snow removal

[RickS]

I have a few questions regarding snow removal. I have recently added a horse pasture along side my long driveway. This will be my first winter with the horse pasture. This limits were I can throw my snow. I do not want to throw snow into the pasture. My current plan is to throw snow away from the pasture. (I currently have a 7012H with a snowblower.) While I am happy with this setup, the pasture does change things. There is one area that is very limited to were I can throw the snow. There is a pasture and a gate on one side of the driveway and a garage directly opposite gate on the other. I need to keep both the garage clear, and the gate to the pasture clear. There is a riding ring behind the garage that I may try and keep clear for part of the winter. I am wondering if a tractor with a plow will move the snow? Could members who have snowplows please let me know a few things.? 1. Does the tractor and a plow do a good job? 2. What size is the tractor and how is it setup (weights, tires and chains)? 3. Do you use both a blower and a plow to clean your snow? The more information you can give me the better. Kent, I would be very interested in hearing from you, as I understand you have both. I would be interested in hearing from other members who have both as well. thanks Rick.........

[sun41bird]

i have a 917h i have bolth plow and blower i use the plow mostly i find with the winters we have here in north jersey and the varying snow fall the blde is more versitile for me i have rear wheel weights and chains an can move a suprising amount of snow with it

[Kent]

The plow will work fine up to 4" to 5" or so of snow. Over 6" and it's a lot less effective, since it's hard to push that much snow.... The plow is clearly better for the wet, sloppy, 1" -3" things in early winter or late spring that you don't want to let lie there and freeze or get rutted up.... But, when it comes to moving a lot of snow or a deep snow, nothing beats a snowblower. You can put the snow where you want it to go -- unless the wind is blowing hard. With a plow, you need to start by plowing about twice the area that you plan to have open later, since the pile keeps building up and spreading out on you. With a snowblower you can spread that same amount of snow evenly out 15-20 feet or more past the edge of your cleared area, and it doesn't build up snowbanks.... I use both... so it's not a clear either-or for me. My tractor came with both when I bought it.... I have loaded rear tires on both tractors. I use ags on one and turfs with chains on the other... I hang additional weight off the back of each, while the ags also have 40-45 lb wheel weights on them. Note also that you'll likely do a lot more spinning pushing a blade than pushing a blower, if that is a concern with scuffing your driveway or tearing up the yard. Both were 10HP tractors, until I recently put a 16HP in the "HB-216 hybrid"...

[MPH]

I use a blower and blade, like Kent, depending on amount of snow fall. Once my burms get built up to high to roll any over with the blade I'm restricted to the blower. For snow removal I put the old turfs back on with chains. After the first few inches I'm on hardpack the rest of the winter and the lugs just don't bite in. I use my 725, and B-112 with double wts. Last year I used the 4040 for the one snow we had that needed delt with, the 5 ft blade and extra speed was fun. Why don't you want to blow snow in the pasture? I have learned blowing off the lawn leaves the grass very slow to green up in the spring, don't claim to understand why..MPH

[RickS]

Marty, I cannot blow snow into the pasture because of two gates and the horses feeding area. So that restricts me to blow the snow the other way. The area I am most concerned about is the area between the garage and the pasture were one of the gates is. I have a small area were I can blow the snow, but a large area to clear. I was hoping the plow could clear that area. Kent, With your HB-216 how does that work clearing snow. I have seen the pictures and it appears to really throw the snow. Do you find a big difference in the distance the snow is thrown when you went from a 10 to the 16 horse motor? I have an opportunity to pick up a 3416H and was wondering if I should use that to blow the snow with and my 7012H to plow with. Thanks for all the input. Rick..........

[RonRobinson]

Hi, I plow with my Lagecy (20hp-60" blade). I have gone after 10 inches before without a problem. Low range and at 3600 rpm. I find it really does a nice job. Ron

[DaveM]

I agree with Kent completely about plowing an extra wide width. Otherwise you eventually have nowhere to put the snow. I use a Sim. 7018H with a 42" blade and chains on the tires. When I plow the sidewalks or the neighbor's long drive, I angle the blade one way or another and blast through. There is almost no stopping me once I get going, even in the 10-or-so inches we had at times last year. My other neighbor has a Sim. 7117H with a 42" inch blower and bar tires. He was even amazed at my setup's efficiency. He once commented, "There's no stopping that thing, is there?" Momentum is important here, and you must be sure the surface is relatively smooth so as not to "catch" on anything that will rudely stop you in your tracks and will potentially do a lot of damage to the blade/hitch/tractor. I usually run an inch or two off the ground on the first pass, then make a second or third pass scraping the ground at a much slower speed to help prevent this. DaveM

[BigSix]

Marty: You've (again) taught me something, I think: the turfs with chains are better than the ags without chains--that makes sense to me. But I just kind of assumed the ultimate would be ags/bar treads with chains. But if that were best, I figure you'd be doin' it, as you've got both and you're in ALASKA.8D I'm assuming that the bar treads are too uneven to put down enough chain to make chains worth while--is that why the turfs with chains are better? And if the above is correct, is the reverse true with full size tractors, possibly due to their much greater weight psi of contact patch? Because I believe I've seen bar treads with chains before, on mid/fullsize farm tractors.... Of course, I'm sure most farmers wouldn't have turf tires for the big machines anyway. Just curious because I was considering getting bar treads. If turfs are better with chains, then I'm already halfway there. Just need the chains now.... Peter

[Kent]

Rick, Those pictures were of the 10HP Big Ten with a 36" snowblower. I haven't used the "HB-216" with a snowblower since I put that engine in it -- only with a blade. Since the HB-216 is my mower, it has turf tires, while the Big Ten with ags is used for tilling, plowing, etc., I've usually just added chains to the HB-216 and used it for snowplowing... I picked up a 42" Simplicity snowblower for it late last spring that I plan to try this winter, just to see what it'll do with the larger blower.... The problem with chains on ag tires is that the chains will work their way down between the lugs, so that they aren't even in contact with the ground. I've found 4-link chains to be essentially useless on ags. 2-link chains will at least leave most of them up on top of the lugs -- the links are so close together that they can't make it into the valleys between the lugs. Notice the chains (they're 2-link) on the right rear wheel in this picture: [img]http://www.simpletractors.com/club2//attach/Kent/Dcp00795.jpg[/img] The problem with chains is that they'll really scuff the driveway if you spin.... Kent

[Landlord2010]

I've only had trouble plowing one time with my 2010 when we got 20 inch of snow in one night. If you do use the plow make sure you push your piles back far enough in the first part of winter because once they freeze a couple times you can't move them if you run out of room. I only run turf tires with chains, I'm going to try wheel weight this year. Gary

[MPH]

Rick, you may find you need to blow the snow you already blew by the gate. Its fun cuz it really make it pull, just do it fresh, once it sets-up its hard to cut through. Pete, mostly cuz of what I've read here I have never put chains on my lugs. All my chains are made for 8 inch tires and my bars are 6 and 10.5. The 10.5's also make the 112 too wide for the blower. Haven't found a 42in blower yet...MPH

[UCD]

If you have a blower you don't need a plow. You can put the snow any where you want it with a blower. You can't with a plow. try putting snow on the other side of a fence with a plow,you can't unless you take the fence down. You can pile snow 15 - 20 feet high with a blower, try that with a plow. With a blower you start the year with a 15' wide drive and finish with a 15' wide drive. With a plow you start with a 25' wide drive and you are lucky if you finish with a 10' wide drive. I have cleaned 2 apartment building parking lots, My Auto repair garage and a warehouse parking lot for over 20 years with a Simplicity 7790 with a 48" blower and never had to have the snow removed. The two businesses across the street another garage and a mini mart both had to hire a bucket loader to have their snow banks pushed back or hauled away, sometimes twice a winter. Their yards both were 1/3 the size of mine that they kept clean, with about the same amount of snow storage space. They were plowed with trucks.

[Nubian]

I would have to agree with UCD. Why plow when you could blow! I have a blade that I use to move dirt,gravel etc... and sometimes I use it to PLAY in the winter if there's only an inch or so on the ground. But other than that blowing snow is the way to go. IMO;) Eddy

[Agricola]

Do the blowers get all the way down to the bottom? I do with a shovel but I'm getting tired of that action?

[RickS]

Agricola, With my 42 inch blower and a new cutting edge I can clear the snow down to about 1 inch or so. You do have to have your shoes adjusted right. My problem is my driveway is only paved by the house, the rest of the driveway is dirt, so I have to lift the blower off the ground when I blow the dirt portion of the driveway. Has anyone tried to blow the pile of snow (or a portion of it) after a plow has cleared the area. I am thinking the plow would be another garden tractor, not on a truck. Rick........

[Nubian]

I lower my edge right down to the blacktop!Provided the driveway is level it will get down as low as anyone's shovel.;) Eddy

[UCD]

Rick If you have the traction to push though it you can blow it. It will blow a little harder.

[goatfarmer]

I have an AC 712 Hydro that I put a plow on. It's used around the mailbox,etc,where gravel gets picked up and thrown if I use a snowblower. That setup has 4 link chains on it,and has plenty of power to move the wet,mushy stuff. The Simplicity 2110 with a 3 speed gets the snowblower. It's got 2 link chains,along with about 80 lbs of weight for added traction.It does both driveways,along with the neighbors drive.I wish it was a hydro,or a variable speed,but the 3 speed does OK.

[dirtsaver]

Rick I can not argue with any of the previous posts so I will just present my experiences. I have two blades, one is a 42", the other a 46" heavy duty.I have used my 17GTH-L in the past with cut turf tires(cut for a pulling tractor) and two sets of wheel weights. I've pushed up to a 14" snow with no problem. The important thing to me is to THINK FIRST! Where will I push this stuff to that will not be in the way. What is the best angle of approach? You get the idea. If I had snows like that every year I would have a blower just for the "pile-up" factor. This year I'll be using the BigTen or 3012V with the blade if we have any white stuff worth pushing. Larry