Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Clearing snow from a pond

shoppintractors · Jan 21, 2005

Being that I am originally from Georgia, and now residing in North Carolina...

Now This Is Interesting.....The Morning Headlines....

Raleigh Thrown in Tizzy by INCH of Snow

RALEIGH, N.C. - A mere inch of snow was all it took to cripple North Carolina's capital _ and prompt plenty of finger-pointing Thursday as the city thawed from the surprise storm that caused gridlock and left 3,000 students stranded in classrooms overnight.......

Don

JeffSpencer · Jan 21, 2005

Yeah, I know what you mean. However, with the humidity and temperature fluctuation, I think the snow fell, then kinda melted and then froze again. From what I heard, the roads were all iced over. I did live in Utah for a few years and driving up there compared to here is a bit different.
Very funny post though! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Noodlearm · Jan 21, 2005

If you really think its interesting hearing us talk about tractors on the ice, you should see when the bay is frozen and there are well over 100 cars parked on the ice. Last year I saw at least three people fishing out of the window of there front seat and many more fishing out of the back of the pickup!
BTW, thanks for the link to the ice thickness reference chart. That is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Hopefully, I will get a trial run of hockey in this weekend. Fortunately, the below 0 temps should really help the thickness, unfortunately, we are "supposed" to get 3-7 inches by sunday morning, meaning a lot of snow removal along with the pretty cold temps!

kybota · Jan 21, 2005

It gets cold here, but I've never seen anyone drive on a frozen lake or pond. Rarely seen anyone try to walk or skate on one.

After reading that safety chart, I would like to know just how thick the ice gets in Michigan or New York. It states that you need 11 inches of ice to drive a medium sized pickup on ice, and goes all the way up to four feet thick for 66 tons (now that's a big truck).

Any of you actually measure and see that the ice was a foot thick or more in the Michigan or NY? Is it really ever safe to drive a full size pickup on a frozen lake there? I would have thought you'd have to be near the Arctic to see ice like that. The whole notion of driving on ice creeps me out anyway.

carthage · Jan 21, 2005

This may blow your mind then. Many snowmobilers like to ride on the lakes up here, finding area's that have open water. Inlets and outlets to the lake, or a canal may have an open area of water, with ice on each side. The snowmobilers will hydroplane across the open water. Unless of course their speed is inefficient. Which makes for a very cold dip. It's pretty wild to watch. Even though the long arm of the law has strongly discouraged this (tickets,fine's,etc.) some just can't resist.

rdln · Jan 21, 2005

I HAVE SEEN ANCHOR BAY get as thick as 18" and I am sure it has gotten thicker. When it get s to that point I fish out of holes already dug.

A couple of big lake hot spots are Saginaw Bay, Tawas City and Bay de Noc in the UP where, with 3 feet of ice, they either have power augers or stay home.

Youare · Jan 21, 2005

I have made a trip through the ice myself with a Ford 8N doing just what you want to do. It was the last push that got me and I was surprised how thin the ice was where I went through. One last push back and I was finished.

The good thing was the water was only 3 feet deep at that spot and not the 12 foot depth a few feet from there. In this pond there was a slight flow of water that keep the ice thinner in that spot.

I had to be lifted out by a large front-end loader that had a boom pole on instead of the bucket. Fifty bucks later I was on dry ground. I did drain all the oil from engine and transmission as soon as the tractor hit the ground. No damage that I could detect.

If you don't have to go out on the ice, don't. It is always the edges that don't freeze as thick or solid as the middle and that is where you will get into trouble.

Once you have that sinking feeling you will never forget it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Randy

JeffSpencer · Jan 21, 2005

It is always that "last" push or scoop that gets you in trouble. When I am digging with the backhoe and get to "the last scoop", I always skip it. I have been in the underground utility business too long and have seen the last scoop or whatever end up in turmoil.

kybota · Jan 21, 2005

( This may blow your mind then. Many snowmobilers like to ride on the lakes up here, finding area's that have open water. Inlets and outlets to the lake, or a canal may have an open area of water, with ice on each side. The snowmobilers will hydroplane across the open water. Unless of course their speed is inefficient. Which makes for a very cold dip. It's pretty wild to watch. Even though the long arm of the law has strongly discouraged this (tickets,fine's,etc.) some just can't resist. )

Wouldn't the ice be thin near open areas, meaning that the snowmobile would have to clear more than just the open water?

I'm not against daredevil antics entirely as there is a risk/reward equation to consider in many endeavors, but that appears to be just plain foolish. And what a lousy way to end it all.

Driving a tractor on a frozen lake also seems to be tilted to the wrong end of the risk/reward equation, but maybe that's because I've never been round any lakes frozen over as much as being discussed here.

frank_f15 · Jan 21, 2005

funny THING ABOUT ICE! it is not always the same thickness all over. i would be very careful, actually i would use a snowblowere to clear it.

GaryK · Jan 22, 2005

Back in the old days in CT my Dad used to clear the snow off the local pond with his 40 Ford PU, used to tow a large door with a metal blade attached. One day after clearing snow, he went for a ride up the pond, on the way back we all heard a big bang and watched a large crack open up behind the truck and follow the truck all the way to shore. Talk about pucker power. that was the last time my Dad plowed snow with his truck

Noodlearm · Jan 24, 2005

Well, after the huge snowfall, it was a pain clearing the pond with the snowblower (even at the spot with the least amount of snow, it was over the top of the blower. After 2-3 passes we were done and ready to go. As for all who were talking about ice thickness varies, we had about 6-7"'s in most places, but we had 1 area where a hole actually opened up while we were playing and slowly flooded the rink. None of us were smart enough to stop playing and luckily nothing happened but we were all a little squeemish whenever the puck went over towards the whole. The water was probably about 2" deep near the whole and entirely covered the puck (luckily it never actually fell in the whole). The ice in that area was probably ownly 3". After seeing the discrepancy in ice thickness over s span of only 2 feet, I am pretty certain that I will never taken the big tractor on the ice, as for the garden tractor, if it sinks, I don't mind.

ronjhall · Jan 24, 2005

Before I clicked on your post I thought, OH, OH. He did not take our advice. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I'm sure we are all glad you did not take the big tractor out. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

dlabrie · Jan 27, 2005

( The snowmobilers will hydroplane across the open water )

That practice has just been recently outlawed here in NH. Too many were going to the bottom.

Another thing that is done up here is Ice racing. People put studs in thier tires and race on an oval track plowed out on the ice. Not only would there be the race cars on the lake, but all of the spectator's cars would be out their as well.

Noodlearm · Jan 27, 2005

Lots of ice racing here as well. It is pretty interesting to see it at night when you have all the cars facing inwards with lights on to light up the course.

rdln · Feb 1, 2005

Hey this happened Sunday on about 10" of well traveled ice (plowing the dragstrip). The snowmobilers collected $1500 to help with retrieval fees

All together I suppose he weighs 7500#

rdln · Feb 1, 2005

another

rdln · Feb 1, 2005

last one.. right at the Fair Haven launch
Lake st. Clair

ericinmich · Feb 1, 2005

Although I probably should relate my stupid youth and snowmobiling experiences... some may see some humor, or learn from it.

Once in northern WI on a trip, I ended up with a pile of metal and fiberglass. On the second to last day I did some open water crossings in front of a resturant/bar that had a stream running by it into the lake. It was only a couple of feet deep, and dozens of people were crossing it every day (for fun?). I did it a bunch of times, no problem... and fun.

The last day of the trip we ended up back there and I wanted to show the rest of the guys how to do it (they weren't there the previous day). As I got up to the open water, I noticed that it was a bit longer than the previous day so I decided to cut across at a different angle. About half way across the water (going 50mph) I saw a 6 inch ice shelf coming up... bad news, the skiies got over it, but it threw the sled and me big time. The sled did a dozen or so flips (some sideways, some nose-tail) shedding parts along the way. I did a couple of flips and cracked my helmet. I ended up sliding on my but, a little stunned, but OK. The sled was actually setting upright and running. A couple of rolls of duct tape and I was able to get home. In the end it was totaled.

I consider myself very lucky... and if we survive our youth, we only keep getting smarter.

- Eric

Noodlearm · Feb 1, 2005

It was like a parking lot there over the weekend. I saw some cars out much farhter than normal. As for my pond, a friend brought his auger over and it measured 10" at the thinnest of the 5 holes drilled and around 16" at the thickest. Weirdest thing was that one hole had a 4" discrepance from one side of hole to the other and the wholes are only about 10' across. Nice picks of the truck btw, I missed that one!