Snowblowing rules of thumb

[5030]

I have a huge 90' Lucknow double auger with a fan expeller 3 point rear mount (Cat 2) with a huydraulic chute rotator and delivery angle adjustment that fits either of my Kubota's, though it can make either work real hard in deep drifts. I run an older Western 8 foot plow blade on a bobcat style quick hitch that fits on either loader so getting it done here, no matter how much it snows is a non issue.

The one thing I installed that makes life much easier with the rear mount blowers is the rear facing camera and monitor in the cab so I don't have to get a stiff neck looking backwards all the time. Candidly, I'd never own a rear mount blower with an open station tractor, just way too much hassle with blowing snow and chancing frostbite....

That was last year. I', fully retired now so the blower and the plow are next to the barn, the tractors are inside, one is put away for the winter, the other has a set of forks on for feeding rounds to the stock and thats it. No more snow removal for me. I'd rather sit in front of the fire and toast my feet Come spring I'm gonna sell 'em both... blower and plow.

 

[joeyd]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but this Christmas we went to visit my son and his family. When we returned a week later we had 30" of snow piled up. Before we left I had been using my back blade to take care of the snow and left in on the tractor. My blower was in front of my tractor in my pole barn and my tractor was facing forward. It took me over 2 hours using my walk behind to blow a big enough area to back the tractor out, drop the blade then turn around and back up to my 68" Meteor. From now on before I leave I will hook up the blower just in case!!!

 

[fitterski]

I had a Honda that ingested a hockey stick the kids left outside. I've never figured out how but it threw a foot long piece at my rigt eye, the splinter pierced my eyelid, and the piece was just hanging there by the splinter. I twisted the splinter off the piece and went inside to a mirror to see. Pulling on the splinter pulled the eyelid away from the eyeball and every now and then I could feel the pointed splinter end just scrathch the eyeball.

At that point I had a decision to make and based on previous experience I could see myself entering the emergency ward of the hospital where a nurse would promptly examining the injury and pierce my eyeball in the process. So instead I counted... and on 3 it came out, ripping a small artery in he lid and giving me a humongous shinerbut otherwise safe and sound.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I had a Honda that ingested a hockey stick the kids left outside. I've never figured out how but it threw a foot long piece at my rigt eye, the splinter pierced my eyelid, and the piece was just hanging there by the splinter. I twisted the splinter off the piece and went inside to a mirror to see. Pulling on the splinter pulled the eyelid away from the eyeball and every now and then I could feel the pointed splinter end just scrathch the eyeball.

At that point I had a decision to make and based on previous experience I could see myself entering the emergency ward of the hospital where a nurse would promptly examining the injury and pierce my eyeball in the process. So instead I counted... and on 3 it came out, ripping a small artery in he lid and giving me a humongous shinerbut otherwise safe and sound.

Lucky you. Another reason to have a cab.

Kubota B3030 Snowblowing on 1/02/2012 - YouTube

 

[jackpine savage]

In 15+ years of reading threads on TBN, that's the first time I read a question concerning blown snow and overhead power lines!
I have no idea if there's a danger in snow hitting those wires. My guess is it's a minimal risk, if a risk at all as there is no solid connection between the wires and the tractor....not like a backhoe or a loader.
However, you could angle the chute deflector downward...the cast snow wouldn't go as high and drop below those wires.

I did have a personal experience with that about 20 years ago when I was milking cows. We were in the middle of a big storm, trying to get the yard and driveway cleaned out so the milk truck could get in to empty the bulk tank. The pump house sat in the middle of the yard, next to a light pole, with overhead wires running to it. The pair of wires were old, about a foot apart, and the insulation was hanging off them. A neighbor came over with his tractor and blower to help. The snow hit the wires, made a big spark, and caught the insulation on fire. We watched it burn and after a couple minutes both wires came down. We lucked out and found an electrician with a bucket truck that was willing to make the drive on bad roads.

I definitely avoid hitting wires. Even if you didn't cause a short, there's a chance the force of the snow could pull the wires off the building or pole.

 

[brbhan]

Cigar smoking comes in handy. My cigars are equipped with a wind-direction finder

I have been there and done all that.

You must not ever have gusting, or swirling winds.

It's so windy here, sometimes I get a face full of snow, even when plowing it.:cold:

I stand by my resolve.

 

[oosik]

I don't remember what rule the OP numbered it but he said - clear your driveway of FOD(foreign object debris) before your "first blow". Well, there is another way to interpret that rule - forget all the walking, crouching, picking and raking - just bring extra shear pins.On a mile long gravel driveway I simply gave up trying to find everything that might cause a shear pin to shear. Beside - a lot of the time, stuff that I figured might cause a blown shear pin would simply go right thru the blower and out the chute with no problems at all.I always assumed and usually did blow two shear pins on my first trip up/down the driveway. Thereafter it was one or two pins blown for the entire remainder of the season.

 

[brbhan]

I don't remember what rule the OP numbered it but he said - clear your driveway of FOD(foreign object debris) before your "first blow". Well, there is another way to interpret that rule - forget all the walking, crouching, picking and raking - just bring extra shear pins.On a mile long gravel driveway I simply gave up trying to find everything that might cause a shear pin to shear. Beside - a lot of the time, stuff that I figured might cause a blown shear pin would simply go right thru the blower and out the chute with no problems at all.I always assumed and usually did blow two shear pins on my first trip up/down the driveway. Thereafter it was one or two pins blown for the entire remainder of the season.

Mile-long gravel driveway is an exception; a luxury not many of us are blessed with.
OP is talking RULES.
Heard someone once say 'exceptions make not a rule....'. Irrespective, your point is well taken.

 

[jimwilly]

I am using my snowblower for the 2nd season on my .8KM road with steep hills at both ends, so here are some of my tips;

1) Check your rear tire pressure, mine should be 14 psi. They looked OK until I raised the snowblower (600Lbs) & I saw the left tire bulging out.
Of course the liquid valve was screwed up so luckily I had a spare & got it pumped up OK. Always have the valve at the top when checking or
you might have liquid calcium all over the place (done that).

2) Have plenty of spare shear bolts & make sure they are the correct grade. The ones I found at Home Depot were too hard so I had to
special order mine from a fastener supply store.

3) Load plenty of fuel in your tractor as it will burn way more fuel per hour snow blowing compared to just driving around, yes I ran out last year.

4) Make sure the max height (for rear PTO) stopper is set properly, I missed this once. I must have pulled the UP lever while the tractor
was idling & looked back later & it was WAY too high!

5) Keep the snowblower level or slightly tipped back otherwise it can "dig in" and start throwing rocks & dirt.

6) Already mentioned but consider marking your road edges, I have found myself way off to the side of my road & was blowing long grass &
rocks.

7) I have a 1000 lb rated floor dolley that I lower my blower onto, makes it real easy to install/remove & I can roll it into my garage for summer
storage.

8) If your tractor has it use the multiple PTO speed selector, in FWD Low I use the PTO 1 setting, in FWD High I use the PTO 2 setting because the
the tractor RPM is much lower.

9) Get some kind of anti-stick spray. My discharge chute does plug up in some conditions, usually when I stop plowing even for a few seconds.
I am going to try "Dupont Snow & Ice Repellent with Teflon" next time. I could not find anything like this in the small town where my property is
located but I see Canadian Tire carries it locally.

10) Don't plow your road just wide enough for your vehicle too fit, in icy conditions you need the extra room or you could end up with some body
damage!

11) I use my rear blade at the start of the season thinking it will push any loose rocks off to the side, I go extra wide & avoid snow blowing those piles
created because that's where the rocks probably are.

 

[check]

Well hello neighbor, Chocolay Township here. I think I know where your house is based on the pictures...north side of 480?

Great list. Only thing I can think of is dealing with the snow pack. I do just enough in the morning to get the cars in and out, then do a more thural job at night or on the weekend. Pack was more of a problem when I had only my lawnmower with a blower on the front. Still if I let the cars pack it down, and as you know we can get snow 5-7 days a week, my blower(rear mount) will ride on what was packed down and this will build and build.

And when you have a really warms spell like when spring is coming, it all turns to slush, and you get stuck! So keep that frozen base thin.