disc harrow for ice

[jpm]

Has any one used a disc harrow to brake up ice on a gravel driveway? Or what else has any one used?

 

[beenthere]

Salt, ashes, or cinders is what I have used.

I found that ice on gravel usually wasn't a 'layer' that could be broken. It seemed to be integral with the gravel, and everything was frozen together. Once that snow layer melted into the gravel, it was there until the gravel warmed up enough for everything to melt.
For traction, I found out ashes was best. Coal cinders helped attract the heat from the sun and would melt down into the ice and make holes, which helped weaken the ice layer. Salt did somewhat the same thing. Both seemed to give more surface area to melt when the temps came up enough to turn the ice to water.
If a disc would work, we'd like to hear about it, for sure.

 

[jpm]

what i am getting is a 1+ inch layer of snow/mush/freezing rain,mist,ect
that i can't get to for a week or two, 200 feet up hill that at this time
of year the sun does not really get to that i'm trying to brake up. Last year 100 #s of salt did nothing so i keep trying new ideas

 

[Banjo]

Ashes work well, except make sure you're burning clean wood. A long time ago I needed to do something about the thick ice at the end of the driveway. Figured hot ashes would do the trick, and they did. The problem was I forgot that the red hot nails mixed in with the ashes, would work even better /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. I was a long time with the ice chipper getting them all back out /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

"Experience is what you get ... right after you needed it" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[rambler]

Back in the very early 90's I think we had an inch of rain in January, wind blew out of Canada than night & it was minus 8 that night, never got above 5 degrees for the next week.

Chemicals & gravel just blew off the roads, never stuck long enough to sink in & melt anything. The highways were just long skating rinks.

To get the main highways flowing again, they brought in a heavy duty disk and ran it down the highway. This made grooves the chemicals & grit could stick to, & got things freed up.

However, it was one heck of a disk, you would need 150 hp or better to run it, and it did not do the highway _any_ good at all.

I doubt anything you are thinking of using would have enough wieght or blade strength to acomplish anything.

--->Paul

 

[djradz]

We have pretty good luck with wood-stove ashes.

 

[phd]

I too can have a problem with packed snow or slush freezing that can be treacherous on my 500' gravel driveway with 17% grade in places and about 14% average. So far and in most cases traction sand and/or ashes and studded 2wd car tires work most of the time. I suppose discs would work but the grooves would be longitudinal to the driveway. What I'm currently thinking of however, is an implement resembling a water and/or concrete filled lawn roller, with 1/2" metal projections radially from the circumference of the roller perhaps at 1 inch of arc spacings and running laterally with the driveway. Attached to the drawbar, I visualize this on packed snow and pre-frozen slush providing a roughened surface (Not sure if this would be effective on ice, but may if the downward force could be applied over a fairly small area). Then, I'm thinking of suspending a hopper above with an agitator/spreader slightly behind and geared to the rotating axis of the main roller. Anyone seen or heard of an animal like this or any thoughts on its potential effectiveness?
Peter

 

[jpm]

sort of like a pluverizer?that is not a bad idea.any thing to brake up or rough up the ice /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[DDT]

If I remember right a few years ago there was alot of talk about useing a tiller. Run it in slow as you can and at a idel, just set the tines to nick the top of the ice. If you have a steep grade /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I would make sure I would work up hill.

 

[jwstewar]

What I did last year when we the gravel driveway was a solid layer of ice was used my subsoiler on it. I didn't let it go down very far, but at least it broke the ice up so that it wasn't a solid, smooth sheet. I was then able to move some of the chunks away. I also allowed the sun to melt some of the chunks as well as the wind to evaporate (yes ice does evaporate) a lot quicker than had it been a solid piece. The rougher area also allowed the hard to get something to bite on to.

Hope this helps.

Merry Christmas to All.