Plowing 1/2 mile driveway with a UTV. Should it be done?

[Old Red]

I just got back from a 22 mile round trip on my Polaris Ranger. A buddy of mine asked me to help him clean a school parking lot. He was a "non believer" of the UTV plow and how good they can be. He was in his New Holland 70 horse cab tractor with a big snow box pusher. I was flying all around him. We actually worked perfect together. He could pick up my wind rows etc. But anyway, he was very impressed at the work I could do.

Bad news, I was getting very aggressive and sheared some mounting bolts so that stopped me for the day. My unit is not a commercial unit and it showed itself today. Anyway, still made a quick 100 dollar bill and got a lot of work done quick for my friend and the elementary school kiddos. I am more confident now than I was about getting the new Ranger along with a commercial V plow.

Oh and one last thing. I drove on the highway 11 miles each way to the school instead of trailering my side by side. You could not have done that in some of the more utilitarian vehicles....The ranger is the most utilitarian vehicle in Polaris lineup.....I never need to go anywhere very fast, but today on the highway I did. Would have had to trailer the other side by side I am contemplating getting.

 

[MGH PA]

I just got back from a 22 mile round trip on my Polaris Ranger. A buddy of mine asked me to help him clean a school parking lot. He was a "non believer" of the UTV plow and how good they can be. He was in his New Holland 70 horse cab tractor with a big snow box pusher. I was flying all around him. We actually worked perfect together. He could pick up my wind rows etc. But anyway, he was very impressed at the work I could do.

Bad news, I was getting very aggressive and sheared some mounting bolts so that stopped me for the day. My unit is not a commercial unit and it showed itself today. Anyway, still made a quick 100 dollar bill and got a lot of work done quick for my friend and the elementary school kiddos. I am more confident now than I was about getting the new Ranger along with a commercial V plow.

Oh and one last thing. I drove on the highway 11 miles each way to the school instead of trailering my side by side. You could not have done that in some of the more utilitarian vehicles....The ranger is the most utilitarian vehicle in Polaris lineup.....I never need to go anywhere very fast, but today on the highway I did. Would have had to trailer the other side by side I am contemplating getting.

What model Ranger are you running now? What one are you looking at getting?

 

[Old Red]

What model Ranger are you running now? What one are you looking at getting?

I am currently running the 2010 Polaris Ranger HD 800. It has the rear springs that self level after you put a huge heavy load in the bed. I have the full polaris premium steel cab with glass tip out windshield and wiper. I can stand on top of the ranger and fill my deer feeders or cut limbs. It is like a tank....

I am going to get the NorthStar Version with air conditioning to keep me cool while I spray my crops.

 

[MGH PA]

I am currently running the 2010 Polaris Ranger HD 800. It has the rear springs that self level after you put a huge heavy load in the bed. I have the full polaris premium steel cab with glass tip out windshield and wiper. I can stand on top of the ranger and fill my deer feeders or cut limbs. It is like a tank....

I am going to get the NorthStar Version with air conditioning to keep me cool while I spray my crops.

Very nice.

 

[Old Red]

Very nice.

It is nice...and I DO NOT need a new one....

 

[RoyJackson]

We are going to building in the next year or so and out property is going to have ~1/2 mile driveway to the home. The elevation gain is minimal (~30 ft of variance across the entire length), and it is90% open field, with the last 10% leading to the house wooded. My dads property borders us, and he has a JD 990 and a plow truck. I have a Rubicon with a warn plow that I use at my current place (small driveway). We had talked about selling the rubicon and buying a UTV and plow setup so we have a more capable machine for the larger acreage (can take the family with me, use it for hunting, chores, etc.).

I know most would recommend a plow truck for this size driveway, but I遏･ wondering how a UTV might fare? We don稚 get a lot of large snows in our area, but when we do, I can always fall back on my dads truck if need be (or his tractor with his FEL if I need to move piles). I just want something that can be both recreational as well as useful, and I don稚 need to buy a cabbed tractor at the moment (as some might suggest) since I have access to tractor for tractor duties. I own a new Tundra, but don稚 want to plow with it (too new, don稚want to prematurely wear things out, etc.).

Thoughts? If this is a yes, should I be looking at more work oriented brands such as the Gators, Bobcats, and RTVs? I really like the Honda Pioneer 700-4 for its versatility in seating/cargo room, but unsure of how it would handle the work I want to throw at it.

Btw, the property is 150 acres, so it will be used quite frequently for other duties.

That's a lot of plowing for a UTV!
I plowed with a Deere 855D and Eagle Plow for two seasons. It worked fine on snow depths up to 6" or so (a lot would depend on the moisture content of the snow). It worked quite well and I regret selling the plow (still have the Gator).

Half mile though...that's a lot of pushing for a UTV, even with an angled plow. I expect it would run out of traction every 100 feet or so.
However, with your dad's tractor and plow truck as back up...can't hurt to try using a UTV for a couple years.

Even though I have a diesel Gator, if I were going to buy a UTV today, it would be the RTV-X1140. With a pretty long bed and rear seat convertibility, I think it's a really versatile machine.

 

[Doofy]

Those toys are certainly out of my league (price range). I'm the guy that buys $3K vehicles to avoid depreciation and then keeps them for 20 years. Just realized that my King Quad is going on 23 years old. Where has the time gone?

 

[Doofy]

Those toys are certainly out of my league (price range). I'm the guy that buys $3K vehicles to avoid depreciation and then keeps them for 20 years. Just realized that my King Quad is going on 23 years old. Where has the time gone?

O, scratch that. Wife said I can have any toy I want after the tractor is paid for. Hope I live that long!

 

[MGH PA]

Those toys are certainly out of my league (price range). I'm the guy that buys $3K vehicles to avoid depreciation and then keeps them for 20 years. Just realized that my King Quad is going on 23 years old. Where has the time gone?

Oh, I'm cheap as well. In the end, I probably won't buy anything and will just plow through it with our vehicles since we both have 4wd :laughing: The house build is going to drain me enough.

 

[Doofy]

Oh, I'm cheap as well. In the end, I probably won't buy anything and will just plow through it with our vehicles since we both have 4wd :laughing: The house build is going to drain me enough.

Probably the wisest choice until your house is built. So easy to get overextended. Time will also allow for more research and better decision making. Good Luck!