Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Clearing snow from a pond

[shoppintractors]

<font color="blue">Being that I am originally from Georgia, and now residing in North Carolina...</font>

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 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. )</font>

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]

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.