Rear blade for snow on gravel, pipe or rubber mat?

[shooterdon]

An interesting theory, but not workable on most driveways around here. Especially the section of mine with 14% slope that faces north. After a couple of passes with a vehicle it becomes a sheet of ice that provides a very quick trip to the bottom of the hill, and you can't scrape it off until it melts in its own sweet time.

If I had that problem, I would either paved it so I could scrape it, or bring in a mix of sand and salt and rig up a spreader.

 

[TerryR]

Whats the avg snow in Boone?

I have no idea. It varies widely from year to year, from an inch or two to over 20 inches. Some years I never plow, and once in a while my rear blade can't handle it and I end up "shoveling" it with the FEL. Last time it did that it took be two days (admittedly not 8-hour days) to clear it.

No matter what the average is, in a year that we get six to 10 inches and it stays cold we can't get home if we let it turn to ice. Last year we were homebound most of a week because we guessed it would get warm and melt, so drove on it, and it didn't.

 

[TerryR]

If I had that problem, I would either paved it so I could scrape it, or bring in a mix of sand and salt and rig up a spreader.

I've thought about paving, but it's a quarter mile long so that's a lot of money. And most of the time enough of the gravel sticks up through what's left on the road to provide traction. I'd think if it were paved it would have to be kept clean or the ice issue would be worse.

I'm told by local road builders that putting salt on a gravel drive is a big no-no. They tell me it causes the top layer to stay unfrozen, over a frozen base, so it becomes undrivable, so the only solution is to remove the salted soil and rebuild the entire road. I've not tested that so don't know from personal experience.

 

[oosik]

It becomes a question of - do I really need to plow or just drive thru it. I have a mile long gravel driveway. Straight as an arrow with one valley. Last three years I've just driven thru it and let it melt down.

If I MUST plow and the driveway is still soft - reverse the blade 180 degrees and clear the snow that way. I have a VERY heavy Rhino rear blade and it works well reversed.

 

[LouNY]

I've thought about paving, but it's a quarter mile long so that's a lot of money. And most of the time enough of the gravel sticks up through what's left on the road to provide traction. I'd think if it were paved it would have to be kept clean or the ice issue would be worse.

I'm told by local road builders that putting salt on a gravel drive is a big no-no. They tell me it causes the top layer to stay unfrozen, over a frozen base, so it becomes undrivable, so the only solution is to remove the salted soil and rebuild the entire road. I've not tested that so don't know from personal experience.

Straight salt is not good for them as it will thaw the gravel/dirt and become sloppy and slick on top.
Sand with just enough salt mixed in to keep the freezing in the pile limited so you can dig it out does a good job.

Sander is mounted on a trailer now,

When it was truck mounted, it is also handy for spreading ashes on the driveway to save sand and use the ashes (I burn coal for supplemental heat)

I have to sand my driveway as most of it is 14-16 degrees or about 25% slope and much of it is shaded,
any wheel traffic on turns the snow into ice and then it's a bob sled run with an S turn in it.
Not real nice in a vehicle.

Had to edit this post the pictures ended up as invalid attachments????

 

[PILOON]

The snow plow operators worst nightmare:

Heavy wet snow on unfrozen gravel or dirt road!
OR
24 inch event when your plow is 16 inches high
ADD
every drive is uphill

 

[Mat4644]

Have some adjustable skid shoes fabricated like on truck snow blades. Make brackets and use skids already available. No matter what you use you'll still get some loose gravel moved.

 

[Cycledude]

Turning the blade backwards when the gravel wasn’t froze worked pretty well for me until last year when I finally spent the money for a new tractor and snowblower.
The adjustable shoes they sell for plow trucks and ATV’s work pretty well but I never attempted mounting them on my rear 3 point blade.

 

[rScotty]

Our drive is irregular in angle and surface. Keeping it in shape is a challenge not much helped by wintertime plowing.

I like the idea of putting a pipe onto the cutting edge of the back blade. It might work on the FEL as well.
Wondering about how to attach it, and also wondering if there is some sort of heavy two two inch rubber hose that would work. Maybe a used fire engine hose?
Has anyone tried that?
rScotty

 

[ruffdog]

I made shoes for my 7' rear blade to prevent dig-in. Like other's said, most times I just run the blade backwards.

 

[Smokeydog]

Even with no snow 90% of the hillside, curvy driveway maintenance was with the blade backwards till I got a land plane. North facing and thru the woods what little snow or ice we get sticks around. Sometimes have to grade a little in the heat of the day to expose a little gravel when it refreezes at night to allow enough vehicle traction. Rain at 20* is as common as snow.

Leaf load in the fall is as slick as any snow. Use mowers to mulch and blow to keep road clear for drainage. Often thought of modifying an old bush hog with extra lift wings welded to the blades and baffle(s) for side discharge. Increase suction and airflow. Would it work clearing moderate snow too? Requires a little more hillbilly contemplation.

 

[herm0016]

Our drive is irregular in angle and surface. Keeping it in shape is a challenge not much helped by wintertime plowing.

I like the idea of putting a pipe onto the cutting edge of the back blade. It might work on the FEL as well.
Wondering about how to attach it, and also wondering if there is some sort of heavy two two inch rubber hose that would work. Maybe a used fire engine hose?
Has anyone tried that?
rScotty

i would think rubber would not work well, as it would provide too much friction on the surface.

we Colorado people really know what its like to have 20 or 30 inches of extremely heavy snow over a nice light, wet gravel. I have broken more parts plowing heavy snow than doing dirt work. haha.

 

[LouNY]

Even with no snow 90% of the hillside, curvy driveway maintenance was with the blade backwards till I got a land plane. North facing and thru the woods what little snow or ice we get sticks around. Sometimes have to grade a little in the heat of the day to expose a little gravel when it refreezes at night to allow enough vehicle traction. Rain at 20* is as common as snow.

Leaf load in the fall is as slick as any snow. Use mowers to mulch and blow to keep road clear for drainage. Often thought of modifying an old bush hog with extra lift wings welded to the blades and baffle(s) for side discharge. Increase suction and airflow. Would it work clearing moderate snow too? Requires a little more hillbilly contemplation.

I use an old silage blower

 

[nyone]

An interesting theory, but not workable on most driveways around here. Especially the section of mine with 14% slope that faces north. After a couple of passes with a vehicle it becomes a sheet of ice that provides a very quick trip to the bottom of the hill, and you can't scrape it off until it melts in its own sweet time.

In that case where you need to show gravel plow as normal and clean up in the spring.

 

[TerryR]

In that case where you need to show gravel plow as normal and clean up in the spring.

Yep, that's what I do.

Fortunately, some years we get so little snow I don't have to plow, and some years it gets cold before it snows so the ground is frozen and little gravel gets plowed. The rest of the time, clean up in the spring.

I do try to grade the road flat on each side of the crown (that is, get the tire ruts out) each fall so if I need to plow it comes off clean with as little gravel as possible.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I don't have a rear blad and use an RTV with a plow. My driveway is 1/2 mile and the pipe worked great. I cust a slit in the pipe down the middle and cut/welded two tabs to bolt up to the bolt holes to hold it on. I used 2" schedule 40 pipe, but after a season had significant wear. I went back in in the off season and hard-surfaced the bottom of the pipe and I haven't had any issues since. Watch the heat on the pipe if you are doing this and stitch it in pieces. It does very well UNLESS the snow is super wet/sticky and picks up stone as it rolls off the plow. Goes over grass with no damage. Don't see why it wouldn't work just as good on a rear blade, but if the blade in reverse accomplishes the same thing try that first since it is no effort. Once you put the pipe on you can't cut/scrape anything clean and it will build up some.

 

[Smokeydog]

View attachment 712117

View attachment 712118
I use an old silage blower

Always thought silage blower would make a good leaf blower.

 

[shooterdon]

Always thought silage blower would make a good leaf blower.

It might blow loose gravel into the grass too.

 

[oldballs]

Yep.....my hand held blower can blow loose gravel wherever it is pointed....just not as efficient as the silage blower.

 

[barrowes]

Before it's frozen;just turn the blade around and pull forward.

This is what I do except I always plow in reverse so I don't pack the snow down with the tractor before plowing it.

If driveway is frozen: drive in reverse with blade facing backward (so indented part of blade is closer to the tractor)

If driveway is not frozen: drive in reverse with blade facing forward.