Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow plowing with Tractor vs ATV

[Ken45101]

For those of you with just FEL buckets, someone on the board here posted a photo of a wooden plow adapter he built for his bucket. It is several 2x6's stacked and set at an angle to push the snow to one side. Inexpensive, and low wear and tear on the bucket and the driveway surface. I'm thinking of trying one.

We rarely get deep snow here, but more likely a wet snow that starts off with sleet and freezing rain. That, coupled with a long, steep driveway (150' elevation change), makes snow removal a different issue than most of you have. Oh yeah, our driveway is in the north and east side of a steep hillside so we don't get any afternoon warmth to help melt things.

Six of the seven years we have lived here we have had to use the 4wheeler to get up and down the driveway for 1-4 weeks. Two years I had to put chains on the 4 wheeler.

Ken

 

[CowwFace]

For those of you with just FEL buckets, someone on the board here posted a photo of a wooden plow adapter he built for his bucket. It is several 2x6's stacked and set at an angle to push the snow to one side. Inexpensive, and low wear and tear on the bucket and the driveway surface. I'm thinking of trying one.

We rarely get deep snow here, but more likely a wet snow that starts off with sleet and freezing rain. That, coupled with a long, steep driveway (150' elevation change), makes snow removal a different issue than most of you have. Oh yeah, our driveway is in the north and east side of a steep hillside so we don't get any afternoon warmth to help melt things.

Six of the seven years we have lived here we have had to use the 4wheeler to get up and down the driveway for 1-4 weeks. Two years I had to put chains on the 4 wheeler.

Ken

Hey Ken,

I did a search for the wooden adapt on the FEL and came up with this post and I is VERY interesting for sure...

Snow Plow or Snow Pusher??? - TractorByNet.com


Are you using the ATV's because of just ice, or is it deep snow?

Phill

 

[Ken45101]

Phil,

that was not the wooden snow pusher I was referring to. The one I saw had several 2x6's stacked vertically with a metal frame behind it. I'll look for it later.

No deep snow here, just ice and a steep driveway. One year we had 6" of ice at the bottom of the driveway with meltwater flowing across it. I couldn't even stand up on it, need the 4wheeler to provide stability.

I've since done some ditching and culvert pipe which has helped a lot as long as the hillside doesn't slide down and block everything up. I actually have a 20'x60' area of surface a foot thick (including a big tree) sliding toward the driveway when the underlaying clay gets greasy. Looking at the hillside, I think it's been slowly moving for hundreds of years and will continue to do so long after I'm gone. All I can do I keep cleaning it up as it moves.

Ken

 

[CowwFace]

Phil,

that was not the wooden snow pusher I was referring to. The one I saw had several 2x6's stacked vertically with a metal frame behind it. I'll look for it later.

No deep snow here, just ice and a steep driveway. One year we had 6" of ice at the bottom of the driveway with meltwater flowing across it. I couldn't even stand up on it, need the 4wheeler to provide stability.

I've since done some ditching and culvert pipe which has helped a lot as long as the hillside doesn't slide down and block everything up. I actually have a 20'x60' area of surface a foot thick (including a big tree) sliding toward the driveway when the underlaying clay gets greasy. Looking at the hillside, I think it's been slowly moving for hundreds of years and will continue to do so long after I'm gone. All I can do I keep cleaning it up as it moves.

Ken

Thanks Ken, I'll check back to see what you find...

As for the moving earth.. I think it's called "Slump" and can be pretty deep towards the upper edge? If you want to speed it up, just build or park something expensive at the base of the driveway.... should get 'er moving like greased lightning.. hehehe

Phill

 

[Ken45101]

As for the moving earth.. I think it's called "Slump" and can be pretty deep towards the upper edge? If you want to speed it up, just build or park something expensive at the base of the driveway.... should get 'er moving like greased lightning.. hehehe

Phill

ROFL! No, thanks Phil, but my real desire would be to anchor it permanently. I wonder if super glue needs a challenge (or Gorilla Tape)? Will either of those stick to greasy, muddy clay?

Ken

 

[CowwFace]

ROFL! No, thanks Phil, but my real desire would be to anchor it permanently. I wonder if super glue needs a challenge (or Gorilla Tape)? Will either of those stick to greasy, muddy clay?

Ken

Humm,

I'd say try it on a Lawyer or a Politician first... if it sticks to them slimey, greassy bastards it should stick to some good 'ol PRODUCTIVE Ohio Soil!

Carry on,
Phill

 

[bpattie]

Humm,

I'd say try it on a Lawyer or a Politician first... if it sticks to them slimey, greassy bastards it should stick to some good 'ol PRODUCTIVE Ohio Soil!

Carry on,
Phill

surely you have already seen that NOTHING sticks to either a lawyer of politician.

 

[Ken45101]

Humm,

I'd say try it on a Lawyer or a Politician first... if it sticks to them slimey, greassy bastards it should stick to some good 'ol PRODUCTIVE Ohio Soil!

Carry on,
Phill

ROFL! Good one!

Ken

 

[check]

ive always found anything more than a few inches tosses most 4-wheelers and their big baloon tires around too much

I use my ATV with a 60" plow, which works just fine, and has for several years. (ATV is a Can-Am 650.) It is so fast compared to a blower or FEL that I only use my FEL to move snow from difficult places, or when the furrows get too high in the spring. I can zoom down the road at 5-10 mph or greater, and the nearby cottage road gets plowed in 2 quick passes.

BUT, of course the bucket on my Kubota BX25 is a bit small, so I want the BXpanded.com bucket expander, because it will double the heaped capacity of the front bucket.

Th ATV/plow combination is also great for making a skating rink - only 1,000 lbs. on the ice compared to over 3,000 with the tractor.