which snow blower is better?

[Jack Yuan]

I can sympathize with you Dick, I want a new mule in the worst way as the garden tractor is looking like its going to need a clutch.


I enquired of Caltrans an interesting question a while back.

I asked if they ever thought of investing in burying narrow gauge track in the shoulders of the roads crossing Donner and to use a railway snow clearer to clear snow off the shoulders and in the process be able to clear a wide swath with the sliding adjustable single stage snow clearing heads on a Beilhack rotary plow that can clear 12+ feet wide plus in one pass in the closed position and snow 15 foot plus deep.

It obviously never got past the clerk running their internet portal as he or she told me that CALTRANS knows what it is doing on Donner Pass.

They sure do they have the smallest self propelled highway snowblowers (SNOGO brand I think) I have ever seen.

Train Snow | Donner Summit - Lake Tahoe, CA - YouTube
Is this what you are talking about?

 

[leonz]

Train Snow | Donner Summit - Lake Tahoe, CA - YouTube
Is this what you are talking about?

Hello Mr. Yuan,

Yes that is one of the four operating snow plow trains that operates on Donner Pass when the weather requires that the railroad line be cleared on an around the clock basis.

 

[mdloops]

I am a big fan of consumer reports for this

 

[leonz]

Hello Gman Bart,

No harm in having some fun GmanBart, Its always a case of what one can afford
before even shopping for a snow caster.

I just hope my JDLA115 lasts one more season and it does not croak in the middle
of a snow storm.

 

[PILOON]

I thought the second option (pull type) is the cats meow for backing up to a building or garage door, dropping the blower and driving away. No stupid little pile left as with the other style.

Exactly, they were designed just for that however quite pricey.
Suburban snow contractor use them where houses are side by side about 100 ft apart.
Back in, drop, drive out and back into next drive drive out etc etc. All in all 3-4 mins per drive.
Very productive but those guys use 80+ hp tractors and each driver does 80 or so drives every storm.
Each drive has to be clear for 7:00 AM for the commuters to get to work.
Once the city plow has passed the contractor returns for the final clean up.