Hey all, 

 

As some of you know, my wife and I purchased a decent sized country property almost 2 years ago.  We have about a 1500ft gravel drive with quite a steep incline to get into the upper drive.  The entire drive is downhill in varying degrees, so its usually not to bad to get out, however, coming back uphill doesn't always work out as well.  We acquired an AWD compact SUV for my wife and it has done very well this year, but all the same, with the weather in KY as of the last few weeks (two snows dropping over a foot in a few hours). Last year was less snow at once, but more over the course of winter. Our driveway has been less than desirable for traversing during both.  I had to park my work car in a garage belonging to my neighbor as it was in no way going to make it any further unless I drug it to the house with the truck.

 

I digress, unlike the roads, my driveway received no cleaning via anything except me and a shovel on the concrete part.  Anyway, I am trying to decide what I would like to use for snow removal in the future and wanted to get your all's take on my options.  These are all feasible, some much quicker than others, and each in my opinion with pros and cons.  

 

Truck:  As I see it, the truck with a plow is a money maker if I choose to use it for that, but regardless when I need to use it, I can be in a warm environment and get the job done. The plow can be set off in the shop when not needed and takes up probably the least space of any of the equipment.  I just hate to put one on my truck, as I like to work my truck as often as possible but not really by means of a plow, but I don't see the purpose of buying another beater truck just for a plow.  I could possibly get one for my off road cherokee too.  A few options apply here.

 

Case 570 Tractor: Tractor is old, but runs good and the diesel engine was rebuilt not even 500 hours ago.  Tractor has a bucket on the front and a few different implements for the back including a grader blade.  Will require some work to get into what I would consider good mechanical condition (brakes, hydraulic fitting leak, etc).  Can pick it up pretty cheap, but no enclosed cab and takes up more room in the shop.  I suppose I could clear some local drives in my area for a little cash... but not my idea of a good way to spend cold winter days.  Can easily use around the property for many things.

 

Skidsteer (bobcat):   My personal favorite option would be this, but unfortunately its the most expensive option also.  The uses for a bobcat are limitless, and the after work.....work options are many to be had from light excavation to snow removal, and of course it would serve every purpose the tractor would in a more useable option.  Downside, I would almost have to use it for other work to make the investment worthwhile.

 

Utility wheeler w/plow:  I am sure I could acquire one a decent price and I know Mike uses one on his property. Obviously the ATV would be used for recreation, general quick trips around the property outside of plowing snow and could be parked right up at the house in days when weather is going to be getting bad, so its a simple hop on and start.

 

Plow for Zero Turn:  I don't know a whole lot about these but have seen a few videos of them and know they are the cheapest option.  I have some pretty nasty tractor/chevron tread tires on my mower but find it hard to believe this would do very well in snow.  Maybe someone has some experiences with one.

 

So lets hear it.

I thought I put a poll on there to make the simple vote easier, but ...........

I have a skid steer and a Polaris ranger.

I would rather plow with the ranger. Works great.

Not knowing the space you have to work with or the amount or type of snow its hard to give advice, do you have pics of the driveway area of the property to get a better idea of your situation?

Personally from my experience of having an old Ford 651 tractor with loader and a small garden tractor with front mount belt driven blower and a Honda ATV with plow and now an older hydrostatic drive B2150 24hp 4x4 Kubota with loader and 3pt snow blower I would never go back to anything else ever again, so many other uses for this compact Kubota tractor and better than a skid steer as well, doesn't tear up the lawn when turning either like a skid steer does.

If you watch one can pick up good used 4x4 compact tractors for the same price as an ATV.

Its not uncommon for us to receive wet heavy snow and dry powdered snow throughout the course of winter if thats what you mean.  I have a video of my driveway, but I may get another one tomorrow on the way out.  We received another 12 inches of snow in the last 12 hours.  Thanks for the replies.

I still think 4x4 compact tractor is best for overall property use all year long, mower, tiller, loader, front and mid PTO on a lot of them and an endless amount of different attachments for loader and or 3pt.

Look into the BX series Kubota tractors, those things are awesome little dynamos, small package with more punch and potential than any other on the market.

I used to push snow with the front loader on my well used (2WD) JD410.  But even such a big machine can get too big a snow pile on long stretches & need to lift or push it off to the side.  I needed to add tire chains…  I had the 14,000# machine pack some kinds of snow into near ice & slide sideways on the side hill.  With this open station machine, even with tarps…  I had trouble with ice getting into the reverser shift linkages.  Of course I ran block heater & charger starting the night before.  It really sorked, trying to work in the cold.  I wasn’t thinking of snow removal when I bought the JD.  It was for barn cleaning where it was ideal.

Eventually I pinned a old highway plow into the loader bucket…  pushed snow off ok but would go up & down on uneven ground…  & my drive was surprisingly uneven.  The machine would follow the contour where the wheels were & the plow was on different place.  It’s a big machine to maneuver near things you care about.  I can’t get up on JD without help because of my legs…  so if I need to get it running, I need to bring someone in.  As far as snow removal, it should be an enclosed cab.

 

I bought a ATV.  Bombadier 650.  It’s only a 1 cylinder.  It will plow snow but it’s really heavier service than the machine is built for.  We are plowing with tire chains on.  Operator is exposed to the weather, of course.  Mine uses the winch to lift the plow & fixing the cable is necessary once or twice a year even with roller fairlead.  The plow is not tall & it’s easy to get more snow than it can handle.  I’d like to put a wider top wing on it to roll the snow over the bank to the side but it will always be a small plow.  We are fighting to keep a full lane open & ATV is too small to push it back.

 

We are discussing getting a snow blower to use in conjunction with ATV.  The idea would be to widen out the plowed path.  I don’t know much about them.  Looking at 3 stage model.  She would have to use it because I can't be walking that much & it would be out in the weather.

 

My contractor plows with a plow mounted to his skid steer bucket.  It’s all flat where he is.  He swears by it.  He plows a couple of ajoining businesses.  Butthen he uses it in his excavation business. 

  

I am very scared by small tractors after a Kabota I had on trial tried to roll over on me.  It had a tiny front bucket but no rear wheel weights.  I was barn cleaning with it.  As you lift, the bucket goes up & forward changing the balance point.  The front end wobbles side to side following the ground contour  & if the change in ballance lifts the rear, there’s nothing to stop it from rolling over.  (Backhoe / loader would do the same except for the weight of the hoe keeping the rear down.)   Wife has no experience with these but thinks she wants one.  They are cute but too costly around here. 

 

I’m contemplating putting a used V plow on my truck which is 4WD & came with a plow package.  It is hard for me to get into the truck but at least it’s enclosed.  And I’m already paying to maintain the truck.  I’d be looking at a quick-mount type plow.  Power connectors & a control harness…  I’d like to run the control harness along the passenger’s side with the hood up & then in through the passenger’s door gasket.  All the rest of the unit is in front.   Wife thinks long bed Q-cab is too long to plow with…  not ideal but I own it.  I have no interest in trying to make money plowing so I could take all the time needed to plow my own...  no need to rush & slam bang equipment.  Mythinking is the V would be useful on the long stretch of the driveway.

 

I’ve thought about & rejected buying a (additional) dedicated plow truck.  Buying someone else’s junk and would add full costs of another vehicle to maintain.  It would need to be registered, inspected & insured so I could take it to a repair shop as needed.  It would need to be a full size SUV with body on frame construction, not unibody…  to mount a plow to without damage.   Unless I sold my car & switched to a SUV as a daily driver...  SUVs are harder to get into with my disability because of height & poor mpg is no incentive.  I might as well drive the truck I already own in that case.          

Edited March 6, 201510 yr by flagmanruss

Thank you Sir,

 

All very good points and all why I am having a bit of a hard time deciding what to buy.  We got 17" inches of snow last night into today that ended about 5pm today.  I had to use my truck to make a path down the drive, which was no problem at all for the truck, but by the time it was all said and done, I spent a total of 5 hours to make "most" of it passable.  I could have been done entirely within 45min with a plow, and it would be entirely passable, and I would have been warm.  The driving part tonight took about an hour, the rest was spent in the cold with a shovel and a backpack blower (which does work really good for powder snow, just not on large areas)  This should be our last big snow for this winter, but I will be buying something this year to prepare for the next go round.

How big is your yard or property? Do you already own a tractor of some type be it lawn or bigger? From what you describe a tractor with snow blower would have had the job done in under a half hour and the snow would have been blown away from the driveway rather than piled up and causing other issues like drifts and hard icy berms if it is a long winter or back to back storms where pushing or plowing gets you into a bind of nowhere else to push the snow after a couple of moves.

Never thought of blower.   I mow about 6 acres, but about 600 ft of my driveway is within a few feet of the pond.  a blower wouldn't matter there as I am not concerned with throwing it in the water.  The case 570 tractor is all but mine, I just have to go pick it up.  I may do so and sell it or trade it to something else.  I tried to upload a video earlier and couldn't do it... but I may be able to put an arial picture up in a min.  

Here is a helicopter view....there is another 600 ft or so not in the picture.

Edited March 6, 201510 yr by Gamble

When my wife & I got together we used a tow behind wood V plow behind a truck.  It was built by her late husband (before me). It is easy on gravel drive surface we worked so hard to smooth.  Up in Vermont, near the Canadian border, he used his horse team to clear villiage sidewalks with similar V plow. 

It is very good on long stretches, perferably with a turn circle at each end.  My buddy still uses one on his mile long right of way where it is least destructive.  At this house, I had to unhook to turn it around in the street...  it doesn't want to be too heavy either as sometimes we've flipped it like a piece of pie to change direction.  It was 2 sawmill planks on each side...  2" by what ever long, bottom oak, top pine.  (I built one out of all oak & it was too heavy.)   A drag behind V plow can punch a nice hole in the snow...  but the width is pretty much what you get as it just skids over if you try to widen.  I can not find the scans of the original film images we took.  As I recall the V sides were 12 feet and there was a single spreader to keep it open to 10 feet tip to tip.  The point of the A was minute of chainsaw accuracy. 

The tow rope angle and speed is critical so you don't lift the nose of the V, allowing snow to go under.   

 

I thought about adding a homemade enclosure to the JD roof / ROP.  If I could get up on it, it might still be an option.  You can buy official cabs, but likely to cost too much unless you can salage a cab somewhere.      

Edited March 6, 201510 yr by flagmanruss

I'm not a fan of using back blades on a tractor to plow with. It will get the job done but your always looking over your shoulder (bad for me with multiple hyrniated discs) and you tend to tear the drive up if its not frozen. If you can use the tractor for other things beside plowing it may be an OK option, just not the one I would choose.

If your good at fabricating you could pick up an old beat up plow and make a frame to attach to the front end loader (provided the bucket comes off). You can use the hydraulics to tilt the plow from side to side. I made one for the Cat 908 where I used to work for clearing the parking lot and steel yard. We added some wings to the plow and it would really move some snow

(Previous year photo, grandson operating)  Even with tire chains...  pushing snow in front of you has limits.  A wider bucket wouldn't be a help.

 

 

(Previous year photo)

The plow pinned in the bucket was too far in front & would go high & low above the ground it was over because it was controlled by the machine wheels so far away.  It plowed nice where it did.   

I was going to adding castor wheels to the plow blade so I could let it follow the ground.  I also considered remounting the plow to the machine frame & lift the loader to operate...  decided the bucket was too heavy to drive around with it up like that.  Of course, removing the bucket & swapping in a plow would work too, just a major project as this bucket mounts directly to the arms.     

 

 

(previous year photo but snow is actually higher this year.) 

ATV is nice for small snow but we had big snow in 2011...  it happens periodically...  so best to plan for the bigger snow years.

Edited March 7, 201510 yr by flagmanruss

Up here in McCall, ID they make a bucket extender that widened the front bucket and also makes it longer. It all bolts onto the existing front bucket.

I'd like to get a snow blower for the front of my Honda. Snowblowing is in my opinion the best solution because it eliminates the necessity to pile snow up, and one mounted on an ATV would be small enough to be versatile around the house and garage. I've seen one in action and the guy was clearing 6-8" of wet snow at 3-5 mph. He made short work of his driveway which was probably 400-500 feet long.

Problem is, they're stupid expensive.

http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com/atv-snowblower.htm

Sure, ATV mounted snow blower would be great.  Or a dedicated lawn tractor/snow blower. 

It was such a b*tch to get back on, I never took the deck off my MTD ride on again.  It would have been ok on a paved drive but considerably less than the ATV plow set up. 

The tractor / loader would be fine for someone fit enough to get on (as I did for many years).  An enclosed cabs are more common now than in the past.  I thought about building an enclosure out of plexi...  screwed to the ROP frame.  BUt it's still unheated & wife does not want me on it.  (If you F up with a machine that big, you make a mess!) 

 

I can get a decent used plow for the truck ~$3000...  and I already own the truck.   

I don't know what a tractor is worth after these years...  I paid $7500 for the 410.  $1000 for a rebuild on the IP.  $500 for the tire chains. 

I paid $3000 for the ATV. 

Looking at a walk behind snow blower (additional) a bit over $1000 new.   

^{Sorry for the hijack Gamble but I need to vent/rant/ give life advice here hope you don't mind.}

 

 

^{Russ from reading every post you make in almost every thread about whoa is me issues you are having I gotta be honest here and speak my honest thoughts coming from taking care of my own mother who passed almost 2 years ago from complications of MS at the age of 63, she was diagnosed at age 19 just a couple months after my folks were married, I took care of her the last 10+ years, One word comes to mind reading all of your issues and having lived it through my own mother my whole life and seeing her own issues which I see through your own words.............................one word I have to recommend..........................CONDO . there comes a time when you gotta realize the obvious Russ. No dishonor intended but you should consider down sizing and get a handicapped accessible condo and live the easy life and quit the worrying, I am 99.99% sure your wife will love you for the decision as well as it will eliminate so much stress from your lives. My parents marriage ended just before their 25th anniversary as a result of my dad not wanting the lifetime commitment of caring for my mother I think and had an affair and left her. MS is a very unpredictable disease and the area I live in has a very high rate of it " my younger sister was diagnosed about 3 years ago as well which along with my mother and her family history of diabetes was part of my personal commitment t be a more healthy person" and I personally know about a dozen people with it and it affects all a bit different but the common thing is the frustration all who have it feel which I feel through your words.}

^{I hope you don't take these words as a bad thing but I have to be honest and let you know what I see from an outsiders view and having lived with a person my entire life who had the same ugly disease as you, I can relate more than you can imagine.}

I am 64.  Was MS diagnosed at 50...  was Secondary Progressive at that time.  The fact I can still get around at all & try to hang on to some of my life...  I'm doing as  well as can be expected.  Yes, people die from the complications of MS, not the MS itself generally.

I'm glad to see both sides here. Wild and Free trying to be helpful but in turn Russ holding out tight to what he can still do. I tend to agree with Bill eventually you will have to concede to moving to a Condo. I've got my retired fire chief that is in his mid 80's and has a handicapped wife. They finally gave in and moved to retirement home in Grangeville, ID. I'm glad he did. So I understand Bill's comments but in the same token I understand Russ's fight to hang on. Because even Jean (Fire Chief) just couldn't do the retirement home thing. Jean fought it for about 30 days and finally stayed at the retirement home. So Russ just be really with yourself and understand your limits.