Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Plowing Snow with a FEL?

[Deerlope]

My drive way is 1500 feet.Last year I put a front mount snowblower on and have never been sorry. There are no banks anymore. The driveway is gravel and I use a blade off a 4x4 until it freezes down real good then I put the blower on. Once down and back up and I am done.

 

[frank_f15]

We get lots of snow here and all i use is the fel and BB, but of course, i don't have the length of driveway u do. you may find a snowlower to be your best choice.

 

[Rowski]

Kinda looks like some of the drives we plow.


Different driveway.


Snowblower before

Snowblower during

Snowblower finished area

Snowblower is the way to go. As otheres have mentioned it can be done with a FEL and rear blade. It will be time consuming. But the tractor is ment to be worked. A pick-up truck isn't. You get your self a really nice pair of ice chains and you be amazed what you can push.

Now is not a really good time to buy a blower on a bargin. Spring time is the best. Especially if a dealer has hold overs.

Best of luck!

 

[Thomas]

The photo of snow pile up almost to second floor & basket ball net you posted couple years back,indeed snowblower work..or for D8 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Bob_Yohon]

Ram,
I did my 635' driveway with the FEL last winter. Gravel and fairly flat. No loaded tires but a weight box. The FEL will work ok. You will quickly find out depending how the snow falls what works the best. You should be fine with what you have.

Don't forget in case you did about a block heater. They're 35 bucks and will save your engine over the long haul. It gets really cold in your area.

 

[Dutch445]

Ram,
Take a look at Rowski's pictures, and imagine them with just the front loader and how high the banks would be, which in turn leads to higher drifts, etc, etc.
Your driveway doesn't look as prone to drifting, but you will still have much lower banks with the snowblower, and once it's gone, you don't have to move it again.
If you can't afford a front mount, buy a rear mount and keep your loader on, it's a great machine for moving snow.
Another option, put a front mount snowblade on the loader in place of the bucket, but that costs about as much as the snowblower, with power angle.

 

[rameye]

Just wanted to say thanks to all for your help and ideas.

The people on this board are the best! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[snowman]

I agree with Dutch445 - rear mount blower and FEL will work great on that narrow driveway of yours. It looks steep enough that, using just a FEL, you'd probably have traction problems, even with chains (unless you use those Norse type chains, I guess).

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

I have a 60" bucket. It takes me 45 minutes to do what a snowblower will do in 20.

 

[keeney]

I only have a 125-ft long driveway here in MN where we get a bit less snow, but I have used a FEL, Front Blade, and Front Blower to remove snow. Of the three, the front blade is the quickest for most snowfalls.

I also have a front-mount snowblower in reserve but it doesn't get used very often because its slower than the front blade and the snow tends to always blow in my face.

The FEL generally gets removed for the winter (unless I need to move something with the forks or something).

Now, with some experience, my choice would be a wider front-mount plow for quick cleanup of lighter snowfalls. It would be nice if it had a quicker lift/drop mechanism like truck-mounted plows have as well.

I would also like to switch to a rear snowblower that could remain mounted and ready for heavy stuff and drifted areas that the plow can't push out of the way.

- Rick