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What s best for snow removal

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drcjv.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 334 southeastern pa
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2003-09-10          63524

I would like to tap into the combined wisdom of the board.
What is the best way to remove snow from gravel? Last year was a bad winter and this spring I had to put down 100 ton of stone to fix driveway and parking area. I have a plow on my truck but, it digs in and I plow stone as well as snow. I also have a 33D w/7308 also digs in and pulls up fabric under stone. My problem might well be my plowing and loader abilites but, I have been thinking about a 3pt blower (60") for the 33 or a front mount(42") for my JD G100. Do blowers work well on stone? I am leaning towards the 3pt it's bigger more powerful and believe it or not only about $150.00 more. Any input would be much appreciated.


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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-10          63526

Run the top link short so the blower sits on it's heel and it will help you build your base. Later after it freezes you can lenghten it and scrape down. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-09-10          63533

You need some skid shoes. ....

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drcjv.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 334 southeastern pa
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2003-09-10          63536

Mark I assume you mean skid shoes for the plow. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-09-10          63538

Yes, sorry. For the plow. Though I suppose you could wear them too.

....

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2003-09-11          63558

Use your PU in reverse to drag the snow out. That way the cutter does not dig into the gravel. You can use your loader bucket the same way.

A thin cover of stone over fabric is always gonna be a problem for you. Stone looks nice but is a PITA when plowing snow.

Another alternative is: Scrape it up and store it in the fall and lay it back down in the spring.

Any weapon you use you will have to hold it up and away from the stone. This includes your trusty old shovels. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-11          63569

I use my loader floated and the bucket rolled back until freeze up on my compacted pit run drives. Pit run freezes up but larger straight stone may not.

The standard skid shoes on my blower sink into the unfrozen gravel and the blower makes stone showers, so I don't use the blower until freeze up. Shortening the top-link as Art says does help. I have a few hills and dips so trying to hold the blower up with the 3ph doesn't work well.

My object is to build up a good layer of snow pack, which has decent traction and then keep it that way. There's nothing worse than frozen rain and slush on gravel. It's there till spring and the only remedy is snow pack on top of it or enough salt to relocate the dead sea. If I do get freezing rain on top of the snow pack, I can usually beat it up with loader or box scraper scarifiers and cut it off the snow pack. Can't do that if it's on gravel.

Two basic rules for snow removal. The first is if you plow, figure out where a whole winter's plowing are going to be stored. Frozen birms don't push back easily. The second is never even blow or plow when freezing rain is forecast. Frozen rough slush has decent traction but slicked off slush that gets frozen is a skating rink till spring.
....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-11          63570

Tom, I have set-up several front mounts to work on gravel. It does take a wider skid shoe than comes on even the best units. You can do it and it does work. You are happy with what you have and have become accustomed to it and that is fine to. Since I am beginning to feel the affects of what I've done to my body for the past x years I am not to fond of turning around( must have been the girls on the beach). I'm glad I learned how to drive tractor trailers as I can back up with mirrors quite well and after useing a three point blower last year I'm definitly not looking forward to using one again. ....

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2003-09-11          63586

A VERY important consideration when deciding what to use on your drive is whether it is Flat or Hilly!

I have had both, on the flat drive packing snow works for both the blade and the blower.

On my hilly drive packing snow really creates too much maintenance in my view if you pack it ( need to add lots of sand gravel ...etc. to get traction) too much and you lose the pack on it goes). This is such a pain I paved it so I use a Blower and keep clean it to the pavement, this way I use a minimum amount of salt and sand only a couple of bags on over 15000 sq feet of drive per season. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-09-11          63588

We use a little different method for setting up skid shoes for gravel, on plows or blades. We use lengths of 6" black pipe as 'skid shoes', the longer the better. If there is a little ridge it tends to smooth it out and it adds a nice layer of snow-pack into the gravel.

If ice build-ups are a problem, sanding isn't the fastest and salt doesn't work at cold temps, besides its nasty to greenery. Try using ashes from a woodstove scattered liberally over the affected area, the colour causes even the slightest amount of UV to warm & melt the area.

Best of luck. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-12          63660

I don't know why blower manufacturers use those skinny skid shoes anyway. They sure can't be intended for people with gravel drives. Maybe they don't scratch up top-coated asphalt as much.

Snow pack works for me. My drives have 4% - 5% grades up from the highway. We infrequently sand the highway entrances and walkways but there hasn't been a traction problem on the slopes for vehicles and none of them have snow tires or 4wd. The main thing about snow pack is that it keeps loose stones frozen on the gravel surface. Even after freeze-up loose stone will stick to wet snow and end up in the blower.

What works for anybody does depend on local conditions. Around here after freeze-up things stay frozen except for one traditional thaw, which is a mess. We also get almost continuous light snows for weeks with an inch or so accumulation each day. It's not reasonable to clear snow each day so most people just let it build up to 6" or 8" before clearing it.

When we do get freezing rain it usually starts out as slush before it turns to rain. If the slush isn't removed, it gets pelted or something and freezes rough. Rough ice has decent traction. The times I've given myself problems is when I've miss-guessed the forecast, slicked off the slush and then gotten rain instead of more snow. What works for me probably would give people who don't have my conditions worse problems than other approaches.

Wood ashes for people who heat with wood works dandy, although you sure want a boot tray beside the front door. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-12          63662

Tom other than the boot tray you want to make sure the kindling that you are using doesn't have nails in it otherwise you'll be wondering as to should you take the time to patch or just plug! Everyones conditions are different, everyone is different! There is no one way to do clean your driveway from snow but many. It boils down to what options you can afford to take. It sounds to me Tom's ideal soulution might be to win the lottery to be able to afford a heated driveway!!!! What do you think Tom! ....

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drcjv.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 334 southeastern pa
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2003-09-12          63666

Thanks for all ideas. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-12          63670

Nope, a heated drive would deprive me of essential training. With a good ice buildup I can take an auger to the drive and practice ice fishing--aka as drinking beer while freezing.

Of course if I won the lottery I could move to Iceland where ironically heated drives may be feasible. I think the Capitol is the only northern city that has free heating. That's what you can have when you live on geysers I guess. The downside is that I'd end up with a name like Leif (one of the more pronounceable). By Icelandic law, immigrants must adopt Icelandic names and I guess Leif would qualify. Phone directories go by first name and street but it's probably less confusing than it sounds. After all I've been practicing by living in a place where names and addresses are mostly irrelevant. Everybody knows who you're talking about and where they are--not where they live, where they are. We keep pretty good track of each other around here.

Well, no chance anyway. I've taken the Italian expression for lotteries to heart. They are called the 'fool's tax' and I just don't contribute. I'll just have to keep practicing that fishing 'cause it'll keep me from buying more tractor toys and then I've have to build another shed. Hadn't thought about nails in all that kindling that comes from the dump. ....

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44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 110 western NY
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2003-09-27          64968

Art, who manufactures the wide skid shoes you mentioned? I may be interested in getting a set. Thanks. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-09-27          64994

Some manufacturers build better skid shoes than there standard like provenost but youcan make them for any. See what you have and then see if you need larger ones. ....

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44trxfun
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 110 western NY
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2003-09-28          65008

Thanks Art. I'll get a better look tomorrow... ....

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