BX clearing first snow with FEL

[tractorgp]

Cool vid Bob. Nice to see you out on the BX again. That was just enough snow to get us used to being back in the seat again. You fellows in the city are tougher than us out around the bay. I was in a cabbed tractor with a hat and gloves on and you were on an open station tractor without them :laughing:

Let me know if you need any help with that blower. You know where we are. The GoPro did a nice job and so did you :thumbsup:

Thanks Paul... I have a (thermally) hot head so only wear head protection when absolutely necessary. Doing pretty good getting the snow blower back in shape and hope to have a video of it later (I know you are there on standby )

 

[MikePA]

Agree with all you say and that snow in the video was sticky too so often hard to get out of the bucket.

If the snow is sticky, I coat the interior of my bucket with cooking spray. It only lasts for one plowing session, but is a cheap solution that works for me.

 

[tractorgp]

You seem to be saying two different things. Is it really 'frozen ice' or just packed snow? If cars sink into it, how can it be 'frozen ice'?

A few comments, from someone who has used a FEL to clear driveways for over a decade.

1. The capacity of the FEL bucket is almost irrelevant. You are using the FEL like a pusher shovel with the advantage it does the lifting and dumping with hydraulics instead of your back. You use the FEL to push the snow where you want it, then dump it, as the video shows.

2. Neither a FEL nor a snow blower will handle anything that's frozen. In other words, if you don't deal with the snow the plow throws into your driveway soon after it happens, and let it freeze there, you will have a problem.

3. The same goes for the pile of snow that 'builds up towards the end of winter', which is not a drift but rather an almost frozen mountain of snow. I've tried to relocate such a snow pile with a FEL and it can be a challenge.

4. FELs, rear blades, and front blades all do the same thing, i.e., you use them to push the snow from where you don't want it to where you do. The FEL has the advantage it can be use to move snow, not just push it. It's disadvantage is it can't be angled.

Based on the threads on TBN, if you live where snow falls tend to be 12" or more at a time, people usually have snow blowers. But they are more expensive, rear mounted ones require looking over your shoulder which seems to get more 'painful' with age. Front blowers are more expensive than rear blowers but are less 'painful' to use.

Not much to argue with there Mike. Only thing for me is when we get real heavy snow falls. Getting out of the garage with the FEL alone would be a real challenge - hard to push a couple of feet of snow piled up at the garage door. I always have my rear mounted snow blower pointed out.

 

[tractorgp]

Another nice video . That magnet held the go pro on ok . Looks like you got more snow then we got here . We got some snow but not enough to put the plow on the truck or take out the tractor .

We got about 15 cm so nothing to worry about for sure, and as you know the forecast calls for temps in the 10 degree (celsius) range for a couple of days so hopefully it will all melt and give me more time to get my snow blower back on the road

 

[MikePA]

Only thing for me is when we get real heavy snow falls. Getting out of the garage with the FEL alone would be a real challenge - hard to push a couple of feet of snow piled up at the garage door. I always have my rear mounted snow blower pointed out.

Agreed - The last time we received over a foot of snow, the same thing happened to me. Plus the wind direction created a higher drift in front of the garage. Even in 4wd and wheel weights, I could not push the snow very far. Chains would have helped. I had to push the snow until I spun, dump the snow next to the driveway, push another 10 feet, dump, and repeat until I got to the end of the driveway. I can usually push the snow from the garage the entire length of the driveway, across the street and dump it well off the street. (Plow drivers get REAL upset if you don't and in some places it maybe illegal) Not with snow this deep. Once i had created this 'path', I could back up to the garage and take less than a full bucket width which allowed me to push it across the street.

The FEL and a front blade can be angled (front to back for both, not left to right for a FEL) to scrape down to the driveway, as long as the FEL/front blade are not in float mode. A rear blade can be angled front to back (as well as left/right) but I'm not sure it can be locked in place. If it can't, it would tend to just ride on top of the hard packed snow.

P.S.
Before we had the NH, I used our Wheel Horse garden tractor with a front blade. It actually worked rather well since the blade frame was anchored on the rear axle. I could push the snow across the street but could not get it very far off the street. Without a FEL, I could not move it farther off the street. As we got more and more snow, the pile across the street inched closer to the street. Eventually, the plow truck driver stopped while I was out plowing and made it clear I could no longer push the snow across the street. He explained it was not only close the the street, it was also now almost solid. He explained what could happen to his dump truck if his plow hit this unmovable object. Lesson learned.

 

[tractorgp]

Agreed - The last time we received over a foot of snow, the same thing happened to me. Plus the wind direction created a higher drift in front of the garage. Even in 4wd and wheel weights, I could not push the snow very far. Chains would have helped. I had to push the snow until I spun, dump the snow next to the driveway, push another 10 feet, dump, and repeat until I got to the end of the driveway. I can usually push the snow from the garage the entire length of the driveway, across the street and dump it well off the street. (Plow drivers get REAL upset if you don't and in some places it maybe illegal) Not with snow this deep. Once i had created this 'path', I could back up to the garage and take less than a full bucket width which allowed me to push it across the street.

The FEL and a front blade can be angled (front to back for both, not left to right for a FEL) to scrape down to the driveway, as long as the FEL/front blade are not in float mode. A rear blade can be angled front to back (as well as left/right) but I'm not sure it can be locked in place. If it can't, it would tend to just ride on top of the hard packed snow.

P.S.
Before we had the NH, I used our Wheel Horse garden tractor with a front blade. It actually worked rather well since the blade frame was anchored on the rear axle. I could push the snow across the street but could not get it very far off the street. Without a FEL, I could not move it farther off the street. As we got more and more snow, the pile across the street inched closer to the street. Eventually, the plow truck driver stopped while I was out plowing and made it clear I could no longer push the snow across the street. He explained it was not only close the the street, it was also now almost solid. He explained what could happen to his dump truck if his plow hit this unmovable object. Lesson learned.

When I push snow across the street I always make sure that I push back a bit further than the city plow line... don't want any reason for complaints (or safety concerns).

 

[MikePA]

When I push snow across the street I always make sure that I push back a bit further than the city plow line... don't want any reason for complaints (or safety concerns).

We do not have curbs on our street, but like you, I always push the snow well off the pavement. When the snow gets anywhere close to getting near the pavement, I make a few passes parallel to the edge of the pavement to make sure the plow driver can both easier see the edge of the road and see that the snow from my driveway is not in his way. This is also a situation where the FEL comes in handy since it allows me to move the snow if I have to.

 

[Thomas]

tractorgp.
"When I push snow across the street I always make sure that I push back a bit further than the city plow line... don't want any reason for complaints (or safety concerns)"
......................................................................................
Always good practice,and there some wonder why they pay hefty fine for leaving snow in the road.

 

[MikePA]

I even clean up the snow that dribbles from both sides of the FEL bucket. They usually are not very high, probably lower than the skid shoes on the plow, but I don't want even them freezing on the road.

 

[seal oil]

Thanks Paul... I have a (thermally) hot head so only wear head protection when absolutely necessary. Doing pretty good getting the snow blower back in shape and hope to have a video of it later (I know you are there on standby )

There you go tractorgp . The old true Newfoundland way . One Newfoundlander helping the other out when needed . I have watched all of the videos that you and Paul have put on You tube and enjoyed all of them .