First storm 2017

LouNY · Dec 10, 2017

Well had our first storm of the winter, about 3 - 4 inches. I really dislike the first storms as the driveways not froze and it's a royal pain.
I've heard of people that don't worry about the little storms and let them pack down, unfortunately that's not an option for me, the driveway
is a quarter of a mile uphill, steep uphill measured angle of 12 degrees = 21.26% slope which is most of the drive some 14 degrees which is about 25% slope,
so it has to be plowed for any storm. This has been a dry fall so there's not even much moisture in the driveway.
I used the back blade for most of it today, running it backwards at an angle it kind of squeegees quite a bit of the snow off that way. A few places used the front blade
at almost a half a mile per hour as even with the shoes all the way down the blade would dig in if I wasn't watching close and working with the curl to just try and skim the ground.

I only have the rear chains on now

The front blade
View attachment first snow 2017 1.jpg pulling the back blade backwards to shove the snow over
View attachment first snow 2017 2.jpg looking up the first section, doesn't look to bad 12 degrees slope!!
View attachment first snow 2017 3.jpg looking up the second section, past the s turn part of this gets over 14 degrees, that's a 25% grade
View attachment first snow 2017 4.jpg and just looking back down the drive.
I sure do enjoy the cab tractor with 4wd after all this years of fighting it with 2wd's

These ol girls did the job but it wasn't real comfortable or easy at times, hard to backup with just 2wd on these hills and the conventional chains on the Oliver couldn't stop
on the hill without using the bucket as a brake, the rears would just slid, made for some fun times.
View attachment plow truck 2017.jpg And then there's this old plow truck, it'll still plow but I mainly keep it for the 6 ft sander in the bed.

Threepoint · Dec 10, 2017

Lou, thanks for sharing the pics. Very nice setup! Hard to beat a cab this time of year!

Waldon52 · Dec 10, 2017

Very Nice with the chains.

rekees4300 · Dec 10, 2017

4WD with chains should pretty much get you to where you want to go. Nice tractor. :thumbsup:

poncho62 · Dec 10, 2017

I am sort of in the same boat, I have an uphill going out of my driveway.....I have a 4x4 but the wifes van doesn't, so its gotta be plowed regularly. Good excuse to hop on the tractors.

newbury · Dec 10, 2017

Didn't get any snow from Jan 1st till now?

LouNY · Dec 10, 2017

newbury said:
Didn't get any snow from Jan 1st till now?

I suppose to be more correct in some respects I could have said first storm of the 2017-18 winter, cause the last storm of the winter of 2016-17 was quite a while ago.

Thomas · Dec 11, 2017

Driveway not frozen only means more spring time raking etc.

skyhook · Dec 11, 2017

Nice set-up Lou, beautiful machine

Have you consider making a set-up platform that you could add a chain to the plow so it would "float" like your rear blade does.

skyhook · Dec 11, 2017

Here's my set-up.

LouNY · Dec 11, 2017

skyhook said:
Nice set-up Lou, beautiful machine Have you consider making a set-up platform that you could add a chain to the plow so it would "float" like your rear blade does.

It's a straight SSQA hookup but it does have 2 - 3 inches of float in the pin slop but its a heavy blade, it's 3 feet tall on only an 8 foot width. I have contemplated enlarging the shoe diameters or making a ski type shoe for it.
That a nice setup on your JCB.

shaeff · Dec 11, 2017

You're about an hour and forty minutes north of me. We got the same snow you did, about 4" of wet stuff. I was going to try to plow/blow it off, but since it was so warm yesterday I just ran it over a lot with the cars and it all melted away.

I understand that's not exactly an option for you with that long of a driveway, though. I too, have a gravel driveway. I was hoping for a deep freeze to "set" the gravel but that never happened here either. It's a huge pain. I don't mind snow removal, I DO mind raking gravel back onto the driveway!

deezler · Dec 11, 2017

LouNY said:
Well had our first storm of the winter, about 3 - 4 inches. I really dislike the first storms as the driveways not froze and it's a royal pain.
I've heard of people that don't worry about the little storms and let them pack down, unfortunately that's not an option for me, the driveway
is a quarter of a mile uphill, steep uphill

What kind of vehicles (cars) do you have that can't handle 3" of snow though? Maybe instead of plowing, just drive the tractor down and back up (shift over on way back up) to pack down a track?

I was glad we only got one inch here in southeast MI and it's already been cold. But I have a decent hill on my drive also, and only plow for 5"+. The secret is a good set of snow tires for your cars.

LouNY · Dec 11, 2017

deezler said:
What kind of vehicles (cars) do you have that can't handle 3" of snow though? Maybe instead of plowing, just drive the tractor down and back up (shift over on way back up) to pack down a track?

I was glad we only got one inch here in southeast MI and it's already been cold. But I have a decent hill on my drive also, and only plow for 5"+. The secret is a good set of snow tires for your cars.

My truck is a RAM 1500 with studded snows ,my wifes car is an Equinox with studded snows. We could make it up until that 3 inches becomes slick ice and then gets more snow on it,
as I mentioned in my post this driveway has a 25% slope. I have pushed over 12 inches of snow in neutral and still having to use the brakes.
Also once it ices over the only thing that's makes it up is chains or studded tracks

Soldier415 · Dec 12, 2017

I feel your pain. Got 5 inches this morning so had to do the first snowblowing of the year. Still coming down so will have to do it again later today

deezler · Dec 12, 2017

LouNY said:
My truck is a RAM 1500 with studded snows ,my wifes car is an Equinox with studded snows. We could make it up until that 3 inches becomes slick ice and then gets more snow on it,
as I mentioned in my post this driveway has a 25% slope. I have pushed over 12 inches of snow in neutral and still having to use the brakes.
Also once it ices over the only thing that's makes it up is chains or studded tracks

Gotcha. Nice equipment! Let me ask you something, if you plow most of the snow off, don't you still have a skim coat of snow on the drive? And then if it snows a half inch here or there, doesn't it pack and ice up anyway? Or do you find that plowing it helps it to melt off back to exposed rock? I feel like my shady gravel drive just stays a snow pack regardless, until it gets real warm again and melts off - but I do like to keep it cleared anyway.

I got some karma for my previous response to you and we got 5" here last night. I wasnt gonna plow if it was 3" or less.... but our visitors and deliveries get scared without a cleared road, also, so I instead I was out on the tractor until 11:15 last night, haha.

oosik · Dec 12, 2017

Our first snow was November 5 - - 3 3/4". It had all melted by the 11th. We have had below freezing weather for two weeks now. So when we do get enough snow to plow the driveway will be frozen hard. Won't have to worry about skerfing up the gravel with the rear blade and a soft driveway.

Thomas · Dec 12, 2017

7" plus here and more to come before early morning Wednesday when done.

LouNY · Dec 12, 2017

Evening Soldier415, yes that same storm left me 4-5 inches of snow than it started to rain on so now I have 1 - 3 inches of slush and slop.
Didn't get a chance to do anything with it till now, I may go out after supper may wait to daylight tomorrow and see how it goes.

deezler, yes I normally keep it scraped pretty clean, and I also get a tri-axle load of sand salt mix every other year to sand it with.
If the sun comes out when I have a little gravel showing it will usually draw most of the snow off, my s turns ice up quite a bit
after a while letting it build up and sanding it I'll take the loader down and scrape it down.

And more snow tonight and the rest of week flurries and cold