Snowblowing rules of thumb

[Lunk]

I guess I wasn't paying too much attention to the weather and how much snow was accumulating. Anyway I had to go out and snowblow tonight - about 14" of fairly heavy snow (about 25 degrees)!!

My neighbor who has a 1,000 foot driveway left for Florida for two weeks and I said I would cover for him. I did just what I said, I ran my SUV up and down both driveways to pack things down and then went over them with my blower about 1" off the ground. It will be cold enough tonight to clean both driveways up nicely tomorrow.

I also agreed to help out a neighbor who is in the hospital and lives about 2 miles away. After I talked to the wife on the phone, I thought that I had best go down and take a look at it, since I didn't get to take a look at it before the snow. The driveway is all paved. It was quite an experience for me to take the tractor that far and on a dark, snow covered road.

The driveway has a hill which isn't too steep, but I was concerned if I could do it without chains - no problem. Anyway she told me that there were rocks about softball size on each side of the steep part of the driveway

I told her I would just do the center in that portion of the drive since we couldn't see anything sticking up, and if the snow goes away to get rid of the stones, but the area around the garage should be no problem.

Wait a minute!!!

Are you saying that you cleared a paved driveway, with a hill, without chains, and R-4 tires to boot???

How can this be??? Ever since I bought my tractor with R-4's, all I've heard on TBN is about what a useless design they are - Good for nothing but driving on dry pavement, and puncture resistance...

Surely only R-1's can possibly suffice in a true low-traction situation like that!



Now look what I've done - Started another tire war...

Sorry

 

[Ford850]

One rule that I often follow is the opposite of your rule number 3. When a big storm blows through, the Low pressure front from the storm is usually followed by strong High pressure. This makes for a beautiful sunny, calm, blue sky day. If I don't HAVE to get out of the driveway mid storm, I wait until the storm is passed then enjoy the time outside even more. Obviously this doesn't always work and I'm out there mid storm clearing the snow sometimes. Since I don't have a cab, I follow my rule as often as I can.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I have another rule - don't wear cloths that you don't mind getting greasy.

Over the last three days we have gotten 3 feet of snow and I have snow blowed three times. Actually 9 times if one counts the people that I am helping out.

My neighbor and his wife left for Florida last Friday and I agreed to clear his driveway. I went over to check out the situation before we had any snow to see if anything would be in my way. We were saying based upon the forecast that there didn't look like there would be anything for me to do. So Monday and Tuesday we had 15 of snow here. I cleaned out both drives.

I have an acquaintance who lives about 2 miles from me who has leukemia and his wife is a teacher and is struggling with everything, so I told her I would clean their driveway. This one is tricky because it has a fairly steep grade at the beginning, but it is paved. I didn't see the driveway until there was a foot of snow and the wife told me that there were rocks lining the driveway. For a snow blower that is a problem.

I found that I couldn't snowblow up the driveway, the tires would just slip, but I could get up the driveway and snowblow down the drive. So despite my care and having the wife give me a little guidance, I managed to break 2 of the three shear bolts hitting a rock which means you are on your back on the ground trying to replace these bolts a nasty job.

The snow was absolutely incredible yesterday. My driveway is 400 feet long and my neighbors is 1,000. It was snowing hard enough at times that I could not see more than 100 yards. I went out and did my drive and my neighbors (about a foot of new snow). Then I take off to the friend with leukemiaç—´ house and that is when it is really starts snowing really hard. It was quite beautiful. The tractor can only go 10 mph, so I sat back and enjoyed the scenery. After I cleaned the driveway of the foot or so of snow, I did it again as there was a new 3 in about 30 minutes. I redid my neighbors (6 new inches) and then mine 8 new inches and as I got off to clean up the tractor I saw that a bunch of snow had built up on one of the augers and realized I had broken another shear pin. The one I didn't break yesterday, so back on my back in the cold garage to replace another shear pin.

By the time I got that done and came in the house another 3 of snow.

So today I went out and cleaned up the balance of the snow at all three places with no more trouble. The sun was even out at times.

 

[4shorts]

See. This is why I love this site. Great thread with great info. Thanks for taking the time to post this. Tip my lid to you sir Oh. You got nice toys to!

 

[fish6942]

I managed to break 2 of the three shear bolts hitting a rock which means you are on your back on the ground trying to replace these bolts a nasty job.

I guess that's one bonus of a 3PH snowblower, shear bolts are VERY accessible.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Wait a minute!!!

Are you saying that you cleared a paved driveway, with a hill, without chains, and R-4 tires to boot???

How can this be??? Ever since I bought my tractor with R-4's, all I've heard on TBN is about what a useless design they are - Good for nothing but driving on dry pavement, and puncture resistance...

Surely only R-1's can possibly suffice in a true low-traction situation like that!



Now look what I've done - Started another tire war...

Sorry

If you look a the my picture on the previous page you will see that I don't have R-4 tires, so I can't comment on their utility in snowy situations.

 

[jimmyj]

Great post and nice looking tractor!

I find that newspapers are a real killer for us, the local delivery method is to throw it in a plastic bag at the bottom of the lane. Easily buried in snow and real nasty when sucked up in the blower.

The other thing that is a real drag as you note is the gravel drive thing. LOL, once I blew a trail out in the cow pasture and it was like a machine gun of launched cow pies!

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Pre-amble to rules of thumb... "Get some snow!"

I'm jealous of you who have already had some snow to play in. We usually have a few inches by now, but there's nothing.

The upside to this is that I've actually had time this year to follow rule #2. I've cleared the driveway of all the leaves and hoses, and toys, and various treasures collected by the kids and then forbidden from entering the house. I don't have a blower, but many of these same principles apply to the archaic methods of pushing snow with a blade.

 

[zzvyb6]

Rule #8

Remove the blower and put on the 8' plow. Leave the pins, wrenches, grease gun, Pam, and poles in the garage. Wait until spring to clear the rocks, newspapers, and kids toys. 1 pass each way, no muss, no fuss ! Run tractor in high gear. Won't even be warmed up by the time my own 1000' drive is done (including turnarounds), so head out to the neighbors on each side and do the road up to the school, too. (Up and back). All done in under 30 minutes. Now take dogs for a run with the golf cart to inspect.

 

[Lunk]

If you look a the my picture on the previous page you will see that I don't have R-4 tires, so I can't comment on their utility in snowy situations.

I must be going daft, because those sure look like industrial R-4 tires to me...

Beautiful pictures, by the way.