Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Gravel drive snow removal

   / Gravel drive snow removal #1  
C

coldstream

Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
47
Location
NW MO
This will be my first winter removing snow with my Kubota B2930. I've got an FEL and a back blade. I did some searches on this topic with no luck and need a refresher on what plastic pipe (size and type) that folks have installed on the edges of the FEL bucket and the back blade to keep from moving the gravel around while plowing. Thanks for the help!
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #2  
Interesting question, and something I'm not crafty enough to have thought up myself. I moved some pretty good snow last year from our long, hilly gravel drive with the FEL (sans any PVC), and it actually did a good job without disturbing the gravel all that much. There were a few places that are uneven, and I had to leave a little snow on the drive, but altogether not too bad.

I'll be interested to see the feedback here. :thumbsup:
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #3  
coldstream said:
This will be my first winter removing snow with my Kubota B2930. I've got an FEL and a back blade. I did some searches on this topic with no luck and need a refresher on what plastic pipe (size and type) that folks have installed on the edges of the FEL bucket and the back blade to keep from moving the gravel around while plowing. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

Good luck. I find an FEL as close to useless as an implement can be for snow removal, unless your drive is short and wide. Long and narrow - forget it. As far as the blade goes - if you spin it around and drive in reverse, it will work OK, unless the snow is deep. I don't know about plastic pipe, but I would raise the blade an inch or two for the first couple plowings, until the surface gets frozen in. Once frozen, you can drop the blade and run normally. You will lose some gravel - no way around that, but you'll have to re-grade the drive in the spring anyway, (especially if you're married to Don Garlits like I am) so who cares.

A blower is the weapon of choice.

JayC
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #4  
It's quite simple though I have not done it myself.

Take a piece of 1" and a half PVC Pipe and cut it to the width of your bucket. Then, cut pipe the long way so that it can "mount" it onto the cutting blade of your bucket.

Report back and let us all know how this works out for you.
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #5  
Jay4200 said:
Good luck. I find an FEL as close to useless as an implement can be for snow removal, unless your drive is short and wide. Long and narrow - forget it. As far as the blade goes - if you spin it around and drive in reverse, it will work OK, unless the snow is deep. I don't know about plastic pipe, but I would raise the blade an inch or two for the first couple plowings, until the surface gets frozen in. Once frozen, you can drop the blade and run normally. You will lose some gravel - no way around that, but you'll have to re-grade the drive in the spring anyway, (especially if you're married to Don Garlits like I am) so who cares.

A blower is the weapon of choice.

JayC
Click to expand...

Huh.?? Like people don't people don't use the bucket to clear snow.?? Where are you from.??.....Venus.??

People that have these problems....bucket digs in and ruins gravel....must not have a bucket level gauge.?? If not, get one. Period. Problem solved.

Clearing snow with a blade turned around backwards will NOT work very well.
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #6  
A blower would be the best if you had one (I don't) but I found that tilting my bucket around to a point where it doesn't pick up snow and is 2-3" above grade just smooths it out is about the only way I can do it w/o tearing up the road.

Its not actually removing it just getting it lower where as it freezes etc its not so deep that cars cant drive down it and it does seem to melt quicker also not a perfect way at all but works for me you do what you have to with what you have.

Some gets pushed at the end of a run where I stop and then push the pile from side to side off the road.
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #7  
I plow over 300' of gravel drive.

Ideally, you pack down some 3"-4" snow falls, and that really helps to keep you out of the gravel.

I put a set of gauge wheels on my snow plow. They are large pneumatic casters that replaced the "feet". They hold the blade 2" off the ground. This will almost totally eliminate any gravel being picked up by the plow.

The other thing you need to avoid is wheel spin, that will bring gravel to the surface and then it gets plowed away. Using chains, and ag tires, can aggravate this problem.

Turfs with no chains, if you can do it, are the best way to prevent tire pick up. If you have a flat driveway, and 4 wd, they work fine. If you have a sloping drive, you probably will have to use more a more aggressive set up, and just deal with the tire pick up.
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #8  
Jay4200 said:
Good luck. I find an FEL as close to useless as an implement can be for snow removal, unless your drive is short and wide. Long and narrow - forget it.
Click to expand...

Not sure why you've had such difficulty with the FEL used for snow removal. Like I said previously, even without any modifications I've moved 2 feet of snow off our long and hilly driveway. I realize 2 feet isn't much to some posters from the Great White North, but it's a lot here in the Bluegrass State. Not many of us here can justify buying a snow blower, as we don't get frequent heavy snowfall (possible exceptions in eastern mountains). Much more cost effective to use tools on hand that can be used for other tasks year-round.:)
 
   / Gravel drive snow removal #10  
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