Snow Removal

[billb3]

I've had a plow on a small riding mower.
Takes a while. Anything deep and you're taking a long while.
Not so sure the transmissions are built to take too much aggressive pushing.

Snapper 824 snowblower. Actually pretty quick.
If I want the asphalt showing I adjust the feet.
I have a gravel driveway, a asphalt driveway and a greystone driveway to do, 2 fairly long - about 20 car lengths long. I keep it up an inch so I don't throw stones and greystone.
The asphalt drive faces south, the sun finishes what the snow thrower didn't get. Usually gets pretty close to the surface, even adjusted up an inch.
If the snow is deeper than the auger face it gets slow going.
The shute used to jam when the paint was shiny new, I'd spray it with a silicon spray. Now that the paint is dull it doesn't stick. Go figure.

I have a JD 2520 with a front end loader. Great for the deep stuff. Great for the heavy stuff at the end of the drives from the street plows. Easy to make a mess of the lawn. I'd rather use the snowblower although the tractor is more fun. Don't hit the garage door.

 

[sublime68charger]

Mid range snow fall's is this,
02 Honda Foreman with 60" Moose Blade with Power up/down system that provide's downforce scraping so I can backdrag away from doorway's. Also now has Power angle system so I can change Blade angle from the seat of the ATV.

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For the Heavy snow's where the ATV and Blade takes a super long time due to the amount of snow you have to push I go to this,
02 Honda Rancher with a 44" Kimpex Snow blower that has a 12HP Tecumesh engine driving it.

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late season Sidewalk machine/emergency backup, due to the build up of snow bank on each side from the 60" blade on the ATV. I down size to this,
84 Honda Big Red with V-plow that will pin ball its way down the side walk alley that the bigger blade has created but no longer fits down due to no where for the snow to go. This blade is only 48" wide in V mode and the 60" blade at angle is 54" so I can fit the V down the sidewalk alley.

 

[sublime68charger]

to the OP, I'd recomned an ATV, and Blade for your drive.

on the small snow falls it takes a boring chore/task that has to be done and makes it somewhat enjoyabled.
on the Big snow falls where a blower is better the ATV can still get the job done
you may need to plow with the storm doing your drive 2 times mid and end of storm
where a blower you could wait till the end.

But the ATV and plow is a multi use answer to the different amounts of snow fall you get through out the year.
where a blower really starts to shine at 6" plus under 6" blower not so great.

ATV is great at 6" or less and Ok at 6" or more

just my thoughts.

if you wanna learn about snowplowing,

www.plowsite.com is all about snow removal and has a ATV section about snow removal.

enjoy sublime out.

 

[gpcollen1]

I have been using older snowblowers that i got for nothing and fixed up for cheap for the past 6 years or so. I think i am now ready for an ATV w/ plow. I don't really want to spend all that money but I will still have to spend a $1000 on a new snowblower at some point in time. I would think that the ATV will give me plenty of enjoyment of the years not related to moving snow...

Not sure which one to get though yet...

 

[SolarAndWood]

I'd rather use the snowblower although the tractor is more fun.

+1 although with a decent snow like we had over the last 24 hrs, I was missing my tractor that I loaned to a friend for the winter. It took me almost 5 hours with a big blower to do what could have been done in half an hour with the tractor and then a quick clean up with the blower.

 

[Henz]

you all have some interesting setups there.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Weapons of Choice!

Fastest . . . (Snowpusher)
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Down ~n~ Gritiest . . . (Snowmover)

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By far the Smoothest . . . (Snowblower)

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[John_M]

Gooserider, A few months ago you wrote about the "Clarence Kit" and I checked it out at that time. I was impressed. The "Clarence Kit" will be installed along with a carb. rebuild and major maintenance (wear items, etc.) when I perform the annual and ten year maintenance on my Ariens 828 this summer.

We had about 20" fall yesterday and last night. Had strong winds and very heavy drifting of 4' and more across the driveway and in front of garage doors. Spent about 2 hours and a tank of fuel this morning before I had to quit. I was too cold and needed a rest. Was able to clear about 4' of the garage drift during those 2 hours. The Ariens did not cough or hiccup even once and I pushed it very hard. The Tecumseh must be a pretty torquey? engine because it continued to devour the snow even when buried in it.

My buddy with the tractor mounted blower showed up during my break and cleared the 5' snow plow berm at the end of my 40' wide driveway-just so he could get off the road. He then cleared the remainder of what I hadn't done. If it continues snowing as hard overnight as it is now, we will have another 20" by tomorrow morning. I have ordered myself a sit down in front of the stove for the remainder of the afternoon. John_M

 

[gzecc]

Bass widow, If you cut your grass, need to haul materials (wood, much, dirt) buy an old deere garden tractor, such as a 318 or 420 garden tractor. Put a front blade on the tractor and it will push snow, dirt, bushes anything you put in front of it. The rest of the year you cut your grass.

 

[SolarAndWood]

The 47" blower on the 420 can move some snow.

 

[basswidow]

Update:

My buddies plow couldn't get it done. He got stuck 1/3 of the way going up and gave up. He tried backing up the drive and pushing the snow down, he just couldn't get up without getting stuck or sideways. My neighbor came over with his JD 4x4 lawn tractor with a PTO drive snow blower up front and with persistance - he got me taken care of. Thank god for neighbors with toys. I am gonna get a blower for next year.

Here's my son at the bottom of the drive before we got started. The snow just beyond what the plows piled up was about zipper deep on me. In an ideal world, one should plow with the storm so it doesn't pile up like this. Several runs during the storm and it would have been no big deal. But if you don't touch it til the storms dumped on you - you get what you deserve.

I'll be ready for next year.