Snow Removal

[basswidow]

Since this has been a banner snow year, what method do you use for snow removal?

This is my 3rd winter in NNJ. The first winter was rough and I spent alot of time considering a snow blower or 4x4 ATV with a blade, or a plow for my 4x4 truck. I never reached a decision and have been using a shovel.

The snow blower would have to be power drive - because I have a long steep driveway. I would want a 36 inch at a minimum. All the neighbors who have the blowers - don't seem to get all the way down to the asphalt and when the snow is wet - it clogs up.

The ATV and blade is the most expensive option and if the snow is real heavy and deep - it struggles, but the atv would be fun to have.

I think a plow for my truck might be the best option - but over-kill for my needs. I have seen them used for less than $ 2000.

When I was a kid - I had to ride along with my Dad as he plowed thru the night. Back then, my job was to lock and unlock the hubs on the truck when needed and to pull the pin and manually adjust the blade (prior to hydraulic blade angles). I also had to do the sidewalks. When they invented the in cab controls for the plow angle - and 4x4 without locking hubs - that was sweet.

So I'm pretty good with a shovel and that is the cheapest method. If it takes me a while - work can wait. But my back isn't getting any younger.

How do you get it done?

 

[smokinj]

I use a small JD garden tractor I have plowed out some pretty good storms this season.

 

[basswidow]

That's another option. Do you have to drop the mower deck and put tire weights and chains on?

 

[Roxburyeric]

Snowblower with drive for the wheels with chains. Just lower the "Feet" on the sides to clear down to the pavement. Or raise the feet if you have a gravel driveway. I bet your neighbors either have no "Feet" on their machines or are clueless about adjusting them. Most blowers have them.

 

[JustWood]

12' snowbox.

 

[smokinj]

AWESOMELEE!

 

[smokinj]

That's another option. Do you have to drop the mower deck and put tire weights and chains on?

you dont have to but i do gives you a good chance to clean it,yes chains and weights 450.00 bucks wworks great!

 

[gerry100]

I think I've got a similiar challenge except I've been dealing with it for 30 years.

Approx 200ft gravel driveway with a 90deg turn and slight slope. Yesterday with 15in of very heavy snow was about as challenging as it gets.

I've had a plow truck/beater but you need to know where your going to push the snow and in my case it became a problem at the end of a heavy snow season.

My 16hp gas lawn tractor with a front mounted snowblower was marginal at best, it wouldn't have made it yesterday. Neither would my 9hp walk behind blower. Feet or no feet, blowers have issue with thow distasnce and height and jam up and shear pins.

My current and best solution is a MF 16hp 4WD diesel compact tractor with a loader that I use as a big shovel. With chains on the rear wheels it's unstoppable. If you've got a lot of other work to on the property this kind of tractor can be very handy. New ones are $12-14K but good used ones can be found for less than half that.

 

[John_M]

For the past 18 years I have been using an Ariens 828 walk behind snow blower. It has been a great machine all this time. This year, though, it wants to hiccup and cough when the temp gets down to the mid-20's. Used it yesterday to move lots of 9" deep snow with 28 °F temperatures. Ran like a well trained hairy chested beast and smiled while devouring large drifts. However, the county plow trucks moved a 24" berm of wet and compact snow across my driveway. Ole' reliable was not able to handle this stubborn, immovable wall.

About 30 min. after I gave up, my good buddy showed up with his three point hitch, tractor mounted blower and cleared everything in about 30 minutes. So: 1) I am going to purchase a three point hitch snow blower to run from the rear PTO of my JD 3720, 44hp Diesel tractor. It will be 64" wide and have hydraulically operated raising and lowering, chute rotation, and diverter raising and lowering; 2) I will keep my Ariens and rebuild the carburetor this summer. Will probably also check the bottom drive components and adjust/replace whatever needs doing. I'll use it for smaller work and making the initial cuts around the house. The Ariens has been garaged since new and still looks great. The augers and impeller show a little cosmetic wear but are otherwise in very good condition.

Actually, I could rely upon my reliable friend to continue this clearing of the heaviest snow but I like working outdoors (even in the cold) too much to let him have all the fun. ;-) John_M

Tomorrow will be lots and lots of outdoor fun because this current 24 hour storm is dumping wet and heavy snow at a rate of 1 inch per hour and is centered directly over both our houses. Ran my 6,500 watt generator/inverter for two hours yesterday. We could be headed for a major power outage today or tomorrow but I am ready. :exclaim:

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have a 250' drive, 200' or so is uphill. I have a Ariens snowblower for about the past 8 yrs that has been awesome. The drive was all gravel/washed out dirt- adjust so thet the feet are down and leave some snow for that Currier and Ives look or you'll blow shear pins and machinegun the house with gravel.

 

[peterc38]

Kubota B7610 w/ Woods rear blade

Honda 1132 track drive snowblower

 

[iceman]

Kubota B7610 w/ Woods rear blade

Honda 1132 track drive snowblower

+1 on the honda I have a 928tcd nothing stops it! wet snow goes 10-20ft
dry snow causes white-out conditions for everyone in the direction i am throwing! lol... it throws at least 50ft often i can get it over power lines!
dont have pictures but you can see it here
http://honda.ca/HPower/Models/Specifications?Type=SnowBlowers&Series=HS928&Model=HS928TCD&L=E

 

[Henz]

Alot depends on your driveway. gravel or paved? is it smooth? the wider the snowblower the harder it is to manuver so if you dont have a nice even driveway then dont get a really wide blower. A plow for yourtruck would be good probably until you get stuck or your truck breaks down or is in the shop when you need it to plow! the atv and plow is nice, my Dad does this. he has the larger county style plow which I highly recomend, its much heavier than the little ones therefore has more downforce. If your driveway doesnt have alot of room to push snow then obviously its a no brainer and you need a blower.

 

[SWNH]

This last storm confirmed my dedication to a truck plow. I have a couple snowblowers (8hp and 11hp) and they were struggling to get thru the foot of wet and heavy snow we got. No problem for the truck, though. It'll be the fastest for sure and you have a truck already. Mine wasn't cheap, but since I don't plow commercially, it'll last for my lifetime.

 

[Henz]

it is true, there are definatly advantages to having a plow and there are disadvantages, I think everyone has a different situiation and you just need to figure out what would work best for you even if you would rather have something different. For me, a plow would be a total waste sicne I would ahve to totally back drag my driveway and then push the snow across the road. I ahve noplace to plow. so I ahve a snowblower which also takes care of my walks which I have just as much area in my walks as i do in my driveway.

 

[quads]

What I used a long time ago, handed down from my dad:

After that I used this for about 10 years:

Now I use this, for the last few years. I don't have tire chains for it, so far haven't needed them:

 

[firefighterjake]

As someone else mentioned a lot depends on your driveway (paved vs. gravel, length, etc.) . . . I went with an ATV plow since I already had an ATV and getting a plow for it was relatively inexpensive whereas I didn't already have a truck . . . if I didn't have an ATV I guess it would have come down to multi-use . . . in other words what else could I do with the ATV, pick-up or tractor besides plowing . . . or whether it would have been simpler and easier to buy a snowblower.

 

[Flatbedford]

I shovel. My suburban driveway is about 60' long by 20' wide. With 2 trucks and 3 cars in it there isn't much snow left to clear. As long as we don't let it get too deep, it can be cleared in about 1/2 hour. I have a couple friends who plow commercially and they are on call for extraordinary conditions like the wet slop that is falling today. I'd like to get one of those old Gravely walk behinds with a plow and/or blower some day. I looked at one last year, but my wife was afraid of it.

 

[basswidow]

My drive is paved and is about 150-180 feet and almost straight down. Any little amount of snow or ice and I am parking at the bottom and walking up.

I've got a foot of deep new snow and no end in sight - with only a shovel. I think I may have to call on a plow. I'm still sore from tues/weds 8 inches.

I am really kicking myself for not being more prepared. I should have bought a snowblower.

 

[Adkjake]

I have about 250 feet of driveway, so this mule has been getting a workout the past few days. 18 inches of wet heavy snow since Tuesday night.

It's a Yamaha Grizzly 450, switchable 2 to 4wd, differental lock, some nice aftermarket BigHorn tires, Moose snowplow. It went through that wet heavy stuff
pretty well, even on the uphill pushes.

Driveway looks a little different now then when this was taken last Nov.!!

 

[Gooserider]

Old (late 70's) Ariens 10hp / 32" blower - all original except for wear items. We are all pretty much flat, with the exception of the neighbors driveway that I do sometimes, but I do a mix of asphalt, gravel, dirt and grass, no problem... Couldn't do all of what I do with anything BUT a blower...

Wet slop used to be a problem, but I have found the secret weapon to use for that - the (broken link removed to http://smllengns.tripod.com/id1.html) - best improvement on a tool I've ever encountered! It is a set of rubber blades that you bolt onto the tips of the second stage blower fan, and which fill the gap between the impeller blades and the housing... The result is a tremendous improvement - it will throw slush almost like the pre-kit blower threw dry powder, and as long as you stay moving, with NO clogs - even if it does start to clog, 99% of the time it will self clear because the 2nd stage impeller really does BLOW (you can feel the wind blast) and because it forces everything up the chute because the snow can no longer escape between the impeller tips and the housing... Dry snow I get an extra 5-6 feet in both height and distance - I can actually bounce snow off our house utility drops, and even hit the lowest wires on the phone poles!

Far as I'm concerned there is no question, give me a good blower with a Clarence Kit...

(I do advise against ANY of the newer machines, and MTD's or department store brands of any vintage - go for an older Ariens or Toro - especially the Ariens... Built like tanks and will last just about forever...)

Gooserider

 

[Adkjake]

Amen on the older Toros. I have one of those little Toro CR2000 blowers, 2 cycle, single stage. Bought it probably 15 years ago, I lived in Albany at the time, had a city lot with just a small narrow driveway, and some sidewalk. No garage, so had to have something I could pull up and down the cellar stairs. Will move even wet heavy snow enough to clear the sidewalks. Use it now to clear the deck at the Adirondack house. Other than changing the plug and air filter every few years, I've only had it in for a Toro dealer servicing once.

It sits out on the deck in the winter, under the overhang. Hadn't run it in probably a month or so. With all the snow we've gotten this week, fired it up on Wed, started on the first pull!! Of course I immediately then ran other the extension chord for the decorative lights that was laying under the snow . Luckily it was unplugged, but still made a nice tangle. No real damage

 

[Monkey Wrench]

The Foremans DOGGING ME!

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Heres More!

 

[blades]

Truck mounted plow is the fastest, but the pile along each side of the drive will start to creep in unless you push them back right away other wise they freeze down in place. then you will need a skidsteer or tractor with a bucket to move them back. Tractor or skidsteer with blower works real well but alot of $$$$ the blowers new run around 5g. Tractors can begotten around 1/2 that for something decent. I do commecial plowing and use pickups 98% of the time, skidsteer when I have to move the snow piles for more room. The skidsteer with a plow or box blade works ok but is a lot slower than the pickup for just pushing snow out of the way. Used plow set up for pick up can be had for 1500 to 2000 in most areas. Like anything else best time to purchase is in the off season for particular equipment.