Snow Snow clearing newbie - Recommended steps

[WinterDeere]

Unless the driveway area is very obvious, drive some marker stakes for guidance. Our main paved driveway isn't an issue, but a gravel driveway that curves to the sheds. Although I frequently use that driveway I tend to plow the adjacent yard unless I stake it out.

Good advice! I remember when we bought our current house, at closing the seller said, "I left some plow markers in the barn for you. You'll swear you know exactly where your own driveway is, but in deep snow, you'll find yourself plowing the front yard, without those markers."

He was right. One year we got a real early snow, before I got the markers up. My wife left the house before me that morning, and she "zagged then zigged" when she should have "zigged then zagged", heading down our long S-shaped driveway. Created a neat figure-8 pattern in the snow melt, after I drove the correct route in my own vehicle.

 

[RjCorazza]

Good advice! I remember when we bought our current house, at closing the seller said, "I left some plow markers in the barn for you. You'll swear you know exactly where your own driveway is, but in deep snow, you'll find yourself plowing the front yard, without those markers."

He was right. One year we got a real early snow, before I got the markers up. My wife left the house before me that morning, and she "zagged then zigged" when she should have "zigged then zagged", heading down our long S-shaped driveway. Created a neat figure-8 pattern in the snow melt, after I drove the correct route in my own vehicle.

So true. Even after 28 years of plowing my gently curving 600' driveway I struggle to stay on it without stakes.
To be responsible for turf damage I require my customer's driveways to be staked, but they rarely stake them. I take photos while driving up the driveways in my tractor before winter, and it really helps. I tried loading them into my backup camera screen, but the interface is way too clunky, so I just use my ipad for the photos.

 

[shooterdon]

After I bought my inverted blower the amount of snow we got seemed to lessen. I may have used 5-6 times a year for 5 years. So, I sold it this year for $4000

It did a very good job and if you have snow to move, you will be happy. Great tool.

I wound up with a contractor grade V-plow on a city truck I won at an auction, and it was OK but tended to move a lot of gravel with my poor plowing skills. Used it for two years and sold it too this summer for $3600

Decided to get a snow pusher as I have places to push snow. Only cost $1700 and no moving parts to worry about. Will see how it does. If we get hammered, my neighbor has a plow truck and $150 once or twice a year seems like a bargain. I am a big believer is buying what makes sense for 95% of the jobs and hiring out the rest. In my case, using a 74" blower to move 4 inches of snow is overkill. We rarely get more than 4" at a time. Of course, this year we will get a lot more...LOL.

BTW it takes a fair amount of snow for a blower to work well. The less snow you have, the faster the ground speed you can use.