Another foot of snow today

[WayneB]

Yep, the forecast is for 56. It was 33 about 7 a.m., the streets appeared to be clear except for the bridges and overpasses, and at least one news report said by 6:30 a.m. there had been about 3 dozen, of 6 times the normal number, of accidents in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The snow is gone off the trees, although we still have it on the roofs and lawns. I'll attach a couple of pictures. One is the Bradford Pear just outside the front door that was already blooming, and the other is that Bradford Pear on the right and a Live Oak on the left (the live oak keeps its leaves year round).

Bird we are really thinking about you guys in Texas dealing with snow! It must be tough on ya! New Englanders sort-of know what that snow stuff is! But, wait there are signs of spring coming right around the corner. With the price of diesel getting close to $4.00 a gallon (I paid 378.0 the other day) we can only hope Winter will come to an end.

 

[DreaminGreen]

DreaminGreen,

Hard to believe, but it had been 3 weeks since I had been allowed back on the Kubota, so there was definitely a grin going. If I'm not clearing snow, mowing, flattening my driveway with the blade, I'm tinkering with the tractor....very good diversion from paying heating bills, ha! Dyer, retired

I went and payed the oil bill today, they hada cute young lady at the counter. I think they do that on purpose so people don't squabble about the high prices. Paid off 100 gal. and ordered 100 gal. $650.00 sure went painlessly.

 

[Dyer retired]

DreaminGreen,

Man, did I laugh reading your last posting. You aren't kidding about the methods being used now by the oil companies. My propane guy really only needs to come once a month, we use a propane woodstove looking heater as an assist to the oil furnace, so we don't go through much more than 60 gallons or so a month. He's been coming every two weeks on the money lately, I think because the price per gallon is $4.30 and they think it lessens the pain. I'll go out and talk with the oil delivery guy when he comes and he immediately starts talking about his concern (he's actually being genuine about this) for the older people that won't ask for assistance and are starving to death just to pay for the oil. By the time he gets done, you sure feel lucky to be better off than those he's describing. I keep asking him when the oil company is going to issue bullet proof vests and helmets for the guys on delivery routes. He said he's had to listen to his fair share of complaints, but reminds people that he doesn't get a discount on his oil either. People just need to vent I guess.

Hang in there and stay warm. Dyer, retired

 

[shinnlinger]

Hi,

Here is how I am dealing with the NH winter. I whipped up a wing blade for my machine just before the first snowfall this year and boy am I glad I did, It excels at "half mast" pushing back snow banks. I would have been doing alot more loader work if I hadn't rigged it up.

 

[Kendrick]

Bird we are really thinking about you guys in Texas dealing with snow! It must be tough on ya! New Englanders sort-of know what that snow stuff is! But, wait there are signs of spring coming right around the corner. With the price of diesel getting close to $4.00 a gallon (I paid 378.0 the other day) we can only hope Winter will come to an end.

heheh wait till the ice comes out to play.. an average texas tire has under a dimes worth of tread


Dyer just north of hyot


Shin nice work on the plows

 

[Bird]

an average texas tire has under a dimes worth of tread

You're probably right, but fortunately, I put all new BF Goodrichs on both my vehicles this year, so none of them has 5k miles on them yet.

 

[Bird]

Now I know this may not be much snow to you folks from New England, but I thought I'd let you see a picture I made a few minutes ago of my wife.

 

[Dyer retired]

Hi,

Here is how I am dealing with the NH winter. I whipped up a wing blade for my machine just before the first snowfall this year and boy am I glad I did, It excels at "half mast" pushing back snow banks. I would have been doing alot more loader work if I hadn't rigged it up.

Shinnlinger,

Thanks for the pictures....looks great! How much does the wing push the tractor, or does it at all? It also looks like you have a nice rear blade with adjustment wheels? Do you clear the drive (also curious about the size of road or driveway you have to clear) with the front blade and wing and do clean up with rear blade or....I guess I'm asking how you use the various tools in combination? John

 

[Dyer retired]

Now I know this may not be much snow to you folks from New England, but I thought I'd let you see a picture I made a few minutes ago of my wife.

Bird,

How often does this kind of snow happen for you in the course of a year? That really is coming down, but the important question is: What is your wife doing out in it? John

 

[shinnlinger]

John,

I only use the front blade for clean up or pushing straight ahead into a pile.

I have quite a bit of driveway between my place, out to the mill and up to my parents. on a one lane driveway I can use the wing and the rear blade angled the other way to clear a 12 ft path in one go, and then I will ussually wing back the other way and push the snow over the top.

I welded wheels on the rear blade so that I can lenghten/shorten the top link to raise and lower the blade to control it's bite. It is nice when the ground isn't frozen yet but you still have 6 inches of snow to deal with and you dont want to tear up the yard. I also grade my driveway with it in the summer. With it running the opposite way of the wing and having the straight ahead blade on the bucket, I have all my angles covered.

I have been really happy with the wing and I cant reccomend it enough. If you use your tractor for snow removal, you really need to consider one. It works really well at pushing snow banks back. It can push me sidways, but I just rasie it untill it stops and come back for another pass if necesary. I raise mine by rolling the front bucket, and it works so well that I wouldnt bother with putting hydraulics on it even if someone gave them to me. It is also nice to be able to see exactly what you are plowing, because you are sitting right up on it.

Using a truck plow isnt as ideal as a gimballed wing setup like a highway plow truck, and I did have some issues, but it was pretty easy (and extremely cheap) and lends itself well to tractor use as there arent as many fixed points on a tractor.