TomG
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 610
- Location
- Ontario
- Tractor
- Ford 1710: Loader, Hoe, Snowblower, Box scrapper & 3ph Forks
Some people with a private road behind us heat with wood and dump the ashes on a couple of hills. Works great and the hills have pretty good grades. Does make a mess though. For small areas, sand works but can turn into armour plating. Pea gravel works better. Birdseed also works.
For larger areas, last year was a problem but not so much this year. Last year I thought about putting tire chains on the 1/2 ton, loading it heavy and going up and down the drive. I didn't have a box scraper last year, but I might have tried using the scarifiers to groove the ice. Somebody did say that a blade with spikes could be made for a rotary cutter, which could scarify ice if the cutter was run at A VERY LOW ENGINE RPM. That does seem a little extreme though.
I’ll note here in response to the surge protector comments that surge protectors do have a limited life span. Protecting against one big surge, or a bunch of little ones, eventually renders them useless. Some of the better protectors are self-testing, but it’s not a bad idea to replace units that have been used during a lightening strike.
For larger areas, last year was a problem but not so much this year. Last year I thought about putting tire chains on the 1/2 ton, loading it heavy and going up and down the drive. I didn't have a box scraper last year, but I might have tried using the scarifiers to groove the ice. Somebody did say that a blade with spikes could be made for a rotary cutter, which could scarify ice if the cutter was run at A VERY LOW ENGINE RPM. That does seem a little extreme though.
I’ll note here in response to the surge protector comments that surge protectors do have a limited life span. Protecting against one big surge, or a bunch of little ones, eventually renders them useless. Some of the better protectors are self-testing, but it’s not a bad idea to replace units that have been used during a lightening strike.