How do you plow snow?

[LouNY]

Your wish is my command. Here are the pieces all blown apart.
View attachment 4653684
And here is a close-up of the "finished" product.
View attachment 4653685
View attachment 4653754
Note: The cheapo air-filled tires you see in this photo lasted, literally, one pass before they were shredded, so now it has 6" solid rubber tires from HF.
Also Note: This was supposed to be a "prototype" and not intended to be the final product. However, it worked so well, I just pressed it directly into service and forgot about it. Didn't even paint it. The square tubing I used was cheap, thin wall stuff, but the actual plan was to use trailer hitch gauge material. Maybe someday I'll go back and make the "final product".

In summation, I don't know how anyone uses a rear blade without gauge wheels and I almost never take these off.

I run a heavy 10 foot back blade with no shoes or gauge wheels.

 

[Carl_NH]

I run a heavy 10 foot back blade with no shoes or gauge wheels.

Mine's only a 7' but do the same to scrape the snow clear "on pavement" and I push in reverse on grass and loose stones. But I can see where these are good for gravel drives.

 

[Carl_NH]

I ran my walk and steps ones for about 4 hours today.

Lou or GRS, can you provide some more information about these drive / walk heaters? Power draw, cost to install, and cost to operate? Then how are they installed - insulated, concrete etc?

My wife wants to connect our detached three-bay garage to the house 70' feet away so we don't slip and slide (and break a hip when we are older). So i have been looking into options.

The other alternative is to add a garage bay onto the house which is doable but $30-40K

 

[LouNY]

The ones that I installed went in the concrete walk and steps from the kitchen door to the end of the garage. We put down insulation, rebar on stands, then the heat mats.
I have wondered a couple of times if the ones that lay on top of the concrete might have been a better choice.
The in concrete ones are not inexpensive.
The factor for me was the house eve always dripped and put water on the walkway which is shaded most of the day so the ice would build up considerably sometimes. I have also added gutters during the exterior redo we have done the last few years which have reduced the ice build up some.

This is what I put in almost 3 years ago;
When in use they pull just about 6Kw so at our current 22 cents/kwh they cost me a$1.32 per hour to run,
after shoveling or plowing/blowing it usually takes 3-5 hours to finish clearing the 30 ft section. Today I turned them on about 10AM and promptly forgot about them till 4 PM by which time they had not only melted the ice but (evaporated) all the water too bone dry. So $8.00 have a nice safe walk.

I do have 3 1/2" of concrete over mine, less concrete and more insulation might have been a better idea but I have run a 10,000 tractor up on mine when using the work basket to clean pine needles out of the gutter guards.

 

[airbiscuit]

Nice, simple design.

 

[dnw64]

In summation, I don't know how anyone uses a rear blade without gauge wheels and I almost never take these off.

I "inherited" a York Rake with gauge wheels and a conventional back blade. I thought the wheels on the rake was an excellent idea, and used it a few times with some success. However I never even attached the back blade because I had tried one in the past and found it completely impossible to use with any degree of what I would call success.

Never thought of adding gauge wheels to that. Why don't they come that way?!!

 

[D'oh]

Pucker ride Yesterday, but I got it up the Lake with the Hoe.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I run a heavy 10 foot back blade with no shoes or gauge wheels.

Some adore lane assist, others can do without.

 

[grsthegreat]

Lou or GRS, can you provide some more information about these drive / walk heaters? Power draw, cost to install, and cost to operate? Then how are they installed - insulated, concrete etc?

My wife wants to connect our detached three-bay garage to the house 70' feet away so we don't slip and slide (and break a hip when we are older). So i have been looking into options.

The other alternative is to add a garage bay onto the house which is doable but $30-40K

I use mats that just get installed during winter. Each one plugs into the one ahead of it..

I used HEATTRAX MYSELF. Thirs season with it. Love it. Mine is hooked into a Yolink exterior wifi outlet we I can turn it on and off with phone or set a daily auto cycle as needed.

Heated Snow & Ice Melting Stair Mat - 10"x30"

Prevent snow and ice accumulation on stairways into your home with HeatTrak Snow & Ice Melting Heated Stairway Mats. Our standard 10"x30" mat is designed to be used on outdoor stairs around your home. Connect up to 15 stairway mats to create a safe entry all winter long. Larger and custom sizes...

heattrak.com

 

[Rustyiron]

I use mats that just get installed during winter. Each one plugs into the one ahead of it..

I used HEATTRAX MYSELF. Thirs season with it. Love it. Mine is hooked into a Yolink exterior wifi outlet we I can turn it on and off with phone or set a daily auto cycle as needed.

Heated Snow & Ice Melting Stair Mat - 10"x30"

Prevent snow and ice accumulation on stairways into your home with HeatTrak Snow & Ice Melting Heated Stairway Mats. Our standard 10"x30" mat is designed to be used on outdoor stairs around your home. Connect up to 15 stairway mats to create a safe entry all winter long. Larger and custom sizes...

heattrak.com

View attachment 4655366

View attachment 4655367

Did you finally get a little snow or are those pictures from previous?

 

[Runner]

I "inherited" a York Rake with gauge wheels and a conventional back blade. I thought the wheels on the rake was an excellent idea, and used it a few times with some success. However I never even attached the back blade because I had tried one in the past and found it completely impossible to use with any degree of what I would call success.

Never thought of adding gauge wheels to that. Why don't they come that way?!!

I set the wheels so the blade rides about 1.5" above the surface and it really helps to keep the gravel on the drive and out of the yard. The same goes for the gauge wheels on the blower.

 

[Carl_NH]

The ones that I installed went in the concrete walk and steps from the kitchen door to the end of the garage. We put down insulation, rebar on stands, then the heat mats.
I have wondered a couple of times if the ones that lay on top of the concrete might have been a better choice.
The in concrete ones are not inexpensive.
The factor for me was the house eve always dripped and put water on the walkway which is shaded most of the day so the ice would build up considerably sometimes. I have also added gutters during the exterior redo we have done the last few years which have reduced the ice build up some.

This is what I put in almost 3 years ago;
When in use they pull just about 6Kw so at our current 22 cents/kwh they cost me a$1.32 per hour to run,
after shoveling or plowing/blowing it usually takes 3-5 hours to finish clearing the 30 ft section. Today I turned them on about 10AM and promptly forgot about them till 4 PM by which time they had not only melted the ice but (evaporated) all the water too bone dry. So $8.00 have a nice safe walk.
View attachment 4655334
I do have 3 1/2" of concrete over mine, less concrete and more insulation might have been a better idea but I have run a 10,000 tractor up on mine when using the work basket to clean pine needles out of the gutter guards.

Thank you very much - this is the detail I was looking for and probably similar length. We have shading too as the house entry faces north and that area doesn't get sun in the winter, so always slippery, vs garage faces south so that pavement clears off with sun.

We are due to repave the driveway so thats when I will do it - probably with brick as thats what most of our walkways are now.

I noted the amperage is 25 amps the total for the nearly 60' length or per 24' section?

Thanks again,

 

[LouNY]

Thank you very much - this is the detail I was looking for and probably similar length. We have shading too as the house entry faces north and that area doesn't get sun in the winter, so always slippery, vs garage faces south so that pavement clears off with sun.

We are due to repave the driveway so thats when I will do it - probably with brick as thats what most of our walkways are now.

I noted the amperage is 25 amps the total for the nearly 60' length or per 24' section?

Thanks again,

That is the total draw for the four sections. When I did the wiring I used four individual switches with one being for each section, the thought that if a section went bad it would be easy to keep the others in service.
Mine are side by side with two short ones in the step/landing and the two long ones are side by in the walkway.

 

[grsthegreat]

Did you finally get a little snow or are those pictures from previous?

Last years pics. Heres a current pic from minutes ago. Winter my a**

 

[ArlyA]

A few recent photos taken in the UP of MI. Top one I took driving in Houghton MI yesterday.

 

[ArlyA]

Not sure how much we got, but it was far less than what these towns did. Mt Avon always get the most in MI.

 

[LouNY]

Most of our snow is gone, amazing what an inch plus of rain will do. Did have to go take care of some ice today.

The tracks from the tire chains when I went to check the drive, and another of ice.

Dropping the back blade off the Branson, then go to hook up the trailer hitch.

At the sand shed, door rolled up, time to hook up the sander, going in with the Kioti for a bucket of sand.

Loading with the little Kioti, it needs more reach and more lift, I have to load the sander from both sides and
bounce it some to get the sand out of the bucket. At the bottom of the driveway turning around to go back up.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Last years pics. Heres a current pic from minutes ago. Winter my a**


View attachment 4655581

There is still time but I have to agree it seems a dismal start.

gg

 

[Rustyiron]

Last years pics. Heres a current pic from minutes ago. Winter my a**


View attachment 4655581

Makes me want to send you a hallmark card or something!
You're Kioti is probably enjoying it.

 

[scootr]