Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Please Educate me!

[Gonerafting]

I am totally new to plowing snow. I have a X744 with a 54 inch plow. I'm sure most of you are familar with this, totally hydraulic. Here are the questions I have.
1) Floating, I assume this has to do with keeping the blade at a distance from the surface being plowed, whether 1/2 an inch to 3 to 4 inches which is determined by how uneven the surface is.
2) Hydraulic vs Chain floating- I assume this has to do with limiting the the downward position of the blade when floating
3) The Skids- What position should they be in? Are they positioned to float the blade or just set at an position to prevent the blade from striking the surface when the float distance is exceed?
4) Obviously, I assume the setting of the float position of the blade is probably determined by how irregular the surface being plowed is, correct?

I know these may seen like dumb or simple questions, but I new to this, thanks.

 

[nybirdman]

I"ll try to help:
Float=no down pressure on blade,just the weight of the blade
this allows the blade to follow the contours.All the way down on
the skids if you have them.
If you raise the blade from this position;you do not have
float.I.E. you raise it two inches..it is fixed.
If you are down on the skids and the skids are set at two inches you will leave two inches of snow(dirt ect.)
Pictures of your set-up would help.

 

[Gonerafting]

I ordered the plow from the Dealer and do not have it yet. Basically, a 54 inch blade controlled hydraulically both vertically and horizontally. I also have chains and suitcase weights on the back. Jim

 

[Martian]

1.Floating is allowing the blade in this case to move with the contour of the land. Think of it as when you go through a car wash how the cloths go over the car, it's the same way with the blade, as you go over a hill the blade will go up in float, but if it is pressurized it will stay straight and try and "plow through" the hill instead of "float over" the hill.
2.Hydraulic and chain floating are basically attempting to do the same thing. Chain float usually goes with a winch to lift and the chain sets the height where a hydraulic is all in one.
3.I have the skids all the way up on mine, I have paved drive though so I like to get all the snow off. If you have a gravel drive you'll want to put skids up so you don't push around a bunch of gravel.
4.You are correct.

 

[kansas john deere]

another thing that is really nice on a blade is put a rubber edge on the bottom. It will help clean off all the snow and if your drive is gravel it will let the blade "roll" over the gravel instead of pushing all of it off the drive. Another nice thing is along the side of the drive it will no dig into the yard like a blade without one.

 

[JoeL4330]

It's also nice to have a little compliance/play in the tilt, to account for crowns, etc. ...and, this is yet another reason to set the skids to leave some leeway so as to avoid cutting down the center crown on a dirt/gravel road (...assuming your blade is wider than half the road)

 

[Gonerafting]

Thanks for your responses, while I did a Search of threads in regard to my questions, I did not want to make assumptions. My father used to say, " Assuming is not knowing"