Snow Fun in the Snow

   / Fun in the Snow #1  

RobS

Super Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2000
Messages
7,725
Location
Goshen, IN
Tractor
None!
Let me start by saying my 790 is NOT my primary snow tool right now, it just happens to sit in the garage where my truck used to sit...

Got a call from my better half yesterday saying the street in front of our house was full of stuck cars (subdivision). She was concerned as she had a number of friends coming over that night. I siezed the opportunity to leave work early and have some fun. Got home and discovered the plows still haven't found our neighborhood. A full size van was stuck cross-wise blocking the entire road (path?) and three other cars were stuck in the intersection by our house. The intersection was 1-2 feet of loose snow the consistency of brown sugar and under it all was a layer of ice. A couple of neighbors and I pushed two cars out and we used my truck with tow strap to pull the third. Turns out the van had a broken serpentine belt and was running out of battery as well as overheating so we just pulled it off to the side. My wife came out to report there was a school bus stuck at the other end of the 'hood and a sherriff stuck somewhere else. Of course, as soon as we got the van moved people wanted to drive through so two more cars got stuck. Pushed them out which gave me a break to go get the tractor. After a minimal warm-up, I went to work. I've got the 70 loader with 5' bucket and a 5 1/2' box scraper (like I said, it's not my primary snow tool, but this was way to much for my little Craftsman). It was actually a little intimidating at first just looking at the size of the intersection area versus the width of my blade. I started pushing the snow backwards with the box. Quickly found that I was traction limited (empty R1s w/out any ballast). After stopping to push out yet another car, I got my head together and started working slowly. I even backed down the throttle to reinforce this in my eager little mind. I found by taking smaller bites and lifting the box at just the right moment I could move quite a bit of snow and pile it pretty high along the road. After I got a lane cleared I started doing the same with the loader going forward. Lo and behold, I can move even more snow and lift it much higher with the loader! Still requires the right timing to begin lifting while approaching the pile. Lift too soon and you leave a bunch of snow in the street, too late and it bogs down in the bank. With just the right angle on the bucket curl, I can push, lift and dump in one smooth motion. It seems that my loader float wasn't floating for a while, but it started working once things got warmed up. After I got the first intersection cleared, I moved on to another one that is a dead end (not much traffic). There I found the box blade would peel the packed snow layer right down to pavement (still won't move the ice though. Scarifiers maybe?). Just as I was getting pretty comfortable with the whole situation a plow truck finally shows up. Turns out my wife and several other neighbors called the county (no answer), the county commissioner and one of the local TV stations. Also turns out our kids got dropped off at the subdivision entrance so their bus wouldn't get stuck. They called the kindergarten parents to let us know to pick them up. All turned out well in the end, and I did get some more "play" time clearing various neighbors driveways after the plows went by. It's kind of fun having a compact utility tractor in a subdivision, though we still can't wait to move to a more rural setting. Then I'll get some "serious" snow moving equipment for it. Sure wished I'd had a conventional back blade last night though.

Rob
 
   / Fun in the Snow #2  
RobS,
By the sounds you had a busy day, /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifbut like you said you got some tractor time /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifalso go to know your friends even better.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / Fun in the Snow #3  
I've got a 3pt snowblower on my 790, and I can't wait 'til there's enough snow that I have to help out my neighbors. We're in a rural area, so I only have two neighbors, but it'll be fun /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I once heard of a guy in Philadelphia doing what you did, but with a 4x4 & plow... the city arrested him becuase it was illegal for a private citizen to maintain the roads /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. In all fairness to the city, some maniac would probably sue 'em after they ran there 4x4 off the road! I've always wondered if the charges were dropped; I'd like to think they were/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
 
   / Fun in the Snow
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I seriously considered the aspect of liability as I was pushing the snow around. I was careful to watch for traffic, had my flashers on and there were still several neighbors hanging around "watching guard". When I clear my own drive with the little tractor I always clear a portion of the street upstream so the plow will have an empty blade when he hits my drive. I'd like to think my neighbors would back me up (yeah, he's a character all right!).

Rob
 
   / Fun in the Snow #5  
Robs,
Kinda know what your talking about.
The next time your removing snow take a quick look at the driver and see if you notice that he watching you or the road as he passes by.
If he watching you there a good chance the vehicle will drift one side or the other of the road way. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Plowing at night I feel can be more dangerous also when the bright sun light reflects off the snow.

Stay safe and enjoy.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / Fun in the Snow #6  
A few years back I was plowing driveways with an 850 that my father had at the time and I was hit broadside by a pickup truck. We were both approaching a sharp 90 degree turn in the subdivision street and the driver had nearly bald tires on the front. He tried to slow down approaching the curve, but slid right into the rear tire of the tractor at about 15-20 MPH. I had sped up to make sure that he hit the tire and nothing else. That saved the tractor from and real damage. I was shaken up a bit though. We sent the tractor into the dealer just to make sure the rear axle was fine. The truck driver paid for the inspection, but his truck repair was alot more I'm sure. That was one tough little tractor. All I can say is...BE CAREFUL!!
 
 
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