PTO Snowblower

[dtd24]

For the last couple of years I plow about 750 foot up hill gravel driveway with backblade and FEL. I have been seroiusly thinking about a rear mounted PTO snowblower. Any one use them on gravel drive. Any input?? Suggestions?

 

[hawkeye08]

Go the other way and it will downhill.

 

[RickB]

I have a 1/4 mile gravel drive, a 7' front plow, 7' rear blade, and a 74" rear blower. I only use the blower when the banks are high and/or the fresh snow is very deep. Otherwise the front plow is about 3 times as fast as the blower. You would probably benefit from having a blower more than I because a loader is much slower than a front plow, and snow gets too deep to use a rear blade quite a bit sooner than it does when using a front plow. Loose gravel and stones are a concern when the driveway isn't frozen well, but it isn't a dealbreaker.

 

[lungdoc]

Rear blowers work well, throw snow clear of ditches etc so gets rid of banks. Slower than a plow and can be hard on neck. You'll be a snowman if open tractor - I use a snowmoile helmet and suit and ok if you dress for it. Easier if hydrostatic tranny so can go as slow as you need to but maintain PTO RPM. Lots of threads here if you search. As RickB stated not fastest tool. I use in addition to a truck plow service at our place but pickup plows leave big banks after a while and road gets narrow, with blower I get rid of banks and keep everything much nicer. If you have a truck I'd get a truck plow AND a rear blower or consider a front plow/rear blower combo. Can find 3 point blowers used as not machine-specific. Mine's an Agro-trend but lots of good choices out there.

 

[JerryK]

Most people who blow snow on gravel let the first few snows pack down to get an inch or two base covering the gravel. I use a blower because I do not have room to plow the banks back far enough earlier in the season so I don't run out of room later in the winter. There are minus's and plus's to a blower. Some of the plus's are...

No banks next to the driveway.. if you get a big wind/drifting your drive will only fill in to the surrounding snow depth and not to a plowed bank level... Also, in the spring, there is no huge bank of snow next to your drive to slowly melt and turn your drive into mush. If you plow a large wide area, you also drive down the frost level over a bigger area that will take longer in the spring to thaw. The ground above the frost thaw's first and also turns to mush cuz' the water can't drain down thru the frozen ground.

The going backwards thing is not that much of a deal. You are going fairly slow backwards. A front blower is a better option if you have the $. I am cabless, and someday will have a cab/front blower...someday....

 

[rimshot]

When considering the topic, Plow vs. rear blower, make your choice based on your terrain. If you get lots of snow but your driveway is bordered by terrain or heavily wooded you should opt for a blower. In my neck of the woods if I were to use a plow, I would have to push the banks way back to start the early Winter. That would be fine if I had open areas located in convenient places. It also can damage lawns and landscaping not to mention be open and convenient to get at. In some applications, melting snowbanks serve to channel water runoff with a sudden Spring thaw in a troublesome fashion.. Snowbanks are not nearly the problem with a driveway cleared with a blower as opposed to one scraped by a plow.

rimshot

 

[mooseracing]

Any one use them on gravel drive. Any input?? Suggestions?

Setup the shoes properly like you can do with a plow and you won't hit gravel 99% of the time.

Snowblower is quicker for me since I don't need to move the snow as far.

 

[oldnslo]

For the last couple of years I plow about 750 foot up hill gravel driveway with backblade and FEL. I have been seroiusly thinking about a rear mounted PTO snowblower. Any one use them on gravel drive. Any input?? Suggestions?

When using the blower on gravel adjust the top link so the blower shoes are parallel to the ground. Used one for years and never broke a shear pin from rocks.

Roy