Rico, I used to live in Upper Michigan (Yooper) before moving south for retirement. Not sure about dirt, but you can use a blower on gravel. It is best to dress the gravel dirve before winter so it is smooth, level and has no ruts or washboards, at least as smooth as possible. Most blowers have skid plates, set them up a bit and you should be fine. You will toss some rocks, no way around it. But if you blow with an inch of snow left on the drive, you'll be doing pretty good.
Snowblower Snowblowers on dirt driveways
- Thread starter rico304
- Start date
OP
rico304
Gold Member
Thanks so much for the replies everyone. Very good news! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
RayMunising
Silver Member
I don't have a snowblower or a tractor so I really know what I'm talking about here!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif A while back someone suggested getting a 2 inch diameter pipe that is the same width as your snow blower. Then using a metal cutting blade on a cirular saw cut a slot down the length of the pipe. Slip the pipe onto the cutting edge of the blower. Now you have a super skid plate. So no matter if you have ruts in your driveway or potholes or whatever the blower can't dig into the driveway! Seems like this would work GREAT! I'm a Yooper gonna be (i.e moving to Munising MI) and I'm going to have a 1200' gravel driveway to keep clear. I plan on using a tractor (Kubota B7800) with a front mount blower and I was concerned about using a blower on a gravel driveway until I read the pipe suggestion. Standard skid plates can dig in but the pipe can't. It'll even help build the base so later in the winter the pipe can be removed. I can't give credit where credit is due because I didn't save the posters name. Hope this helps!
jimgerken
Veteran Member
Single stage works out better in the long run, if used on gravel driveway. Because the rotor (auger) speed is much less, the wear on it from rocks is greatly reduced. Even after 12 years my old Honda single stage blower performs just fine, and hardly shows wear.
MGB
Member
Hello fellow Mainiac. I have a dirt driveway also and haven't had any problems yet. I've broken shear bolts due to snow sticking to the back of the unit and then a chunk of ice wedges in there. Thanks to TBN I've learned to spray the inside with cooking oil. And as the Kubota serviceman told me when I mentioned that it was blowing dirt, "Keep going, you'll eventually get the loose dirt cleared off the driveway" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
escavader
Veteran Member
We got all the maniacs on this thread.How is it that we can all manage to buy exspensive toys,but no one can afford to tar there drives /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifWell at least our prioritys are straight /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
ALAN
ALAN
Steve_Miller
Veteran Member
<font color="red"> "Keep going, you'll eventually get the loose dirt cleared off the driveway"
</font>
Took me five years and about three dozen bolts to figure this out. I got to the point one time where I could change a bolt in under two minutes. I carried a pocket full of bolts and two wrenches. I finally got wise and started using crusher dust on the driveway (1600'). The wing sure helps though (forward plowing is much better than reverse blowing)
Steve
</font>
Took me five years and about three dozen bolts to figure this out. I got to the point one time where I could change a bolt in under two minutes. I carried a pocket full of bolts and two wrenches. I finally got wise and started using crusher dust on the driveway (1600'). The wing sure helps though (forward plowing is much better than reverse blowing)
Steve
OP
rico304
Gold Member
Thank you all for your input, and keep it coming! Special shout out to all my fellow mainers!
I was nervous to put this post up because I was sure (and still am) that this would be a copy post from the past. I couldn't find them and thought, what the heck! They will only yell at me for one or two posts telling me to "Search"! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Appreciate all input!!!!!!!!!!!
Again, thanks and keep it coming!
I was nervous to put this post up because I was sure (and still am) that this would be a copy post from the past. I couldn't find them and thought, what the heck! They will only yell at me for one or two posts telling me to "Search"! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Appreciate all input!!!!!!!!!!!
Again, thanks and keep it coming!
MGB
Member
Crusher dust, that's what I plan to put on my driveway as soon as money permits. Hope we get plenty of snow! But hopefully not too cold!
hayden
Veteran Member
I've got 2500' of dirt road that I use a 3PH snow blower on. It's a 54" unit on a Kubota B2910. Here's what I've found.
- Be sure your snow blower has skid shoes of some sort, and set them to hold the cutting edge an inch or so up. Maybe higher if your road surface is rough. The skids are a must-have.
- The first few times you run the blower, you may find that the skids dig/sink into the road surface and don't really hold up the blower. Once the ground freezes, this won't be a problem at all until spring thaw.
- If you happen to have a hydraulic top link, it can be very useful in angling the blower and skid to ride up over the road surface (leaving more snow behind), versus angling down to clear closer to the road surface. When the ground is softer, I tilt the blower up, and when the ground is frozen I tilt down. You can do this with a manual link as well, it's just less flexible.
- Small stones are not a problem, where small is anything under 2" or so. If your road surface is like mine, there are much bigger surprises to be uncovered. I blow out a sheer bolt almost evey time I plow due to a fallen chunk of a branch, or a grapefruit size rock that get's kicked up. My road is in rough shape, and runs thru dense woods with no shoulder at all, so it can't get much worse than what I've got. Doing a road patrol in the fall to clear out the stones helps a lot.
- Keep spare sheer bolts and nuts and appropriate wrenches with you on the tractor. It sure beats hauling **** back to the house for a repair.
- Enjoy the results! Snow blowers do a great job clearing and getting the snow out of the way. With a dirt road you'll need to pay attention to a few things that you can otherwise ignore, but all in all it's not a big deal.
- Be sure your snow blower has skid shoes of some sort, and set them to hold the cutting edge an inch or so up. Maybe higher if your road surface is rough. The skids are a must-have.
- The first few times you run the blower, you may find that the skids dig/sink into the road surface and don't really hold up the blower. Once the ground freezes, this won't be a problem at all until spring thaw.
- If you happen to have a hydraulic top link, it can be very useful in angling the blower and skid to ride up over the road surface (leaving more snow behind), versus angling down to clear closer to the road surface. When the ground is softer, I tilt the blower up, and when the ground is frozen I tilt down. You can do this with a manual link as well, it's just less flexible.
- Small stones are not a problem, where small is anything under 2" or so. If your road surface is like mine, there are much bigger surprises to be uncovered. I blow out a sheer bolt almost evey time I plow due to a fallen chunk of a branch, or a grapefruit size rock that get's kicked up. My road is in rough shape, and runs thru dense woods with no shoulder at all, so it can't get much worse than what I've got. Doing a road patrol in the fall to clear out the stones helps a lot.
- Keep spare sheer bolts and nuts and appropriate wrenches with you on the tractor. It sure beats hauling **** back to the house for a repair.
- Enjoy the results! Snow blowers do a great job clearing and getting the snow out of the way. With a dirt road you'll need to pay attention to a few things that you can otherwise ignore, but all in all it's not a big deal.