Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Pictures of your snow weapons

   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,691  
I'm inclined to believe that now as well. I just hate thinking about how I basically traded my 2yr old $800 cub cadet snowblower for a $14k tractor just to end up buying a $3k snowblower. :mur: As much as I hate facing the rear, I'm thinking a 3pt snowblower would be best as it'll leave the loader on if I need to use a blade or bucket, and I don't have to find a place to store it all winter.

I have a front mount blower and love it as I have no real need for the FEL during the winter. Every situation is different if you use the tractor for other than just snow removal. I have side x side with plow if needed.
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,692  
I'm inclined to believe that now as well. I just hate thinking about how I basically traded my 2yr old $800 cub cadet snowblower for a $14k tractor just to end up buying a $3k snowblower. :mur: As much as I hate facing the rear, I'm thinking a 3pt snowblower would be best as it'll leave the loader on if I need to use a blade or bucket, and I don't have to find a place to store it all winter.
When I had my L3200 I built a SSQA blade. It worked well for most stuff. But I ended up getting a 3pt blower. I still used the SSQA blade 75% of the time. But I could still spin around to blow a drift, windrow, or whatever if needed. The plow was faster pretty much all the time until it wouldnt move a dense pile. Not to mention snow not blowing back in my face if wind was being uncooperative.
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,693  
When I had my L3200 I built a SSQA blade. It worked well for most stuff. But I ended up getting a 3pt blower. I still used the SSQA blade 75% of the time. But I could still spin around to blow a drift, windrow, or whatever if needed. The plow was faster pretty much all the time until it wouldnt move a dense pile. Not to mention snow not blowing back in my face if wind was being uncooperative.

That's kind of why I don't want a front blower. More expensive, and I might use the blade or bucket more often for lesser amounts of snow due to speed. It's just every time we get more than 5-6" at once that becomes a challenge making me look for better ways.
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,694  
Enough snow to put the wing on today.. works great.. safer to stay away from the ditch drop-off and knock the berm off for a shelf when snow blows.. temps to drop to -18F tomorrow, with high winds.. I may just go out into that field and plow a berm up to help stop some of that blowing snow coming onto the road. Acts as a pretty good snow fence.
 

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   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,695  
Not really a snow weapon but it sure works well on ice. With the warmer weather this year we've been getting a lot of freeze thaw cycles and the driveway has become a very long ice rink. Not bad if it's flat but that's only true for the upper 1/4 mile or so. Then for the next 3/4 mile it ranges from 10% to 15% and that gets scary on ice, especially when there is a steep drop off one side. This has been the worst since moving here 10 years ago. So I finally broke down and got a spreader but found it would throw the sand too far and would clog up with the wet salt / sand mix available at the nearest gravel pit. So I ended up making a taller, wider agitator for the inside and an adjustable shroud to narrow the spread. Works great now.

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   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,696  
Not really a snow weapon but it sure works well on ice. With the warmer weather this year we've been getting a lot of freeze thaw cycles and the driveway has become a very long ice rink. Not bad if it's flat but that's only true for the upper 1/4 mile or so. Then for the next 3/4 mile it ranges from 10% to 15% and that gets scary on ice, especially when there is a steep drop off one side. This has been the worst since moving here 10 years ago. So I finally broke down and got a spreader but found it would throw the sand too far and would clog up with the wet salt / sand mix available at the nearest gravel pit. So I ended up making a taller, wider agitator for the inside and an adjustable shroud to narrow the spread. Works great now.

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Nice concept and workmanship!
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,697  
I don't know why they don't make those things so that sand flows reliably instead of tending to bridge the opening. Your modified agitator and adjustable deflector are great ideas. How do you keep your sand dry enough so the pile doesn't freeze ?? And how many trips does it take for the 3/4 mile hilly part ? Thanks.

gg
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,698  
I don't know why they don't make those things so that sand flows reliably instead of tending to bridge the opening. Your modified agitator and adjustable deflector are great ideas. How do you keep your sand dry enough so the pile doesn't freeze ?? And how many trips does it take for the 3/4 mile hilly part ? Thanks.

gg

I only got this a few days ago and have used it twice so far. So not a lot of experience yet. The top of my modified agitator is 12" wide and the salt /sand mixture will still bridge that because it is wet but not until about half of the sand is used (maybe more). Then I just use a stick to push the rest down. The sand I'm using now is not dry but next season I will have dry sand. I will get some this summer and after making sure it is dry I will store it in sealed 55 gallon drums or in a large bag, on a pallet and keep it under cover. With dry sand the larger agitator won't be needed. I know this because I dried some sand out, just to see the difference.

I'm not sure how many trips it would take to do the steep section of the driveway since I've only done the worst sections so far and I haven't done any real sanding since I made the shroud. Just a test run to see how it performed. Without the shroud, a lot of sand was wasted because it was thrown off the sides of the drive. With the shroud on I can keep the spreading width narrower and therefore use less. I'd guess 2 trips if I spread the sand lightly and 4 if I put a lot on. Once I get some more experience I will have a better idea and can figure out how much sand to stockpile for next season. I just got 4 yards of salt/sand dropped off and it's sitting on a tarp with another tarp covering it. The salt keeps the sand in a fluid state. I got some straight sand for a trial run when I picked up the spreader and it froze into a solid lump overnight. Good thing I didn't have it in the spreader. It was only a wheelbarrow load and I put it in the heated shop to thaw it out and made sure to use it all before storing the tractor. I also cleaned the spreader real well before storing it.
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,699  
We got about 4 inches followed by rain a few days ago.
From experience I did not plow and waited for cold to return.
A nice crust formed over the snow and it was dry underneath. No slick ice for me.
Also saved me from the chore of sanding a slippery drive!

Had to plow and blow again today and they predict some 10 inches Monday overnight. Am starting to wonder where I will put the rest of the winter's upcoming snow.

Boy am I glad that I no longer plow commercially, just my own drive and that's enough 4 me.

We get so much snow here that I equipped my blower with 4ft high drift cutter blades*and they are a necessity!

*made then from3/8 x 4" flat stock.

All too often the snow banks completely hide cars that leave driveways and city intersections.
Some city intersections can block the view of oncoming school busses, it is that bad.
 
   / Pictures of your snow weapons #4,700  
Whoops... Loose drag link end Bolt....:laughing:


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Can't believe I found the nut and lock washer, (40 feet away) .

Added some red locktite I should check for loose fasteners at least every couple seasons.

Back together and finished plowing:thumbsup:

You found the hardware?!?!?!? in snow , no less... AMAZING
 
 
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