in no matter how many times you run the plow by. So I anticipate using the plow for cleaning up while relying on the snowblower for the 'heavy' work. I will let you know how it goes.</p>


</p>
 
I looked at that site and the units look pretty nice. Put a few hundred pounds in the dump bed and you should be good to go. I use my skid steer or backhoe to push back when the banks get too high or it drifts like it has this year. with the 64 mph winds we have been getting last night and today I am glad it warmed up and melted most of the snow.</p>
 
Appreciate the advice, Muleman. As of a couple of hours ago I made the plunge and committed to purchasing the RTV900T6-H, adding a winch, 72" plow kit, windshield and plastic roof with extra work lights. Oh yeah--there is also the winter 'package' (block heater, battery blanket, etc.). Should take about 10 days for the accessories to show up and then I can pick up the machine--probably about the same time that the snowblower shows up.</p>


Now I need to think about what I am going to do with my dead Prowler. Dealer wants $4000 to rebuild the engine (50/50 parts and labour). Argghh. I have a call into Arctic Cat to see if they can help. There are only 188 hours on the Prowler.</p>


Now hoping we don't get any snow dumps over the next 10 days... Fingers crossed.</p>
 
Yeah, my reaction also. Mind you, life is more expensive in the North. They charge $110/hr for labour. The motor is the Arctic Cat 650H1--single cylinder, carburated, generally well-regarded and well known, esp. in snow machines.</p>
 
I have been doing some investigations on a few UTV sites, looking for info. One disadvantage about living in such a remote part of the world is that there are not many options for help. There is only one dealer for Arctic Cats within 500-800 miles. He is a good guy--just expensive. I am doing some research into finding a rebuilt engine, but no luck so far. Too risky to buy something used and shipping it without guarantees. Also have a call into Arctic Cat to see if the company might take some responsibility. I am only just out of warranty.</p>
 
I have plowed alot of snow here in michigan with my 2006 RTV 900 with curtis plow.As someone mentioned the orginal curtis plow setup is the weak point. IMHO they are correct.I had my curtisplow mounting totally system beefed up and changed to full Hydro,now its amazing plowing with it.I also had a 1/2 inch cutting edge put on the blade verses the standard 1/4inch.coobie</p>
 
I have a Curtis plow with my (now dead) Arctic Cat Prowler. The plow is OK, but the carrying frame needed to be beefed up a bit. But my problem is not having anyplace for the snow to go once the banks have built up. My driveway is almost a mile and half long and quite narrow with trees on both sides. So when there is a winter with lots of snow (as this winter), I can plow back and forth for days and still have snow falling back onto the road. That is how I fried my Prowler--going back and forth trying to gradually widen the road, not noticing that the coolant and oil rads had become completely plugged with snow, leading to overheating until the oil broke down and the main bearings seized up... Not a good thing to have happen. So, along with buying a RTV900 (by all accounts a true working machine compared to the recreational Prowler), I have also purchased a self-powered, 2 stage snowblower which will mount to the RTV. (You can check them out at: http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com/utility-vehicle-snow-blower.htm.) It should be here sometime this week (I live in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada). Once I have put the snowblower and the RTV900 through their paces, I will give a report and post some photos to the forum. Presuming that the blower works as I hope, I will only need to use the plow for small bits of cleaning up. So the Curtis should be all I need.</p>
 
how good do these plows work on pushing dirt and leveling it off? i been wanting to make one for my hpx but i never thought they was any good at pushing any amount of dirt but i'm givin it more thought now.</p>
 
Hey Tommy. I doubt that a snow plow set up would work for moving dirt--at least not any amount. Mind you, I have not tried. But the main problem (as I think about it) would be that snow plow is designed to float on a hard packed surface and not dig down. Even plowing hard packed snow can be a problem, as the plow will simply ride over the top of the snow. There is only the weight of the plow to hold the plow down.</p>


For any machine equipped with a dirt moving blade, the blade will not float, but will be able to be held down against the ground (usually with hydraulics), adding the weight of the machine to the weight of the plow, even lifting the front end of the machine off the ground. I think to push dirt you need to be able to have that kind of cabability.</p>


Maybe others have tried to use their snowplows to move dirt and can report on how it worked. When I need to move dirt, I use my Case 580C backhoe. </p>


On a separate issue, did you get my email asking about your boot protectors?</p>
 
How much for a set (aluminum and/or steel)? Also, can you tell me how much to ship via US Post (not courier or FedEx or etc.) to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, Y1A 6N2?</p>


Thanks!</p>
 
i'll have to look that up i ain't never shipped out the country before. but i can find out when i go to the post office so it needs to go to whitehorse yukon, canada.Y1A6N2 am i right ?</p>
 
Yup. That's the place, all right--just a bit north of the 60th parallel and about a 10 hour drive south of the Arctic Circle.</p>
 
why didn't you say something sooner i could have sent a pair up their with old sarah pallin when she was down here polotitioning or how ever you spell it.</p>
 
Sending by the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE is not that bad..... Last year, I shipped a Kubota RTV speedometer Kit to a gentleman in Australia. First of all they were so expensive over there. Second, they didn't have any. I sent him the item to there from Louisiana, USA. , cheaper than he could purchased it outrightin that country ~~~~~~ Took about week to get there. That's quick being so far to send..... And that price included insurance >>>>></p>


</p>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top