Rear blade for snow on gravel, pipe or rubber mat?

[OrangeJbird]

I push first snows with front loader bucket curled up a little so it skims and packs a base. I have a 2” pipe on the back blade.

 

[rmacdon]

This is a new construction house/driveway as of last November, so there wasn't a lot of pack-down before winter. After this spring of hours of raking and collecting gravel out of the grass, I'm not doing that again!

I started to pile my snow/gravel on the driveway somewhere out of the way, then when the snow melts, just spread it evenly out. The crusher spread makes it look like I put a fresh layer of road mulch down for the spring also!

 

[nashbman]

This will be our 2nd winter at our new place, I have about 100yd gravel driveway. I have a 6' box blade that I pushed snow backwards, that worked 'good enough' after trial/error with getting the right angle so as not to scrape a bunch of gravel. Obviously no angle to divert snow to the side with the box blade.

I recently found a great deal on a rear blade with offset and angle adjustments. I got it wide enough to cover my tire tracks when angled too. Now my question is about modifying it so that it doesn't scrape gravel with the snow. I've see two popular methods of putting a slit pipe over the cutting edge of the blade, and also sandwiching thick horse stall mat with some material protruding below the blade to act as a wiper or squegee.

I'm wondering if the horse stall mat would be more for concrete/asphalt use? Would the best method for me be to use the pipe on the blade? I'm thinking metal pipe instead of the PVC or ABS due to cold and brittle of the plastic.

Anybody use the horse mat method on gravel? ...I'd like to use the best method for my application the first attempt, so that's why I'm looking for input.

I have a snow plow that attaches to the bucket of a tractor.
It has springs on it to avoid damaging concrete. I have never even mounted it so even though it's about 8 years old, it's brand new.
I want to sell it for $400.00 (I paid $1,200.00)

Let me know if your interested and I'll send you some pictures of it.
Or you can see it on Facebook marketplace Log into Facebook

 

[FERLING]

This will be our 2nd winter at our new place, I have about 100yd gravel driveway. I have a 6' box blade that I pushed snow backwards, that worked 'good enough' after trial/error with getting the right angle so as not to scrape a bunch of gravel. Obviously no angle to divert snow to the side with the box blade.

I recently found a great deal on a rear blade with offset and angle adjustments. I got it wide enough to cover my tire tracks when angled too. Now my question is about modifying it so that it doesn't scrape gravel with the snow. I've see two popular methods of putting a slit pipe over the cutting edge of the blade, and also sandwiching thick horse stall mat with some material protruding below the blade to act as a wiper or squegee.

I'm wondering if the horse stall mat would be more for concrete/asphalt use? Would the best method for me be to use the pipe on the blade? I'm thinking metal pipe instead of the PVC or ABS due to cold and brittle of the plastic.

Anybody use the horse mat method on gravel? ...I'd like to use the best method for my application the first attempt, so that's why I'm looking for input.

Keep your regular scrape to remove snow / ice. More you use it the better you will get with removing minimum gravel. Buy a "Landscape Rake" and set it at 45 degrees angle. Use it to pull any gravel out of grass back on road. This is best done after snow has melted. Landscape rake also works good to loosen up packed gravel saving you from purchasing more.

 

[alpacalips]

Adjusting the top link can help. Shorten it and the blade will be less likely to dig in.

 

[wploetz]

This will be our 2nd winter at our new place, I have about 100yd gravel driveway. I have a 6' box blade that I pushed snow backwards, that worked 'good enough' after trial/error with getting the right angle so as not to scrape a bunch of gravel. Obviously no angle to divert snow to the side with the box blade.

I recently found a great deal on a rear blade with offset and angle adjustments. I got it wide enough to cover my tire tracks when angled too. Now my question is about modifying it so that it doesn't scrape gravel with the snow. I've see two popular methods of putting a slit pipe over the cutting edge of the blade, and also sandwiching thick horse stall mat with some material protruding below the blade to act as a wiper or squegee.

I'm wondering if the horse stall mat would be more for concrete/asphalt use? Would the best method for me be to use the pipe on the blade? I'm thinking metal pipe instead of the PVC or ABS due to cold and brittle of the plastic.

Anybody use the horse mat method on gravel? ...I'd like to use the best method for my application the first attempt, so that's why I'm looking for input.

3/4" horse stall mats will tear. You can get 1" - 1-1/2" thick 8' wide heavy duty reversible cutting edge for about $250. I've used those on a gravel road successfully.

 

[billypumper]

They make shoe kits for most blades, I installed a kit on my 60" Bushhog blade that allows the blade to float on a driveway no matter if it's paved or not, then you can drag the blade or flip the blade and back through the snow, some kits are round at the bottom and some are rectangular, they mount on the backside and most are adjustable.

 

[VoyagernOK]

Google "Grader Blade Shoe" and you will find a number of choices including the standard rounded skids and ski shaped skids. Some of these are no more than the angle iron solution and work very well. (and are adjustable)

 

[rScotty]

I push first snows with front loader bucket curled up a little so it skims and packs a base. I have a 2” pipe on the back blade.

How did you attach the pipe to the back blade?

 

[OrangeJbird]

How did you attach the pipe to the back blade?

I slit the pipe and slipped it over the cutting edge and welded a couple tabs up to the cutting edge bolts.