Snow Attachments ABS Plastic Pipe Snow Blade Edge

[Ed_Indiana]

Had 3 inches of snow yesterday. Put a 6' section of 2" PVC pipe on my 6" snow plow/blade. Worked like a charm on my blactop driveway. No more scratches on the blacktop. Then I gave it a try on the gravel drive to my barn.Once again worked like a charm. There are some great ideas that come from a lot of people on this forum, and this one ranks at the top.

 

[djw250]

We don't get snow here, so I never tried any of this, however, I saw something on TV last night that was interesting. They were plowing snow off of a football field, and were using a big piece of plastic culvert ratchet strapped onto the loader bucket of a Kubota. Looked like it was doing a good job, and due to the very large radius, was not digging in at all.

 

[Diamondpilot]

We don't get snow here, so I never tried any of this, however, I saw something on TV last night that was interesting. They were plowing snow off of a football field, and were using a big piece of plastic culvert ratchet strapped onto the loader bucket of a Kubota. Looked like it was doing a good job, and due to the very large radius, was not digging in at all.

I saw that also. Looked like a 20' length of 24" sewer pipe.

I got about 4-5 inches of snow and tried the ABS black pipe on my Meyer Snow Plow. Worked like a charm on asphalt but did not work on my 12 year old gravel drive. I had cut the groove using a 1/4" router bit and my router table. The slit opened up and it wold not stay on the blade. It opened up the slit and keep working off from one side or the other. I would like to try it again but use some 3" PVC.

Chris

 

[ctgoldwing]

I went and bought one length of 3" ABS at Home Hardware this week. They're a national hardware chain in Canada. A "length" was 12 feet, cost was $24.99 + tax.

I work for a plumbing / heating distributor. We sell 2" ABS pipe for about $.40/ft and 3" for about $1.25/ft to the trade. It might be less expensive to find a local plumbing distributor

 

[Birdmayon]

I was too lazy to get my rear blade from my other property where I store it and then bolt the rubber edge on, so I picked up some 2" PVC pipe on friday after reading this thread. We got 12"+ inches of snow here in MD, I cleared my paved driveway and a good portion of the street using the pipe on my bucket, worked perfectly. The pipe is pretty well worn out after two plowing sessions, I may be able to flip it and use it again. Anyway, worked perfectly. If I can find some ABS I may try that next time. At $3 a pop, this will be my preferred method for snow storms in the future, I was really impressed with how well it worked.

 

[bp fick]

I saw that also. Looked like a 20' length of 24" sewer pipe.

I got about 4-5 inches of snow and tried the ABS black pipe on my Meyer Snow Plow. Worked like a charm on asphalt but did not work on my 12 year old gravel drive. I had cut the groove using a 1/4" router bit and my router table. The slit opened up and it wold not stay on the blade. It opened up the slit and keep working off from one side or the other. I would like to try it again but use some 3" PVC.

Chris

Chris
I think you would like a table saw cut better, imo. It is straight and true and allows the pipe to grip the blade better. Also, you get more grip off a smaller diameter, 1 1/2 pipe. The larger diameter pipes lend themselves to more floppy, at least on my blade, 2" is as big as I can go. Give some other combinations, (this stuff is cheap to try) and see if you get differing results.

 

[SARG]

*CRAP......... Tried the PVC and that broke the same day ....... now I gotta go hunt down some ABS.*

 

[studor]

I had cut the groove using a 1/4" router bit and my router table

Chris -- I too would recomment the table saw - make 1 cut (1/8 of an inch) and try fitting it with a "persuader" __ I find on my rear blade I need a little bigger cut but I can force it on with just one saw cut. I am surprised it did not work on gravel for you -- I always use mine one gravel -- amybe it the pull versus push or something

 

[Ed_Indiana]

I agree that the table saw cut is the best way to go. Small slit, good grip. I am getting read to put PVC on my loader bucket to get at the places I would normaly back blade since back blading will slide the PVC off the plow blade. As soon as I can find some ABS, I will switch over.

 

[rus_geek]

I'm not sure if my bucket/loader is too heavy for this to work effectively, or what my problem is PVC shattered pretty much instantly. ABS was better. I made it about forty feet before I rolled it off my bucket lip I put it back on, and ran four pieces of heavy steel wire around it through the holes in my bucket lip to hold it on. Then it worked for a while. I've completely destroyed the ABS without finishing 350' of driveway. I'll be trying 3" steel pipe next. Debating splitting & welding on ears, or just bolting it to the bottom of the bucket lip.

-rus-

 

[bx24d]

Forgive the redundant question or concern but.........I've used sched 40 PVC on a front and rear blade for several years and infrequently have shattered a piece or two off when I hit an iceberg. After reading the above posts, I went today to buy a piece of ABS pipe. I'm a novice around pipe but, just by holding the ABS in my hands, I can't believe that ABS will be more durable than schedule 40 PVC when used for blading snow in icy conditions. Can someone who knows something about pipes chime in (again)?

 

[ctgoldwing]

Forgive the redundant question or concern but.........I've used sched 40 PVC on a front and rear blade for several years and infrequently have shattered a piece or two off when I hit an iceberg. After reading the above posts, I went today to buy a piece of ABS pipe. I'm a novice around pipe but, just by holding the ABS in my hands, I can't believe that ABS will be more durable than schedule 40 PVC when used for blading snow in icy conditions. Can someone who knows something about pipes chime in (again)?

ABS pipe is a lot less brittle in cold weather than PVC

 

[bp fick]

I know in longer threads, things get lost. PVC's shatter point in 32 degrees. ABS is tougher, down to -40. That in a nutshell is the difference. There are even better plastics, but are more difficult to locate.

The illustration below shows the results of impact tests on ABS and PVC pipe at 32 F. Note, the ABS pipe has a good ductile impression resulting from the impact test. The PVC pipe shattered under the same test conditions:

TOP: ABS PIPE
BOTTOM: PVC PIPE
The impact strength of PVC is only one-half that of ABS at 72 F. And, one-third the strength of ABS at 40 F. The low temperature value of PVC is only 32 F. That is, it has lost its impact strength at this temperature. By comparison, the low temperature value of ABS is minus 40 F.

From MonarchPlastic.com

 

[JB4310]

Forgive the redundant question or concern but.........I've used sched 40 PVC on a front and rear blade for several years and infrequently have shattered a piece or two off when I hit an iceberg. After reading the above posts, I went today to buy a piece of ABS pipe. I'm a novice around pipe but, just by holding the ABS in my hands, I can't believe that ABS will be more durable than schedule 40 PVC when used for blading snow in icy conditions. Can someone who knows something about pipes chime in (again)?

You felt how lite it is compared to PVC, That's one of the reasons why I consider it inferior to PVC in plumbing and drainage work.
But as has been shown in this thread and ctgoldwing just mentioned it's more flexible, OP showed crush tests to bolster that fact.

I only use PVC in construction for a few reasons, 1st is it's much quieter when used for in house drains, especially thru lower floors coming from upper floors. Probably has to do with it being heavier and denser. Next only pvc has schd 40 fittings (at least I think) schd 40 fittings have glue sockets 2x deeper than reg DWV fittings, which is what's needed to get the pressure rating. We install alot of sump pumps and use pvc schd 40 exclusively, even though sump pump discharge is not considered a high pressure app, we're running these over finished rooms and to me it's not worth it to take the chance.

Also PVC joints are stronger, more permanent, I have seen, rarely, ABS joints come apart. The glue takes much longer to set up with ABS than with PVC. My Plumber and I always argue about which is better, he prefers ABS cause he can move his glued fittings around 10 minutes after putting them together, we all know you can't do that with PVC.

 

[SARG]

Forgive the redundant question or concern but.........I've used sched 40 PVC on a front and rear blade for several years and infrequently have shattered a piece or two off when I hit an iceberg. After reading the above posts, I went today to buy a piece of ABS pipe. I'm a novice around pipe but, just by holding the ABS in my hands, I can't believe that ABS will be more durable than schedule 40 PVC when used for blading snow in icy conditions. Can someone who knows something about pipes chime in (again)?

Were you sure the ABS pipe was schedule 40 as well ....or a lighter weight?

 

[bp fick]

My ABS pipe also "felt" somewhat lighter than the seemingly heavier "feel" of PVC.

There is no comparison between the two, both in lab testing and the real life testing on my plow. None. ABS blows PVC away.

 

[RAF]

Well this is the first time I have heard of using ABS for the FEL. I got a piece from work and slipped it on. We had about 20" of snow this week end and I had about 8 hrs of tractor time pushing snow from neighbor hood drive ways. 2 stone, 3 gravel, and 3 paved about 200' each. Each of these was done twice. The ABS is still usable and it only came off twice because I forgot it was on there and back dragged. I am getting another piece to have ready when this one fails. Who ever came up with this idea or at least posted it THANKS

It was a 68" piece of 3" ABS schedule 40 just in case anyone wanted to know.

 

[bx24d]

Were you sure the ABS pipe was schedule 40 as well ....or a lighter weight?

Not sure, didn't ask. As I recall, schedule 40 has to do with thickness. The ABS I purchased (about $9 for a 5 foot 4" diameter piece) seems to be as thick-walled as the schedule 40 PVC I used. It's just lighter, which is probably what worried me initially. But, as in the past, I trust the TBN consensus because it is generated out of experience........of which I am short on. Thanks and I'll let you know how I do in the next snow storm.

 

[Low Bucket]

I put a piece of ABS plastic pipe on my Meyer blade.-It worked nice on concrete.

 

[gazoo1]

WE USED ALSO 3 INCH ABS ON OUR FEL AND I DRILED OUT ABS AND USED TWO PINS SO THE PIPE DOSN'T COME LOOSE . WE USE THE PIPE IN SUMMER FOR FLATNING OUT DRY DIRT IN THE FIELD FOR PLANTING AS U USE THE PIPE IT HAS MORE USES THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.