Blizzard of '03

Charlie_Iliff · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

 Every seven years or so I need a snow blower. Today's the day.
How's everyone else doing?


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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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 · Feb 17, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

 then pushing it out to a clear spot. 

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 · Feb 17, 2003

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

Sedgewood · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Charlie:

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'.

We have about 15-18 inches here and finally it looks like it may go above 10 degrees for the first time since long before the storm was a gleam in Mother's eye and so with some luck I can get Petey started on moving it about. Petey is not so good for winging back the verges so I really have very limited options. The drive has been getting narower and narrower through the winter and already is down to about 8 feet. This may be a long day! My bucket too is now unreachable - must be a PT related behaviour!

Sedgewood

MossRoad · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Hmmm. Well. I saw a V-plow for a skid steer last night. Might just be the ticket for opening an impassable road.... oops, sorry, didn't mean to get the wallet opened again. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

MossRoad · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Just a tease

Click here for a link to their website. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

hazmat · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Charlie, glad you were able to blast your way thru. We got ~20" (hard to tell). I plowed 3 times, 6", 8" and 8". No problems, my ONE tire chain really helped (UPS hasn't delivered box #2 yet, was supposed to come friday, then monday, hopefully today).

I think with the plow, the key is to get out early & often. We've had a couple heavy wet snows that I wish I set my alarm to get me up in the middle of the night to get a run in. Pushing the snow is quicker than shoveling it with the Bucket.

Almost 8 feet of snow to date, still regretting not getting a snowblower.

Charlie_Iliff · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Scott:

We also got sleet, Monday morning early, which made the whole mess a lot heavier. Sleet at 20 degrees.

Not many snow blowers around, but the one little one in our area ran for about six hours yesterday, with several operators. For this stuff, it is definitely the answer. Too bad the ones for the PTs are so pricey.

Charlie_Iliff · Feb 18, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

 I think with the plow, the key is to get out early & often. 

I agree. I plowed three times Sunday, or I doubt I could have gotten it done Monday. Along with the 18" or so of snow, we got a bunch of the sleet that Scott mentioned. It made the whole mess really heavy. All of this was compounded by the wet snow Saturday which froze to about an inch of ice under everything. Whenever I'd plow all the way to that, I'd sit & spin.
But, I did a good enough job that I got to my ofice this morning. It is not an improvement over testerday. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

bubenberg · Feb 19, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

well Charlie, we finally got some. and the question with those high piles on either side of the driveways, parking lots and all other piles, what are we going to do with them next weekend.

i would like to share some of my seat time with Mr. M. R. i have way too many this snow storm. I left Sunday around noon and did not get back until Tuesday 5 AM. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The Cheap Snow Plow (CSP) made it through the first 24 hours of pushing, then a pin broke on the hydraulics. Today we are going back to R/D to reinforce the construction and pin somewhat, for the next weekend snow.

by that time the CSP failed it would have become not too effective anyhow. the larger Kubota and the 64 inch snow blower attachment, which was at home, would have become very handy. the logistics, the road conditions to slide a 22 foot trailer over a fifty mile customer base circle was not possible.

as some of you indicated, the pushing of snow in a straight line becomes a problem, especially up hill. in many cases this is the only way for me to get onto a property.

so i always remember just before i get myself into trouble, what my old men told me to do:"think fish" (how the bones of a fish are attached to the vertebrae), when it get's to a foot or higher.

what does he mean by this, right from the onset, when you execute your second push. make it at a 15 to 25 degree angle from your intended direction, once to the left and to the right, and so on.

but never the full with of either the bucket or plow. that will allow you:to push further, and to open for many consecutive snow falls in the future.

in order to be better ready for the next snow season we are going to post the progress of a Canadian build snow blower conversion to be used on either the 1800 or 400 series pt. we are investigating the necessary hydraulic or auxiliary gas engine conversion. then watch out snow storm of ??????

MossRoad · Feb 19, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

Thanks for the update... we were begining to wonder if you were under a pile of snow somewhere. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I remember the fish pattern from when we use to get snow around here 25 years ago. I hated to do it, but what else could you do when it gets that deep?

So, other than the CSP, how did the green beastie perform? Would a Vplow have helped to open up any areas?

bubenberg · Feb 19, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

re; V-Plow: i have often thought of making one. never tried one out. but wish i would have one, when the snow is heavy. in those instances the CSP, in the extreme left and right position has a tendency to follow the point if you are not too watchful. i think that is why the V-Plows are so popular from ATV's to Locomotives. The pt 400 falling in both divisions /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

the beasty does fine, just have to take smaller bits, i was still as fast cleaning everything, including sidewalk, across the street they were two , a plow truck and a walk behind snow blower. as a stated before, the truck can only push one way, with ease at the time, we push each way, all the time, anywhere, anyhow.

The bucket saved the day, the V-plow would have gone further longer/higher in these snow amounts. Oh by the way, i finally got stuck after 700 hrs, not once but twice, and can proudly say, it was impatiens or politically correct only operators fault . Not mine, never ..../ there was nobody out there with me .... get the hint. So i ended up shoveling snow anyhow for punishment.

 if you are trailering anywhere, make sure you have your bucket or plow ready to push as you come of the ramp, otherwise you are going to shovel ... get the hint?!?!?!

Sedgewood · Feb 19, 2003

Re: Blizzard of \'03

 i finally got stuck 

me too! I got astraddle a hard packed ridge on a path I made by trampling the snow all winter - finally had enough trampling and decided to plow it. No simple run with 18 inches of powder atop 18 inches off compressed all-winter snowfall. Plowing up hill, especially in the 10-15% range is a really slow go. And PT just won't go anywhere with snow under its wheels - even downhill - so there was just no way I could blast my way to the top and start from there. Like Hans says - be ready to move snow coming down the ramps. Once you land in the deep stuff the thing just sits and digs wheel holes - one at a time - while you tune your shovel. Chains might help - anybody know? It looks at first glance like there might be enough clearance for chains on the 1845. Charlie, how was traction with your turfs in the deep stuff?

Now if I could remember to park at the top when snow is forcast - at the top of BOTH hills. Hmmm.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sedgewood