How to clear rock driveway with rear blade, FEL (no snow blower) - what technique???

[davefr]

Background:
I have JD 1070 with FEL and 6' rear blade. We don't get enough snow to justify a dedicated blower. My rock driveway is about 1/4 mi.

Questions:
I need some tips on the best way to clear a rock driveway when we get 8-10" of snow.

If I angle the rear blade I end up packing the snow with the tractor which makes it harder to remove.

Should I plow going in reverse?

Is a FEL of any use for snow removal? If I scoop it up one bucket full at a time it'll be summer before I'm done.

For guys with a similar setup how do you optimize your snow removal technique.

TIA.

 

[s219]

Rear blade at angle with pipe over cutting edge to keep it from digging gravel. If super deep, I also lead with front bucket to make a path.

Be sure the top link is adjusted so that the rear blade support is horizontal when plowing, which means the blade itself is at the designed angle. Then tweak the top link as needed to perfect things. Shortening top link makes it take less of a bite.

 

[HillStreet]

If your driveway is flat you can just skim the snow with the bucket or blade 2" deep, then tread it in. If it's sloped, you need to get a little closer to the stone. In that case, angled but level back blade is best.

 

[coveredbridge]

I used to plow my gravel driveway, which is also about 1/4 mi, with a 6 ft rear blade on a JD 820. The only way I could do it was to plow in reverse. It was really difficult to keep the blade at the proper depth and looking backwards all the time killed my neck. So I bought a Meyer 7.5 ft plow for my truck. However, I also have a Kubota BX1500 with a FEL, and I move snow with the FEL as well. It is much more maneuverable in tight spaces, so I use it in close to the house and garage. Depending on the density of the snow, the FEL will push the snow and stack it in front of the bucket for a good distance before it starts running over the top lip of the bucket. When that happens, I stop and dump the bucket to the side and start again.

If I had your setup, I would definitely plow with the FEL, but I would curl the bucket a little to avoid digging in to the gravel, at least for the first pass. With some practice, you'll learn how to adjust the curl on the bucket for best results. With a driveway that long though, it is going to take a while, and I wouldn't wait until there was 8 to 10 in on the ground, I would start plowing at no more than 4 to 6 ins.

 

[motownbrowne]

Don't plow in reverse. Go forward. Adjust the top link so the cutting edge is mostly perpendicular to the drive. Angle it steeply, side to side, with that much snow. Drop it and go. If it's removing too much driveway, try turning it backwards (but still driving forward). It should still be angled steeply, and go. The back blade will be much faster than the fel.

 

[TnAndy]

I go forward as well.

But I turn the grader blade so IT is backwards. Otherwise, you'll almost always get too deep and pull LOTS of gravel up with the snow. You'll be re-graveling your drive come spring.

I select one of the holes that will angle the blade ( turned backwards, with the curve of the blade facing rearward ), and roll on. Only way I've found effective. We had 11" snowfall here this past week, and it works fine.

IF you have a paved (concrete or asphalt) drive, I'd go in reverse, again with the blade turned backwards.

 

[Rustywreck]

I also use my back blade for snow going forward with the blade backwards, especially early until there is a solid base of packed snow. It looks a little odd, but works well.
Maybe your situation is different, but packed snow is what I'm looking for to make future snow remove easier.

 

[buickanddeere]

Tiss the nature of the beast using a blade on a loose surface. Going to push roadway material along with the snow.

 

[Chief48]

I used a back blade on gravel for a lot of years before getting a front mount plow. To avoid pushing the stones I installed regular snow skids on the back of the plow at either end. I could adjust them to run the plow about an inch off the gravel and in the summer I just popped them off to use the plow for grading the drive.

 

[RobS]

I have about 1/8 mile gravel. The early season, light snows I don't plow, just let it get packed down and frozen. After that, it's all good. I plow moving forward with the blade angled to the side. For pushing banks back (had to do twice so far this year) I'll go backwards. Still will have to rake some gravel out of the grass this spring but it's not the end of the world.