The Best Way to do Snow Removal? See Comments!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- I get asked all the time about how to choose snow removal equipment and have to admit that I'm not an expert. Where I live, arctic air can meet gulf moisture and dump a lot of snow, but it's not a regular occurrence and it usually doesn't last too long. Case in point, the snowstorm that allowed me to do this video dropped about 5" on us, and was almost completely gone in a little over a week.
What I know about snow removal is this. The best method and equipment to do the job will vary, depending on where you are. Folks in Buffalo, New York will use different equipment than people in Cheyenne, Wyoming because there's so much difference in the consistency of the snow. It's wet and heavy in Buffalo and light and fluffy in Cheyenne.
So, if you live in an area that gets heavy wet snow, and a lot of it, you may need a larger tractor with a front-mounted angle blade. An area with fluffy snow and a lot of wind requires a snowblower so you can get the snow far enough away from the driveway that it doesn't drift back over. Where I live, an angle blade and a trip down the driveway to move it to the left and back to move it to the right is about all you need.
I have found that asphalt driveways tend to shed snow quickly if you can get the bulk of the snow off of them so the sun can warm them up. I've had my driveway melt off when the temperature never got above freezing because and heat was absorbed by the black asphalt. The opposite is true for gravel driveways.
Whatever snow removal equipment you get, make sure you have it hooked on before the storm moves in. It's a lot easier to hook it up before it's covered with snow and freezing cold, versus afterwards. If you have an attached garage and can park your tractor in it before the storm, that's good as well.
Be careful about using a front loader to move snow, especially if you have uneven terrain. We have a "lip" where our asphalt meets our concrete and if using a loader, there's some hydraulic pressure there (unless it's in float) that could take a chunk out of the concrete, while a three-point implement has no down pressure, other than its own weight and tends to "jump" over pavement irregularities. A poly edge for your bucket will help protect your asphalt, available here for small Kubota tractors: asktractormike.... Here are universal models for larger tractors: asktractormike....
I'd like to make this video a bit of a forum. If you've had extensive experience with snow removal, tell us what worked and what didn't in the comments. Let us know where you live, the consistency of the snow, and the best tool, or tools you found could remove it. That way, anyone watching the video can read the comments and find the best methods for their locale.
LINKS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...
The Tractor Fun Store: asktractormike...
Support the Tractor Mike Channel: / tractormike
Visit the Tractor Mike website: asktractormike....
Copyright 2023 Tractor Mike LLC
Mike, I live in New Hampshire and I use a four wheel drive pickup with chains on all four wheels for normal plowing. When the snowbanks get up to five or six feet I use my 4 wheel drive tractor with bucked to move/push/ dig them back. Even if I push them way back with the truck, many years I have to move the banks back to make more room. So far this year we have had very little snow with most storms either skirting us and/or turning to rain. At 82 years old, I like the skirting and rain.
Norther New Hampshire here, and what I use Depends on if the ground is FROZEN. Only Drag when its NOT frozen, if Frozen I use a HLA pusher or my tractor bucket.
Another viewer from Nova Scotia, Canada here. I live on the Eastern Shore: usually, snow isn't a terribly big deal here. 10-20 cm snowfalls happen several times a year, and the snow's usually wet, often turning to rain. It's possible to get 30+ cm at once, but that's rare. My main priority for snow removal is to remove as much as possible, as it usually goes above freezing at least once a week (sometimes reaching over 10C!) -- and the less snow on the driveway, the less ice builds up, and the faster it melts.
I used to plow the snow on a mostly level, 250 m long gravel driveway with a Snowbear personal snowplow on the front of a pickup truck, which worked okay, but the truck's big turning radius made it awkward to get into tight spaces. Since then, I purchased a Kubota B6200 with a loader (modified by me to to have skid steer quick attach), and have attached the snowplow to a quick-attach plate. With ag tires, 4WD, and ~150 kg in a ballast box, the setup works great. I angle the plow manually, and use the loader controls to raise/lower the blade as necessary. If I need to remove large snow piles (which is rare), I just put the bucket on and scoop them up.
That being said: I am a firm believer that, if you live along the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, a 3-point hitch grader blade is all you will ever need. A 5 foot wide one is around $550 at Princess Auto. Couple that with a loader bucket and you'll be set. If you live in New Brunswick, Northern Nova Scotia, or PEI, though, I would strongly recommend a snowblower, as those areas see lots of fluffy snow.
Howdy. I’m in southwest Montana and have a 60 hp Kubota (MX5800).
I used an 8’ rear blade with hydraulic angling for several years.
This winter I picked up an 8’ front blade with hydraulic angling.
I like having the blade in front as I can clearly see it at all times. A rear blade can sometimes hook a fixed object and cause a lot of damage.
I would buy a snow pusher if I had parking lots to clear, but I’ve only been plowing gravel driveways, so a blade is the better choice for my needs.
The front blade with the loader arms in float, along with beet juice in the rear tires and a 3-point ballast box is working very well for me.
Well Mike, I live in New England and have a Deere 1025R. The first year I used the loader bucket. Since then I purchased a loader mounted CTA 66" blade with a poly edge. It works with a 3rd function that I installed. I put 650# of counter balance that I made for the 3pt hitch. I love this arrangement. My driveways are relatively flat and about 200 feet each.
The next step for me would be to move south like F. Huber did lol
Or heat the driveway, or have minions!
I highly recommend South 😀
@@CountryCraziness Born there, belong here!
I miss the South.
Especially, the cooking and my friends.
But, too many snakes, and too many New York'ers!
Hi Mike, my cottage is in south western Québec and I only remove the snow when I get there and it can be two weeks before the accumulated snow is finally removed. So, a blade will be overwhelmed. I use a 68" wide single auger snowblower attached to a tractor with a 20 HP PTO shaft. I've taken off snow about 2/3 the height of the snowblower opening without issues. Doesn't matter if rain or warmer weather happened between snowstorm, so far nothing has beaten the snowblower. Just have to adapt the speed of the tractor to the work that needs to be done. Seeing that snow being propelled far away from my private road is a great feeling lol My tractor has loaded rear tires so no chains needed.
I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our standard snow fall for a season in this area is 190". I use a Farmall 75C with a Western 9' quick attach plow and a very large 7' snow blower on the rear. My driveway is gravel and 1/2 mile long. I blow the deep snow (over 6") and plow the rest. I might add the most important addition to all of this set up is tire chains on all of the tires. Without chains it is a dangerous endeavor.
Hint 1. R4 tires are terrible in the snow unless you add chains.
Hint 2. Your rear blade must be turned 180 deg on gravel driveways.
Hint 3. HLA Snow Pushers are the best for pushing and back dragging. On long driveways, however, I want a front mounted angle plow.
Hint 4. Push your piles way back on early snowfalls before they freeze.
Hint 5. Open Station tractors are COLD. Your buddy with a plow on his truck keeps you warm.
Hint 6. Front mounted snow blowers are a great tool but usually a real PITA to put on and take off. PTO driven are ok but you either drive over and pack the snow or are always driving backwards.
For the last few years, I’ve been using number five.
I too live in Maine. I use Edge Tamers on my FEL (JD3033R cab) for my 500 yd gravel driveway. I have specific places I lift the bucket and create piles. I also use the box blade once the ground freezes so I don't dig up gravel pushing it into piles or pulling some out away from vehicles then lift it.
I live in the Bangor, ME. Purchased a 1023e with a front mounted 54” snow blower. Great combination!
Hi Mike: I live in North Central North Dakota. Here we get anywhere from 40-100” of snow. We also get every type of snow here. We get the wet heavy snow in the late fall and early spring. In the heart of winter we usually have to deal with temps of -20 to -30 F and 40+ mph winds which tends to move snow around and pack in in like a rock. I have a New Holland TC33DA equipped with a Front End Loader and a Woods snowblower mounted on the 3 point. I really like this setup as it allows me to push and pile on certain areas of my property and blow the snow in other areas. It also allows me to the the loader bucket to break up the rock hard snowdrifts, otherwise the blower and tractor will just ride up on top of them. It’s really a nice versatile setup for most any conditions. I have a short video of it in action here on TH-cam if anyone wants to see it works. I enjoy your videos so keep them coming!
I live in Wisconsin I use a tractor with a cab and blower then another one with a cab and blade. I use chains on both plus wheel weights.
Hi Mike. I live in New Hampshire. We had nearly 2 feet of snow between 1/15/2023 and 1/23/2023. I have a 400 foot paved driveway that opens up to a double car garage and a 25×25 turnaround. On the other end, my driveway dumps out onto a shared dirt/gravel driveway that goes out to the main road.
For 20+ years, I used a walk behind snowblower. For the last 6 years, I've been using an Aiens 28 in professional grade machine, and it's been awesome!
I bought my first tractor in the spring of 2022 - a Kioti CS2220. I decided to get an HLA snow pusher. It's awesome up near the garage and turnaround, as well as on the shared dirt/gravel drive, but I realized the pusher does not work well on the long 22 year old rutted section; the pusher is too wide and leaves snow in th ruts. I've concluded that I'll continue using the snowblower for that section even though it's long. I have R14 tires, rears loaded with Rim Gaurd, and weights on my rear quick hitch. So far, I haven't had a need for chains!
I considered getting a snow broom for the tractor. I think it would work really well on that long, rutted section, but they are very expensive!
Hi Mike - I live in North Idaho and snowfall varies from year to year and with the temperature while it snows. When temps are in the low 20’s and lower the light fluffy snow is easy to move with my atv and 5’ blade. When it’s warmer and the snow is heavier I have to go with my 35 horse tractor and front blade in float. When it gets really bad and the berms start to build up I go to the tractor and my 68” 3pt. blower. I have a gravel driveway and I chain front and back with 4 link bar chains.
Hi Mike, I live in central Iowa where I use a blade on the front of my John Deere 835 Gator for snow removal. It works like a champ in all kinds and depths on snow. I also have a Kubota MX 6000 with bucket and blade in my shed but haven't used it.
Really? That's good to know. We have the same gator at work; I use the tractor or skid steer with a blower at work. I will talk to my supervisor about looking into a blade for the gator.
I'm in Pittsburgh, PA and we dont really get much snow in the past 10 years. I use a 4wd Kubota b2320 with front loader and box blade. The loader is used in " float" mode. Works perfect and I can lift the snow and place wherever I like. Works perfect.
Delta Jct, Alaska here. I run an LS XR4140HC CAB. Snow removal is accomplished with the bucket and box blade both down. Box blade is tilted up in front so as not to dig. On deep snot I move over so as to leave a row out the side of the bucket then on a following pass plow the row that was left We also are prone to get a big rain usually mid January. If it is on top on some snow all I can tell you is good luck and have fun.
Hermit Out
Mike, I just moved back to Michigan and bought 3 acres and watched your channel to learn about SCUTs. When I lived in Western Michigan we could get up to 70"+ of snow per season. Where we end up landing just above the Ohio border and the typical snow fall here is no more than 38" per season. For that reason I opted to just go with a 60" blade on the front of my 1025r. Mated with JD's Quick Hitch the blade works just fine for my needs in plowing the paved private drive I share with three of my neighbors.
Also I put a set of two link chains on the rear tires and haven't taken them off yet, winter or summer.
Hi Mike, We live in north central Pennsylvania. Snow removal for us can be minimal to quite extensive from one winter to the next. Our snows have been dry and powdery to very wet and heavy. The deepest single snow storm I’ve personally encountered for removal was 24” in December 2020. That one was a dry snow, luckily minimal wind with that storm so drifting snow wasn’t a problem. We moved here in the spring of 2005. Beginning in the winter season of 2005 through the spring of 2022, I used an open station 2-wheel drive John Deere 2150 with a back blade. It’s no fun being out in the open when it’s snowing and blowing. Physically it was becoming a challenge to install tire chains every fall and it’s taken a toll on my back and neck, being constantly turned around to accomplish the task. It had gotten to the point it’s painful. Our lane is gravel, so moving the snow without moving the gravel is nearly impossible. I commonly turned the blade around to help not pick up as much gravel. When turned around the blade would better ride up on a couple inches of snow and not disturb as much gravel. Every spring I still have gravel to get out of the grass. Another chore in its own. This winter season I’ve moved into a tractor with MFWD, a cab and front-end loader (FEL). The FEL is equipped with a quick attach and auxiliary hydraulics. I got a power angled snow blade. So far this winter season (now mid Feb) we have had very little snow. I’ve only cleared our lane once and a second time cleared the snow away at the end of the lane and mail box. Using the front facing plow is a blessing. It will take some getting used to, it’s a big blade and being on the front of the FEL it’s out there quite a distance. I still move gravel, but I hope with practice that will become less and less. The FEL does have a float mode, the blade does have shoes, but as heavy as the FEL and blade are it still moves the gravel. If the ground isn’t frozen before we get snow it’s easy to disturb and move sod as well as gravel. It’s nice being inside a heated cab and facing forward to remove snow rather than being out in the cold and twisting around to watch the rear blade.
Mike, I live in the eastern side of Missouri but closer to Arkansas. Typically your side of Missouri gets considerably more snow. Therefore even more so than you, I have not bought specialized equipment for now removal. I simply use either my loader bucket or my grader blade depending on how much I get. I typically have my bucket tilted slightly up liking a slight layer of snow for traction on a frequent layer of ice under the snow.
This decision is in part reached as years ago I had a large lot in a subdivision (about 1 1/2 acres). I bought a tiller at a going out of business sale. It included a snow blower. Price was good enough that I bought it as a package. I tried to use the blower once-wet wet wet snow on plugged up the blower. I sold that tilter after buying a tiller for my tractor after U had bought more land.
Northern New Brunswick/Maine area. Pusher on a front end loader works great for dustings or small amounts of cold, dry snow. Couple this with a rear mount 3 pt blower for heavier snowfalls, or to dissipate windrows and drifts.
Rubber cutting edges can be fixed to blades and blowers to prevent any damage.
Helena, Montana, Kubota L3560HSTC with front snow blower and rear blade.
I live in central Wisconsin & I use a atv with a front mounted plow. I had a snowblower and hated it. It doesn’t matter what kind of snow we get or how much, I can always clean it out. No chains needed. Before the year starts I spray silicone lubricant on the blade. I’ve also removed the feet so I get down to pavement & cement. I also clean 2 other neighbors out & sometimes the road in between. Now when I go up to northern Wisconsin I have to clean my driveway there that has gravel. Then I cut a slit in a pvc pipe the length of my 5’ blade & slide that on. That way it protects my blade and doesn’t dig out gravel. Plus it’s kind of fun playing with the 4 wheeler. I do have a Kubota 3800 also but don’t use it for that.
Hi Mike . Today we have so many more choices . We are spoiled with tractor options and implements . Side by sides and atvs with blades are pretty common now here in ontario . A lot of people now here with tractors use the front mount snowblower also . There are lots of quick attach loader mounted blade options now also . Anyone who lives in lower snow area has choice of buying a loader mount blade but in a dozer blade option . This way they can use it all year round and get there moneys worth . Still lots of rear pto and three point hitch blades like your using also .Using a loader in float position for ridgid blade or bucket etc usually causes lost steering on snow . Most loader blades have there own free float . Chains yes . Hard compressed snow in gravel driveways turns too Ice after plowing a few times .Box blades work but are limited on amount and snow conditions .
Central Manitoba Canada
I use a rear blade backward more than anything. The trick is to stay on it. A blower wins if there is a foot or more. 1023e with chains.
Well Mike I use my Kubota L3830 and front bucket with back blade but in Southern Illinois like you it’s rare to get a big snow. But after retiring from the dept of transportation after 30 years dealing with snow removal, my advice is no matter what you use, watch your speed. Snow covers familiar landmarks on your property and you can really do some damage to what you hit, your equipment, or you if you are going fast
Wisconsin, I use 2019 2032r with blower and 6ft back blade
Hi Mike: I live in Wisconsin and I use a 1949 John Deere A with a John Deere ABG snow blade on the front the tractor. It uses the Power Lift to lift the blade, and manual to angle the blade. I also have chains and can push about 2 feet of wet heavy snow.
Love the Hat Mike Go KC
I live north michigan.have a 7 foot two auger chain tire work fine but over kill most of time
I live in Canada and my favorite method is using the back blade with an ABS pipe slipped onto the cutting edge, because I plow a long gravel driveway and some grassy areas. The pipe acts like snow shoes so you don't dig anything up. I also have a pipe on my bucket edge and leave it in float and it pushes snow really good.
Same here! I've found the ABS wears and melts a bit so the gap opens up and falls off. Solution is put it in a vice to close the slot and heat it with a plumbing torch for a few seconds along the length.
I would like to see a picture of this and wonder what size ABS pipe are you using?
Everything about snow clearing depends on your local conditions:
- How much snow do you get?
- What type of driveway surface?
- If gravel, does it stay frozen over the winter or not?
- How many hills?
We get feet of snow. at our cottagein Muskoka ON. Have guys plow (truck and plow) when absent, I use a large front MK Martin hydraulically powered loader-mount blower on Kubota cab L6060 when there and to clean up to keep banks down. Loaded tires, chains on all 4 wheels as steep hills. In-laws 1/2 mile away used a loader bucket on a backhoe for years - flat drive. Blower keeps banks from getting too high and keeps the water off the road in the spring.
Jeez that set up is $
Mike, I forgot to mention even with ag tires, rear chains are a must on hills.
Hi Mr M this is glenn from Ovid Mi last year i had a 1960 jd3010 2WD yes need wheel chains ( I made mine ). I used back blade with 2" pipe on bottom ( it ride on top of the gravel). Sorry I don't c how 2 send pictures.
I'd love to hear some advice on how to remove snow from a gravel driveway. Maybe 8" of wet PNW snow using a JD1070. If I angle the rear blade with edge forward it digs in and removes all my gravel with the snow. If I rotate the blade so the edge is facing backwards, the snow doesn't slide off as well since it builds up where the 3 pt frame attaches to the blade. I'd like to go edge forward at an angle but how can I keep the blade about 1"+ above the surface at all times. I see bolt on skid shoes on Ebay. Are they effective?
Stanley "Dirt Monkey" Genadek'
Tractor Time with Tim
Good Works Tractor
Utah
1- Know the area you are going to clear. Mark unfamiliar and sensitive objects.
2-Plan on where you are going to pile the snow all season long.
3- Keep the area picked up from surprises.
4-Know that every storm is different.
6-The more complex the rig the more can go wrong when it's cold.
7-The more comfortable and warmer you are the better focus you have on the task.
Hi Mike. I live in Ontario on the northern shores of Lake Huron. Have a Kubota with cab. Front blower and rear blade which I use backwards. It pacts the snow on the gravel drives I do until frozen. We can get 3 feet of snow in a day sometimes. Pretty much everyone in my area use tractors with blowers. Even the town and lots are done with tractors. To much snow to push with trucks because once the banks are high you have nowhere else to push the snow .
Hi Mike. Here in Rhode Island we get anything from 3” to 3+ ft. I use a Quik hitch plow mounted to the front and then replace with my bucket to push the piles back. Btw r4 construction treads are the absolute worst for traction. Up here we have to use chains with them if you have any grade to your driveway
Hi Mike,
I live in SW Colorado at the foot of the San Juan Mountains and snowfall can vary a lot. Most of our snow is wet and heavy. Though the last couple years have been relatively warm and only 6-7 feet of snow, we occasionally get hammered. 5 years ago we got 17 feet, most of it in February-March. This year, in a 3-week period we got almost 7 feet of snow. When you get that kind of snow in a short period, you run out of places to push it, so a snow blower works best. I have to clear a fairly large area, it is all gravel, and I am on the downhill side of the road. So, in the winter my LS MT125 is outfitted with a front-end loader equipped with Edge Tamers to clear the 3-4' gravel-filled berm the road crews plow across my driveway, and I run a 54" rear three-point snow blower to clear the large areas. The snow thrower is ideal since I can throw the snow 35-40' and keep it from building up so high at the edges of my cleared areas.
As an example of the effectiveness of this setup, I have neighbors who winter in AZ. They had to come home for something in late January and that 7' of snow had compacted down to about 36" on their long winding uphill driveway. They would have had a hard time even wading through the snow to their house, so I cleared it for them. With only a loader, I would have run out of places to move the snow and it would have taken forever. With the snow blower, I was able to easily clear the drive and parking area to their elation. Where their 12-12 pitch metal roof shed all that snow into an 8' high pile in front of their door, I was able to eat away at the pile with my front-end loader and then blow it away with the blower. It was quite effective.
Hi Mike, Up in Ontario Canada, I have 2 tractors I us for snow removal. We get around 10 feet a year up here. a heavy snowfall would be between a foot to 2 feet. I have a small 25 Hp new holland with a front mount blower (swaps out with loader) this machine does 90% of my snow removal. My other Machine is a beautiful old 75 hp Leyland with a 6' PTO blower on the back end. this machine takes on the heaviest of snowfalls. The critical piece up here with a gravel driveway is to get a good base down. We drive on it for the first few snowfalls if they are light, or I will leave a little with the blower and pack that down. Without the base you just blow gravel everywhere. I tilt my blower back when early in the season so the edge doesn't cut, then tilt it forward (top link) as the season progresses to scrap the snow base as much as I can. I keep a box blade with scarifiers on it if we get a warm spell. I can use that to scrap the ice and break it up so its not a skating rink.
I'm in Eastern WA and although we don't get quite as much snow as you, it's the same technique for me.
I wish I had a front-mount snowblower, but with my 3 point I use the same technique. It's much easier to maintain once the ground is frozen. Those first few snows of the year wreak havoc on the gravel surface, and it took a couple years to learn how to avoid raking rocks in the spring.
Depends on surface and amount/type of snow.
You don't drag into the gravel of a gravel driveway unless you like re-spreading and buying gravel.
I bought gasoline and moved 900 miles south to get away from snow.
Lmao!
We get between 200 and 300" a year here, much of it quite heavy. The biggest issue around here isn't how you move the snow, but where you put it. If you don't plan ahead in the fall, considering your available space and equipment, a couple feet overnight in late February can be an unpleasant experience.
Exactly. I'm in UP of Michigan and we get comparable snowfall each year. For my property and lack of areas to push piles, a blower is the only way to go. JD4052R with 84" Woodmax blower. I leave the bucket on in case I get stuck, can use it to inch my way in or out of a situation lol :-)
Hi Mike - I live in Maine and we simply use a plow on our trucks. Some folks use a tractor with a rear blade and other use a snow pusher box which is the best bet if you have a paved driveway. Keep up the great work. 👍
I am here in Nova Scotia, and the last few years snow has not been a big deal, but I have seen a number of years I did not think winter would end.
I have had a number of methods, a truck with a V-Plow, a 4 wheeler with a push blade, then a 4 ft snow blower that mounted on it, now I have a side by side with a 6 ft blade and put 400-500lbs of weight in the back box, and am amazed at how good it pushes.
First rule of thumb is, make sure if your pushing snow, to push it back far enough so any snow that comes after that, you will have enough room for it too.
Second, if your area greats a great amount of snow, and the snow is on the ground most of the winter, snow blowers are the answer. You do not end up with big piles of snow, with no where to put anymore.
Third, I do have an older tractor with a blade, but do not use it, for the simple fact 2 wheel drive, and even though the tires are loaded it is not useless in the snow/ice, but to the point on hills it is dangerous.
Don't get me wrong if we had a big snow of a couple feet with drifting, I probably would get it out to handle a few areas that the side by side may struggle with. But so far the side by side has been able to handle some fairly substantial depths, if approached correctly.
In WI I plow with my Kubota L4060 with a cab (of course) and the the blade uses my front hydraulic couplers for adjustment.
Greetings Mike. I'm in the mountains of western Montana at 5000 feet and my private driveway/road is one mile long and drops (or climbs) 1000 feet in that mile. It's a gravel (dirt) driveway only one vehicle wide with drop offs and deep ditches...in short one doesn't want to go off the road, (you can guess how I know, I have the tee shirt). Here I have no room to push snow due to diminishing road width with each pass so a snowblower is required. I have a Yanmar SA324 diesel tractor with a front mounted "Yanmar" blower. It works well but does struggle to get uphill at times. I need to keep the blower about 1 1/2" above the drive surface to keep from picking up rocks and breaking sheer pins. No fun changing those in windy subzero temps with blowing snow...got that shirt too. Interesting fact...all four tires on the tractor have chains and 4 wheel drive is required. The front and rear chains are different. The fronts have "V" shaped spikes and work quite nicely. The real chains are Diamond ladder and have thick short spikes which hold well, HOWEVER, when the temperatures are right for nice snowball packing snow the rear chains grab the snow and pack around both rear tires and I'm trying to go uphill on snow drag slicks. I am therefore limited to clearing only when the snow temp is well below 32 degrees. Just a heads up for your readers and potential tire chain choices. FYI I have a neighbor who has a rear mounted snow blower with a winding road...he hates it, don't do that to yourself unless you have a very short straight road and you like a sore neck.
Hi Mike, love your channel. We are in northern Connecticut and historically have had a lot of snow (but not this year!). Our driveway is asphalt, about 18' wide and nearly 1000' long. I have a JD 2720 with turf tires. I run a 54" front blower with 850 pounds of rear ballast and have no problem with traction (our driveway is reasonably level). After I blow the snow, I put on the 54" snow blade to clean everything up. The sun takes care of any remainder. Normally I spend about 1 1/2 hours cleaning up the driveway. Been doing it this way for 13 years. Before that, I used a 28" wide walk-behind snowblower. That took just about all day!
Hi Mike.I LIVE IN Temiscaming Quebec, Canada.I used my toyota truck with à plow!!but we get a ĺot of snow ànd the road òver 1 mile. Long kept getting narrower & narrower so I made àn investment bought a subcompact 1705massey with a 50 ln.snowbĺower, takes a little longer but so far so good.!!!
Bought the tractor in 2019 till now. For people who have wòodstoves save Your ashes to spread on ice portion & hilĺy portions of your road.
Hi Mike,
Live in northwest PA in the snowbelt and plow frequently.
Use a back blade which I've mounted a 3/4" thick rubber matting by 60"wide (blade), about 18" tall.
This works really well on a gravel driveway, which mine is (200'). You won't dig into your gravel since the blade
comes down on top of the matting preventing it from digging in .Also, I use rear chains as even with 4WD I've
slid all over the place when it's a hard packed wet snow. Have also used the FEL to move plowed snow around.
i hear Edge Tammers on your bucket work good
I live in Northern Maine and have tried a few different things, but I find my 8' pusher box does the best. If you have a long driveway, I would say an articulating plow would be better, but if you have more yard to clear than driveway, like me, the pusher box is the best thing. I have rear chains and they help but I also found it does OK without. I also have a rear mount snowblower to supplement but it breaks too many shear bolts to be my main weapon. You can just gorilla the pusher box. It's pretty indestructible.
I live in the mountain of south east Idaho. We can get 7 feet of snow some winters. I have a kubota grand L 4760 with a blower on the front and a blade on the back. I blow out about 10 of my neighbors some with long steep driveways so I have chains on all 4 R1 tires and wheels. Plows are faster until you run out of room and then you'll be calling me.
For the snow you get the plow on the rear is just fine. If you live in the north like I do (Quebec, Canada). We can get much more and on a regular bases. I use a small tractor with a rear mounted blower and a front end loader with a homemade push/pull box.
Hey Mike, I live in Quebec, Canada and I use a snow pusher on my loader on my gravel driveway. It's way faster than using a straight blade because it can collect more snow instead of just pushig it on each side. Back dragging is also very nice with a snow pusher compared to a straight blade. In addition, I use chains on my rear tires because otherwise, I would be spinning like crazy with my industrial tires. Finally, I'm planning on getting a snow blower on my 3 point hitch next year to keep the snow away from collecting near my driveway.
Live in Northeast Iowa have a snow machine blower from South Sioux City, South Dakota,8' wide 50" height 3 point on a 1964 John Deere 4020 diesel power shift. I can take on 7' snow drifts. Also a 1965 3020 gas John Deere power shift with a 7' bucket #47 John Deere loader.
Also have a 350 1958 Farmall diesel with a fast- hitch lift with a fast- hitch 8' blade behind that I moved snow with.
Gee day Mike. Live in Maniwaki, Québec Canada. We get normally 200 to 250 cm of snow equals approximately 8 to 10 feet. Start’s in November till end of April.
My equipment Kioti 7320 with 2500 HLA snow pusher, 96" rear end snow blower. Trigg snow chains. Mind you , we do have back blade like yours for smaller snow falls. There simple to use and fast to clear out small roads.
Here in ME, I use a snow pusher on the front and a snowblower on the back to get piles out of the corners. Tire chains are a must at my place, but not everyone needs them.
We moved to Montana in August 2017, I bought my first tractor (‘67 MF135 Deluxe) in October. The tractor came with a 8’, manually angled front blade. First time out, I cocked the blade to the right, as you did in your video, and plowed 12” of snow off one side of our 1/4 mile drive, turned around and pushed snow off the other side. As I stood back admiring my handy work I almost broke my arm patting myself on the back. My drive looked like a large gravel bowling alley, with 18-24” tall “gutters” on either side. Later that night the wind picked up and we had a ground blizzard. The wind, blowing perpendicular to our drive, picked up snow from the surrounding pasture and packed my drive solid-deep as the two snow mounds I created on either side. Lesson learned… ALWAYS plow snow to the leeward side of the drive.
Mike I live in Eastern WA State (Newport WA) by Large Lake. We typically get about 35" of snow. With most snows of 4-6". I started out hiring it done, but we have gravel driveway. Got tired of putting the gravel back. I then went to 28" Snowblower and 24" Snowblower. I ask the Wife to get on our Little Mitsubishi MT18 with Rear Blade and Bucket for anything the County Blesses us with. Works great for small snows. Plus I enjoy the 1200ft of driveway. Nothing better for dry eyes than snow blowing in them (not kidding, diabetes sucks).
Next year we are switching gears and come March I expect delivery of John Deer 2032R Tractor with Frontier AF11E - 6 Ft with Hydraulics. Will stop using snowblower except for around house walkways to building and sidewalks.
I like to let it build up to Ice Layer and trap the gravel before blowing or plowing the driveway. Our end of Driveway is large area to turn around and snowblower can't blow it clear. Wife will use back blade and push it off.
Secret to walking down the driveway is Ice Cleats on your shoes. Plus not running and carefully walking. This year we got hit hard in Nov/Dec and still have at least 12" of snow around.
I tried Tractor going backwards with 48" Snowblower. Royal Pain in Neck. Only used it 2 years. Since most early snows are SLUSH it clogged a lot. Sold it and did not even lose any money (It cost 1k more now)
Steve Dawson, Newport WA outside Diamond Lake
Windy drifted plains of CO.....Trying to get by with 30 hp 4WD JD with rear chains, using bucket and box-blade. To increase efficiency in larger areas - I'm learning how to work both directions, i.e. bucket collection forward, then box blade to push snow while backing-up in "dozer" mode.
John Deere 770, geared transmission, 4x4, 59" blower, 1000 lbs ballast suit case weights, turf tires. 21 years now never got it stuck. Word of warning. Hard objects are thrown like you hit a baseball. In my case hit frozen St Bernard poop. Destroyed my neighbors vynial siding at 50 yards.
Hi Mike, I live in rural Central WI and I have a large circular asphalt driveway that I like to keep in good shape.
I own a TYM T254 tractor with just under 25hp that I prefer to use for snow removal.
I’ve tried many different methods over the years and the HLA 1500 60-inch snow pusher works best for me.
th-cam.com/video/DnT8V3gLfUA/w-d-xo.html
We live up by OwenSound Ontario Canada, we get a lot of snow. I use a Kubota BX2380 with a 60” rear mounted snowblower single stage and a snow bucket on the front. For tires I have industrial R4 front & back. They do okay but I should put chains on the rear tires. Total average snow fall is 13 feet for my area. It seems like it’s always snowing.
Take care
I live near Utica, NY and we had always used the biggest Cub Cadet Blower we could find. It works but with a 150' driveway and my father-in-law next door it was to much work so last year I got a tractor with 66" rear blower on my Mahindra 1626 HST and I love it. It takes about 30 minutes to do both driveways and I can do 40' wide without any problems. The only problem with a blower is when it is wet snow. For that kind of snow I also use an old Ford 8n blade that fits perfect on my 1626.
Hi Mike,
I live in West Central Wisconsin, just across the border from the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
We can get anywhere from a couple of inches to a couple of feet, but usually in the 3-8" range for one event. This year we have gotten a lot of snow - more than average I think. Of course nowhere near the mountain guys.
I have had a plow on an ATV, SnowBlower on various large lawn tractors, and my current setup - a 60" Artillian/Curtis plow mounted on a fork rack on my JD 1025R FEL.
My main problem is where to put the snow. I have an attached two car garage and 90 degrees to the side, a 20X30 two car shop. Since I paved the first 300' of my driveway, along with the parking area in front of the garage and shop, I went with the JD and large plow. I need the FEL mounted plow in order to pile the now up to a height of over 6'. This winter I'm running out of room even with that ability. The tractor has turf tires and I've never needed chains. The last 400' of driveway is gravel so I have to be careful out there. I usually wait until there is a good "base" before I really try to plow that. Right now I have the plow off the FEL and the bucket on in order to move some of the piles of snow and also scrape the ice off the pavement.
I live in Canada. I have a a 7ft IH 3 pt hitch blower on a 1066 with a loader , a 4 ft 3 pt hitch blower on a JD 1025R with front loader ,a Honda walk behind track drive snowblower and a 54 inch front blade on a JD X748. Just a little more ready than your scraper blade. LOL Kent from PEI
Up here in Plattsburgh, NY, We don't get that much snow. I started out with a little Farmall cub with a 4' front blade to maintain Our almost 2000' road into Our home site. After first year I purchased a New Holland tc 33D with a loader and 64"3pt 2 stage snow blower. My nephew gave Me a 6.5' Meyers snow plow off a Jeep. Fabricated a pusher frame off front of tractor frame. Used loader for up and down. Bucket tilt ports for angling blade. The bucket hindered My sight so I put a hydraulic cylinder from tractor frame down to plow. So I could remove loader. Nephew made Me a metal cab with a water heater and wiper. I can plow in My sheet sleeves now! It is a real nice setup blade is controlled by loader lever. Can plow in 3rd range and hydro makes back and forth real fast. If We get a Nor'easter that can dump a lot of snow. I run ice stud chains on the rear tires only. Just for security. Only use blower it banks start to close in on the sides. The blower will clean 3-4' wide easily. Put in low range in reverse and set cruise control at a speed that keeps the blower full.
Hello Tractor Mike, i have a place in Nikiski, Alaska. Between October and April we get 8- 12 feet of the white stuff which just won't go away till spring!!! The problem gets to be where to stack/store all the snow... I use a L3901 with loader and 3 point mounted 6 foot blower in combination with a western 8 foot plow on my old pick-up. I like having the loader to break up compacted or drifted snow and then use the blower to get the stuff way out of the way in preperation for next big snow fall !!! The wife does the tractor and I run the plow truck, works great. Also a 30 inch ariens blower, grain shovels, square pointed barn shovels , ice mutts , roof snow rakes are all part of the arsenal against the snow devil!!! Mike the snow up here is worse than those Chinese spy balloons !#!#
Cheyenne WY, 1025R, I've been clearing about 2 miles of private gravel road in our development. Because of the wind, most of the road is blown clear. There are about five places that the snow drifts across the road and fills it for about 30 feet in each place. So far, I've used my bucket and a rear blade at an angle. Works well except for the big drifts. I just bought a 54 inch front mounted blower. March is our bug snow month so I'm hoping to get some use out of it. Thanks MIke!
I live in New Brunswick, Canada and our snow storms are typically 8" to 12"+. My driveway is sloped and gravel. I do not have much area on either side to push snow and so my driveway would get very narrow if I used an angle blade - build up of big snow banks. I have a 72" bucket and 72" rear facing 3pt PTO snowblower and I use the blower 99% of the time because I throw the snow far out of my way. I can snowblow uphill because the blower clears the way for the wheels.
I have rear chains and they help me to avoid sliding sideways. I am shopping for front chains. Also, the chains are a must have in order to get up the steep slope of two of my neighbours driveways when I give them a hand. My R4s would sit and spin until springtime without chains 🤣
Eastern Ontario, can get up to 4ft drifts on my 1000ft gravel driveway. Currently using a Kubota B2401 with R4 tires with the bucket and 6' rear blade, which I leave on all winter. Up to 8" of slow I just use the blade, both forwards and backwards to push it off to the side. Deeper and I use the bucket to push it off to the side, or even lift and dump if it's a 4' drift. Either takes me 15 minutes or 4 hours 🤣
My wife suggests I get a blower for the rear but that's a lot of money for something I use one or twice a year. Plus I'd have to swap between the blower and the blade depending on the snow depth.
Here in NE WI I have always used a walkbehind snothrow. Hardly any piles anywhere. I plan to get a tractor because I can see the day coming when it will be difficult for me to use the walkbehind. This year I had a knee replacement just before Christmas so I had to hire a guy to plow my driveway w/ his truck. After one snowfall of about 5”-6” of wet heavy stuff I had piles on the end of my drive almost 5’ high. Good part is he could do my drive in about 15 min where it takes me over an hour w/ wwmy blower. But I can see running out of room to pile the snow by plowing. As expensive as it is, I will probably get a blower for my tractor.
Hello Mike, I know its a bit late in the game to post this comment however...
I live in Southern Colorado (average yearly snowfall is 24 inches, usually heavy and wet) and have a 1/4 mile long driveway which is all gravel and a very large gravel area in front of the house. For context I run a cabbed 5075e with an 8' straight blade and a loader to move/remove/push snow. I don't do anything fancy really but I flip my blade around 180 degrees add 2x 45 kilo suitcase weights on the blade to create more downforce, angle it and go. When I get a nice windrow of snow I use the loader in float (I coat the loader bucket with diesel first so the snow wont stick) angling the edge slightly up so I don't dig in and make a pile. I have tried edge tamers, they dont work so well on gravel, even tried going low tech and used a piece of schedule 80 pvc but it wore out in a couple of hours. My side by side came with a blade (which I removed years ago) and it never did as good a job as the tractor can. So for me a reversed 8' blade works perfectly everytime.
Rear mounted snowblower and a snow pusher on B7610. Turf tires, weighted in rear. Long gravel driveway, asphalt pad in garage parking area, and sand/gravel areas around garage and barn. Backdrag on snow pusher is way underrated. Poly edge on backdrag is something to consider. Volume of snow pusher load is much larger than the a bucket. Bucket goes back on to dig stuff out or move piles.
I live in Western Nebraska 30 miles from the Nebraska Wyoming border. Mitchell,Ne is my address. I have a Farmall 656 tractor and a rear blade that has worked really well for about 15 years now. Luckily I have good neighbors that live close by on to the east and one to the west of me who have had to dig me out in the past with their front end loaders. Our snow can be wet and heavy but is mostly dryer fluffier snow unless the wind starts blowing. I have had snow drift in and pack so hard that my 1500 pound draft cross could walk atop such drifts and not sink in. 4 inches of snow and 40 mile an hour winds have created drifts up to the eaves of my house about 3 years ago. Was snowed in for 2 days. the wind comes out of the northwest for miles with nothing to stop it except snow fence I put up every fall now on the north and west sides of my yard. I will be getting a front entd loader for my tractor in a few weeks. My blade works great but at times you need a front end loader in order to be self sufficient in my area.
I'm in central Washington State where we get from nothing up to over 3 feet in some years. First, the absolute worst thing to use is a front loader. You're constantly filling it, then backing up, then going off to the side, and emptying it. Then going ahead and filling it up again. That takes forever, and I can't finish my half mile during daylight hours. I have a JD3038e and a half mile long gravel driveway. If it's less than 6 inches or so, I usually can use the back blade. Since it's a gravel road, I turn the blade backwards, at the most angle setting, so I don't scrape off much of the gravel. If I had a paved road, I could use the blade in the normal position. And if the snow is over 6 inches or so, I use a back mounted Buhner 5 foot snow blower. I can do my whole half mile in little over 2 hours. Of course, I have to twist around in my seat to see what I'm doing, and that can get uncomfortable in time. And the snow blower only removes snow above about 3 inches, depending on how you set the skids. Any lower and I end up sucking up too much gravel. But I can drive over 3 inches of snow, especially with my 4wd pickup. If there's a layer of ice, then I need tire chains. Otherwise the tractor simply won't push into the snow. And I have those terrible R4 tires that are the worst in snow.
In my years of moving snow in northern NY (near Canadian border), I have used a pu truck with a plow, a tractor with loader, a back blade on a tractor and a personal snowblower. They all have their strong points and weaknesses.
My preference was the pu truck with a plow for convenience. The issue is when plowing snow at begin of year make sure ground is frozen, because you have to push snow as far back as you can across the lawn to make room to push future snow.
Snowblowers for personal use on your driveways and sidewalks are good until snow banks get too high.
Back blades are the same as the trucks if you can get skid shoes to keep from digging in the ground. I preferred to push snow backwards (40 hp diesel, 8 ft blade).
Tractor loader was hardest to plow snow for me. Trying to judge the ground level while pushing snow without gouging is hard. Better to keep blade off the ground a little.
The same could be said when looking for snow shovels. There are different configurations depending on snow conditions. I own at least 4 different snow shovels for that reason.
Northern Maine, TYM t754 with Wifo 101 inch inverted blower and 7 1/2 ft front blade. Check out our video @ farm’n the woods here on TH-cam.
From Minnesota and for years used a 4 wheeler with plow and have a fairly small driveway. Several years ago got a 24 inch walk behind blower. Walk behind blower works well for small amounts of snow. If any wind creates drifts, small blower will struggle. About a year ago purchased subcompact tractor with front loader and 50 inch rear blower. Need chains to clear paths in the back yard. Best purchase ever even with having to look backwards to use the blower. Put a polly edge on the bucket edge and has helped with cleanup. Thanks for the video.
I’ve cleared snows for in town businesses for about 30 years in the Coastal Mid-Atlantic region. Our winters are feast or famine, sometimes we go years with nothing and others we have multiple storms over 2 feet. Our deeper snows are light and fluffy but in general we tend to have heavier wet snows.
Here’s my opinion on a minimum efficiency snow removal build. This is the smallest build I find easy on the machine and user while being time and cost efficient. You will need to scale the tractor larger as the snow frequency, depth, and size of the surface areas demand.
For starters I prefer a utility tractor equipped with a loader. Wheel loaders and skid steers work too but in general lack the ability to equip a secondary removal tool on the rear. I recommend at least a large frame mid-size compact model with the following attributes:
1) 4 wheel drive, or some version of all wheel drive. Preferably with a foot operated hydraulic transmission.
2) Ballasted multipurpose style tires like Versa Turf for maximum traction. Any wide flat bars like on R4 industrial tires and bar style tracks perform poorly in snow. Tracks systems are not my first choice in snow as they reduce the needed ground pressure to maintain traction, but likewise they can be fitted with similar tread to improve performance.
3) Good ground clearance to drive over the snow, at least 12 inches to the axle. If the snow tops your axles it can be frustrating getting to a job site and getting the initial opening started. It is especially problematic if you use a 3 point forward facing snow blower or blade as the tractor needs to drive over the snow field first. In general the lower the clearance the more time you will spend doing multiple smaller clearings during large snow events.
4) The loader must be able to lift at least 1,000 pounds of material easily to full height. Not to the pin weight but a practical fully loaded bucket. I need to lift heaping buckets full of wet snow while breaking it free from frozen piles.
5) Lastly a heavy duty material bucket or snow bucket. You want to be able to push large volumes like a snow pusher and the steel needs to endure lots of grinding against asphalt and concrete. Lifting that extra steel is another reason you need increased lift capacity. The buckets I see ship with most compact loaders are half the size of what I consider bare minimum.
I normally run my loader with a 3 point blade on the rear. Both edges are steel and I do not use shoes on either. I can scrape down to hard surfaces like asphalt, back drag weak surfaces or loose material like stone drives, push snow, top cut deep snows, and pile as needed. This combination is like the Swiss Army Knife of snow removal and I rarely have a need for anything else.
If I had to say a negative, utility tractors are less maneuverable than articulated wheel loaders and skid steers, but this is offset by the ability to utilize the rear 3 point. I regularly push in both directions without turning a round.
Some implement specific thoughts:
Buckets and blowers: These are a must to top cut if the snow is too deep to push. A bucket is slower but offers precise control over pile placement and can back blade material (pull and pack snow). A blower shines in open areas and will clear your path very efficiently in one pass. Front mounted and rear facing blowers are more capable of chipping away at very deep snows as the blower clears a path for the tractor. A bucket is a better choice for me as I have to creatively pile snow on small lots and in close proximity to neighboring structures. Also our wet snows tend to clog blower chutes very quickly.
Blades open roads quickly and can be used to push snow. They can cut down to asphalt (ran forward) but there is a risk of picking up manhole covers and loose material. Shoes help but the better choice is to back drag the blade. Back dragging is the best way I’ve found to clear stone drives.
It is important to consider your tractors weight when selecting the size of your blade as it will want to shove your tractor sideways. Preferably the blade should extend at least 6 inch past your wheels when at maximum angle and have a tall flattish backside. There should be as many reversed pin positions as there are forward ones for maximum back drag potential.
Pushers are useful on large areas like parking lots. They are essentially large fixed blades with wings on the side to limit spillage. High end articulated pushers can quickly rotate their wings forward or backward to change between pushing and back dragging and can even control the width of the blade to better clear between parked cars. In general they save time because they can move large volumes of snow and don’t need to be dumped like a bucket. In practice all that snow covering a parking lot will need to be piled and the operator will still need to roll the pusher a bit when stacking.
I find a material bucket more practical for general use. Let’s say you have a long tight drive with fencing on each side, the bucket can dump the snow over the fence line. A pusher would have to make many long passes. A bucket can lift snow over parking stabs and curbs freeing up more space. You can apply down pressure with a bucket to pack a thin layer of snow on stone surfaces and smooth out tire tracks. And there simply is a point in deep snow where most tractors will break traction and just stop pushing.
Just my experiences, hope it helps.
I just got a JD 1025R that I'm using the FEL for snow. I found on gravel it works best to go backwards, otherwise I'm either digging up my gravel or I'm leaving a lot of snow behind. I've only had to deal wit a couple inches of snow so far, I don't know what I will do in deep snow. I do know the front bucket works great for moving large piles around - when I was shoveling my had my wife hated how little room there was in the turn around, got the tractor and the whole pile moved fast.
I've been looking at some sort of snow pusher for the loader, or a rear blade, but I need to see my tax return before I know if i can afford to spend any more. Maybe both...
I have a fleet of different tools my main machine is a Kubota RTV with a 6 foot blade and it handles 75% of the work. Then if I get to much to push back then the skid steer pushes it back or the last option is the 200 horse fendt with a blower on the front 3 point and pto . Poly cutting edge is what I use on everything. And here in northern IL I used to use tire chains too but don't need it much now
I'm in south central Alaska. With a rear blade or the bucket on my 70 HP Kubota or a plow on a truck you always have the probability that you're going to have to move some or all of it again as you get more snow. Unless you're willing to sacrifice whatever is on either side of whatever you're plowing for about 15' on either side. And, you almost always have to move at least some of that snow twice. I know as I've done it wrong for years. If I use the walk behind snow blower I blow it once and it's gone. Even in North Dakota I never ran into snow piled so high I could not blow over the pile. Whats coming is a rear mount PTO driven hydraulic power unit and front mount blower for the Kubota (see Erskine's website). Blowing it is the only way to move it once and not tear up whatever is on either side of what you're clearing unless you want to melt it. Life is about to get easier in the winter.
I put chains on my TYM 474 TRACTOR JUST IN CASE IT TURNS TO ICE UNDERNEATH ON A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY IN HANCOCK ,NY, IT WORKS GREAT!!
In central MN we get a lot of high drifts (>2' is common, as much as 3' at least once a season.) I knock through them with a plow on the front of my tractor's FEL in float, the blade angled to push the snow to the side. That works pretty well on straight runs, even though my driveway is gravel. Just tilt the blade up (top edge back) a bit and let it ride on the skid shoes. Doesn't tear up the driveway. It doesn't work to turn when pushing much snow. You can turn the wheels, but the tractor keeps going straight. On curves and to clean up after the plow, I use a skid steer with a snow bucket, again in float. To keep from digging up gravel, I only do that after the first few snows of a couple of inches. Those aren't worth the diesel to clean up, so we drive over them to make a nice compacted, icy base. (Even though there's modest slope in parts of the driveway, even small front wheel drive cars can get through without getting stuck.) The skid steer can move a lot of snow fast, and can move a mound, in case there's so much snow that you start to run out of space. However, we don't get the volumes of snow like they do in places like the UP of MI or parts of the west. It's usually really cold here, so the snow is light.
I live in NW Indiana with various bouts of lake effect snow. My current method uses a front skid steer type snow blade with skid feet mounted, to set the depth of plow for my rock/dirt driveway that is just short of being 1/2 mile long. The blade has hydraulic angle control and front remotes on the tractor, also my loader floats. This is the best option I have at this point. One of the reasons I use the skid feet is to keep the blade from digging into the driveway. Not perfect but it works. Be careful of the system you purchase, since you will have a limited ability to adjust the angle of the blade to the ground in some systems.
I can handle 12" to 18" with this system in a single pass, and in the larger events will get out to do multiple rounds to keep it manageable.
I live in Maine and I have 3 point 64 inch blizzard snow blower, on the front I have a 72 inch HLA snow pusher on a Kioti CK 2610 cab . I had a 8 foot hydraulic plow and the pusher is by far a better setup 👍
On the North Dakota, South Dakota border here. I have a 500 foot driveway and a mile of unmaintained township road plus my yard, all gravel. I use snowblowers on the roads and FEL in the yard because I don't like blowing gravel at buildings and windows. The snow stays usually from December through March and drifts almost constantly so any plow that leaves ridges along the road just fills the road, but when blown off the snow sifts across the road without stopping and building up on it.
Northern wisconsin, 7' 3pt pto blower. For me only way to go. Biggest issue in high snow areas is where do you put it. Blower is no problem, not only does it throw it far away, but takes the air out of it. I leave my bucket on all the time but rarely use it, even banks at end of driveway from road plow. I used to bucket that but by the end of season can't see over when leaving the drive. I just back the blower in at corners of end of drive, works great. I would say blower cuts your time in half compared to pushing. Also if you have a complicated drive with corners, tight trees, side drives...the blower handles that well.
Hey Mike. I live in north central Montana. I still have the snow that fell on my roof on Halloween, so I deal with it all winter. We don't get a lot of snow here each winter but it often doesn't melt until March or so. I have a Kubota L3560 and I use both a rear blade and Land Pride blower to move snow off my gravel road. I use the rear blade early in the year to establish a base. I don't use chains on my tractor. Instead I push the snow with the rear blade turned around which keeps my tires on the ground I've already plowed. The problem is the snow berm I'm building. So then I put the blower on. to throw the snow over the berm and downwind. If I kept plowing all winter my road would get narrower and narrower to the point the UPS and propane delivery guys can't get up. Here is a TH-cam video I made. th-cam.com/video/l6lU3e-JAP4/w-d-xo.html
I know less about snow removal than Mike, because we very rarely get over 3'4", maybe once or twice a year and it usually melts within a couple days. Biggest snow I've ever seen is about 8". I've never done any snow removal, we just drive over it.
I do know you can really make a mess of your driveway removing the snow if it is gravel. Asphalt or concrete should be fine, but if you let the blade or loader bucket get down into the gravel you're going to end up with a big mess when the snow melts. That's why I just leave it alone and drive over the snow, it never gets all that deep here and you can often do more harm than good trying to blade it.
We "push" snow and blade the road. I use a blade turned backwards. The blade is "pushed" vs. pulled. That's the way we have always done it. Never pull the blade with snow is how I was taught. If your surface is rock or gravel, use clamp on feet to keep it a quarter inch off the ground or put a pvc pipe cut the long way and slid over the blade.
I live in West Michigan. I use a rear blade and my front bucket with edge tamers. My driveway is gravel. If the driveway isn’t frozen yet I turn the blade completely around backwards so it won’t dig in. Once it’s frozen I flip back. Around and it does not dig in at all. I use the bucket to clean up edges and the paved part by my house.
I am in Buffalo NY area. With a pea gravel driveway, I have a back blade I use pushing backwards so the curve on the blade will not pickup the gravel (due to the surface not being frozen). When the driveway has froze, I then use a snow pusher on the front loader. When froze the loader can be in float. I do not try to get down to bare surface.
I live in central Ny I have a John Deere 1025 R with a 54 inch snowblower on the front and you are right a back blade is very important to use . The blower takes it out of the way , the back blade takes pt down to the black top
Snow removal = International 856, chained up, with a 7ft blade in Northern Alberta, Canada because I don't have the money to move to a place where the winter air doesn't hurt to breathe...
My place in the Adirondacks typically get plenty of snow all winter long, sometimes a whopping two feet or more. The best way for me is just to use my pickup with the removeable snowplow. I don't have a cab tractor so it's much warmer in the truck. However there is no substitute for my loader for when there's just nowhere else to push the snow. Keep the great videos coming Mike!
If you are on the Tug hill plateau, good luck yo ya!
Massachusetts = varied snow , powder to slush . Walk behind Snow Blower works best for me . Had lawn tractor with Snow Caster,
Clumsy, hard to steer, Rear Chains helped a lot . Chains on Snow Blower = a must for hills
Northern Michigan here, I use my LX2610 with a snow pusher and rear blade, great combo...