Deep snow techniques?

[Royboy]

We got 39 Inches of snow yesterday. I have an older Kubota B2410 with FEL and Woods rear blade. I have Turf tires front and back since I primarily mow fields with it, but do have chains on the back so am not entirely immobile.

It took me all day to just get out of the garage and 50 feet down the driveway (paved). Once I get to end of my paved drive I am then looking at about 1/4 mile of gravel drive.
My biggest problem seems to be how little ground clearance I have under my frame, but this is really deep snow and the drifts are even higher. Finding a place to put the snow as I move it a bucket at at time is a real challenge. Just not sure how to attack it.
We don't get a lot of snow here, and I am just not that experienced at moving it effectively with my machine. If anyone has any common sense (or other!) tips that would help me get the best idea I can on tackling this problem would be much appreciated!
Thanks much!
Roy

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

Unfortunately with 39" of snow I think the FEL is your only option. In the future you should consider staying on top of the snow so you can use your back blade, as it is much faster. Unfortunately this requires going out in the worst of the storm every few hours to hit the drive with one quick pass.

 

[Ivan49]

Staying on the top of it is best but you can get it now. Go at an angle on your drive and keep backing up then go forward taking about a half width of your bucket at a time. Once you get it opened up to the road repeat on the other side. Once that is done you can go back and clean up the bottom and widen the drive out if you want. 39 inches of snow is a lot at one shot but here we have got as much as 2 foot over night. I use to plow a drive that was 1/8 mile long like this then I bought a 5 foot blower

 

[MossRoad]

Try doing a herring bone pattern, where you push the snow to the left, then back up and push the snow to the right. Then repeat. Once you get one good path to the left or right, as someone mentioned, take 1/2 width passes if your tractor can't handle full scoops. And if possible, push it back off the sides of the drive as far as you can. If you don't, you'll end up with high walls on a narrow road and you'll have a lot of trouble finding places to put more snow if you get any more. And take lots of pictures. You'll shake your head when you look at them again in 10 years.

 

[varmint]

Or, like the railroads used(?) to do... they mounted a surplus jet engine on a flatcar, angled downwards, and slowly ran it to burn off whatever was in the blast. Just imagine what some JP 4 (just tractor diesel, right?) could do carefully aimed in front of you at 3000 degrees! Sorry I don't have a real idea!

 

[jenkinsph]

Try doing a herring bone pattern, where you push the snow to the left, then back up and push the snow to the right. Then repeat. Once you get one good path to the left or right, as someone mentioned, take 1/2 width passes if your tractor can't handle full scoops. And if possible, push it back off the sides of the drive as far as you can. If you don't, you'll end up with high walls on a narrow road and you'll have a lot of trouble finding places to put more snow if you get any more. And take lots of pictures. You'll shake your head when you look at them again in 10 years.

Day after Christmas we got about 24 inches and I used the herring bone pattern in reverse with my garden tractor and rear blade. Worked very well considering how much snow I had to move.

 

[newbury]

Try doing a herring bone pattern, where you push the snow to the left, then back up and push the snow to the right. Then repeat. Once you get one good path to the left or right, as someone mentioned, take 1/2 width passes if your tractor can't handle full scoops. And if possible, push it back off the sides of the drive as far as you can. If you don't, you'll end up with high walls on a narrow road and you'll have a lot of trouble finding places to put more snow if you get any more. And take lots of pictures. You'll shake your head when you look at them again in 10 years.

What he wrote.
You don't say where you are or if you expect more snow but if there is ANY chance you will, be sure to get it cleared back several feet at least. The last time I had to do it I would drive up over the curb to dump a bucket load.

Though I like the idea of a jet engine melting it, if you have one handy

 

[Rustyiron]

Try doing a herring bone pattern, where you push the snow to the left, then back up and push the snow to the right. Then repeat And take lots of pictures.

This is the best way for not enough tractor and too much snow, and 39" is too much snow for most tratcors!
Like Moss said, push it back a few extra feet. This way you can "rough it in" with the above method, leaving whatever amount of snow you feel will not hang up the tractor, and clean it up with your rear blade, putting it in this extra space. Where are ya? We need some pics!

 

[Looking4new]

I would do what MossRoad said.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would have posted some pics but I can't seem to upload anything new for the last month.