First time plowing snow

[seville009]

if the snow is powdery as you say, turn the back blade around so that you’re dragging it in reverse. It won’t dig in that way. May take a few passes, but it’ll work.

 

[RjCorazza]

if the snow is powdery as you say, turn the back blade around so that you’re dragging it in reverse. It won’t dig in that way. May take a few passes, but it’ll work.

This is how I plowed my drive before I paved it. Works great.
With my current plow setup (front and rear blades) I still push backwards with the rear blade when moving snow off the driveway edge... Just glides right over the grass.

 

[kenmbz]

Start on the high side of driveway. push to the side and come back the other way, pushing to the other side.

 

[killingitcountry]

I think that a lot of us try to be too perfect when we're plowing snow. I always have to remind myself that it doesn't have to be absolutely flat with every piece of snow moved off the driveway. Just get it done - if that means leaving a bit of snow on the driveway and not tearing things up - then so be it! Damage to a driveway may not disappear as easily as snow melting. Best of luck!

 

[Mallard1]

Thanks for all the advice, we are up to 18in now so looking forward to pushing it around. Last time we got anything close to this was 2001 and it was around 14in.

 

[TerryR]

You said it's powdery, so you may get by with using the back blade. My experience is 18" is too much for the back blade -- it piles up under the tractor. In that case the FEL is the choice, and that's very slow going as you can't push the snow off to the side while running. So it's push for a while, with the bucket down but clear of the ground, then turn off to the side off the driveway, then back up and go again. Then clean up with the back blade. Last time we had 18" it took me two days to do our quarter-mile driveway (I'm not into long days).

 

[Mallard1]

You said it's powdery, so you may get by with using the back blade. My experience is 18" is too much for the back blade -- it piles up under the tractor. In that case the FEL is the choice, and that's very slow going as you can't push the snow off to the side while running. So it's push for a while, with the bucket down but clear of the ground, then turn off to the side off the driveway, then back up and go again. Then clean up with the back blade. Last time we had 18" it took me two days to do our quarter-mile driveway (I'm not into long days).

I致e got all day to get it cleared out and I believe my truck would make it the 200yds to the road if I had to. My wife doesn稚 have anywhere to go until Saturday and she can take my truck if she has to.

Next week temperatures are going to be in the mid 60s so it will for sure be gone by then.

 

[CobyRupert]

When plowing snow with my rear (back) blade I let the “tilt” (not angle) function of the blade free-float so that blade follows the contours of the ground independent of the tractor rocking one way or another.
Otherwise, one side of the blade can dig into the ground while the other blade side raises up when the tractor tilts (rolls) left or right ahead of the blade.

Also, say you’re plowing a lane and trying to move 4 “blade widths” of snow to the left. With big snows or heavy snow sometimes you can’t just start on the right and roll the snow left onto the snow you need to move with the next pass. Example: With 18” of snow, on the third pass you’re trying to plow 54” worth of snow to the left. Doesn’t always work.
You have to think ahead about how many “pass worths” of snow you can move before you’ve combined too much. And where is that snow going.
Sometimes you might have to start on the (left) destination side, and clear those 4 “blade widths” individually. This might take (1+2+3+4=) 10 passes.
(Results may vary)

(Edit: Or as more simply said below: Start on edges. Work towards middle)

 

[airbiscuit]

Best advice so far:

Shorten the top link so the blade doesn't sut in as much
Keep the plow elevated 1" 0r 2" so it doesn't scrape the gravel so much
Rotating the blade all the way around so is "backwards" will keep it from digging in but not sure how well that will work with 18" of snow

Which tractor will you be using?

My other thoughts
I would do the edges first (center last) because you don't want to make a big windrow and then have to plow that and another plow width over the edge
At 18" deep, I would elevate the plow 6" for my first pass just for the weight on the rear tires and traction (an easier pull)
Finally, if I know a big snow is coming and I'm around, I will plow a couple of times with smaller snow depths rather than wait till the storm has dumped a lot of snow and fight that.

 

[deezler]

I think that a lot of us try to be too perfect when we're plowing snow. I always have to remind myself that it doesn't have to be absolutely flat with every piece of snow moved off the driveway. Just get it done - if that means leaving a bit of snow on the driveway and not tearing things up - then so be it! Damage to a driveway may not disappear as easily as snow melting. Best of luck!

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.