ATV Snowplow?

[Oaktree]

I also have a Cycle Country plow on my early-90s vintage Polaris 350. Works well for light snow up to 6" or so. Manual lift doesn't lift quite as high as I'd like, tried using a winch but it only lasted one season so I'm back to the manual. I welded a ring a bit further forward on the plow frame than the original one where the lift chain connects, and that helps.
Pins that hold the plow arms to the ATV frame don't seem to stay in for some reason...I've experimented with different types, but they all seem to come loose after a while. Pretty easy to replace, but still kind of a PITA lying in the snow changing them.

For anything deeper, or wet snow I use the tractor w/FEL.

 

[WilliamBos]

I have a Polaris Glacier 3 plow on my Sportsman 400HO, it will handle a foot no problems. Have had 6" snowfall, then 4", no problems at all. The blade mounts at the front and mid point, plenty of strength, mount bolts on in 5 spots.

 

[Franko]

Anyone out there use an RTV for snow plowing on a steep paved driveway? I would like to try it but I am concerned mainly about traction. Right now I use a B7800 with a rear blade that I angle manually and if the snow is less than 5-6 inches I can zoom down the drive and quickly clear it off in 2 or 3 passes. With more snow I find the landscape blade does not have enough height to be very effective and then I have to use the FEL to move the snow to the side while trying not to fall into the ravine. I found that the paved drive can ice over a lot quicker than when it was gravel, if I travel up and down don't have it cleaned down to pavement. I did not have my chains on the tractor last night and got seriously stuck down at the bottom for the first time ever. The blade floated up a little on the pass down the hill and left a thin layer of snow and once this was driven on, it turned right into ice. Needless to say, the chains are going on TODAY. But I own an RTV 900 that works pretty well to get around in the snow, so I could get a plow for it, if I knew that it would work to remove deeper snow faster than the tractor without getting stuck. Any thoughts?
Frank

 

[joeyd]

I also use a Cycle Country blade with a winch. It was my main snow tool 5 years ago when we moved into our new home on the mountain. After back to back years of record breaking snowfalls I went to a tractor and 3pt snow blower. I still use the ATV for light snows and clean up. Be careful with a winch I snapped the cable multiple times lifting the blade too high. You get to be good at cutting and re-attaching the cable. 50 feet of cable gets bound up after plowing for awhile and kinks then you break it when you lift too high. I shortened the cable to about 6-8 feet and it doesn't bind and snap.

Also if you have a gravel driveway using a piece of ABS or PVC pipe over the cutting edge saves gravel untill the ground freezes up good and you have a packed base to plow on. My cutting edge is 1 1/2" wide and a 2" piece of pipe fits right over the edge. Just run it through a table saw to open it up down the center and slide it on.

 

[DieselnHooters]

A neighbor has a front mounted gas powered snowblower for his ATV, I cant recall who makes this , all I know is its made to fit ATVs. It is definitely more costly than a blade but it works wonder and has no real limitations. We just had a storm dumping 45 cm (17-20 inches?) and he cleared his own driveway and 2 or 3 other neigbors in quick time and did a swell job of it.

 

[whistlepig]

I have a Cycle Country blade also. I lift it with a winch. I wore out the steel aircraft cable on my winch pretty quickly and replaced it with Amsteel Blue synthetic winch rope. It wears a lot better than the steel cable and doesn't get tangled up like the steel cable.

 

[WilliamBos]

I have a Cycle Country blade also. I lift it with a winch. I wore out the steel aircraft cable on my winch pretty quickly and replaced it with Amsteel Blue synthetic winch rope. It wears a lot better than the steel cable and doesn't get tangled up like the steel cable.

I plan on doig the same come spring. Will kerp the cable for a spare.

 

[studor]

if I knew that it would work to remove deeper snow faster than the tractor without getting stuck. Any thoughts?

Sand and salt -- once a surface turns to ice or has ice underneath it is pretty easy to go where you don't want to or lose traction on driving wheels. For the price of a blade and setup on the RTV you can probably find a blower or wider blade for the tractor and a set of chains. I know lots of folks that use ATV's and RTV's to clear snow but four wheel drive tractors with three points and hydraulics are tough to beat for both speed and not getting stuck -JMHO

 

[browny]

I had a 50 inch Cycle Country plow on a 600 Polaris Sportsman which was a good plow. I now have a 54 inch Eagle plow on my 850 Sportsman and that plow is beast. Ordered the Eagle plow from promarkoffroad for $400 shipped free to my house. I'm impressed with the Eagle plow.

 

[techwrtr2]

Sand and salt -- once a surface turns to ice or has ice underneath it is pretty easy to go where you don't want to or lose traction on driving wheels. For the price of a blade and setup on the RTV you can probably find a blower or wider blade for the tractor and a set of chains. I know lots of folks that use ATV's and RTV's to clear snow but four wheel drive tractors with three points and hydraulics are tough to beat for both speed and not getting stuck -JMHO

If had a choice between using an RTV with plow versus my grader blade, I'd take the RTV. Some of my displeasure with the rear mounted blade could be alleviated with chains (sliding sideways). But for me at least, I find it far easier to control what I'm plowing with the blade in front than when I'm pulling a blade. Which is why I usually use the ATV with plow. It's old and smaller, but I don't do damage with it either.