Irrefutable imperical proof of how to handle snow

[RNeumann]

I have a friend in Idaho that moved from Boise into the mountains, and the first year he was completely overwhelmed with snow and only had a small Cub Cadet garden tractor with a basic plow. SO he went out and bought a Kubota MX tractor and big Lorenz snowblower. Next couple years they got peanuts for snow, and his wife sure let him know it. I think it took 3-4 years before they got hammered again and he could finally claim victory. Of course by then, his wife was unimpressed.

Where I live in the mid-Atlantic, the rear blade on my tractor is enough to handle snow, but where I run into problems is installing it and removing it. Normally I will leave it on for weeks when I could be using other implements, and then when I finally give in and take the blade off, we'll get hit with snow. I've made it pretty easy to change implements in my barn with a concrete floor and dollies, but where I have problems is floor space for storage, especially in winter -- I often have to play a pretty good chess game to trade implements, so I tend to avoid it.

Sounds like said tractor needs to “break down” while someone needs to shovel. Unimpressed no more!!

 

[JB13502]

And I thought it was just new snowmobiles that kept the snow away!

 

[Dadnatron]

I am a BIG BELIEVER in the power of preventative preparation!

All you folks in KY should thank me. I’ve had a blade on my tractor since November.

 

[Garandman]

An Army buddy lives near Knoxville. He drives in snow without concern after several years of practice in Germany.

Asked him what they use to clear roads of the occasional snowfall and he replied, The Sun. :laughing:

 

[Willie B]

At age 61, living in VT, and clearing the neighborhood since age 10 I've used a variety of methods. A dirt cheap snow blower with iron wheels, and no auger was not my favorite. A 1950 Farmall Cub tractor with homemade wooden square to the wheels blade was a big upgrade. A 1965 CJ5 Jeep made me king of the hill, until a huge storm in 1983 when I was overwhelmed. A 1977 Jeep full sized Cherokee with 7-1/2' Fisher plow was wonderful. A 1961 IH B275 with the Fisher plow replacing the loader bucket was less than Ideal. For a number of years I've just used the backhoe loader bucket, it isn't super efficient, but spares me the cost of another machine, maintenance, and the work of putting it on.

Not unlike Maryland we get big snow winters, and sometimes, no snow winters. At elevation of 650, and on the western slope of the Green Mountains we never have as much as the other side of the mountain. Typically, we might have a foot on the lawn, Landgrove, the next town would have 8 feet accumulation.

I once saw a building with shed style sheet metal roof of maybe 8:12 pitch, 100feet run, poor insulation, with 7' of snow on the North side in June. Each slide off added to the pile all winter.

 

[FatTire]

One thing that might help: If you have one or more machines chained up and waiting for snow, take all the tire chains off, take off plow, remove snowblower, and put on a summer implement. Worked for me this winter, with relatively quick results. When reinstalling the tire chains I decided it must be those big heavy rear chains that really did the trick.

 

[Willie B]

One thing that might help: If you have one or more machines chained up and waiting for snow, take all the tire chains off, take off plow, remove snowblower, and put on a summer implement. Worked for me this winter, with relatively quick results. When reinstalling the tire chains I decided it must be those big heavy rear chains that really did the trick.

I want pictures of the Unimog. They are my version of pornography. Never has a more incredible machine been devised, my favorite is the backhoe/loader version.

Willie

 

[NuBota]

Blackd,

Glad to hear it's not (just) my fault! I am in the same neck of the woods as you are and this has been a source of frustration for me.

After Snowpocalypse and Snowmaggeddon (with a moderate storm in between) in the 2009/2010 season, I was worn out clearing snow on the BX with RB and FEL - freezing due to the open cab and constantly twisting to look backwards - I started looking for alternatives. Of course, had next to nothing after that, so I procrastinated. Then we got hit with SnowZilla in Jan 2016. Decided to pull the trigger on my Polaris Ranger after that one - picked it up the next month - and the plow has basically sat in the shed since and remains untested.

I have lost hope for this season...

 

[blackd]

NuBota, just wondering here, but do you think that if we can enlist more "believers", that we can do away with Winter all together? It may not help the polar ice Caps, but would make for longer growing seasons and perhaps even lead to triple cropping.

BTW, nice picture of a SoMD yard/neighborhood. With those woods do you deer hunt?

 

[FatTire]

I want pictures of the Unimog. They are my version of pornography. Never has a more incredible machine been devised, my favorite is the backhoe/loader version.

Willie