Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Gravel driveway, snow blower, no cab

[ToadHill]

If nothing else the blower is great for getting rid of the piles left at the edge of the drive by the plows. When we have only 5 or 6" I plow and when the sides get too high, I run the blower so I don't get drifting form the wind caused by the piles left from the plow. The trick to blowing without a cab is to know which way the wind is blowing and not to try to blow into it.

 

[brandoro]

Now I'm getting back to the point of how I should control my chute. Is manual works well? I don't have any exit other than the back-hoe hoses and I don't think that I can use this for a hydraulic chute control. And if I go with manual, can I still have a "rear wind shield"? (Probably not)

I know I can weld on the ROPS (as per the manual) but can I drill holes?

My blower has the manual chute control. It is a bit of a reach for me (short arms) when the top link is shortened to raise the leading edge but not a problem at all the rest of the time. I never thought about fastening anything to the ROPS to keep the snow off but you could probably make a hand hole in a strategic place to allow you to reach out to adjust the chute.

Maybe I should read the manual again but I thought the ROPS was "hands off" for any modifications. So far anything I have attached to the ROPS has been with clamps.

 

[fish6942]

I use a 5 foot rear blower with no cab. The rear mount is a must for me because I'm constantly using the FEL for hauling sand and firewood. Our gravel driveway is about 1/4 mile long and after blowing it out I will definitely be covered in snow. Goggles make a big difference for me.

The only time I use the blower is for snowfalls of 6" or more, otherwise I use the plow on the ATV which is much faster. However, I will use the blower to "move" the snowbanks back if they're not frozen.

 

[PILOON]

Bonjour Max2310

I am from Ste Adele so I appreciate your snow conditions.

For gravel drive, you would extend the blower's skids (or skiis) to their maximum until you have a good packed snow base and from then on stones would be no problem. (I have 3 properties with long gravel drives)

I would suggest winter coveralls (like roads dept use) available at Cdn Tire stores and this year at Cosco: cost about $50-60.

Without a cabin , hand rotation works OK but if you want power, one cheap way is to use an ATV winch ($60-80) and modify to drive a cable that is wrapped around the snow shute in an endless loop fashion.

Your biggest problem will be to actually find a blower as this year most dealers are all sold out with deliveries running 1-2 months.

If you do buy, Pronovost and Puma are 2 good 'fait au Quebec' brands that are excellent.

Bonne chance!

 

[studor]

I have an old 6 ft blower and no cab -- you get used to judging wind!! When I was learning I put more rocks through it than I care to count and broke more than a few shear pins. Blower still works fine and it is a manual adjuster. If you drive up and down the driveway a few times with light snowfall (or during a heavy one) you will get a packed down base that the blower will ride on and you will blow far fewer rocks. If you use the blade for quick jobs after the base is established, stick an abs pipe on the bottom to avoid bringing more rocks to the surface. -- just the way I do it anyway
Regards
Steve

 

[smfcpacfp]

I've been reading lots of posts lately on snow blowers. Lots of people seem to say that snow blowers without a cab is big no go. And also that gravel may cause serious damage to the unit and so on.

In other words, if I don't plan to get a cab, then I should stick with my FEL and BB(back blade). Plus I have a gravel drive way with 0-2(and half) rocks. Am I just asking for some trouble?

Plowing my driveway sometimes seems to take for ever. I can't believe all the people that think that snow is fun . Not when it snows every two days, snow banks are 4 feet high, there is barely no more room to put it and winter has not even started yet (well, now it is)!

So, to make my winter more enjoyable, I decided to (try to) get a snow blower. Read many posts, called MANY dealers and factory and can't find anything available. The thing is "TBN" somehow discourage me from getting one with the reasons that I have previously mentioned.

Who use a snow blower without a cab and enjoys it? Who uses it on a gravel road and haven't cause damages to it? I know there are some tricks to minimize the risks like tilting the blower (3 pt hitch) for the first few storms but that does not prevent from getting rocks from the BB snow banks or from the road Am I just worrying too much again? The last think I would want is to spend 3k on a unit that will continuously break on me and take lots of room in my garage Maybe I read to many posts and heard to many stories

I think a decision about snowblowing without a cab is probably a choice about money. Since you say you snowblow every other day, as do I, it is a choice between having fun, and being exposed to the elements. If you the money, you won't regret spending the money on it. I have yet to hear anyone with a cab, say they regret it. I cross county ski, so know how much fun it can be having your eyeballs pelted with snow.

A gravel driveway is no impediment to using a snowblower, as you will soon see. It requires more care until the ground is frozen and you have a thin layer of snow on it.

 

[Woodland]

I wouldn't worry about not having a cab. You can pick up an aftermarket cab fairly cheap....

 

[CFHartman]

One thing I have learned over 25 years of blowing snow. Keep that roster tail down. It looks pretty and blows farther but that is when the wind shifts and you get it back in your face. Both of my blowers have been on the front of smaller tractors. Most of my blowing is on blacktop with homes all around and parked cars. There for you don't want to blow it too far.
Charlie

 

[jpm1]

I have a Mahindra 2810 HST and FEL,with a Farm King 5 foot blower on the rear which has seen a tough life. No cab just a canopy overhead. Where I live , we get lots of snow and yes it is kiinda fun to a certain piont. After 8 hours straight , it's a job and cold at that. I keep 5 driveways clean, the longest is almost a half mile long. ALL OF WHICH ARE GRAVEL. We have ate a lot of rocks to say the least and are really no less for the wear.
What a I tear up in the winter just means a little more tractor rake time come spring, a no lose situation right?
I personally wouldn't give second thought to others opinions on this cause where I live were made tough (or maybe a bit stupid so my wife says).
Watch the wind direction and your in business . 49 years and still blowin snow, John

 

[kozak]

Max, GET THAT SNOWBLOWER !!

The reasons stated for not getting a blower are weak to say the least. Fellow tractor'ers that might make such a comment don't really know what BIG snow means. Just got back in from FEL'ing a foot to 18" of snow. Took 2 hours. As much as I like getting out with the tractor, it becomes a little much if you start needing to get out almost every day. If I had a blower I know I could have done it in half the time.....easy.

I use a snowmobile suit & boy does it keep you toasty warm no matter what its like out....let me tell ya somethin. The thing that I keep procrastinating on getting is a pair of ski googles. The only other thing of course is a real warm hat that comes down over your ears & crosses down below your chin.

One of these days I be getting me that snowblower too.....


Vic