Question regarding backblading

[Fastball]

Hi all....fairly new to moving snow with my tractor. We have a 500-foot gravel driveway, and I am trying not to end up tearing it up with my rear blade. My neighbour says he 澱ack-blades his driveway for the first snowfall or two to develop a good base. Can anyone explain to me what this technique is?
Thanks in advance...

 

[RNeumann]

Re: Question regarding æ¾±ackblading

Their are two types of snow “areas” - one that has freeze/thaw all winter and one that stays frozen all winter.

The freeze/thaw folks have to deal with the “digging” all winter long. They try to make the blade or assembly as light as possible (like a hinged blade with a chain holding it). They often run the blade backwards to move snow without the dig because the blade angle is facing backwards. Others will weld a pipe on the button blade edge- also in an effort to prevent digging.

For folks who freeze and stay frozen the concept is different. The first few storms, before the freeze, the goal is to keep a nice base of snow that will freeze and become the road surface for the winter. Once it’s frozen the goal of the blade is to cut down to the existing frozen base with each storm.

It sounds like your neighbor is setting you up for a frozen base type setup. You will skim the first few snow falls without digging into the existing road. But once everything is frozen you can spin the blade and run it in the “normal” direction. Follow his lead- sounds like it’s not his first rodeo.

Btw- start wide. By spring you will still have the width. You will play heck if you are just wide enough in the fall.

 

[Fallon]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

Colorado (Denver area) freezes up & melts within a week or so. Packing down a layer to freeze up & stay frozen all winter doesnt work here. It works in other places I hear.

I have a neighbor who plows with the back side of a 3pt scraper blade. It prevents the blade from digging in like it normally would. It only plows snow & not gravel in that configuration. I used skid shoes on my former 3pt blade, & new SSQA blades.

 

[Fastball]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

Thanks. Last winter was my first real winter clearing the driveway with the tractor and a 6ft blade. I know what you mean about going wide. We were gone for the first major snowfall here, and my dad did the driveway, and never being one to overwork a situation, just did a pass or two. A few days later, those banks froze solid and I couldn't widen the driveway any more after subsequent snowfalls. I looked into getting a set of skid shoes for the blade, but they want over 300 dollars for them...so, no. I will flip the blade around and do a bit of packing down of the snow for the first snowfall or two. Maybe go backwards with the bucket down and flatten it a bit.

 

[Einthewoods]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

I use my blade all winter as well. RNeumann explained it exactly above. Spin your blade around for the first several snowfalls to move the snow as well as build a base without digging in. Once the ground freezes you can spin the blade around to it's normal position and plow away for the rest of winter.

You'll have to do the same thing in the spring once the ground thaws but you get those last few snowfalls.

I was thinking about some skid shoes for mine as well. Might end up getting them at some point, but if you use the procedure above you really don't need them...up North anyhow. If I lived in areas that the ground never froze up good I would absolutely get them.

 

[PA hayseed]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

I have a freeze/thaw cycle, I have a skid steer tire that was cut to length for my rear blade and a 45 angle was ground onto it. I bolted it onto the rear blade. Works like a charm on my asphalt and concrete (no scrape marks), and I use it in reverse on the neighbors gravel drive.

 

[jgayman]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

I have a gravel driveway and have been using a rear blade for decades. I normally push backwards using the curve of the blade so as to not dig up the driveway. I always scrape it down until gravel shows so the Sun can melt it bare. One year I tried the advice of "leaving a base of snow" and it melted down and formed 1-1/2 inch thick ice that was impossible to walk on, drive on or park on. Salt wouldn't touch it. I eventually had to buy bags of sand and spread around. No more "snow base" for me.

 

[Egon]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

Tilt the rear blade so it scrapes rather than cuts??

 

[LouNY]

Re: Question regarding 澱ackblading

I have a gravel driveway and have been using a rear blade for decades. I normally push backwards using the curve of the blade so as to not dig up the driveway. I always scrape it down until gravel shows so the Sun can melt it bare. One year I tried the advice of "leaving a base of snow" and it melted down and formed 1-1/2 inch thick ice that was impossible to walk on, drive on or park on. Salt wouldn't touch it. I eventually had to buy bags of sand and spread around. No more "snow base" for me.

You have it right, run the blade backwards when the ground is soft turn it around when it's froze.
I also use a truck mounted sander, I normally get a tri-axle load every other year of sand /salt mix.

 

[nyone]

Even with my truck plow i dont plow the first few small storms. I have a gravel driveway. I let it get snow packed then durring the real cold winter i can plow normaly. My driveway is flat so i dont even see the gravel for a few months a year. This spring i kicked a handfull of rocks back into the driveway and that was it.

The first few years i was out plowing 3in storms and had wheel barrow loads of gravel to get back onto the driveway.