Snow Hours moving snow

patrick_g · Mar 5, 2008

Man oh man, all you guys bundled up on open tractors out working in the deep snow.... OOOOOh my.... I have only manually shoveled snow 3-4 times this century and did about 15 min one winter with FEL from inside my heated cab.

Of course, any given year South Central Oklahoma could be buried by a blizzard, just not so far this century.

Pat

Dyer retired · Mar 5, 2008

patrick_g said:
Man oh man, all you guys bundled up on open tractors out working in the deep snow.... OOOOOh my.... I have only manually shoveled snow 3-4 times this century and did about 15 min one winter with FEL from inside my heated cab.

Of course, any given year South Central Oklahoma could be buried by a blizzard, just not so far this century.

Pat

Pat,

It's all really for bragging rights, by whatever weird logical analysis you apply to something like that. During the big storms, if not bundled up, you can't see for 10 seconds at a time and I found that the ski goggles work pretty well, combine that with a hood, scarf, Ipod playing through a headset....it's all pretty fun and relaxing. If given the choice though, I'd have a cab instead. Dyer, retired

NH-Rob · Mar 5, 2008

I know I under estimated the amount of hours winter would put on my tractor. I was worried it would not get run enough and be another toy just sitting around. I have put on a little more than 30 hours this winter and had to do my 50 hour service (I don't have a great shop for winter jobs). It has been a great winter for me. Got lots of tractor use, ran the snowmachines a bunch, and really did not have much trouble with cold temps.
Rob

Northland · Mar 6, 2008

We have got a lot more then our normal 13 to 17 feet of snow so far this winter (maybe 22 feet) here off the NE shore of Lake Superior.

I had about 30 hours of winter snow clearing (it came in bunches of 6 to 15 inches) up to the end of January when I finally gave up up on the rear blade/FEL combo and bought a rear PTO 60" snowblower. Since then we have only got another foot of snow-a few inches at a time

so I have only used the blower a few times.

Still, it's been a great winter with 14 of the last 17 days being sunny

Dyer retired · Mar 6, 2008

Northland said:
We have got a lot more then our normal 13 to 17 feet of snow so far this winter (maybe 22 feet) here off the NE shore of Lake Superior.

I had about 30 hours of winter snow clearing (it came in bunches of 6 to 15 inches) up to the end of January when I finally gave up up on the rear blade/FEL combo and bought a rear PTO 60" snowblower. Since then we have only got another foot of snow-a few inches at a time so I have only used the blower a few times.

Still, it's been a great winter with 14 of the last 17 days being sunny

Northland,

I use my blade quite a bit, but above 8 inches of snow does seem to limit it's capability. I pile as much with the blade as I can and then use the blower to toss it into the woods....works great! I sometimes just use the blower with the skids set up about 1/4 inch to leave the yard with some layer of snow on it. The cars then pack it down and make for some traction. The blade scrapes very well and if the conditions are just right, you end up with a skating rink. You didn't say, but I suspect you are finding the 60" snowblower to be very handy? Dyer, retired

Northland · Mar 6, 2008

Dyer said:
Northland,

I use my blade quite a bit, but above 8 inches of snow does seem to limit it's capability. I pile as much with the blade as I can and then use the blower to toss it into the woods....works great! I sometimes just use the blower with the skids set up about 1/4 inch to leave the yard with some layer of snow on it. The cars then pack it down and make for some traction. The blade scrapes very well and if the conditions are just right, you end up with a skating rink. You didn't say, but I suspect you are finding the 60" snowblower to be very handy? Dyer, retired

Yep Dyer the blower is great except for the snow blowing back alll over me. I ran out of places to pile my snow with the FEL/rear balde combo. The snowbanks were 10+ feet high. Now the blower shoots the snow right over top of the snow banks. Good thing as we having another white-out here today.

We are heading to a spa in Mexico tomorrow morning so this may be my last snow clearing day until December

patrick_g · Mar 6, 2008

Dyer said:
Pat,

It's all really for bragging rights, by whatever weird logical analysis you apply to something like that. During the big storms, if not bundled up, you can't see for 10 seconds at a time and I found that the ski goggles work pretty well, combine that with a hood, scarf, Ipod playing through a headset....it's all pretty fun and relaxing. If given the choice though, I'd have a cab instead. Dyer, retired

Oh, I get it. Kinda like the first guy to brave the thin ice to be the first guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing early in the season and to be the last guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing late in the season where you risk not only your life on the thin (both early and late) ice but your nice pickup or the wife's van or...

Sure Oly! Mine's fine, how's yours?

Pat

Dyer retired · Mar 6, 2008

patrick_g said:
Oh, I get it. Kinda like the first guy to brave the thin ice to be the first guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing early in the season and to be the last guy to catch a walleyed pike ice fishing late in the season where you risk not only your life on the thin (both early and late) ice but your nice pickup or the wife's van or...

Sure Oly! Mine's fine, how's yours?

Pat, I think you have it right! I can't say that I'm at as much risk as the early and late ice fishermen though, ha! We will have another few people die on the ice (or I should say under it) by being stupid. I cross country ski on the lakes, but probably not from this point forward. 45 degrees expected here tomorrow and the snow will melt at a pretty good clip now. Dyer, retired

David Cockey · Mar 6, 2008

cschlaps said:
I've had a tractor since February 1st, and have logged 20-25 hours in that time. I have a 300' driveway, plus a 1/2 mile road that I do. I've also done driveways for other neighbors as well, depending on the snowfall.

This has been an exceptional winter for snow here in SE Michigan. Got another storm overnight and moved snow this morning.

7' rear blade and FEL have worked extremely well for me so far. Much better than I anticipated.

Chris

We're also in southeast Michigan, bought a tractor in mid-January, and it now has over 25 hours on the meter, virtually all while moving snow. Definately one the snowiest winters on record, though the snow cover on the ground hasn't been exceptional because of three major thaws. We looked at the tractor with over a foot of snow on the ground, and when it was delivered a week later the ground was bare. But since then I've moved snow six or seven times.

Part of the time moving snow has been experimenting and determining how to efficiently clear the snow. I'm considerably quicker now than I was six weeks ago.

patrick_g · Mar 7, 2008

David Cockey said:
Part of the time moving snow has been experimenting and determining how to efficiently clear the snow. I'm considerably quicker now than I was six weeks ago.

My rear blade (not box blade, but more like a road grader) is easily reversed. The one time I used it, a few years ago, it moved snow really good when turned around backward but angled not straight and used while the tractor was backing up. It is literally a pain in the neck for me but performance was better and I didn't drive over the snow and compact it before the blade hit it.

Of course you may be looking for moving a lot of snow a lot of times and a little pressed into ice or nearly so under your tires may not be an issue. The FEL filled up too quick and required a lot of maneuvering to dispose of the snow and it sticks in the bucket much worse than it sticked to the angled blade.

Pat