Snowblowers on gravel roads?

[timster2]

As many have done with their plows I mounted a pipe around the cutting edge of my blower. The blower rides over the gravel for the most part. With the amount of snow this year I only replaced three shear pins. I did pop the drive chain off the drive gear, however, that was after finding a chunk of wood the hard way. I t got jammed between the augers and the center support.

 

[Looking4new]

I too drive on the first few snows and get me a good frozen base, before I try blowing it off. I have 4 drive ways I look after and they are all gravel.

 

[Balerguy2]

Boondox,

My experience over the past nearly 40 years is our driveway over 1000' long half paved and half crushed limestone. Same snow blower but with different tractors/ skid-loader etc. First I used the blower PTO rear mount, Second I used it front mounted on my skid-loader. Thirdly, my Kubota 4610 providing rear PTO and 3PH mounted, worked up to last year where I was getting "neck cramps". I built a Hydraulic Power Pac PTO powered and mounted the same blower, bought so long ago, up front where the bucket mounts......................... hydraulically powered and able to tilt and raise to 5' height if necessary. It blows snow beautifully. In nearly 40 years I have never broken a shear bolt.... Ever. I also don't have skid shoes. You can use this present set up using loader "float" where the blower follows the ground surface or "down pressure" or "chisel angle" if you want to cut ice. I have many pictures posted of this present setup here on TBN. I thought skid shoes would be necessary back when I bought the blower but not necessary for me. I agree with virtually all of what has been said so far on this thread.
HTH!

 

[skyhook]

I'm in a similar position as the OP, not sure about the "crown", if there was one, it's gone now.
I use the front plow for the first couple of passes.
This does a few things for me,,
it sets up banks on the sides and I use them as guides during heavy snow storms,,
it clears any obstacles, (bigger stones etc) out of the path for future snow blowing,,
it prepares the road for freeze up, again for snow blowing.
When I feel the gravel is frozen enough, I pass with the plow twice, once going up the road,
and again coming back, pushing the snow to the side where it will be blowed off with the blower
on the final pass.
When done, I still have my small banks to use as guides.

 

[rekees4300]

My drive has a "crown" and I avoid blowing it by doing a round trip with one skid shoe on the crown and the other on the edge of the drive. In other words don't go down the center of the drive.

 

[Boondox]

My drive has a "crown" and I avoid blowing it by doing a round trip with one skid shoe on the crown and the other on the edge of the drive. In other words don't go down the center of the drive.

Ah yes, to have that much room! My road is seven feet wide at the widest point. Not straddling the crown isn't an option.

Some good suggestions here. I especially like the part about using a pipe over the cutting edge.

Thanks

 

[skyhook]

A gravel road with a crown, just tells me it needs more gravel on the the sides.
Now I'm talking about, "private" roads.
Our gravel road "leans" to one side for drainage, towards the river.

 

[Tig]

I also like to drive on the first snow to pack a base. If the early snow is to deep, I keep the blower 4" off the ground and just skim. I also shorten the top link to tip the blower back when I'm building the base. Between those three three techniques I toss very few stones.

 

[PILOON]

I also blow on a gravel base and have frt plow for lesser events.
The trick is to create a frozen base with the first snows by dragging the plow backwards and/or lowering the skids or shoes on the blower for first snows.
I made oversize skids for my blower; like 2.5 " wide X 10" long allowing me to blow but leave about 1.5" for the base.
Once I have a good base I remove the skids. This year I so far have only sheered one sheer bolt on the fan and that I think was actually pushed into my drive by the city plow.

You learn as you go along, just be patient and keep a handful of sheer bolts on hand plus warm gloves for when/if you do sheer.
My drive has a crown which is not a problem at all.

 

[Boondox]

A gravel road with a crown, just tells me it needs more gravel on the the sides.
Now I'm talking about, "private" roads.
Our gravel road "leans" to one side for drainage, towards the river.

There are no sides. To the north is a steep embankment with a stone wall on top. To the south is another stone wall. If not for the crown, rain and snowmelt would go right down the middle and take the road with it. That happened a few years ago when we got 8 inches of rain in two hours. It took 140 dump trucks of fill to rebuild the road.