Go Bottom3 pt snowblower
 | J.D.
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2003-01-04 46962
Hello,
I have a TC 33D and I am thinking of getting a 5' snowblower. I have a 900ft.stone driveway. Is the snowblower a bad idea? Should I get a blade instead?
Any pointers using a blade or snowblower. I just did 18" of snow with my loader bucket and it took me 4 hours!!!! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
J.D.
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2003-01-05 46971
I appreciate the problem. I've never had much luck using a loader for any appreciable amount of snow either. Snow doesn't come off the ends of the bucket like on a blade. Snow just builds up ahead of the bucket until the traction on my turf tires breaks and then I'm shoveling with the bucket for awhile. In addition, blades can be angled to push the snow to one side.
I use a 3ph blower mostly for my gravel drives. However, I do have to use the loader until the gravel freezes. Stone showers can be pretty exciting things. Even if the blower skid shoes support the blower on gravel, loose stones still get picked up until the gravel is frozen and there's a base of snow pack on top. The problem then becomes keeping the snow pack from turning into a rink in the freezing drizzle that seems to be more common lately. The best solution is not to plow or blow when freezing rain is forecast.
When I say gravel, I mean what is called pit run around here. It's a mixture of small stone and sand. It freezes but crushed rock doesn't necessarily freeze. Some friends gave themselves some on-going aggravation by dumping septic stone left over from a commercial system on a short drive. They later bought a big walk-behind blower only to find that it doesn't work on the drive. I suppose they're back to using a blade on an ATV, which is another thing that isn't great for snow removal.
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-01-06 47015
Tom if you shorten your top link on your three point hitch so your blower leans towards the tractor you can blow snow off gravel drives as well as pack a good base. ....
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 | marklugo
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 281 Tifton, GA
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2003-01-06 47026
We have used a rear grader blade for snow around here. It angles and operates just like a snow plow. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-01-06 47028
Thanks Art! I do start off the season with the link short and lengthen it as I get a good frozen in base, but that's after the gravel is frozen enough to support the narrow skid shoes the blower has. Otherwise the blade go to the ground and ends up scraping up loose gravel no matter how short the link is.
Until freeze-up, I've never found an alternative to my loader but maybe wider skid on the blower would do it. However, I think there may be a tendency for loose gravel to stick to wet snow and get mixed up with the stuff going into the auger unless the blower was adjusted fairly high about the gravel. That might work better than trying to pack it all down with the loader and hoe it freezes. I suppose I've just been lucky that we haven't had many snows heavy enough to give the loader problems before freeze-up.
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| the poor farm
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-01-10 47263
I use both a blade and a 3pt blower. I think you will really enjoy the blower for the larger snowfalls. It is a huge time saver for 6-20in storms. It is also very useful for clearing parking areas and turnouts. ....
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| thefarm
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 5 Maine Central
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2003-01-12 47413
I have a 3ph blower on my BX1800 and really like it.I have a 500ft gravel driveway.The adjustment of the top link is important.I feel you would be better off with a blower,but I've never used a blade to move snow.I have used the loader on my Ford 2120.Takes awhile.With a 5ft blower,down and back,you would be done. ....
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| Steve in NY
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-01-14 47524
I had a 550' gravel driveway for the past 14 years. I had a professionally built 11' wide blacktop driveway installed in mid November. Prior to the blacktopping..
I applied item 4 every 2-3 years to the driveway. (About 30 tons at a time) It hardened up real well and kept the stones pretty well bound up.
I have a Ford 1520 I purchased new in 1989 with a front end loader and rear blade. I had good luck pushing the snow backwards with the curve of the blade to the rear
angling it off the driveway for depths up to 8" or so. The stones stayed in place for the most part unless the snow was real wet. I purchased a 60" snowblower in 1995 from Ford. It has worked exceptionally well. I had to angle the chute down to keep the loose stones as close to the edge of the driveway as possible to minimize spring raking. Once there is a good frost or rain and freezing you can build a pretty good base leaving a little snow on the driveway to freeze and harden. I used a fair amount of sand to keep the driveway safe. Snowblowing is an art form when you factor in the temperature, snow density, wind direction, stones, frost etc. It sure beats using front a end loader or having some yahoo show up with a pickup truck and wreck your driveway and deposit all your gravel on the lawn.
Since my blacktopping I get done in record time with no mess.
Good luck..
Steve in New York.. ....
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