If I already had a 4x4 vehicle, think I would vote on a snowplow for it. I am seriously considering that approach when I replace my F350 crew cab 4x2, even though I will have a tractor available. All the commercial guys around here seem to lean towards the 4x4 pickup with front blade so they can blade and then spread melting compound at the same time. It seems this kind of rig plows much faster than any tractor or TLB.
I use back blade now (very short driveway). In my opinion, It would ruin a good truck by putting a plow on it. Perhaps an old farm beater but not a good one. The beating that a plow puts on a truck (even a heavy duty one) over six months of plowing and driving around is enormous and expensive!
The weight and work stresses everything from engine, shocks, steering, breaks, and tires. Many manufacturers will void the warranty if they know you are snowplowing (light duty trucks anyway). Several MFRs offer a plow package on heavier trucks but expensive to use a few time a year. I think this is tractor work.
Purely from a cost basis - it is usually cheaper to hire someone to plow 3-4 time per year. let them trash their stuff. When you factor in equipment cost, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and fuel I think you will see that plowing a driveway like that with your own stuff is VERY expensive.
[img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] My 2 cents worth.
Live to Fish, Fish to Live!
A truck would probably do it faster and better but not cheaper. If you already have the tractor or have other uses for it, a light duty blade (all you need for snow) runs less than $200.
As for time, it takes me two passes to do my driveway, once out and once in. I do it at about 5mph though I could do it faster. The time isn't bad.
<font color="blue"> What are you using now to move snow? Any pictures? </font color>
The only thing I use to plow snow is the FEL. Attached is a picture (from last winter) of the driveway I clean, marked by the red lines. The picture is taken from the garage where the tractor lives. I put the FEL into float and push the snow right across the street and empty the FEL. Two or three passes and the straight portion of the drive is cleared. Then, starting from the garage, I swing the FEL into the parking area and take that across the street.
Across the street is a residence (former church) whose driveway is marked by the red line. I start at the right end of the red line and push the snow the entire way to the other end of the red line and dump it. If the snow is deep, I stop half way to empty the bucket.
I also use the FEL to clear another driveway plus the paddock/driveway area at the barn, where I can push the snow starting at the street, the length of the driveway (100') plus another 70' out into a field.
The deeper the snow, the less I can push the snow and the more I have to stop and empty the FEL.
I'm using a combination of back blade and FEL. I only have a 6' back blade, which makes it the same width as the outside of the rear tires. When I angle the blade, I lose a couple of inches on each side and then I have to clean up with the FEL.
I managed to catch the blade on a rock frozen into the ground and bent the heck out of it. It wobbles on its pivot now and it keeps bending the 3/4" hitch pins that are used to set the angle. Next year, I will either have a 7' heavy duty blade, or a 3 point blower. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
Steve
I like your breakdowns, Mike.
Here's what I use and my winters up here by Lake Erie are pretty similar. I use the FEL mainly for relocating and back dragging. I like the back blade because you can angle it. I've tried to push snow with the FEL and 21hp doesn't do the trick for me, but my neighbor has a "real" tractor with a fixed blade on the front and he has no problem. I also take the pin out of the blade to allow the blade to follow the side to side contour a little better
I back up when I have some serious stuff to move and just go in forward (with the blade backward like you see it) and that throws better and will do a well enough job on about 6-8 inches. It depends on the snow and if the wheels are floating or not. My backblade is 72 inches. I also clean a couple areas off the side of the drive to give the snow someplace to go every now and then. Sort of like when the plow dumps his load into your drive. If you push an area back a little bit ahead of your drive, this is where his snow will spill into. I just push the snow back into the yard to give myself some relief areas for this. My drive is about 540 ft and circles around my house with a parking area at the bottom of the circle.
There were a couple time when it took me a little over an hour and a heated cab would have been real nice!
Last year in Eastern Pa we had a hard winter. I used a clamp-on snow blade my neighbor owns that was built by Earth & Turf Products. It was really great because the blade was out in front of the tractor bucket and you could lift the loader up and push the snow back out of the way. I think it was a 90" wide blade but I know they make some smaller ones too. The blade was well built and no problem for the 35Hp tractor to handle.
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