Snow Blower and Gravel Driveway

[rekees4300]

I have the shoes adjusted down with a little angle back on the top link, but does anyone have any other tricks the have with this stufModificationsions?

Try to grade your driveway as level as possible. That will prevent the blower from digging in when the tractor's rear wheels cross peaks/valleys. Also, before snow season starts, manually remove any large (> 1.5") stones as those are the ones that can cause serious damage.

[MacTractor]

Try to grade your driveway as level as possible. That will prevent the blower from digging in when the tractor's rear wheels cross peaks/valleys. Also, before snow season starts, manually remove any large (> 1.5") stones as those are the ones that can cause serious damage.

I tried to do this at the start of the year with the rear blade. I still manage to pick up some good piles here and there.

Here is my L4610 (11 yrs old) with the 17" tires and a 66" 2 stage rear mount blower. The blower is 35 years old and clears a 1000' crush stone drive way plus out buildings (part of drive is now asphalt. Decades ago I kinda worried about the nicks but after all these years it gets a little F&F spray paint and soldiers on. It was first powered by my Int'l 444. Next I front mounted the blower to my skidloader using a 30 hp. pony engine and now the L4610.

Crushed limestone is more abrasive than gravel but even with that the chute and primary impeller shroud nicks/ paint loss .... are nothing and easily repaired with paint.

Carl

Re: gravel stripping paint. Don't worry about it, even snow strips the paint off the chute and impeller. Some repaint their blowers every year but I just spray a silicon based protective coating at the end of the season to guard against rust.

Good to know guys. I think maybe I am worrying about nothing. The paint is gone in the chute but otherwise the blower looks new. I do have 1 large ding at the lip at the top from a baseball sized rock I somehow found.

Your equipment list states you have a 72" back blade. For the first few snowfalls I use my back blade, but in the opposite way it was intended. Using it this way packs the snow and doesn't dig into the gravel.
This winter being what it has been here, I used my blower for the first time this week - I had a good base of ice on top of the gravel.
The only trick I have heard of to decrease the snow blower from digging into gravel is to cut a slot in a length of pvc and slip it onto the leading edge of the blower.
I also replace the side links with chain for the winter to more effectively allow the blower to "float."
Hope some of this helps

It is funny you mentione the blade. I have just found out how amazing the blade really is and should have been using at all along. It works great with the blade facing the wrong way and I can't believe I haven't been using it all year. I bought if for gravel and wasn't thinking of using it in the snow.

Now I need an iMatch as it takes far too long to switch between to the two.

Thanks for all of the responses as it is amazing how much you can refine your outcome from the advice on this forum.

Cheers,

[kco]

Try to grade your driveway as level as possible. That will prevent the blower from digging in when the tractor's rear wheels cross peaks/valleys. Also, before snow season starts, manually remove any large (> 1.5") stones as those are the ones that can cause serious damage.

Grading the driveway late in the fall and removing large stones is important. Then pack it with the tractor or vehicles before it snows. The small stones are annoying but damage is just cosmetic.

I wonder about the level driveway though, and prefer a gentle crown so it will drain in the spring.

[rekees4300]

Grading the driveway late in the fall and removing large stones is important. Then pack it with the tractor or vehicles before it snows. The small stones are annoying but damage is just cosmetic.

I wonder about the level driveway though, and prefer a gentle crown so it will drain in the spring.

Yes I also have a crown down the center. When I said "level" I was referring to the length rather than the width dimension. When a driveway has "waves" the tractor will go up and down and that causes the blower's edge angle to also go up and down. When it goes down it's more likely to dig into the gravel.

[Karl2]

I do a lot of gravel driveways. Ideally the soil will be hard-frozen prior to serious snow but we all know that's not always the case. If there's significant snow with the ground still soft I just use a bucket to pack the snow instead of removing it. This cause watery snow to seep into the ground which will then harden a lot faster and remain relatively even through the winter and will survive a few winter thaws which we know in Maine (and NB I suppose) usually don't last very long. If you always scrape away the snow off the gravel then thaws will make it muddy and it will have potholes and rocks frozen into place when it's cold again making the job a lot harder and requiring new grading in Spring.

[Looking4new]

the first few snows, unless it is a 10+ incher, I just back blade the laneway and leave it at that. I have a front mount blower. I use the blower to back blade.

[bjflymed]

I have added a set of these to my blower http://snowblowerskids.com/ they seem to work very good after getting them adjusted.

[bjflymed]

I have added a set of these to my blower SnowBlowerSkids they seem to work very good after getting them adjusted.

[HUCKthe1]

I am a little late for this MacTractor, but this works good for me.

I set my 3 point stop to keep the blower about an inch off the drive. I do this on a level spot when setting up my blower. This way i am not dragging my blowers feet in the gravel if I do not have packed snow and if the drive gets a little slushy, I am still able to get rid of most of the snow this way. I still blow a little bit of stones at times but it saves my wife from blowing the whole drive away when she is running it.