Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28"?

[Hoeman00]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

I have cleaned up 14' - 16' storms

I've cleaned up 10" snows and 4' drifts but 14 to 16' deep
I would just stay in house /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[kokopelli2]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

fist off let me say that i picked up a 6" meyer plow for $50! dropped it in the bucket...done!
thats what i have been using the last 2 days. you have to keep up with the storm not the most fun but it works.
i was able to run through 20 inches in the b-2910...now i am digging out banks.

as for having someone else do it....at 28 inches for a 1/4 mile you are talking well over $1000! to me i
would rather spend $50 and keep running out there every few hours.

but thats just me.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

Hoeman00,
Thank you for spotting my error. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I still had to look at it for several minutes before I saw what you were refering to.
What I meant to say was 14" - 16" INCH'S !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I blame it all on the fact that I have yet to consume any coffee this morning. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

Mark,

Whether you can imagine it or not, blades are sold for that much and more every day. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I sure like your set up at $50 plus some chain and a binder or two a lot better for the money. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

Hoeman,
I have the 710 all ready to go. get your's ready id need be. No better machine to move mountains of snow with.

 

[tc35dforme]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

I've got a similar setup to what Mark in NH has...although mine is just a bit more professional looking ( sorry Mark !! ).

You can always find a 8' blade without the hydraulics and frame somewhere. My first one cost me $125. Weld up a bracket that gets bolted to the bucket and push away. Nice thing is, you can always drop the blade and go to the bucket to do some serious stacking.

Right now I run a lightweight ( Snowbear ) type of blade. Its only 7', but ..... its so easy to put on and drop off because its so lightweight.

One good thing about these 24" - 30" storms....the snow is most often very light and fluffy. I'll take 24" of fluff over 8" of slush any time !!!

We're just getting going here in Central Mass. We'll see what we get !?

 

[beenthere]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

I have a new front Western 7' blade, and it was in the neighborhood of $1300. Another $200 for a quicktach mount that I designed and had fabricated. No problem pushing snow wherever I want to push it. I am not sure what the big money for a blade was for, but $3000 is a bit high, IMO.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

<font color="blue">I've got a similar setup to what Mark in NH has...although mine is just a bit more professional looking ( sorry Mark !! ). </font>

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifWell !!!!!!! I have never been so insulted /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Nah !!!!! I have thicker skin then that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Actually If I ever stop procrastinating, I will have the bracket made up that will improve the way mine attaches to the bucket

 

[crown]

Re: Snow: If I had a Blade would it handle 28\"?

I think I must have choosen the bust your butt option /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif It was tough going but in the end the Bota and I won at least temporarly.

 

[OverlyRun]

Re: Snow: The rest of the story

Thanks all for the excellent advice! I was all set to drive out of here this afternoon (so I can shovel the walk back in the city) and got hung up about 80 yds down the drive, it had snowed too much since my first pass cleaning up the road and it was packed right up under the axels. So my wife got to steer the car in reverse while I pulled with the tractor (trailier hitch to draw bar).

Then back to scraping down to the dirt and lifting with the FEL...slow going. The neighbor with the plow was stuck himself (we had sleet on top of the snow last night), but he showed up with his own tractor, FEL and rear blade (no TnT!). Working both ends we met in the middle and he used his blade to scrape the whole thing down to the dirt. Trouble is, his six foot rear blade can only move so much snow to the side before it falls back in on itself...so we have a very clean, very narrow track.

The lesson I see has two parts: 1) a blade works a ton better than the FEL at scraping down to the dirt so I oughta get one, and 2) the blade only works in shallow snow, so you have to use it early and often. If you miss this, then there's not much to be done except shovel it out with the FEL, which is what got me going on this post in the first place.

Ten people at the office are asking me to bring the tractor home and dig them out. Mmm....I'd have it along to dig myself out again if need be. But I haven't got a residential parking sticker for it, so I guess it stays here.



Chas