Snow removal quandry

[jimmyj]

What to do what to do.....

Our lane is about 400' long, half is uphill and there are a bunch of parking spots plus a turnaround circle. The base is gravel.

I have my new awesome tractor with the FEL. It worked great to remove snow from the lane last year - no complaints at all. In prior years I used my ATV with a plow and sometimes the walk behind snowblower (32") or my Allis Chalmers 16hp tractor with the dozer blade. One year I borrowed a small JD tractor with a front mount blower and soft cab - this was the best snow removal rig of the three.

I've got a hunkering for some new technology and with the knowledge that a blower is the best of all, would like some advice and opinions.

Should I...

a) buy a 72" 3ph snowblower (hydraulic) for $2000
b) get rid of my Allis Chalmers (I have two) for $5,000-ish ( for both)l and buy a new 23hp hydro Husqvarna riding mower with a 48" front blower and 44" mower deck (total price about $5,000)
c) do nothing and save my darned money

I am kinda stuck on what to do. The front mount blower is so tempting but
so is not spending money...

[beenthere]

My vote, but only if it works for you.

[jimmyj]

Is a plow a lot better than the FEL? I have a 4' and 5' and 6' plow for my Allis Chalmers and the ATV and I find it hard to get the snow up over the sides of the pile. Any tips?

[smfcpacfp]

Most important question - how much snow do you get and how long does it last?

I am from Lima, Ohio. We would get some snow ocassionally, sometimes a lot, but it would usually be gone in a week. The driveway was 100' long. When my dad was young he used a shovel and I helped him. Later he hired kids to do the job. If your situation was like his I would make due with what you have already.

I now live on the south shore of Lake Superior. I will have 600 feet of driveway to deal with. We get 15 to 30 feet of snow. In December and much of January, I probably have to remove snow 2 days out of 3. I have the rig below. Moving snow was an annoyance in Lima. It is serious business here.

[jimmyj]

We have snow from about Christmas to sometime in March. The average snowfall in South Ontario per the internet seems to be about 4 feet, not that much really. We have a wesward sloping downhill drive that drifts in so I find that the banks I've made at the bottom where I plow to are usually very big though, maybe the equivalent of several large dump truck loads (take a foot deep by 400 feet long and 12 feet wide and it adds up). Plus the plow trucks that do the roads make the banks a good 4 feet high and at least 6 or 8 feet wide across the 25 foot mouth of the lane.

Note: I love moving the snow, I think it's fun. (call me crazy!)

[beenthere]

Originally Posted by jimmyj

Is a plow a lot better than the FEL? I have a 4' and 5' and 6' plow for my Allis Chalmers and the ATV and I find it hard to get the snow up over the sides of the pile. Any tips?

The plow should be wide enough to move the snow beyond the wheels when angled. I've seen a lot of narrow blades that don't get that part of the job done.

Tip: With a 7' plow, I can move the snow over even more by raising the plow and taking the top off the windrow (piled snow) and then going back to clean up the 6 or so inches left.

However, I'm working on a wing plow to do that for me, as well as push the snow over the edge of the drive and into the ditch. That should help avoid some of the serious drifting that happens.

Is a plow better than a FEL? A whole heck of a lot better. Night and day difference. Like going after it with a teaspoon vs. a scoop shovel. (grin).

[MossRoad]

We have a power angle snow plow on our FEL arms. It is great! My little tractor can stack snow 6' high with that. I've used just my bucket to remove snow, but the plow is 10x better.

Of course, a blower is even better than a plow because you don't have to worry about berms and piles. However, a plow was a lot cheaper than a blower and just as fast as a blower in our climate. I mean, with a blower or a plow, for most snow falls under 8-10" I have to drive down the driveway anyway. I still have to make the same amount of passes. If the snow gets much deeper than that, however, or if there is a lot on the sides already, then you have to spend time piling the snow and with a blower, that wouldn't need to be done.

[bp fick]

Going to plow myself this year. As you had experience with your ATV and plowing, perhaps now you wish to use your tractor? Most who have done ATV plowing prefer the tractor, when comparing. Good luck on your decision making.

Delivery day last July

[biggerten]

Originally Posted by jimmyj

It worked great to remove snow from the lane last year - no complaints at all.

c) do nothing and save my darned money

You answered your own question.

[Johndeere3720]

Last winter we had to dig out the 3/4 mile long driveway for 2 days. There were 5" mounds up both sides of the driveway. The 3720 with only a FEL takes a long time to move snow. Would have used the skidsteer but since the rubber tracks hate ice, it was useless on the driveway. This is why i went out and bought a rear blade, huge difference. Now I cant wait to plow snow with my yanmar.