Questions re: pipe on loader cutting edge

[Teikas Dad]

I've seen a number of posts where members are using steel and Sch80 plastic pipe on the cutting edge of their plowblade and loader to keep from digging up gravel driveways. From what I've learned that's the go to method to save the driveway from being torn up.

But, how does it work out if the entire driveway is not gravel and part of it is paved? My driveway is 350' long but only the 40 feet directly in front of the garage is paved. Will the pipe covered edge on the bucket still remove snow down to the pavement?

Is there a better way for combination paved/gravel driveways?

Thanks

 

[leonz]

In your case it is simply going to be "what do you want?
The pipe on the bucket edge is fine but you will not get bare pavement.

Short of buying a back blade and adding pneumatic caster wheels to control the cutting depth or a rear mount snow blower for the entire work load and changing the skid height every time you plow or blow snow your going to have to settle on one method or another.

Some of the members have plows that they mount in their loader buckets and do all the plowing with it.
Just keep in mind that if you do that you will have piles of snow and the wind will fill the driveway back up with snow if you
have a lot of wind driven snow.

A snow blower will get rid of it all in one pass and you have no build up on the side of the driveway.

A rear mount three point hitch snow blower of any brand is much less costly than a front mount.
A front mount kubota snow blower requires a mounting frame under the tractor and a reverser for
the mid point PTO which is supplied with the front mount snow blower.

 

[Reb954]

I have the steel pipe on my bucket edge and snowblower cutting edge. It works fine on both the paved driveway and the grass areas. Any snow that does get left would probably get left no matter what you did.

 

[Wolfy]

I used to have a Woods rear blade. I cut a tire into a L shape, and sandwiched it between the plow and edge. That worked mint on the grass. It would leave a little snow on pavement. I suspect a pipe would be the same way.

 

[TheMan419]

I like Edge Tamer - Move Snow With Your Tractor Loader Bucket – R2 Manufacturing to keep the gravel in the drive. However if you want to back drag away from the garage door or get the cement bare you have to take them off.

 

[s219]

I use a pipe on my rear blade to not disturb our gravel driveway, and it works fine on the concrete section up by the house.

I happen to think the FEL/bucket is sort of a last resort for clearing snow. Next cheapest option is a rear blade and works much much better.

 

[PILOON]

My 2bits.
I have plowed with a truck, used my FEL, and have a rear blower.
Some truck blades used a mushroom style of skid or shoe that is OK on pavement but useless on gravel. (on gravel they dig in until the base freezes)
Most blowers have much too small a skid (or shoe) for gravel drives.

The EDGE TAMER is a very clever, well designed and decently priced device for most bucket plowing applications.
Now if he could design a similar device for blowers* we'd keep the crushed stones off of the grass.

LOL, if you want your pavement to show then you want a rotary broom.
Face it, winter=snow and an inch or so should be no problem, in fact you really want a hard packed base, besides that base will fill in all the dips and lows.

LOL, our winter city maintained (mostly pot holes holding hands) is much nicer in the winter to drive on.

*I added wider and longer 'soles' on my blower and have no stones to rake come summer. Also very rarely sheer any bolts now. OK, so I leave 1" of snow but nothing the snow tires can't handle.

 

[BeeferMan]

I have a 2" pipe cut to fit over the 8' Fisher plow blade on my truck. It has a couple straps and bolts to hold it to the blade, I can take it on/off in about 2 minutes. To answer the OP, if the weight of the plow is sufficient, the pipe-edge will still scrape pavement pretty clean.

Also, regarding PVC, when I first had this idea I made a proof-of-concept model out of sch40 PVC. It proved the concept would work, but only lasted minutes before shattering, lol. Not a long term solution in my experience.

 

[hillwood]

I bolted on a 1x6 piece of poly to the bottom of my back blade. I removed the steel edge and put the polyurethane in its place.

 

[PILOON]

I bolted on a 1x6 piece of poly to the bottom of my back blade. I removed the steel edge and put the polyurethane in its place. View attachment 541791View attachment 541792

That is common practice for snow contractors that do cobble stone drives.

 

[RichM752]

This works for me on gravel drives and on asphalt I can see blacktop when I'm finished.

 

[grey goose]

I've seen a number of posts where members are using steel and Sch80 plastic pipe on the cutting edge of their plowblade and loader to keep from digging up gravel driveways. From what I've learned that's the go to method to save the driveway from being torn up.

But, how does it work out if the entire driveway is not gravel and part of it is paved? My driveway is 350' long but only the 40 feet directly in front of the garage is paved. Will the pipe covered edge on the bucket still remove snow down to the pavement?

Is there a better way for combination paved/gravel driveways?

Thanks

The pipe method works very well for gravel. The downside on pavement is the remaining thin layer of snow freezes/thaws/freezes into a thin layer of ice, unless the sun melts it off. YMMV of course ;^)

I push snow for myself (concrete) and 3 neighbors (asphalt). I'm a firm believer in putting pipe on the plow blade to protect the pavement. Don't need to be real fussy at the driveway/road borders. I used to use 2" Sched-80 PVC (2 pieces per season) but am trying 1-1/4" thinwall conduit this year. After 4 snows so far, there is some wear on the metal but it's holding up ok at this point. I used a metal blade on the table saw to cut out a 3/4" section of the conduit to create the gap required to fit it over the steel edge. With PVC, it just needs a saw kerf. PVC flexes enough to force it in place.

If the conduit holds up, s'all good but if not, I'll be putting on a 1" x 6" UHMW strip in place of the steel blade.

 

[PILOON]

I brief search will reveal a member that makes 'edge tamers' which in effect are mini clamp on small skids or shoes.
Price is reasonable IMHO.
No fuss no mess and for sure they will do the job.
Just clamp them on as needed.

I also have some paved and mostly graved drive and made a similar pair for both my pusher blade and as well installed oversized skids on my blower (I weld).
Naturally once my base is well frozen I can remove them.

Must add that first snow was not on yet frozen ground and I have to yet replace a sheer bolt on my blower this year.
Tamers do work!

 

[SpringHollow]

My plow has skid shoes like the edge tamer only even wider and they still dig in when the ground is soft.

Ken

 

[PILOON]

My plow has skid shoes like the edge tamer only even wider and they still dig in when the ground is soft.

Ken

It is a complicated balance between firmness of the ground and the weight of the blade.

Just like snow shoes.
Small bear paws are great for packed snow while large (awkward) ones are needed for powdered light snow.