Snow Equipment Buying/Pricing No snow experience

   / No snow experience #31  
I live in Spokane Wa. I have 1000+ Ft gravel driveway plus parking area that is hilly and curvy. I have no snow experience. Some say use a blade others say use a snow blower. Seems everyone says to get a tractor. My driveway is probably 8-10 feet wide with lots of areas for piling snow. I don't want to spend hours clearing my driveway before work. I already have a Cub Cadet riding lawn mower LT1550? for my lawn. Any advice would be great. I am considering a SCUT with a blade or snow blower. I do not want to depend on a snow plow service to keep my driveway cleared for me.


Read this. IMO, this points directly to a plow....on a truck.!!!
 
   / No snow experience #32  
How much snow did you get?

Blower can't go 1.6 mph?

All told, we got between 30-35 inches (not including the drifts). It was two storms within a 5 day period.

I was stuck in a guy's driveway (road wasn't passable due to stuck vehicles and drifts...trying to get to work and I was a fool for even trying).
The guy was blowing with a big walk-behind blower...he was nice enough to clear the road where I was stuck (right in front of his drive) so I could get on his drive while a big 4x4 front end loader and two plow trucks cleared the road.
Since I was in his drive for 60-90 minutes I could see how that blower did. Nice job, but this was a drive that was probably no more then 150'...far from 1000'. And it was a hour to 90 minutes while I was there...he had already cleared part of it before I got stuck.
So, a walk-behind is probably great for a 50-70 foot drive with a fairly light snow. More then that, a bigger tool may be advisable. But, you've got to use what's available. My choice for a 1000' drive would not be a walk-behind blower.
 
   / No snow experience #35  
All told, we got between 30-35 inches (not including the drifts). It was two storms within a 5 day period.

I was stuck in a guy's driveway (road wasn't passable due to stuck vehicles and drifts...trying to get to work and I was a fool for even trying).
The guy was blowing with a big walk-behind blower...he was nice enough to clear the road where I was stuck (right in front of his drive) so I could get on his drive while a big 4x4 front end loader and two plow trucks cleared the road.
Since I was in his drive for 60-90 minutes I could see how that blower did. Nice job, but this was a drive that was probably no more then 150'...far from 1000'. And it was a hour to 90 minutes while I was there...he had already cleared part of it before I got stuck.
So, a walk-behind is probably great for a 50-70 foot drive with a fairly light snow. More then that, a bigger tool may be advisable. But, you've got to use what's available. My choice for a 1000' drive would not be a walk-behind blower.

With that kind of snowfall you have to plow/blow with the storm no matter what you use and a blower is even more important, even if it is a walk behind.
 
   / No snow experience #36  
With that kind of snowfall you have to plow/blow with the storm no matter what you use and a blower is even more important, even if it is a walk behind.

No doubt...my question wasn't about the tool used, it was about the duration of the work. 30 minutes to blow snow (and 4 passes to do it) on a thousand foot drive?
Well, nothing's impossible, I guess...
 
   / No snow experience #37  
I believe that you should get what you would be comfortable with and what you can afford. there have been many ideas passed in front of you and all would work too get you out of your drive.
As for myself , I would get the tractor as they are great toys.:thumbsup:
I can run my tractor for 5 km to my clients and clear the sidewalks on the way at 15km/ hr. I am hoping to get a Lorenz snowblower this year to deal with the bigger dumps. The seat is reversable so no kinks in the neck.Whatever you get make sure you put chains on it for safety and traction. The Antonio Carraro is not a nessesity for me but I find it a joy every time I get to sit on the seat.
 

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   / No snow experience #38  
IMO it points to a tractor with a front mounted blade and/or rear mounted blower.

I gathered that he didn't want to spend a lot of time clearing his drive before work, in the morning.

Can a truck clear a drive quicker than a tractor.?? Yes. And, he is talking SCUT.!!
 
   / No snow experience #39  
Get both. At least that's what I'm doing. I've used the 77 International 4wd in my Avitar for the past 3 years. I've ordered a new Kubota with a front mounted blower but plan on using the truck most of the time. My driveway is a little longer than yours and I can plow it in less than 20 minutes (6" inches or less of snow). I doubt a tractor could do it any where near as fast.

I also have had some 3' storms. That really fills up the places to put the snow. I usually use the dozer to push the snow back into the woods several times a year. It's not bad if the weather report is right and I can get the dozer out before hand but I've had to stop plowing to push the snow back then start to plow again. This turns plowing into a 3 to 5 hour event. Also the late winter and spring snow seams more dense and also fills up the snow pile areas quickly.

If your snowfalls aren't more than a foot for the most part a truck would be the best way to go, since you don't want to spend too long clearing snow. But if you know you will get several big storms then a truck may leave you wanting something more. Plus trucks do get stuck so plan on getting chains.
 
   / No snow experience #40  
I mind as well pile on.

Pros with plow:

Super, super, super fast, nothing faster than a truck with a plow on it.
Comfortable, you don't get cold or wet.
Great when you've already got a truck

Cons:
Something to store in the driveway during the summer, not easy to mount if in the yard or woods somewhere.
Snowbanks build up fast and I quickly run out of room for the snow.

Pros for blower:

You move the snow once and that is it. No snowbank problems.


Summary, if you get as much snow as I do, which can be a bunch during a heavy winter then a blower does a better job in the long run.

If infrequent or non-huge overall amounts, then nothing will beat a plow.

Joel
 

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