Snowblower snowblowers and itty bitty things that jamb them

[woodchuckcanuck]

For our specific location we do get snow but never enough to consider hard pack a viable method. The temps fluctuate too much. The driveway faces south so all I usually do is a light scrape with the blade on the quad. Does the job well. Snowblower is really only for those times when snowfall is heavy and drifting snow which is a bear to push with a plow. Of course, can't forget the times where it snows then rains. By that time, it doesn't matter what equipment you have.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I've been thinking of a blower for this year too and in the back of my mind has been the same thoughts... what's going to jam/break/destroy this new toy?

Last year we had "Record" snow here in the Pacific North West. I live on Gravel drive and main access road, this summer my mower found most of the gravel deposited off the side from all the blading and FEL use last winter.... it's horrible on blades, but it didn't do too much damage.

However our road is quite steep and we can't realy leave a "Packed" base as it would turn to "ICE" as the temps here aren't consistently below freezing and with sun shining on the hill... would be a "Disaster" with our local drivers lack of knowledge and ability to drive in snow/ice.

With the rocks I know we have and what appears to be the only achilies heal of a blower (not flowing rocks well), I guess this thread has killed the idea of a blower for this guy. Guess I'll have to live with the FEL and rear blade.

Thanks for posting your question as the replies helped me.

For gravel, wheels on the snowthrower work much better than skids since they do not stir up the rocks and you are able to skim off just above the gravel surface. It takes a little bit of design finesse to keep the wheels from packing with snow, locking up and becoming almost as bad as skids, but once you get it they work great.
larry

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

... wheels on the snowthrower work much better than skids...

I'd be curious to see pics of that install.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Sorry, the thrower is packed away deep. No pics ... , but in short; a narrow wheel on each end, a short fender centered in front of the wheel, a scraper between the S/T frame and the inner wheel hub to prevent snow packing in there. This combination keeps them free to turn and they roll on the gravel points.
larry

 

[jas67]

Has never happened to me but then again I've never lived on a gravel road until now. So what are your stories? Big and small rocks...wayward sticks...buried shovels...toboggans...hats...mitts...scarves...boots (preferably with no one in them!) What sort of damage or frustration do they stir up?

I "found" my newspaper with my walk-behind two stage snow blower a few years back. It jambed it and broke the shear pin.

 

[newlife]

Frozen wet Sunday newspapers are the worst. I stalled my New Holland TC35 with 6' blower with one last year. I took me an hour with a 200,000 BTU propane torch a 5LB hammer and a big prybar to free it up.

 

[studor]

Fist sized rocks, even bigger rocks. firewood, logs and branches, newspaper, (dog dirt isnt even an issue -- no fuss or mess), a chainsaw case, toys, old snowfence (thats really bad -- way worse than newspaper), scrap steel, wire, a flashing beacon light (from the previous tractor that blew it out for me), driveway markers, a deer carcass, moles (they don't jamb it but are kinda gross), a muffler, plastic pails (five gallon white!) and garden tools (a rake and a shovel), The driveway is never really bare from late November till end of March -- chains on all four wheels help.
As you get older there seems to be less "litter" to go though the blower and then it starts all over again!!

 

[BIGSTICK]

I know a cat won't plug mine! But it will remove its tail.....

 

[Scooby074]

For our specific location we do get snow but never enough to consider hard pack a viable method. The temps fluctuate too much. The driveway faces south so all I usually do is a light scrape with the blade on the quad. Does the job well. Snowblower is really only for those times when snowfall is heavy and drifting snow which is a bear to push with a plow. Of course, can't forget the times where it snows then rains. By that time, it doesn't matter what equipment you have.

Ive seen your picture all to much just get a good pack, then a warm spell and have to start again. 10-15 cms is enough for a decent pack. Just enough to cover the rocks. Youll still get some rocks poking through, but with careful control of the blower, you can reduce the rocks you throw into the woods.

as far as slipperiness goes, its worked out good for me. Rubber tires on the skiff of snow or frost is surprisingly grippy. The Pack doesnt really turn to ice, just hard snow.

 

[ScottyChip]

I can agree with the fist sized rocks, I had one get right through the augers and into the fan. The blower got really quiet after that. New fan shear bolt and back to blowing. To help not pick up rocks from my gravel driveway I cut a slit down the length of heavy walled plastic electrical conduit with my table saw and fit it over the cutting edge of my blower. The rounded edge of the plastic rides over the rocks great and leaves a small packed layer of snow. I have had to replace the conduit a couple of times when it wears through, but it spreads the weight of the blower over its whole length rather then just on two small wheels. Its worked for two years and thats the plan for this year.