40" of...

[smfcpacfp]

wet heavy snow, or why I got my Kubota tractor / snowblower. We have had 40" of wet, heavy snow already this month to go along with the 17' previously this winter

As you can see from the pictures below, it isn't as pretty as it used to be. We have had above freezing temperartures so the ground is soft and I have been trying my best to keep from digging in the dirt. The float position doesn't work as well, so careful control of the blower height is important. While the rest of you are preparing the yard for summer and mulching around the flowers, I will be waitng for the next foot of snow to fall today and tomorrow.

 

[RayMunising]

There was a post a long time ago about what seems to me to be an ideal way to prevent the snowblower from digging in. You take a 1-1/2" pipe (or could use 2") that's 5 foot long (in your case) and cut a slot down its length and mount it on the cutting edge of your blower. That way, even if your driveway isn't level (width-wise) the blower won't ever cut into the high spots. I don't have first hand experience yet because I'm still stuck down here in Ann Arbor trying to sell my house but when we move up there I'm going to give it a try!

So has that B3030 worked as well as you thought it would? I was thinking of maybe going with a gl3240 because the blower is 24" tall instead of 18". If you have 36" of snow on the ground and a snow storm hits accompanied with some wind it seems like the driveway could end up being filled right in and you'd have to deal with moving 36" of snow. But maybe that normally fluffy lake effect snow makes moving 36" of snow easy. Opinion? I'm going to have a 1/4 mile long driveway.

Looks gorgeous from here!

 

[Bird]

That sure is some pretty pictures, but I just finished mowing the yard and believe I'd rather mow than blow snow.

 

[sasquatcher]

Wow! I can't believe I actually mowed grass yesterday; for the second time this year. Where I am, we really got cheated out of good snow this.

 

[smfcpacfp]

There was a post a long time ago about what seems to me to be an ideal way to prevent the snowblower from digging in. You take a 1-1/2" pipe (or could use 2") that's 5 foot long (in your case) and cut a slot down its length and mount it on the cutting edge of your blower. That way, even if your driveway isn't level (width-wise) the blower won't ever cut into the high spots. I don't have first hand experience yet because I'm still stuck down here in Ann Arbor trying to sell my house but when we move up there I'm going to give it a try!

So has that B3030 worked as well as you thought it would? I was thinking of maybe going with a gl3240 because the blower is 24" tall instead of 18". If you have 36" of snow on the ground and a snow storm hits accompanied with some wind it seems like the driveway could end up being filled right in and you'd have to deal with moving 36" of snow. But maybe that normally fluffy lake effect snow makes moving 36" of snow easy. Opinion? I'm going to have a 1/4 mile long driveway.

Looks gorgeous from here!

I will consider the pipe idea at the beginning and end of the year. Most of the time the ground is frozen, so I like to get as close as possible to the ground.

The tractor has worked well. We have had over 220" of snow thus far and the snow in April was really a challange being wet and heavy. I did not clog up the chute with the wet snow and it really didn't tax the machine at any time. My old machine (seen below) would have had a major problem this month, especially with 26 inches of wet heavy snow. When I get a really big storm with a lot of snow, I keep at it and don't wait until I am overwhelmed, especially with the heated cab, I don't care how miserable it is outside.

 

[RayMunising]

Good point. You don't need the pipe when the driveway is frozen so it'd be a good idea to make it easy to attach/remove.

Sounds like that B3030 works well and coming from you that means a lot. Thanks!

 

[Dyer retired]

smfcpacfp,

I feel bad for you, now that we are getting rain and warm weather here in Maine. I would feel worse about your situation if you hadn't been sending us pictures of your month long Scuba diving trip in the Tropics in January, ha! I'd also feel worse for you if you weren't clearing the snow with such a nice looking rig.

I'm working on a hydraulic chute rotation rig for next winter, but think we are clear of anything other than a freak snow now. Temperatures have been making it into the low 50's this week and the snow pack is dropping fairly fast. The Robins arrived two weeks ago, so Spring is surely around the corner. It looks like you will be a while catching up. Are you getting the 50 mph winds the forecast was associating with the snow you're getting?

Stay dry. Dyer, retired

 

[Northland]

Same problem here off the NE shore of Lake Superior. Another 6" last night.

My wife drove through the worst of it on the I-75 on route to a conference in Detroit. It was 21 C in Detroit when she got there at 5PM yesterday afternoon.

 

[cschlaps]

I can't believe that much snow fell in the UP yesterday Nice tractor though - that makes all the difference.

It's quite a bit colder here in the Detroit area today, but it's still in the 40's. Yesterday it was well into the 70's (F) before the front blew through and dropped the temps. Had some impressive storms in the evening.

I think that's about it for the snow here though - the ground has completely thawed, and I've been digging up stumps for the last week. We might see an inch or two yet, but April is better known for ice storms around here...

 

[smfcpacfp]

smfcpacfp,

I feel bad for you, now that we are getting rain and warm weather here in Maine. I would feel worse about your situation if you hadn't been sending us pictures of your month long Scuba diving trip in the Tropics in January, ha! I'd also feel worse for you if you weren't clearing the snow with such a nice looking rig.

I'm working on a hydraulic chute rotation rig for next winter, but think we are clear of anything other than a freak snow now. Temperatures have been making it into the low 50's this week and the snow pack is dropping fairly fast. The Robins arrived two weeks ago, so Spring is surely around the corner. It looks like you will be a while catching up. Are you getting the 50 mph winds the forecast was associating with the snow you're getting?

Stay dry. Dyer, retired

I was feeling kind of left out when all of those snow storms went to the south of us and up the east coast to Maine, but knew someday we would get hit. I was hoping it wouldn't be wet heavy snow late in the winter season.

It snowed about 6" Thursday night and snowed very lightly all day (which is when I took the pictures above), then just before dark it started to snow hard again, and just before I went to check and we had a foot of additioal snow, and it was snowing hard, so I decided to snowblow then just so I wouldn't face a real disaster today. I just finished snow blowing another 6" and the sun was shinning when I came in. I snowblowed 3 times in less than 24 hours. For us this was good snow (system snow), water comes up from the south and adding to our water supply. Most of our snow is "lake effect" snow. Water from Lake Superior that just runs back into Lake Superior when it melts.

It is supposed to warm up this week gradually to around 50 so maybe next weekend I will get my Vette out.


Well Dyer, I will be joining you as a retiree on May 1, after 40 years of working!

 

[smfcpacfp]

After storm ended today, the sun came out, and things started to melt, but as the picture below shows, it will take a while to melt, but once my driveway is clear, my Z06 comes out. I figure I will be driving the Vette next Saturday. It will be another month and a half before I drive the R-1 motorcycle

 

[Dyer retired]

Well Dyer, I will be joining you as a retiree on May 1, after 40 years of working![/QUOTE]


Congratulations on the upcoming retirement! I'd say 40 years is enough time. I put in 30, but am probably taking a position soon that several other retirees have taken and are enjoying....less stress, good pay, challenging work. I can work a few more years with the new neck all installed, through the break-in period, and warranteed. The Vette should be fun retirement transportation for you. Good luck and I hope summer hits for you soon. Dyer, still retired

 

[smfcpacfp]

The snow has been melting at a pretty good pace since Saturday. When my driveway and the roads are clear, I have this rule that says I can get my Vette out, so out it came today. I can overlook the 3 to 4 feet that lines my driveway;

 

[Dyer retired]

sfmcpacfp,

The Vette looks great and will be a great way to get around this summer! I know you have a couple of bikes too and won't be running out of fun vehicles to travel in or on, although the gas mileage of the bikes would be a little enticing right about now. I am starting to get anxious for sailing season to start, which means that the Maine weather has warmed up enough to give me hope that summer will get here. We got up to 60 degrees today and the snow left in the woods is going fast, so it won't be long.

Have a great summer! Dyer, retired

 

[smfcpacfp]

Here it is 12 days after our last snowfall and with 3 days in the high 60's (low 70's), it is shocking to think that almost all of that snow is gone - just a few isolated piles here and there. That humongous pile in the picture by my garage is all gone!

 

[shvl73]

Still a little ice & snow up in parts of Maine. This is a pic of Moosehead lake from the dock in Greenville on Wednesday.

 

[ihookem]

SMfcpacfp, are the deer dieing up there? I know you guys had a heck of a winter kill in 1995, is it that bad his year?

 

[smfcpacfp]

It was a little longer than normal snow cover, some the die off is predicted to be greater than normal, but as I said the snow left pretty quickly.

You don't want to get me started with deer. They have been very costly to me, running into my family's cars and almost running into my cars and motocycles, scaring the crap out of me. I have no love for deer, despite there gentle behavior.