Snow Attachments Snow removal over gravel?

[Charlesaf3]

Wow, D7E, a D& must make an Awesome plow.

I can't let the ice for as I am up a steepish hill and I'd end up in the woods - have already come close when the truck was almost brand new, and was not happy. Luckily, a thin layer will melt here.

So I plow leaving an inch or so on the road. Doesn't hurt traction and will melt off. If the whole thing melts and freezes so I have an ice sheet, which happens, I rototill. Works like a charm for breaking ice. Just set it high and back down so the wheels are always gripping. I was inspired to try it one day you couldn't even walk up to the house, and I had a crew in that I was paying a lot of money to sit by the side of the road. Didn't seem to bother the rototiller much, though I'm sure the vibration put some wear on it. But at my usage, that still doesn't matter.

Diamond - I just got a front QA plow this year, and was thinking of running the plow angled one way, and the woods grader blade angled the other. Have you tried that?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Wow, D7E, a D& must make an Awesome plow.


Diamond - I just got a front QA plow this year, and was thinking of running the plow angled one way, and the woods grader blade angled the other. Have you tried that?

I have not tried that but I dont think it would really work that good. I like rolling all the snow off one way.

Chris

 

[Charlesaf3]

I was thinking to keep directional stability, I find that when I am pushing a lot of snow, that the tractor gets pushed the other way. Given it weighs 11k or so, adding weight isn't the solution

 

[RoyBrooks]

When I rebuilt my snowblower last year I added a heavier cutting edge and an adjustable top link. The shoes on the blower are mounted closer to the rear of the impeller about 10" behind the cutting edge. I shorten the top link lifting the cutting edge about 1 1/2" until I get a base built up. When I do the neighbours I run it more on the cutting edge to cut through the ice, the interloc drives I run the top link in between the two. Before the adjustable top link was installed I would back drag with the bucket until the base was set up the start using the blower . I also added electric rotate, and damper to the blower and if I start to pick up stone I can shoot them to the drive edge so I don't have to clean off the grass in the spring.

 

[Matt_Jr]

Serously guys, lots of great input here, I really appreciate it. One final question for you that's always up, do you have better luck with ag tires or R4 tires over frozen gravel?

I use turf tires on mine all year round and they do fine in the snow. Better than I thought they would. I even have a steep curved driveway and I do fine. Only problem I have is if I get a layer of ice. I haven't invested in chains for mine yet.

 

[irvingj]

I'll echo Matt_Jr. I have turf tires, a pretty steep incline, with a curve at the bottom. Haven't yet had to use my chains.

 

[Diamondpilot]

The tire question is a age old debate. In my area with the wet snow we get the R1's work much better.

Chris

 

[Villengineer]

I'm in Southwest OH, so we probably have fairly similar winters. I have a gravel drive that's pretty packed down. I've run both R1s and R4s over gravel and to be honest I don't find much of a difference. This year I'm going leave my turfs on for at least the first snow to see how they do. I use a rear blade and I set it whatever way gets the snow off. I try not leave a base layer b/c it turns into a ice rink and while my truck can get up the drive in 4wd, the wife's van struggles and the traction control is just going nuts. I've read on here that landscape rakes work well over gravel, but I've never tried it. Maybe if the turfs work I'll go for broke and try the rake, too.

 

[RedDirt]

Thanks for the input guys, it really helps. I'm leaning toward a blade since I live in Southern Ohio and don't get very much snow a year. So does a front blade tilt left or right like the rear blade? My drive is packed pretty well since I cover it with crusher run instead of plain gravel (definately the way to go), but it is not all that wide, and 2 passes tilting the blade would probably work pretty well. Also, is a front blade better at grading the gravel in the spring than a rear blade? I'm trying to purchase 1 impliment, not 2, so if it doesn't work double duty I won't get it.
I'm also concerned with leaveing a "base" of snow since we mostly get a freeze that is in a constant state of thawing then re-freezing. My truck is 2WD and I have a decent hill to climb. Do you guys ever put sinders or salt on the gravel after a snow?

Dusty,
I really don't know what you can do to not leave some snow. If you get down to gravel then you'll be gradually (or not too gradually) moving gravel when you plow. I use a method though that would let you leave only a very thin layer of snow, a rear blade with grading gauge wheels. What is good with this implement is that in the spring you turn turn around the blade, extend the wheels to the rear and have a wonderful road grading tool. In the photo I have the blade set to push backwards for a big snow like the snow picture (yea I know...not a big snow to some of you guys). For light snows I reverse and run like a regular grader; drive forward over the snow and drag the snow to the side.

With these wheels you can set the wheel height roughly what you need then fine tune with the top link. You could do a rough snow plowing pass leaving a couple of inches then adjust the top link to leave only a fraction of an inch on a second pass.



You run this set up with TPH in float position.

If you are a welder/fabricator I have a post I can find when I built these wheels or you could have a local shop fab a set. There are also alot of other posts on this site regarding gauge wheels. Where do you think I got the idea!

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I realize now that we all live in different regions and advice for one region which might not work in another region.

I live in Maine so more often than not we are frozen tight from Dec. 1 through about the end of March or later.

What a pita it would be to live in a region where it is common to freeze up one week just to thaw out the next.

Here in Maine we have had a warm Fall. I am soo hopeing that it freezes up before the snow flies.