Snow Hours moving snow

[Dyer retired]

offcamber,

Don't feel too bad, at least it's under a tarp. I looked at the calendar and see that it's only Wednesday....you must be chomping at the bit for this weekend? Something else I forgot to mention.....don't be too disappointed when the delivery guy doesn't seem as excited about your new BX24 as you are...I guess it must get pretty routine for them seeing new owners?

I used to have a State issue car and when I got the tractor, the car went outside and the tractor inside. My pickup sits outside all the time, but truthfully, I have more money in the tractor than I do the truck, so I don't mind. Growing up, the garage in my parents house was built into the house and heated with a second level below it for woodworking equipment. I didn't realize how nice a set up that was until I was out on my own. Now, I would not go without an attached garage and would actually like to have additional garage space, but as is the case with everyone else....can't afford to heat the house and build extra garage space! Dyer, retired

 

[Dyer retired]

offcamber,

you must be chomping at the bit for this weekend?

: "chomp" is a dialect variation of "champ", which means to chew vigorously or nervously, to grind the teeth, "champing at the bit" describes the behavior of a horse, anxious to get going. If you have ever ridden horseback you know what that looks like. (The bit, of course is the metal rod in the horse's mouth attached to the reins, with which one controls the animal.

I got looking at "Chomping" and it suddenly look correct. I guess I lucked out on it being close. Dyer, retired

 

[Dyer retired]

offcamber,

you must be chomping at the bit for this weekend?

: "chomp" is a dialect variation of "champ", which means to chew vigorously or nervously, to grind the teeth, "champing at the bit" describes the behavior of a horse, anxious to get going. If you have ever ridden horseback you know what that looks like. (The bit, of course is the metal rod in the horse's mouth attached to the reins, with which one controls the animal.

I got looking at "Chomping" and it suddenly look correct. I guess I lucked out on it being close. Dyer, retired

Meant to say, "suddenly DIDN'T look correct. I give up.

 

[peterc38]

easygo,

I hate to keep talking old, but as a "born and raised Mainer" it does seem like snow amounts were more severe in Caribou when I was a kid. I think they said the record was 182 inches in one year in Maine? I thought we'd be getting close to that, but are still off by about 40 inches, so my memory is apparently flawed. Although, I do remember weeks on end of sub zero temps. and we haven't had that kind of winter for several years.

I'm not interested in setting the record this year and am starting to think about sharpening mmm blades, etc. I do find that where I live in Belgrade, on the West side of Route 135, seems to be some magical cutoff line. If Joe Cupo says it will snow 10 inches in the Augusta area and 14 inches toward the Western Mountains....we get the 14 inches every time. I think his coastal forecasts have been pretty close though. How did you do overnight? Dyer, retired

I think 180 inches is about right for the record in Caribou that is what I heard too. They are on pace to break it as well as many other places in Maine I believe. That is a lot of snow for a place that has no lake effect snow and is not mountainous. We have had about 130-140 inches in southwestern maine this year would be my estimate, but to be honest I have kind of lost track. That is without any big northeasters really, just one medium size storm after another of 8-12 inches. When did you grow up in caribou? My wife is from there and her brother still lives there.

 

[Dyer retired]

peterc38,

I was in Caribou from 1954 through 1972. Joined the Navy after High School and was in Virginia Beach from 1972 to 1975, came back and went to College at UMPI and lived in Presque Isle. Worked in Aroostook County, Washburn, Houlton, etc. until a job promotion in 1996 and have been here in Belgrade ever since. My mother is still in Caribou, a brother in Van Buren, but the rest have either moved down this way or to Florida. I don't get back up as much as I used to, no short cut! Dyer, retired

 

[offcamber]

Yes Chomping at the bit is about what I am doing....The dealer needed a few days to get it setup...they do a few things as part of the price like load the tires, weld on hooks for both buckets, and add a block heater. I'd rather them take their time and do it right than rush it to get it to me a couple of days early. The plan is to head over there early Saturday morning 7:30ish finish the paperwork, get checked out on it then they will deliver it that afternoon....the weather is suppose to be crummy that day not that it willl stop me from using it. Those snow piles won't know what hit them....

 

[ByronBob]

Being in the snowbelt, sometimes I go a month or so between plowing and other times I can do it daily for 3 weeks.

So I'll say between 10 and 50 hours a winter. This year maybe I have 5 so far but it's been warm all winter.

I don't plow until the car struggles to get down the driveway.

 

[WBWI]

We've had about 80" of snow this season in SE Wisconsin, about double what we normally get. This is my first season in my new home and I'm glad my wife saw the light and supported my decision to buy a tractor with snowblower. I've logged about 18 hours on mine removing snow.

 

[RobJ]

None!!

My tractor is working on it's summer tan this time of year!!

 

[PhraminP]

We have had a big snow year and I have logged ~35 hours on the tractor. I plow with the Chevy and haven't kept track of those hours. The tractor time is for the short walkway and then along to road (1 mile) to make room for more as it was too narrow and I could not throw over with the plow. Last weekend I was widening so we could straddle the ice ruts.

 

[patrick_g]

Man oh man, all you guys bundled up on open tractors out working in the deep snow.... OOOOOh my.... I have only manually shoveled snow 3-4 times this century and did about 15 min one winter with FEL from inside my heated cab.

Of course, any given year South Central Oklahoma could be buried by a blizzard, just not so far this century.

Pat

 

[Dyer retired]

Man oh man, all you guys bundled up on open tractors out working in the deep snow.... OOOOOh my.... I have only manually shoveled snow 3-4 times this century and did about 15 min one winter with FEL from inside my heated cab.

Of course, any given year South Central Oklahoma could be buried by a blizzard, just not so far this century.

Pat

Pat,

It's all really for bragging rights, by whatever weird logical analysis you apply to something like that. During the big storms, if not bundled up, you can't see for 10 seconds at a time and I found that the ski goggles work pretty well, combine that with a hood, scarf, Ipod playing through a headset....it's all pretty fun and relaxing. If given the choice though, I'd have a cab instead. Dyer, retired

 

[NH-Rob]

I know I under estimated the amount of hours winter would put on my tractor. I was worried it would not get run enough and be another toy just sitting around. I have put on a little more than 30 hours this winter and had to do my 50 hour service (I don't have a great shop for winter jobs). It has been a great winter for me. Got lots of tractor use, ran the snowmachines a bunch, and really did not have much trouble with cold temps.
Rob

 

[Northland]

We have got a lot more then our normal 13 to 17 feet of snow so far this winter (maybe 22 feet) here off the NE shore of Lake Superior.

I had about 30 hours of winter snow clearing (it came in bunches of 6 to 15 inches) up to the end of January when I finally gave up up on the rear blade/FEL combo and bought a rear PTO 60" snowblower. Since then we have only got another foot of snow-a few inches at a time so I have only used the blower a few times.

Still, it's been a great winter with 14 of the last 17 days being sunny

 

[Dyer retired]

We have got a lot more then our normal 13 to 17 feet of snow so far this winter (maybe 22 feet) here off the NE shore of Lake Superior.

I had about 30 hours of winter snow clearing (it came in bunches of 6 to 15 inches) up to the end of January when I finally gave up up on the rear blade/FEL combo and bought a rear PTO 60" snowblower. Since then we have only got another foot of snow-a few inches at a time so I have only used the blower a few times.

Still, it's been a great winter with 14 of the last 17 days being sunny

Northland,

I use my blade quite a bit, but above 8 inches of snow does seem to limit it's capability. I pile as much with the blade as I can and then use the blower to toss it into the woods....works great! I sometimes just use the blower with the skids set up about 1/4 inch to leave the yard with some layer of snow on it. The cars then pack it down and make for some traction. The blade scrapes very well and if the conditions are just right, you end up with a skating rink. You didn't say, but I suspect you are finding the 60" snowblower to be very handy? Dyer, retired

 

[Northland]

Northland,

I use my blade quite a bit, but above 8 inches of snow does seem to limit it's capability. I pile as much with the blade as I can and then use the blower to toss it into the woods....works great! I sometimes just use the blower with the skids set up about 1/4 inch to leave the yard with some layer of snow on it. The cars then pack it down and make for some traction. The blade scrapes very well and if the conditions are just right, you end up with a skating rink. You didn't say, but I suspect you are finding the 60" snowblower to be very handy? Dyer, retired

Yep Dyer the blower is great except for the snow blowing back alll over me. I ran out of places to pile my snow with the FEL/rear balde combo. The snowbanks were 10+ feet high. Now the blower shoots the snow right over top of the snow banks. Good thing as we having another white-out here today.

We are heading to a spa in Mexico tomorrow morning so this may be my last snow clearing day until December

 

[patrick_g]

Pat,

It's all really for bragging rights, by whatever weird logical analysis you apply to something like that. During the big storms, if not bundled up, you can't see for 10 seconds at a time and I found that the ski goggles work pretty well, combine that with a hood, scarf, Ipod playing through a headset....it's all pretty fun and relaxing. If given the choice though, I'd have a cab instead. Dyer, retired

Oh, I get it. Kinda like the first guy to brave the thin ice to be the first guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing early in the season and to be the last guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing late in the season where you risk not only your life on the thin (both early and late) ice but your nice pickup or the wife's van or...

Sure Oly! Mine's fine, how's yours?

Pat

 

[Dyer retired]

Oh, I get it. Kinda like the first guy to brave the thin ice to be the first guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing early in the season and to be the last guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing late in the season where you risk not only your life on the thin (both early and late) ice but your nice pickup or the wife's van or...

Sure Oly! Mine's fine, how's yours?


Pat, I think you have it right! I can't say that I'm at as much risk as the early and late ice fishermen though, ha! We will have another few people die on the ice (or I should say under it) by being stupid. I cross country ski on the lakes, but probably not from this point forward. 45 degrees expected here tomorrow and the snow will melt at a pretty good clip now. Dyer, retired

 

[David Cockey]

I've had a tractor since February 1st, and have logged 20-25 hours in that time. I have a 300' driveway, plus a 1/2 mile road that I do. I've also done driveways for other neighbors as well, depending on the snowfall.

This has been an exceptional winter for snow here in SE Michigan. Got another storm overnight and moved snow this morning.

7' rear blade and FEL have worked extremely well for me so far. Much better than I anticipated.

Chris

We're also in southeast Michigan, bought a tractor in mid-January, and it now has over 25 hours on the meter, virtually all while moving snow. Definately one the snowiest winters on record, though the snow cover on the ground hasn't been exceptional because of three major thaws. We looked at the tractor with over a foot of snow on the ground, and when it was delivered a week later the ground was bare. But since then I've moved snow six or seven times.

Part of the time moving snow has been experimenting and determining how to efficiently clear the snow. I'm considerably quicker now than I was six weeks ago.

 

[patrick_g]

Part of the time moving snow has been experimenting and determining how to efficiently clear the snow. I'm considerably quicker now than I was six weeks ago.

My rear blade (not box blade, but more like a road grader) is easily reversed. The one time I used it, a few years ago, it moved snow really good when turned around backward but angled not straight and used while the tractor was backing up. It is literally a pain in the neck for me but performance was better and I didn't drive over the snow and compact it before the blade hit it.

Of course you may be looking for moving a lot of snow a lot of times and a little pressed into ice or nearly so under your tires may not be an issue. The FEL filled up too quick and required a lot of maneuvering to dispose of the snow and it sticks in the bucket much worse than it sticked to the angled blade.

Pat