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1st western NY winter preparing

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44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 110 western NY
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2003-09-01          63036

I just moved back to western NY after ~20 years. I grew up in the Finger Lakes area, and just relocated to Chautauqua Lake region. You may have seen some of my earlier posts since I'm closing in on my first sub-CUT purchase.

Anyway, I'll be clearing a ~300 foot compacted native surface/light gravel drive this winter (and many more), and want to make sure I'm setting myself up right. When I was growing up, we always moved snow with a FEL on old IH. At this point, I'm probably leaning toward a MF CG2300 w/ 50" front-mount snowblower and back blade (for near-house area so as not to screw up siding w/ blower). After reading a lot about tires, I'm thinking about tire weights and chains on turf tires. (I also use the tractor to mow about 4 acres, but the snow clearing is the really critical job.)

Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be appreciated.


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1st western NY winter preparing

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-02          63048

I clear about 300' foot of drive (compacted pit run and asphault about half and half) and assorted parking areas. I use both my blower and loader for snow clearing so the blower has to be a 3ph type.

There is the siding issue. I have to blow between buildings and parking areas as well as highway entrances. I have hydraulic chute rotation that makes it pretty easy to keep the blower output where I want it.

I might be able to get by with a blower and blade but it sure is handy to be able to stack the snow from the few places I can't use a blower. You can stack snow with a front blade but a 3ph blade doesn't raise very high. Another reason for wanting a loader is that I use it for everything before my gravel freezes. Before freeze-up, my blower skid shoes sink into the pit run and then I get stone showers that are a mess to clean up next spring and sure would damage buildings and cars.

My pit run probably has more stone and may not compact as well as your drive, but ordinary skid shoes on a blower may give you the same trouble. Until freeze up, I just float the loader and curl the bucket back to lift the bucket blade off the ground. It does leave some snow, but my object is to keep a layer of snow pack on the drive rather than clear it down to the gravel. Freezing rain on snow pack isn't easier to deal with.

A blade also may sink into unfrozen gravel but the blades of many can be tilted enough so the edge doesn't bite. It'd be good to make sure that a blade is adjustable enough to do the job. One with an offset might help clearing areas where a tractor can't drive close to and one that rotates 180-degrees lets you clear in reverse. I think I'd rather stick with my loader though. I get by OK in 4wd/turf tires and haven't needed chains.
....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-09-02          63067

I think you will find that turfs and weights will be the most effective combination for plowing snow with a compact tractor. ....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-09-02          63091

I do a 1/4 mile of drive plus the parking areas, some is gravel and some is blacktop. I like my back blade to move snow b4 freeze up. I turn it around backwards so the cutting edge does not bite in and I scuff the snow off at an angle. You can pull alot of snow away from things then blow it.

I have turfs and last year was the first time in 3 years I needed to put chains on. We had a lot of snow!

I now am back to doing a quick clean outs in the am with back blade then when enough is windrowed I blow it.

Hopefully we get lots this year and my first weapon of choice will be the blower. I'm looking forward to a long hard winter... ....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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dutchk
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 7 western PA
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2003-09-09          63438

I grew up in that region (Gerry area). I remember snow banks along the road half way up the telephone poles. I now live in western PA and though we get lake effect snow, it is nowhere near what we had in the snow belt. I highly recommend the the biggest honker blower you can get with a discharge chute as high as possible. Even around here, the FEL can only do so much and you run out of room. The blower will move it further and if you have some wind to aid you, even better. My problem is, my beighbor's lane is downwind from me. We end up doing my lane, then his together. ....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 110 western NY
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2003-09-10          63535

Thanks all. For better or worse I've purchased the MF GC2300. Will be getting blower and blade for winter. Time will tell whether I made the right choice.

Think snow (but not up to top of the phone poles...). ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-09-20          64451

Let us know how it works out this winter. I am not looking forward to winter yet but we really do not get much snow. ....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-22          64519

You should be out buying the blower or blade now. My choice for your area of coarse is the blower. Just a pickup for your note on telephone poles and snow height. The poles are a lot taller today then even 30 years ago much less 50 years ago! ....

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1st western NY winter preparing

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44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 110 western NY
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2003-12-20          71778

Finally got a chance to try out the snowblower! Our weather in western NY has been snow/thaw/rain--not real conducive to using the blower. But I finally got about 5-6" last night over what I thought was enough of a base to give it try. It was great! Threw snow about 30 feet and never broke a shear bolt. I've got a few pics posted in my profile of today's fun. Thanks to you guys for your tips on this. ....

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