Snow blade out of a trailer tongue?

[59 Sons]

I have 3 miles of dirt trail to plow. Mostly 3" minus base rock, unmaintained. About a mile of severely rutted and pot holed dirt, with frequent car sized boulders impeding the surface. Sometimes we can borrow a neighbors big dozer after a particularly heavy snow fall, but usualy were on our own for the normal stuff.

Now for the brain storm:
I have a heavy I beam tongue that was used to pull a modular building. Basicly a 10 inch high V about 8 feet wide. If I built a QA in the V and welded some tank sections to the sides, and set my loader to "float".... would the weight of the aparatus keep it from floating over the snow, without hanging up too bad on the uneven ground? I imagine I would have to experement with beefing up the apex so it could take a beating, but it seems like the severe angle of the plow should reduce the drag weight of the snow. Any thoughts?

I would surely appreciate input before I start fabricating. Please bear in mind that the point of this is to get by cheap. I am pushing with a Kubota M59.
Thanx in advance.

[aczlan]

The only issue that I see is that 10" is pretty short for anything more than 4" of snow. I would add a 8-10" "foil" to the top that leans out to help make the snow roll forward rather than piling up and coming over the top.

Aaron Z

[BHD]

you could pull it,

simiular project,
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/s...my-kubota.html

[59 Sons]

Thanx for the response Aaron, I didnt know what to call the "wings". I was thinking of cutting a steel tank into sections to get a curved surface like I see on the "real ones", and welding them to the I beam.

[59 Sons]

BHD, I considered pulling it, especialy since there is already a hitch built into it. Wasnt sure if it would be effective once my tires packed the snow down. I will probably try it both ways, my tractor only weighs about 7k. Thanx for the direction.

[oldnslo]

If you get a lot of wet heavy snow pulling the plow will not work as well as pushing it. Dry powdery snow does not pack so driving over it while pulling the plow would be of less concern. Only problem with pulling it is how would you lift it if you get stuck?

[crashz]

The flaw in the plan is that there is no trip edge. With rocks like described, I'd be concerned with bending the loader arms if the I beams caught a rock.

[snowjoker]

I would say run a straight blade 8 or 9 feet wide, because you dont want to sit out in the cold freezing your azz off plowing snow ! v plow is OK if you get deep snow, but if your keeping up plowing with it, basically your just wasting time with one..Location would help.. if your close enough I have a 9 foot western with wings making it 11 feet.... that needs a new home..

[59 Sons]

Thanx for the responses guys, Im in south central washington, and even though were only supposed to get 14-18 inches precip a year, weve had 18-24 inch snow storms the last few years. Its not particularly cold here, usualy botoming out at -5 at worst, and our sunshine is so intense that the snow is almost always wet and heavy.

My theory was that the severe angle of the trailer tongue would shunt me off to the side if I encountered a solid obstacle. And the wide flanges of the I beams would ride on the ground solidly. The simplicity of it also apealed to me, no hydraulics, trip mechanisms, etc.

I appreciate the input, its helping me think through the bugs.

[Huffmang]

Sounds like a plan, Let me know how it works. Also pictures please.