driveway marker spacing distances

   / driveway marker spacing distances #1  

DHD

Platinum Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
524
Location
Maine
Tractor
Kubota B7800
For snow removal I use a Kubota B7800 with a Curtis Cab and 3 pt. rear mount snow blower.
Snow removal is usually done at night and I have very good lighting from my tractor.
About a month ago I just started using left and right rear view mirrors to help me guide my snow blower down the driveway rather than constantly looking rearward over my shoulder.
The mirrors have been very useful but do not provide the same clear visibility as looking rearward.
My driveway markers are more difficult to see using the mirrors.
My current driveway markers are 8" tall wood 1x3s about 40 -50 ft spacing distance with nothing reflective.
For next snow season driveway markers,
I picked up those typical 54" tall orange fiberglass poles with reflective tape.

You folks that use these orange fiberglass pole driveway markers,
what spacing distance do you use on driveway straight sections ?
and curved sections ?
 
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   / driveway marker spacing distances #2  
Right now in Northern WI 54" poles set 8" in ground would be 2 ft below the snowbanks😊. Best system I've seen a friend drives conduit in the ground and slips driveway markers into the conduit so the round reflector sits on top of conduit. If snow gets too deep he slides the reflectors up and puts a zip tie around shaft leaving tail on zip tie to rest on conduit. Great system and he spaces conduit about 25 ft apart.
 
   / driveway marker spacing distances #3  
Right now in Northern WI 54" poles set 8" in ground would be 2 ft below the snowbanks😊. Best system I've seen a friend drives conduit in the ground and slips driveway markers into the conduit so the round reflector sits on top of conduit. If snow gets too deep he slides the reflectors up and puts a zip tie around shaft leaving tail on zip tie to rest on conduit. Great system and he spaces conduit about 25 ft apart.
Once the banks get higher than the markers, you no longer need themo_O
 
   / driveway marker spacing distances #4  
I put mine every 20' - 30' or where the road bends or turns. Slightly different each year.
Use the orange markers and they have worked well.
I put only on 1 side for most of the road . on each side at start and where driveways break off.
 
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   / driveway marker spacing distances #5  
I use the orange fiberglass markers with the reflective tape on the top. I like them and they do reflect nicely. For my residential customers I install one on each side of the driveway immediately after the apron, then on one side of the curves. Straight sections don't get staked. All stakes are 12" off the pavement, and put in by hammering a large landscape spike into the ground, then drop the stake in and heel them in.

I also run the tractor through my route in the fall and take correct "point of view" pictures of each driveway, getting the landmarks, curves, and hazards. I keep them on my phone and it really helps.
 
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   / driveway marker spacing distances #6  
I have 800'+ of driveway and use 48" and 54" reflective fiberglass markers every 8 paces, on both sides, (in a zipper formation, that way there's a marker every 4 paces). Curves get an extra marker at the inside of the curve. I use a 12"x1/2" bit in a cordless hammer drill to set them 6"-8" deep, otherwise the markers look like they were installed by a drunk, leaning in/out and sideways. The hammer drill gives you a nice straight hole. Yes, I know I'm **** retentive, that's the engineer coming out. I set the markers 12" off the driveway to allow the snowblower to get the complete width of the driveway. If I was plowing I'd need to set them 4' back and have snowbank 6'+ high by the end of the winter. I'm a fan of big snowblowers, no banks and you move the snow once.
 
   / driveway marker spacing distances #7  
Definitely depends on driveway length. Mine is long enough I don’t want to deal with 100’s. So I alternate sides 25-30 feet apart. So 50’-60’ between markers. I am going slow enough in snow removal it isn’t hard to keep between the “buoys”.
 
   / driveway marker spacing distances #8  
I like the way JJT plants his markers but I don't have a cordless hammer drill.

My markers are 48" long. I have a 40" long x half inch diameter galvanized pipe with a cap on one end that I use like a post-pounder to drive them into the ground. When the pipe touches the ground, the marker is set 8" deep.

The distance between markers varies. Up close on inside corners, far apart on outside corners and straight lines are what ever I think will keep an infrequent visitor on the driveway without looking to gaudy.
 
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   / driveway marker spacing distances
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#9  
I have 800'+ of driveway and use 48" and 54" reflective fiberglass markers every 8 paces, on both sides, (in a zipper formation, that way there's a marker every 4 paces). Curves get an extra marker at the inside of the curve. I use a 12"x1/2" bit in a cordless hammer drill to set them 6"-8" deep, otherwise the markers look like they were installed by a drunk, leaning in/out and sideways. The hammer drill gives you a nice straight hole. Yes, I know I'm **** retentive, that's the engineer coming out. I set the markers 12" off the driveway to allow the snowblower to get the complete width of the driveway. If I was plowing I'd need to set them 4' back and have snowbank 6'+ high by the end of the winter. I'm a fan of big snowblowers, no banks and you move the snow once.

I like the idea of using a hammer drill.
I also prefer snowblower over snowplow, and have been using a 3 pt snowblower,
looking over my shoulder, for the past 18 years. Although this year I've been
trying right and left rear view mirrors.

Is your snowblower front mount or rear mount ?
If rear mount, do you use mirrors, backup camera, or look over your shoulder ?
 
   / driveway marker spacing distances #10  
I like the idea of using a hammer drill.
I also prefer snowblower over snowplow, and have been using a 3 pt snowblower,
looking over my shoulder, for the past 18 years. Although this year I've been
trying right and left rear view mirrors.

Is your snowblower front mount or rear mount ?
If rear mount, do you use mirrors, backup camera, or look over your shoulder ?
Rear mount, I sit sideways to avoid craning my neck too much.
 
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