Snow plowing over gravel.

[DARTMAN003]

I have been running the steel pipe with a slit for 5 years now on my western plow on my truck, and it works great. I hold mine on with a 1/4" bolt drilled thru it on each end.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Jerry.....I am a little skeptical about how that pipe was attached too. My welding shop concocted this arrangement after we talked about welding a nut on the outside of the slit pipe (for a jamb-nut). (There is a 1/4" x 1 1/2" strap about 18" from each end, with a jamb-nut which rests above the plow edge....if you look real close.)

He claims it is going to hold, and his advice is normally sound.....so I let it be good for now. BUT....I could not lift my plow to wiggle around on the tube to verify his point....so it's gonna have to wait till I mount the plow.

I have the plow at the sandblast and paint shop now......after-which I will mount it on my tractor. If it looks like holding the slit tube in place will be an issue.....I may revert back to my original intent and weld a nut on the outside of the tube. :thumbsup:

My pipe is slit full length and the attach plate goes all the way through as does yours but mine is welded the full length on the attach plate on both sides. It then bolts through using the same holes as the grader blade. It will be interesting to see how your holds up. As long as you're dragging snow, the friction is realtively small but I often hit rocks coming up from the road base on part of my place where I don't have a finish topping of 3/4"- gravel. Nonethe less the hard part is done on yours. If you have problems there are several ways you can easily fix it. i'm sure you're going to be happy with it though.

 

[foggy1111]

I have been running the steel pipe with a slit for 5 years now on my western plow on my truck, and it works great. I hold mine on with a 1/4" bolt drilled thru it on each end.

Welcome to TBN Dartman. Glad you posted. :thumbsup:

 

[Fred Barbour]

I have a 250 foot gravel driveway and use a 5 ft. box blade. At the beginning of the season and for the first few snow falls I extend the top link to the max. The rear blade drags on the ground and the front blade is about 2 inches off the ground. When the ground freezes and you have a gradual build up of snow using this method you can lower the top link and start cutting the accumulated snow down to where you are happy.

I never haul any gravel off the driveway using this method.

Fred

 

[Monster5601]

This is my solution to keeping the gravel on the driveway but the snow off of it. The OD of the pipe is is 2 1/2 inches.

 

[bucktaker]

For many years I used my mf 35 and a 3 point blade to clear my limestone drive. What I found was to simply turn the blade around like I was going to push in reverse. Go forward and this removes the snow and leaves the gravel!

 

[ray66v]

Slitting the steel pipe is totally unnecessary.

Weld 2 or 3 tabs on it, just like the OP was considering, and bolt it on through the holes used to hold the cutting edge on the plow.

The whole job will take a few minutes.

Yes, the pipe will help to keep the plow from moving the gravel.

As someone mentioned, packing the first few inches of snow down, is the best way to keep the gravel in place.

I use a loader mounted plow with the pipe, and a set of pneumatic tires as gauge wheels. Last year, plowing over 300 feet of drive, I barely moved a plastic pail full of gravel all winter.

Don't forget snow fence. It can greatly reduce, and even sometimes eliminate snow from accumulating on your drive.

It takes some trial and error to find the perfect spot for the snow fence. Most people put the snow fence too close. I set mine back 50' from the drive. When the conditions are right, the wind deposits the snow it would pile in my drive, around the fence. Then the wind continues onward and blows the snow that has fallen on my drive away, and that's a wonderful thing.

 

[Matt_Jr]

I put 2.5" exhaust pipe on my woods 60" back blade. I sliced it with a plasma cutter, and had to pound it on with a hammer from the side, it was a very tight fit. After pushing snow for a little bit, it loosened up and fell off, and wouldn't stay on again, so I put an inch weld on each end and one in the middle on both sides of it... only to find out that thin layer that I was leaving on only made me slip and slide without chains(it's not a steep drive... but steep enough) so I cut off the pipe, and just took my chances with the gravel... right now my driveway is a muddy mess if it rains...

 

[foggy1111]

Just finished getting my plow painted....and took a better pic of my slit pipe and hold-down bracket for my meyer plow. The pipe was slit with a plasma torch. I think the strap and bolt will hold the pipe in place. Gonna find out soon.

 

[foggy1111]

Oops forgot the pic.....