Is the snowblower recommender for gravel
- Thread starter jmfox
- Start date
Dusty
Veteran Member
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- May 13, 2000
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- bx22
The snowblower will blow the stones very well. Just make sure that the cars are no where near by. Best to leave a little snow cover and just skim over the top to be safe. If you pick up too many stones, they will jam the blower and shear the pin.
Dusty
Dusty
jmf,
I've not used the blower on the gravel drives yet. I have used a Deere 2210 with front blower. I kept the it lifted an inch or so to minimize the rock throwing. I am expecting to due the same with the Toolcat. The skids don't appear to me to be big enough to support the weight until the ground is frozen but I will experiment with them. I will be using it on somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000' of gravel drive. We don't get many snowfalls where a snowblower is needed. What little I have used the Toolcat in the snow it worked well with the bucket in over a foot of snow.
dsb
I've not used the blower on the gravel drives yet. I have used a Deere 2210 with front blower. I kept the it lifted an inch or so to minimize the rock throwing. I am expecting to due the same with the Toolcat. The skids don't appear to me to be big enough to support the weight until the ground is frozen but I will experiment with them. I will be using it on somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000' of gravel drive. We don't get many snowfalls where a snowblower is needed. What little I have used the Toolcat in the snow it worked well with the bucket in over a foot of snow.
dsb
Egon
Epic Contributor
Check on glass insurance first and carry a pocket of shear pins.
JJT
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If you adjust your skid shoes you shouldn't have any problems. Yes, you will pick up a few stones, but in the 7 or 8 years I've had my rear mounted blower I have NEVER, (knocking on wood...) broken a shear pin, or broken a window. Once the ground freezes you are good to go, that gravel is locked in place.
My driveway is 800'+ and the neighbors I do are another 600'.
When plowed with a truck I spent the spring raking the gravel back into the drive, with the blower I'll throw an ocassional stone and you'll never find it.
I went on vacation a few years ago in the spring and we had a late season snow storm, and my driveway was plowed while I was gone. The idiot must have pushed off 2000#'s of stone.
My driveway is 800'+ and the neighbors I do are another 600'.
When plowed with a truck I spent the spring raking the gravel back into the drive, with the blower I'll throw an ocassional stone and you'll never find it.
I went on vacation a few years ago in the spring and we had a late season snow storm, and my driveway was plowed while I was gone. The idiot must have pushed off 2000#'s of stone.
We got 12" of wet snow with blowing wind Thurs night/Fri morning. I cleaned the driveways twice with the Toolcat/blower.
I have the skids shoes setup to keep the blower about 2" off the ground when the shoes are flat on the ground. The first time out I did pick up gravel a number of times. Before I went out a second time I looked the setup over and realized with a front blower like this the tilt controls where the cutting edge runs when the shoes are on the ground. Instead of lifting the boom to stop picking up gravel I rolled the blower back while keeping the skids on the ground which lifted the cutting edge. When on pavement or cement I rolled the blower forward to put the cutting edge down. Did a nice job.
I have the standard flow SB200 (66"). The travel speed was pretty easy to figure out. When I went too fast, snow would begin building up in front of the blower and instead of a clean side cut I would get buildup that would fall into the cleaned track after I passed through.
dsb
I have the skids shoes setup to keep the blower about 2" off the ground when the shoes are flat on the ground. The first time out I did pick up gravel a number of times. Before I went out a second time I looked the setup over and realized with a front blower like this the tilt controls where the cutting edge runs when the shoes are on the ground. Instead of lifting the boom to stop picking up gravel I rolled the blower back while keeping the skids on the ground which lifted the cutting edge. When on pavement or cement I rolled the blower forward to put the cutting edge down. Did a nice job.
I have the standard flow SB200 (66"). The travel speed was pretty easy to figure out. When I went too fast, snow would begin building up in front of the blower and instead of a clean side cut I would get buildup that would fall into the cleaned track after I passed through.
dsb
theoshin
Silver Member
How fast could you go with good blower performance???
How far did the snow throw at that speed?
It sounds like the blower capacity limited your speed, not the
hydrolic ability of the toolcat?
Thx
TS
How far did the snow throw at that speed?
It sounds like the blower capacity limited your speed, not the
hydrolic ability of the toolcat?
Thx
TS
TS,
I didn't pay much attention to the ground speed but I did switch the read out at one point that I was going through 18-24" and saw I was traveling around 1mph. There was a solid stream coming out of the chute. I would guess the chute is 8" wide and a full stream is probably 3" thick. Most of the time I was traveling faster.
Before I went out the first time I shoveled in front of the garage doors. There was about a 1/4" of slush under the snow and it was so wet I had to slap the shovel on the ground to get the snow off. I was afraid the blower was going to plug and was surprised it did not plug at all.
It was windy so I didn't get a good feel for how far it will throw. I will say though at one point I was blowing from one side of a 2-lane road to the bank on the other side. My impression was not that it couldn't throw the snow far enough but instead how do Tim, Mike and others run these in subdivisions without throwing the snow into the neighbors yard.
There was a couple of times when I had the blower overflowing, was pushing snow forward and could hear the hydraulics whine and the engine detone but it still appeared to be moving the same amount of snow. Maybe was not throwing as far. To be honest, with the wind blowing, snow flying, wipers going I sometimes couldn't tell what was going on. I do know that it was nice and toasty with just a sweatshirt and no coat inside the cab. First time I got to experience that moving snow.
dsb
I didn't pay much attention to the ground speed but I did switch the read out at one point that I was going through 18-24" and saw I was traveling around 1mph. There was a solid stream coming out of the chute. I would guess the chute is 8" wide and a full stream is probably 3" thick. Most of the time I was traveling faster.
Before I went out the first time I shoveled in front of the garage doors. There was about a 1/4" of slush under the snow and it was so wet I had to slap the shovel on the ground to get the snow off. I was afraid the blower was going to plug and was surprised it did not plug at all.
It was windy so I didn't get a good feel for how far it will throw. I will say though at one point I was blowing from one side of a 2-lane road to the bank on the other side. My impression was not that it couldn't throw the snow far enough but instead how do Tim, Mike and others run these in subdivisions without throwing the snow into the neighbors yard.
There was a couple of times when I had the blower overflowing, was pushing snow forward and could hear the hydraulics whine and the engine detone but it still appeared to be moving the same amount of snow. Maybe was not throwing as far. To be honest, with the wind blowing, snow flying, wipers going I sometimes couldn't tell what was going on. I do know that it was nice and toasty with just a sweatshirt and no coat inside the cab. First time I got to experience that moving snow.
dsb
timm9
Gold Member
Dsb,
Quote from dsb;” My impression was not that it couldn't throw the snow far enough but instead how do Tim, Mike and others run these in subdivisions without throwing the snow into the neighbors yard.”
The first thing I have to teach a new driver is that the blower is like a firearm and muzzle awareness. They must be aware of where the blower is pointed at all times. When we first started using the blowers we had a few “close calls” with windows, etc. There have been occasions when the snow was light/dry enough that I have actually blown the snow across streets, and over the cab when the situation calls for it.
As for gravel, I avoid it at all costs with the blowers. I have never received any “formal” warning but I have to believe that it tears things up in the fan and chute. It does not get cold enough here to freeze gravel/road base to not “pick up” the gravel. I also don’t want to buy any windows.
Another thing we have leaned using the blowers, keep a set of bolt cutters in the cab with you. You would be stunned at what we have sucked into the blowers that could not be seen under the snow. The worst was one of those “hard plastic” garbage cans that was laying on it’s side and completely buried in the snow. It went all the way up to the fan. It took an over an hour with a Sawzall to get it loose, piece by piece. People also have a tendency to loose their tire chains in the snow as well, hence the bolt cutters.
tim
Quote from dsb;” My impression was not that it couldn't throw the snow far enough but instead how do Tim, Mike and others run these in subdivisions without throwing the snow into the neighbors yard.”
The first thing I have to teach a new driver is that the blower is like a firearm and muzzle awareness. They must be aware of where the blower is pointed at all times. When we first started using the blowers we had a few “close calls” with windows, etc. There have been occasions when the snow was light/dry enough that I have actually blown the snow across streets, and over the cab when the situation calls for it.
As for gravel, I avoid it at all costs with the blowers. I have never received any “formal” warning but I have to believe that it tears things up in the fan and chute. It does not get cold enough here to freeze gravel/road base to not “pick up” the gravel. I also don’t want to buy any windows.
Another thing we have leaned using the blowers, keep a set of bolt cutters in the cab with you. You would be stunned at what we have sucked into the blowers that could not be seen under the snow. The worst was one of those “hard plastic” garbage cans that was laying on it’s side and completely buried in the snow. It went all the way up to the fan. It took an over an hour with a Sawzall to get it loose, piece by piece. People also have a tendency to loose their tire chains in the snow as well, hence the bolt cutters.
tim