When do you go out?

[Ezlivn]

Well I'm taking my chances on this one. It is absolutely nasty out there right now!! Blizzard conditions. I'll wait this one out and deal with it in the morning.

 

[Jstpssng]

and clean your drive? We're in the midst of a storm here in Downeast Maine, the wife is working, and I'm bored. We're expected to get anywhere from 1-2 feet of new snow.
So for the sake of conversation, when do you guys go out and plow? Do you wait till the whole thing is over? Do you wait till you think it's half over and do it twice?
Yeah maybe a stupid question but I'm bored and can't wait to get out and play.

Isn't this great?! We haven't had a storm like this in years. ;-)
I worked until 4, so didn't get a chance to do any plowing. I'm sure your JD could handle all we get from this; but it's a lot easier on it to clean up in mid-storm. (Especially if you get the rain they're talking about.)
Besides, as others have suggested, your better have will appreciate a clear path to the door after working all day.

Have fun down there, and don't let those red sands get the best of you.

 

[Ezlivn]

Isn't this great?! We haven't had a storm like this in years. ;-)
I worked until 4, so didn't get a chance to do any plowing. I'm sure your JD could handle all we get from this; but it's a lot easier on it to clean up in mid-storm. (Especially if you get the rain they're talking about.)
Besides, as others have suggested, your better have will appreciate a clear path to the door after working all day.

Have fun down there, and don't let those red sands get the best of you.

Hey I didn't hear anything about rain here. I can't imagine having that. I'll be up early in the morning gettin this cleaned up. Where in Downeast are you Jstpssng?

 

[wolc123]

MarkV, you are right on about the snow being lots of fun. I really do enjoy plowing out the driveways. Having good equipment to do that job adds a lot to the enjoyment. I like being outside in the winter and I love the crisp, cool air. You would never catch me with a heated cab tractor which would take some of that fun away. That said though, open station tractors are much better on plows than they are on blowers which are best with a a cab. Winter is cool up here in more ways than one: snowmobiling, skiing, ice-fishing, snow-shoeing, rabbit-hunting, warming up in front of the woodstove, and with the wife under the covers to name a few. There are lots of folks up here who dont take advantage of any of that stuff, however, and they often end up retiring down south. I like to visit down there on occasion, but I dont guess you will ever find me wanting to live there.

 

[dave1949]

Well I'm taking my chances on this one. It is absolutely nasty out there right now!! Blizzard conditions. I'll wait this one out and deal with it in the morning.

Oh, don't worry about it You can dig your way through about anything with a FEL and enough time.

Push and pile to the right, backup, push and pile to the left, repeat until you make a lane to work in down the middle of the drive, then start pushing everything back.

Ity sure is howling here for the last couple hours and just keeps getting windier. I think it would be a waste of fuel to go out until this settles down a bit.
Dave.

 

[dave1949]

I just don't worry about it .....

LOL BlueRiver. I won't be lookin' for tornadoes over my shoulder while I'm pushing snow tomorrow either

How is your seal replacement holding up in the Long? Hope it's dry for you and the Grandson.
Dave.

 

[Ezlivn]

Oh, don't worry about it You can dig your way through about anything with a FEL and enough time.

Push and pile to the right, backup, push and pile to the left, repeat until you make a lane to work in down the middle of the drive, then start pushing everything back.

Ity sure is howling here for the last couple hours and just keeps getting windier. I think it would be a waste of fuel to go out until this settles down a bit.
Dave.

Wow...just got in from cleaning out the drive. I got up at 3am and took a peek out and snow it was raining Suited up and headed out....good thing too. My drive has a pretty good incline so I had to work my way down to the end of the drive to a snowbank that was a good 4-5ft high
I'm very leary of gettin stuck as I have no chains yet....and now I realize just how much I need them.
I have a very challenging driveway to work with. The left side has a slope and drops off so it's very tricky. The right side slopes upward so it's better to work with. I can back out of there easy. If I dip my front tires to far on the left side I'm screwed. I did once too but I managed to get out ok
I seriously need chains though....then I'll conquer all!!!
Still had a blast though. Tunes crankin...diesal crankin at 3am...yeah baby! Not sure the neighbor appreciated as much as I did though. lol

 

[dave1949]

Wow...just got in from cleaning out the drive. I got up at 3am and took a peek out and snow it was raining Suited up and headed out....good thing too. My drive has a pretty good incline so I had to work my way down to the end of the drive to a snowbank that was a good 4-5ft high
I'm very leary of gettin stuck as I have no chains yet....and now I realize just how much I need them.
I have a very challenging driveway to work with. The left side has a slope and drops off so it's very tricky. The right side slopes upward so it's better to work with. I can back out of there easy. If I dip my front tires to far on the left side I'm screwed. I did once too but I managed to get out ok
I seriously need chains though....then I'll conquer all!!!
Still had a blast though. Tunes crankin...diesal crankin at 3am...yeah baby! Not sure the neighbor appreciated as much as I did though. lol

I'm about ready to get out there. It's snowing hard here at the moment, another 2-4 inches forecast for today. Chains are pretty much a necessity for drives with any slope or drop offs. As soon as you get a set, you will really like what they do for you.
We didn't have the rain here, but it is hanging right at freezing.
Dave.

 

[jimmyj]

If it's a foot or more I'll do it mid storm and again at the end. Any less, I wait till the end and do it the next AM. I love it and often go down the road and plow out other people's lanes for them just for the seat time. I am a tractor-aholic.

 

[Jstpssng]

Wow...just got in from cleaning out the drive. I got up at 3am and took a peek out and snow it was raining Suited up and headed out....good thing too. My drive has a pretty good incline so I had to work my way down to the end of the drive to a snowbank that was a good 4-5ft high
I'm very leary of gettin stuck as I have no chains yet....and now I realize just how much I need them.
I have a very challenging driveway to work with. The left side has a slope and drops off so it's very tricky. The right side slopes upward so it's better to work with. I can back out of there easy. If I dip my front tires to far on the left side I'm screwed. I did once too but I managed to get out ok
I seriously need chains though....then I'll conquer all!!!
Still had a blast though. Tunes crankin...diesal crankin at 3am...yeah baby! Not sure the neighbor appreciated as much as I did though. lol

Tunes, even? Life really is good to you! ;-)
How much rain did you get? It was pretty much done here by daylight, although it's been showering and flurrying all day.

Yes, chains are a necessity, especially when the snow is heavy. I finally put mine on last Friday and am glad I did. Do you ever find yourself pulling or pushing with the bucket to get out of trouble?

 

[Ezlivn]

Absolutely tunes!! I did get stuck just a teenie bit but I was able to wiggle out of it.
It rained just enough to get the snow nice and heavy....it's actually still drizzling now.
I ordered a set of chains this morning from tirechains.com for the front tires. I'll get a set for the back later on.

 

[First one]

Ezlivn,
I wait four 4"-6" and then go for it, that's about as long as I can stand it
I know that we have more to come ! But I know that someday we won't have it to play with, and It'll be awhile before it's back
From the way I'm "Landscaping" the yard: I need all the practice I can get
I just got done pushing up all the snow in the yard I could get my bucket into for the kid to play on when he gets back from Mass. It's got to be at less or as high as the bucket will go
Haven't put my chains on yet , haven't even taking them out of the box .I should just to see how much of a diff. it makes .
Yea !! its still snowing ,maybe" I can take it out for another round"

 

[tugboat-2]

Being a "night" person,..I like to go out at about 3 or 4 AM to plow. I have a JD-3520-Cab with FEL and rear grader blade. The rear blade does a great job and clean up with bucket.

Heat, tunes and comfort is great after years of open-station. I too must go out onto a major highway, so I find late night or early AM the perfect time as there is generally no traffic to worry about.

The wind is important and my prevailing winds are from the west so I never ever leave a windrow on the west side, push it all off to the east. A windrow on the west side means it will drift in right behind me. The very odd time we'll get an east wind to screw up your theory, but mostly west.

At least the investment in a "Comfort-zone" Cab has made snow plowing for the most part,...er,...ah,..pleasant? Good luck to you!

CHEERS!
. . tug