Evaluation of snow removal tools

[blackd]

Rockj and those others in the colder regimes where: "The snow piles have some real hang time here, might look at the same one for months." That is the biggest difference from those of us in the more moderate climes, where snow piles have a limited shelf life. As noted by the others in the Mid-Atlantic regions the weekend snow is already gone. Your longer shelf life is rare in our area(s). What we need is to get out of the drive/neighborhood in the 1st-2nd day after our wetter snows.

As an example of the difference, during the heavy 2010-2011 snows it took two of us two days using FELs and back blades to do what I did in 2 1/2 hrs Sunday. Yes, there was a difference in snow depths, but not so much that it explains the significant difference in time/effort.

 

[LD1]

Not saying blowers dont have their place, but IMO they are over hyped and over recommended here on the forum.

Yes, blowers do a cleaner job usually. And yes they move the snow farther away. So if you live in an area that gets LOTS of snow, then a blower may be the only option.

But they have their downfalls. As mentioned, they arent really good in the wet heavy snow, they are slower, they are messy especially with an open station machine, and they cost alot more.

And angled plow, weather it be a rear blade or front, is the fastest and most efficient way to get snow off the drive. And if you dont live in the mountains and have steep drops off the sides of the drive, you can get the snow far enough away that you wont have issues come late winter and no where to roll the snow to.

There is a reason you dont see all the contractors running around with blowers doing drives and parking lots.

And the big key around here.....dont get over aggressive about plowing just because you want to play with your new toy. If we get 3" of snow......and its supposed to warm up in 2 or 3 days.....I dont plow. 3" dont cause me any issues. Let it melt off naturally in a few days. Plowing will make a big pile that will take an extended warm up to completely melt off.

IF we get enough snow to warrant plowing, yes it makes big piles. But next time we get some warm weather that will melt some of it, I will spread the piles out to increase its surface area and help it to disappear.

 

[IndyIan]

What I think would be good is a double sided rear blade so I could plow forwards and backwards.

 

[Rocky J]

What I think would be good is a double sided rear blade so I could plow forwards and backwards.

How about this one with the ice rippers and front and back cutting edge?
King Kutter 4' Box Blade BB-48-XB- by King Kutter Inc for $494.99 in King Kutter - Brands : Rural King

 

[FatTire]

Not saying blowers dont have their place, but IMO they are over hyped and over recommended here on the forum.

Yes, blowers do a cleaner job usually. And yes they move the snow farther away. So if you live in an area that gets LOTS of snow, then a blower may be the only option.

But they have their downfalls. As mentioned, they arent really good in the wet heavy snow, they are slower, they are messy especially with an open station machine, and they cost alot more.

And angled plow, weather it be a rear blade or front, is the fastest and most efficient way to get snow off the drive. And if you dont live in the mountains and have steep drops off the sides of the drive, you can get the snow far enough away that you wont have issues come late winter and no where to roll the snow to.

There is a reason you dont see all the contractors running around with blowers doing drives and parking lots.

And the big key around here.....dont get over aggressive about plowing just because you want to play with your new toy. If we get 3" of snow......and its supposed to warm up in 2 or 3 days.....I dont plow. 3" dont cause me any issues. Let it melt off naturally in a few days. Plowing will make a big pile that will take an extended warm up to completely melt off.

IF we get enough snow to warrant plowing, yes it makes big piles. But next time we get some warm weather that will melt some of it, I will spread the piles out to increase its surface area and help it to disappear.

This is a good summary. Some people (like us) need a blower, but I wouldn't want to have to get by with ONLY a blower. I always plow when it makes sense, it is quick and easy. But this week the wind really blew and we're starting to run out of convenient places to pile snow, so my threshold for blowing snow just dropped from 8 to 10 inches to about 5". I'm in the same situation at one of our neighbors, running out of room on a key section of driveway. At a 3rd place we still have room and we'll keep plowing small and medium storms until it doesn't make sense.

 

[andy1981]

There are some cool videos on youtube of tractors with inverted blowers doing residential driveways in only about 30 seconds each

 

[leonz]

Some of us my self included have to depend on a snow caster as
we have no room to plow anything away and I live on a state road.

Many of us live on county roads too and they frown on snow being pushed
across the road especially leaving windrows that can and will cause a car
to go out of control.

My neighbors up and down the road have been doing this for years
and has never been nailed by the county or state law enforcement agencies.

Some old bitty complained about my truck being on the shoulder of the road
one day (with my flashers and beacon running to mark it) to the state police
a couple of years ago when the state DOT in its ultimate wisdom buried my
driveway in a foot thick rock salt ice dam and I could not safely enter my driveway.

 

[Jeff F.]

My driveway is a quarter mile long through a woods that brings me to the house. Then I have a turn circle in front of the house, a 70 foot side driveway to my shed and a 200 foot driveway between my shop and garage.

I started with an ATV and plow. Then I bought a truck with plow and a skid steer. I kept running out of room for snow on the quarter mile stretch and would need my dad to bring over his tractor and rear blower to make room for more snow.

My plow truck died and the skid steer is terrible in snow without chains (asphalt driveway). I hated looking behind me using the tractor and blower. My solution is a tractor with a front mount blower. I never need to worry about moving snow to make more room. It has been working for me for 6 years now.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

There are some cool videos on youtube of tractors with inverted blowers doing residential driveways in only about 30 seconds each

Inverted blowers are cool but the one thing they don't do that traditional blowers do is blow back snowbanks and high drifts.

 

[motownbrowne]

My driveway is a quarter mile long through a woods that brings me to the house. Then I have a turn circle in front of the house, a 70 foot side driveway to my shed and a 200 foot driveway between my shop and garage.

I started with an ATV and plow. Then I bought a truck with plow and a skid steer. I kept running out of room for snow on the quarter mile stretch and would need my dad to bring over his tractor and rear blower to make room for more snow.

My plow truck died and the skid steer is terrible in snow without chains (asphalt driveway). I hated looking behind me using the tractor and blower. My solution is a tractor with a front mount blower. I never need to worry about moving snow to make more room. It has been working for me for 6 years now.

I would love to put a front blower on my NH. I think a front blower with a light back blade would be an awesome combo. For deep snow, use the blower. For lighter snowfalls, use the blade to windrow the snow, then finish with the blower. There was a guy selling a front blower that fit my machine on Craigslist last winter. I saved his number and meant to call during the summer but forgot.