Do homeowners buy snowplows to plow their own properties?

[scaredychicken]

I think rural homeowners buy snow clearing equipment, implements for their own use, including plows for trucks.

Highways and road contractors keep the main roads clear

Typical homeowners would probably be best served with a walk behind snowblower, an ATV with plow, or hiring someone to clear the driveway.

just my thoughts, speaking for nobody

 

[LD48750]

Yes... At least I do/did.
I plow ~1/2 mile drive & private road.
I also do the two neighbors that come off the road also.
Started with a used plow on a used truck.
Moved that to another used truck and on to another.
The last 10 years or so the truck has not left the property.
No license or insurance.
I also have had & have plows for my tractors.
Have (as of last year) bought a NEW plow that fits a 2" front hitch.
Works on my old retired wood truck, the suburban & one of my tractors.

I have NEVER run out of room to push snow & I LOVE being able to plow extra areas and clean up non plowable snows.

I feel my plows have paid for themselves.

(The sale of my last plow truck with the plow covered the cost of my new plow.)

 

[CH4Ohio]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

I guess my answer would be that what you spend on snow equipment depends on what value you place on the NEED for it. I bought an old truck with a plow on it 37 years ago. I installed that plow on 3 different vehicles over the years and then settled on a cab tractor with plow and snowblower as my solution.

You mentioned in another post that your driveway was 270'. I would not spend $5200 on a plow, and put a snowplow on a nice truck and beat it up, just to clear 270' of driveway. I think that's your question. I wouldn't.

There's nothing much harder you can do to a truck than plow snow with it. If you're so disciplined that you only do your own, that's different. You would be the exception.

You can use a rear blade or front blade on a small tractor. I don't know if you have a front-end loader on a small tractor but that would be plenty. You could even buy a self-propelled walk-behind snow blower like a 26" for less than $500 (used but like new) and take care of that amount of driveway in short order.

I think people buy snow equipment based on their particular situations and what it's worth to them to be able to dig out in the early morning, middle of the night, or whenever. Some people have no reason for urgency and are content to wait for a day or so for someone else to dig them out. I know that when we get a big snow I need to be able to get to the road. Often I have to help clear the road too until they get around to it. Having said that, I have way less than the amount you mentioned ($5200) in my 7' snowblower and my 7.5' snowplow that's mounted on the tractor. And I can move snow that a pickup could never get through. Don't think that the quoted price of a brand new plow for your truck is the only option.

Only you can decide what it's worth to you or whether investing in equipment makes sense to you.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have always plowed our twisty, gravel drive over the past 35 years. For the first 28 years with pickups and for the last 7 years with tractor mounted plows.
The trucks deteriorate quickly between the abuse of plowing and the northeast road salt.
The tractors are bulletproof when it comes to moving snow and since they are not roaded, salt is not an issue.
My 4 way PA QA plow cost $2300 delivered and is used on mine, my folks and my neighbors drives.
Probably average 10-15 snow events per season.

 

[Captain Dirty]

As many of the responses indicate, homeowners or back yard farmers will spend what they will on snow removal equipment rationalizing it as for their own convenience. If the animal shelter you indicated you run in another thread is a separate entity, either charitable or proprietary, the cost of snow removal equipment could be a business expense which changes the calculus.

Murphy says the more you spend the less snow you'll have. Although conventional wisdom says a FEL is inefficient for snow removal, your JD 310 industrial Loader/Backhoe is vastly different from a SCUT. Why not go this winter with the 310 and the Gravely for backup?

 

[RustyA]

30 inch walk behind here bought used 3 years old for $600 for driveway, garage and by house. Tractor back blade for 1/4 mile private road. In heavy snow years use loader bucket to push snow banks back between the trees once or twice a season. Old plow trucks eat money to keep running. New plows are crazy price unless you are a pro doing 25-30 driveways at a time. My opinion.

 

[tmcj]

My short answer is yes.

I grew up being taught to be as self sufficient as possible. We get snow, it needs plowed, so I'll spend whatever is necessary to get it done in a reasonable manner. More than some, less than others, but I don't like to depend on someone else for anything.

 

[airbiscuit]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

1. How many times a year do you have plowable snow?
2. What is the deepest snowfall you typically get?
3. Do you have drifting?
4. How long is your driveway, hills, etc.?

The answers to those questions have a lot to do with what makes the most sense.

 

[airbiscuit]

My neighbor and I clear our 1/2 mile shared road for 12 neighbors. I collect $20 - $35 each for the entire winter! It took a few of them a few years to realize this was a pretty good deal.

 

[Cougsfan]

I bought a plow for the front of my Dodge 1 ton to plow the 3-1/2 miles of private road that belonged to my home owner's association. In the 7 years I plowed that road, I never earned enough to pay for the plow, but it sure made my life and the other homeowner's lives a lot more manageable in the winter.
Now I have my own private 1/4 mile driveway I plow with that same plow and I am glad I have it! I have found that a plow on a fast moving (15-20 mph ) truck runs circles around either a back or front blade on a tractor moving at just a few mph. Throwing the snow is so much better than pushing the snow.