Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Moving Snow

[Anonymous Poster]

I did forget to mention that last year on a brand new 410 they decided to try gripper chains, which by design are quite tight to the tires. They came off after the first use, because they cut into the side of the tires quite a bit.. The driver also complained he actually lost traction with their use because he kept spinning, and he had a hard time steering around obstacles like basketball hoops and other things. Told us, worse thing they did. they quickly replaced those grippers with rollers again.

 

[5030]

I don't have any chains and I don't need them and we have some wicked snows here in rural s.e. Michigan. I have a woods 72" 2 stage blower on the back and 853 loader on the front of my 3050. I blow everything including the road and use the loader to clean up the rest. I cut drifts as high as 3 feet with the blower and it's FUN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It's fun to watch the snow come out of the chute like a white fire hose and arc into the distance. Just got to watch where I point it.

I have a buddy down the road who has a used airport blower that he runs on the back of a Steiger. It has twin augers and a 5 foot fan. He threw a cinder block through the roof of his dad's greenhouse. Incoming scud!!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

sounds like you have a great set up and are quite happy with it. I can't comment on a snowblower as I never used one hooked to a CUT.. In fact, I can't think of any CUT's around here that have a blower, although I'm sure someone somewhere around here has one. They do the job and nice and clean, that's all you can ask for.

 

[5030]

sounds like you need a blower, besides, you can only push or pile it so high, with a blower you don't run out of room. Until I bought a blower, heavy snow was sometimes frustrating as we get large drifts here and it takes a lot of horsepower to push through them.

I have people see the blower sitting in the barn in the summer and they say "what do you need that for?" I say "come around in January if you can"

 

[Anonymous Poster]

at my home, we have the room to move/store snow. at the commercial places, the schools, banks and other that I do driving contractors equipment, I don't think a blower would work that well. You're talking downtown Sturbridge/Southbridge MA where there are only minimal walkways between buildings and such. Banks parking lots border tight to someone else's buildings and so forth, they do go in usually after the third storm and start hauling it out by the tri axle load.

 

[BigDave]

I guess I have a supplemental question. Are there decent quality front chains? I bought front & rear chains this winter from Tirechains.com. The rears are thick steel and look like they will last a lifetime, the fronts look like something you would buy a Home Depot for your Scotts Riding Mower.

FYI, I have running chains on the rears only in hilly terrain (up to 25 percent grades). I almost got stuck only once on a steep slope with the fronts in a rut; it's the only time I thought front chains would have been better. BUT, I haven't tried fronts only yet, maybe next winter; those big rear chains are on for the season.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

again,
you have to go with what your comfortable with and what the general consensus is in your neighborhood. I mentioned before, there well may be a better solution than what we use. Fact is, the old timers don't change and wouldn't if you put the proof in front of them. We are a very hilly area. radical temp changes whereas last weeks 20" storm that was fluff, was frozen ice within two days. We found that for our needs, the front only roller chains work best. Maybe in upstate NY or MN or elsewhere, this may not be the thing to do. I do know that front and rears combined, is definately a no-no here in this area., 4 X 4 machines seem to have less traction and definately less steering control using both. Rollers on fronts only seem to be the best and safest to use. Doesn't mean it will work in your area the same way.