Tips / advice for plowing with a rear blade?

[snuppaelena]

I was gifted an MH50 with a 7 foot rear blade from my father. He has used it since the mid 80s to plow his steep mile long driveway.
I was wondering if anyone had pointers for me as to any 'best way' to plow. I am not on a hill, mostly all flat gravel road.

 

[LD1]

Angle and roll it to the side whenever possible as it is the most efficient.

If a lighter snow, use the backside of the blade and if won't remove your stone if you have a gravel drive.

Learn to use split brakes.

 

[jjlite]

Fit a pipe to the bottom of the blade so it wont dig in. :2cents:

 

[chim]

Nice MH! As LD1 said, the back side of the blade is the ticket for a stone road - especially if it hasn't frozen tight. Adjust the toplink so the pivot point is vertical. For smaller snows go forward with the blade at an angle so it casts the snow to one side. For pushing banks back rotate the blade. Some advise against pushing backward with a rear blade but I've done it for 20 years and three tractors without any problems.

 

[oosik]

My mile long gravel driveway "usually" is frozen hard before we get any snow worth plowing. So I really don't worry much about scarfing up the gravel.

Plow the driveway as wide as possible the first time - over time the frozen berms will move in on you and you will eventually have to break them up and move them wider.

Without 4WD those chains will be a big help for snow plowing.

 

[/pine]

It will take you some time (mostly out of the seat) but learn to adjust the length of the top link to change the attitude of the cutting edge...as well as adjusting a side link to tilt the blade for crowning etc...

Good Luck...

 

[motownbrowne]

If you get snow before the drive is frozen, turn it backwards and pack a layer. Leave it to freeze and it will help conserve your gravel. After that, adjust "bite" by changing your top link length. In your photo, the top link is very short. This is usually ideal for snow, but you'll have to play around with that until you find what works.

Also, during the first snows of the year, plow the driveway extra wide so you'll have room later in the year as your banks move closer together.

 

[Billrog]

When we have late frost or freeze up I do what motownbrowne says.

 

[RippySkippy]

Plow snow with the blade reversed and pushing the snow rather than pulling. My blade is 8' wide, and when it's angled while it plows wide enough for the tractor to drive in a clean path, if the blade faces forward and when driving forward, it had enough force to slide the front end around. Turn the blade around, and it works great.

The advise to plow wide is valid, since you can only push the snow, you have to plan for 3 or 4 snows out. If you only plow a drive path, where will you put the next snow storm? My stink'n drive was 8', and the plow path was 30' (lots of drifting)

I know not everyone likes or can stand to turn backwards that long but for me it worked.

 

[RobS]

All good advice so far. If you put out driveway markers, set them at least 4 feet outside the edge of the driveway so you have someplace to put the snow.

And dress in layers! (there is a whole thread on clothes for plowing somewhere...)