Blizzard of '03

[Charlie_Iliff]

Blizzard of \'03

I figured it's worth a new thread.
We didn't quite get 2 feet. By my eye, there's about 18", with drifts over 3'.
I had sense enougn to bring the PT to my house, up the hill from its usual abode, but didn't have sense enough to bring up the bucket, which is now inaccessible.
The 1845 plows deep stuff with difficulty, but by taking small crossways bites and piling high beside the road, it clears pretty well. As Sedgewood observed a while back, all plowing is downhill. Don't even think about plowing up even a small slope.
The road to my wife's horse barn, which runs between a bank and a fence, is not passable. I plowed it three times yesterday, but it filled with a new foot plus overnight. Without the bucket, I can't put the snow over the fence, and I can't get enough crosswise in the road to build a bank against the fence. So, that road is simply impassable to the PT, which high centers immediately if I try to skim off the top, or stacks it and stops if I try to take a serious bite.
Every seven years or so I need a snow blower. Today's the day. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
How's everyone else doing?

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

The few times I pushed it until it wouldn't push any more, I ended up back dragging big bites out of it, turning around and backing over it, then pushing it out to a clear spot. Then I tipped the plow all the way back to act as a scoop, and pushed it up and over the side.

As far as snowfall goes, we got nothin' /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

The grass is sticking through in most places.

Good luck.

 

[hazmat]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

<font color="blue"> Every seven years or so I need a snow blower. Today's the day.
How's everyone else doing?
</font>

I know the feeling, 6 feet of snow to date. 15-25 inches predicted by tomorrow. It's only been snowing here for a couple hours. I'll let you know tomorrow how I made out. I plan on a couple passes tonight, & again in the morning.

I'm glad I took some time to relocate a portion of my snow banks. At least I've got a place to put the snow.

I'm really glad that the tractor, blade & FEL are all in the attached garage!

Regarding your impassable road, have you tried "backblading" it? Drive foward as far as you can w/o getting stuck. Then drop the blade & reverse pulling the snow with you. hopefully at the beginning of the road, you've got a place to stack it.

Good luck

 

[bryce]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

We recieved a whole lot of snow here in NO. VA. I have the ATV with a 48" plow. What I need now is a FEL. I have mounds 4'-5' high and cant push any higher. I hi-centered this AM. pulling out of the garage. Dug it out and backed up into the garage. I then got a running start at the snow, and almost got stuck. I backed up and what did I see on the clean white snow-------BROWN------spot. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I pull it into the garage and find the leak. I also change the oil and filter. OK /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Im ready to go!! I fire it up again and now have 3 oil leaks, not 1. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I then go in the house and have lunch. Now I am surfing.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Well Charlie - I am very impressed with the 1845

I did my drive three times and I also did five of my neighbors
one with a 1/3 mile drive - I think the thing is an animal
It just takes a little practice plowing with an articulation machine - you also have to know when to plow with float and not using float - but I already learned that with the 425 - I usually just ease off the float towards the end of my pass and you can pile the stuff 10 ft high

My estimate is we have around 20-24 inches - they say it will top out around 30 inches plus - have not seen a storm like this for a long time -

I had a blast - the machine is very strong - and I love the 84 inch with the rubber lip - works much better than my 60 inch without the lip - I really think the lip makes a difference

I also have plowed fairly easily up hill - not for great distances
but the machine has no problem with it

 

[marrt]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

I played (I mean plowed) for four hours today. I agree that one of the best and quickest ways to “plow” with a bucket is to move in an arc and dump the snow on the sides of the road. Left, then right, then left, then right, and so on….

I must say that I am absolutely amazed at the traction of the 425 with bar tires. I didn’t get stuck even once today, even though I high-centered numerous times. I even managed to help my neighbor get his truck unstuck by pushing on the front bumper with the bucket (its an old two wheel drive work truck).

 

[ernemats]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

We got probably about 15 inches of snow yesterday and last night. I decided to use my big tractor with a back blade and bucket to clear our driveway, because i do not have a blade for my pt . I got it all cleaned up without any problem and also did our neighbors. I then used the power trac to clean up some areas and to dig a path to my outside wood burner about 100 feet. The snow would constantly come over top of the bucket after going just a short distance, would then have to push it off to the side and continue doing the same. It probably took 10 minutes but it sure beat using the shovel.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Hazmat: I did try backblading, but I had about 300 feet to do, so that would have taken all week. I finally learned just to get a run with the blade angled and blast into the pile with the blade on the upswing. As long as I didn't go too far and high center, I was able to pile it as high as the fence and squeeze by on the uphill side. Only had to use a shovel once, but it still took a while.
I think as long as there's room, the blade beats a bucket, but I sure wished a few times that I hadn't left the bucket behind.
But, got the barn clear, easy walk now, and horses well cared for, as ever. Even cleared to my sister's barn, so her horses have hay, as well.
The PT 1845 ran just about the same amount of time as our 2240 John Deere, with chains and bucket, and the PT cleared about half again as much.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

<font color="red"> then pushing it out to a clear spot. </font>

That's the problem. I ran out of clear spots about noon Sunday. Back dragging worked great to clear gates, doorways, the sawdust bin, and water faucet, but for the roads I had to pull back too far for the amount I could pull. I'd bite about a foot, and have to pull back 100' -- and that was at the beginning of the "impassable" road. With use of brute force and momentum, it's now passable,

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Charlie,
Not as much snow down here in St. Mary's Co., but lots of sleet - about 8 inches worth. It's icy and pretty hard to plow - did the crossways thing on one neighbor's drive, but managed to get my street done with a good crab to the tractor. Cleared out a couple other neighbor's drives and tried to get as many mailboxes clear as I could. Lot's of comments on how "cool" my tractor is /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Scott