Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Grading snow

[Dirtnut]

I had a thought today after seeing a what the @#$$%%^^&* are you doing look on a passerbys face today. Does anyone else do this? Every year i grade the first few snow falls (depending on how many inches fall at one time)to prepare a 6" hard smooth base on my gravel/dirt lane for plowing & blowing snow through the winter.My lane is 900 feet long with a gentle slope so i can get away with this even if it gets icy.However i do clean it bare at the intersection to the private dirt road so stopping is not a problem.I also keep it bare at the house to.Most people that see me do this probably think i am an idiot but it really works great. I can fly when plowing, rolling the snow way back,try that on gravel & you will break something real quick. It also eliminates gravel/rocks in the snow blower. It is just like grooming trails for snowmobiles.

 

[Johndeere3720]

I would do that but my moms car wouldnt like the idea to much.

 

[Thomas]

Dirtnut.
I've heard leveling driveway as such but never seen driveway done as such,my only concern would plowing,for if the cutting blade should dig in while plowing at 3-5mph might cause damage etc.

 

[Couple of Achers]

I do the same thing. It was tough this year since the ground was not frozen, and our first snow fall was 12". I raised the blower as high as I could on the skid shoes which left a good inch of snow. Then I turned my rear blade around and pulled it backwards to smooth out the remaining snow. Once this freezes it will make a very good base for the rest of the winter and my gravel will remain in place.

 

[Tig]

We had snow and then rain yesterday. This morning I had 4 to 6" of slop and slush clumps. I back dragged my 600m lane to flatten out the ruts and slush.
No sense is trying to clean it. I just keep it passable until I get a good freeze to lock down the gravel and build a snow base.

 

[brandoro]

I don't grade it but do try to pack down the first snowfall to keep the blower out of the stones. This year the first snow was about perfect, 3-4" and fairly heavy so it packed in nice, I back dragged it with the FEL set at a shallow angle. don't know if anyone witnessed that operation or not. Then most of it melted, we barely have a ground cover now. As long as I have enough packed in for the blower to ride on without digging in the smoothness improves with each snow.

 

[Dirtnut]

Johndeere3720 all of our vehicles & everything else we have is four wheel drive so no problem there.
Thomas the snow/ice gets like concrete never had any issues in 15 years on the hardpack but the plow does jump around alot & trips on the rough frozen gravel which i have to plow slowly this is why i started grading the snow.
Couple of Achers yeh i know what you mean, luckily my ground has a couple inches of frost. We had 6'' of snow with some rain afterwards it made it so wet when the wife drove through it she left 6" ruts.I had to wait til today after it refroze to grade it & smooth it up.

 

[RobS]

I do this too, though maybe not as intentionally as the OP. My biggest problem is during the melt. How do you handle the inevitable mess?

 

[Dirtnut]

I do this too, though maybe not as intentionally as the OP. My biggest problem is during the melt. How do you handle the inevitable mess?

Well it actually isnt that bad depending on how fast it melts.once it starts to melt i scrape off one slush layer at a time, usually an 1" or 2" or what ever slushes up during the day, then it refreezes at knight i repeat this til it gets close to the gravel then let it go til mud season is over.Then i need to grade the mud ruts out it is a never ending process the spoils of living in the boonies.

 

[NuBota]

...Then i need to grade the mud ruts out it is a never ending process the spoils of living in the boonies.

C'mon - good seat time!

Would love to have enough snow to have this problem....