900 ft driveway, incline, Novice, Need help/recomendations

[Tom Ontario]

Hello. I never owned a snowblower and know less than nothing about them. However, my new house has a 900 ft driveway, about 10 ft wide, with a fair incline, some parts heavily lined with trees on both sides leaving much leaves on the road and little room to accommodate blown snow.. I need a snow blower and a tractor with a cab. My wife is paraplegic and I cannot afford to get stuck in the SUV with her as a passenger. Can you recommend a combo tractor with cab and snowblower attachment. Besides knowing nothing about snow blowers, I have 10 thumbs and no mechanical ability. However, I am only 75 years old and can still learn.
We are in Central Ontario, Canada and are prone to some heavy snowfalls.

Many thanks in advance. Tom

 

[Rustyiron]

It goes against my nature to talk a guy out of a tractor, but you might investigate hiring a guy. (talk to any neighbors about who to call)

Depending on the grade, sunshine for melting and a few other variables you may need sanding no matter what you remove the snow with.

This very much complicates using a tractor. A good relationship (pay him promptly) with a local guy that has these abilities should be considered essential in your situation.

Back to your point a front mounted PTO driven blower & cab tractor with chains should be your starting point. You can hire out sanding as needed during the season. Just don't call the guy and expect him to be there in a minutes notice.

 

[zombieda]

Hey Tom,
I just posted a similar message on the buy forum. I'm going to be in the same situation, we are moving to NW Ontario and will have a long drive, I'm also a novice with tractors. So I'm going to watch this message thread for answers! I expect with the right tractor/snowblower combo, it shouldn't be a problem (at any age )

 

[Rustyiron]

How much snow is "normal" for you guys? It's normal for me to just assume that because your north of me that you get tons of snow and need the biggest and baddest of equipment. I've learned here that this isn't always the case.

 

[Rustyiron]

The reason I ask is that plowing is so much faster and no difference in "scraping" abilities in fact it's my experience that blowing leaves an inch or so where plowing (no skid shoes) will scrape closer to the ground.

It's not too difficult to "carry" snow 100' or less past areas with high banks or trees don't have the space to wind row snow.

 

[newbury]

Hire it out, plan on holing up or go south for the winter at least for the first few seasons.
Your in a delicate situation.
I grew up in northern Vermont and had my share of 3 foot plus snowfalls. My father had a small tractor and heavy duty snow blower. We had a 40 foot driveway. There were many storms that the road up to our driveway didn't get plowed. There were a few occasions it took a week to get out.
Even though your "only 75 years old" you may find that every extra year reduces your physical abilities.
I find that a well stocked larder including plenty of meds, and planning ahead let's my wife and I watch the world go by.
/edit - you don't state your expected record individual snowfall, but it could be 4 feet or more. I've elected to retire in Mississippi where a record snowfall is about 4 INCHES and usually melts within a few days MAX.

 

[stevem5215]

Move south to Southern Ontario where the weather is balmy and snow is sparse. That would be the best advice.

Else, go to a dealer nearby who will support your tractor habit and spend as much as necessary to get what he recommends. Maybe go to another dealer and do the same. And then a third one for confirmation on what would be average from all three. My guess is it will cost you around 30,000 bucks Canadian for even a small machine. That pays for a lot of driveway clearings by a contractor. Your money, your call.

As for me ? I have a 400ft or so driveway in Southwestern Pa (directly south of you by 300mi I'd guess) and we get an average of 44in a year here. Mostly 3 - 4 inch snowfalls at a time. I use a Steiner 420 with a rotating brush on an open station machine. I wear my snowmobile gear including helmet when it's below zero. It gets cold on that hunk of steel. At 75 you need to think of that too. The brush takes the snow off the paved asphalt driveway and leaves it almost bare as long as I do it before driving on it. Then the sun evaporates the rest of it off and the drive is bare and clear all day usually. Even on a cloudy day it's enough radiational sun to evaporate the driveway. Mine is south facing so that helps the slight slope of mine. Again, your money your call.

 

[BlueKnife]

Hello. I never owned a snowblower and know less than nothing about them. However, my new house has a 900 ft driveway, about 10 ft wide, with a fair incline, some parts heavily lined with trees on both sides leaving much leaves on the road and little room to accommodate blown snow.. I need a snow blower and a tractor with a cab. My wife is paraplegic and I cannot afford to get stuck in the SUV with her as a passenger. Can you recommend a combo tractor with cab and snowblower attachment. Besides knowing nothing about snow blowers, I have 10 thumbs and no mechanical ability. However, I am only 75 years old and can still learn.
We are in Central Ontario, Canada and are prone to some heavy snowfalls.

Many thanks in advance. Tom

Is the driveway paved? If not, a snowblower is probably a bad idea. I agree with the hire it done vote, at least to start with.

 

[Egon]

Hiring it out would be most cost effective.
A couple of feet of wet drifted snow can pack in like cement. To handle it the tractor might be needing 75 ?? Or so horsepower. A plow may not be ideal due to the narrow road. Snowblower would be best.

Age is also a factor that needs consideration. Five years passes quite quickly.

Southern Ontario can and does get significant snowfall during some storms.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a very long driveway..1300 or so feet. Fortunately I have places to put snow on the sides of it when needed. A blower would work in my situation or yours, But as others have said, Blowers are slow. And expensive. The key to moving snow is planing. Plan where the dump spots are going to be and make sure they are big enough for the seasons snowfall. The first, second, 10th time you move snow, Push it way way back so there is room for the next time. Lots of newbies push it aside just far enough to get through and forget about it,..Then it snows again and there s no place for the new snowfall to go.