First time plowing snow

[Mallard1]

Tractor is 48hp 4wd with loaded R4 tires

I知 going to get started after riding the kids around in the sxs for a little bit, this very well could be the most snow they ever see in south Arkansas. It痴 a shame they aren稚 big enough to really get out and play in it. The oldest is 3 and had a hard time moving around before the last 10in fell.

I am looking forward to plowing it off, doubt I ever have to do this again.

Thanks for all of the help I値l take a few pictures and you can judge how bad I did.

 

[deezler]

I知 going to get started after riding the kids around in the sxs for a little bit, this very well could be the most snow they ever see in south Arkansas. It痴 a shame they aren稚 big enough to really get out and play in it. The oldest is 3 and had a hard time moving around before the last 10in fell.
.

Nah get 'em out there regardless! And take lots of pics, of course. I can't wait to get home after work today and play in the snow until dinnertime with my 7-yr old son and 1.5yr old daughter. She wobbles around and falls down a good bit when the snow is deep, but still has a blast.

 

[Mallard1]

took a little bit to get a feel for it, but I got most of it plowed off. I'll hit it again tomorrow to finish it off. I started with the blade spun backwards and it did good getting it down to about 6". then the bottom 6" was packed down and I had to spin it to make it cut down. I did find out on a slight incline the R4 tires do not like the slick packed down ice. thanks for all the help.

 

[George2615]

took a little bit to get a feel for it, but I got most of it plowed off. I'll hit it again tomorrow to finish it off. I started with the blade spun backwards and it did good getting it down to about 6". then the bottom 6" was packed down and I had to spin it to make it cut down. I did find out on a slight incline the R4 tires do not like the slick packed down ice. thanks for all the help.

Not just R4's that don't like ice. No tires like ice. Studs or chains are required for ice.

 

[suburbanfarmer]

For winter instead of chains I was thinking of doing this
MaxiGrip - Screw Studs for DIY - Tires - YouTube
May find something locally

 

[killingitcountry]

This is a really good point. I occasionally get a little too obsessed with having a pure and perfectly clean driveway lane, when my vehicles and most visitors/deliveries could easily navigate a few clods of snow here and there. The end result is snow melt in March or April and I see rows of gravel pushed 2-4' out into my grass, ugh.

At least here in Michigan this year, the heavier and repeated snowfalls didn't start until the ground was nice and frozen, and some little snows had packed into my gravel. So I can scrape it hard at full speed to better throw the snow and be done quicker/cleaner.

Deezler - we've all done it haha! I'm more about doing the bare minimum snow clearing to keep people coming and going safely in winter. Less wear and tear on the machinery and keeps the hours down ... If I had a cab tractor I would accumulate more winter hours lol
-James

 

[oosik]

Some years we get a whole lot of snow BEFORE my mile long gravel driveway freezes up, hard. Rotate your rear blade 180 degrees and go, forward, like smoke and oakum. You might have to make more than a single pass each way. However - this will certainly ensure your gravel stays where it is supposed to.

 

[TerryR]

Actually, in our case getting the gravel as clean as possible is often essential. We are in the mountains in western North Carolina, at 3,500 ft. elevation. We're not far from warmer lowlands, so our snow is often heavy and wet. In many cases the weather quickly gets warm and the snow melts.

But other times it stays at or below freezing for a week or more, and in those cases getting the driveway clean is essential. We have several shady, north-facing sections that are pretty steep - 23% grade. If we drive on the wet snow before scraping it clean it turns to ice, and I can't get it off at all. Trying to drive up, or down for that matter, a 23% grade covered with hard-packed snow and ice is more excitement than I like on a cold winter day.

We stayed in for over a week one time this winter when I though it would get warm enough to melt so didn't plow, but instead it warmed just enough for half of it to melt down then turned cold and it all turned to ice.