Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Big disappointment, my plow didn't work on last night's snow

[ragkar]

The snowfall was freezing rain - sleet - snow wintry mix in twenty degree temperatures.
JD2320 with a JD 54 inch blade and a rubber snow cutting edge
I found that the new fall was so hard that I could walk on it. The blade (set to floating) just rode over the top and didn't scrape off much. I found also that often the front wheels skidded but I drove slower and compensated.
I wonder if a hard edge would have worked better, but I didn't want to damage the asphalt on the driveway. I noticed that the township plows had to make two passes to clear the road.
Well, i did the best I could but my driveway is still white.

 

[RoyJackson]

Plowing snow is one thing...but you were trying to clear ice.
Ice on top of snow will plow...it's pretty easy.
Ice under the snow is nasty. If we get ice first, then snow...I'll try. But if I can't remove the ice, I'll leave the snow atop it (better traction on the snow) unless I know it'll be above freezing the next day (ice will melt).
But you've got to break through the ice first. A chopper works good for that. Once you've broken through, you can plow. You'll probably need chains if your tractor is light...or some rear ballast to keep traction. Those township trucks you mentioned are really heavy (full load and a very heavy plow blade) and probably had chains..but they had to make 2 passes.

I'm in south-central PA. All we got was sleet and freezing rain (maybe a quarter inch of snow in the mix). I didn't even try to plow. Wouldn't be much use.
Fortunately, it warmed well above freezing today and the wind is blowing stoutly...should dry things up a bit.

 

[SkunkWerX]

The snowfall was freezing rain - sleet - snow wintry mix in twenty degree temperatures.
JD2320 with a JD 54 inch blade and a rubber snow cutting edge
I found that the new fall was so hard that I could walk on it. The blade (set to floating) just rode over the top and didn't scrape off much. I found also that often the front wheels skidded but I drove slower and compensated.
I wonder if a hard edge would have worked better, but I didn't want to damage the asphalt on the driveway. I noticed that the township plows had to make two passes to clear the road.
Well, i did the best I could but my driveway is still white.

In icy conditions even a steel edge will tend ride over top of the frozen surface, at least with smaller lighter blades. From my experience there are just some combinations of freezing temps and freezing pavement where you can only get it but so clean.

 

[ccsial]

We had the same thing recently. My 748 With a 54" squegee edge blade wouldn't cut it so I fired up the 1910 with a 6 foot rear blade with metal edge. Didn't help much. I've salted and am waiting for the warm up.

Mother nature brought it, she can take it back