Snow Clearing Technique, what is yours?

[KMA]

I use my ATV w/ plow to clear my 500' stone driveway. I go down the center first with the plow angled and then come back in the opposite direction moving from the center outwards. If there is a lot of snow, or it's wet and heavy, I will first go down the sides of the driveway and push the snow away so when I go back and work from the center outwards, it doesn't build up too much such that I can't push it at the edges. If that does happen, I just put the bucket on the PT but it's only happened once. Starting last year, I began using my homemade snowblower attachment, but only on the paved portion near the house. (The stones beat up the blower way too much...)

 

[pajoube]

Would like more info on that blower you built - nice video also.
PJ

 

[3238dpw]

When I get up in the morning I look out and see if we got any snow, haven't had a bad winter since 1978, so I am surprised if we have very much accumulation. If not very much it will usually melt away fairly quickly. If it is deep then when I go out to push it off with the snow blade. I take the pt off the twinkle charger get in the cab of my pt 425 close the doors start the tractor push the garage door opener and then back out. I then go up to the driveway and back drag the snow away from my upper garage where the driveway gate opens. I then push the snow to the center of the driveway from the upper carport to the carport in front of the house. I then back up on the carport and push the snow out the driveway and over the hill and most of the snow rolls into the creek and is immediately gone. I do have to push the snow across the road so I have to watch for traffic which is very light traffic but there are some that makes you think they would run you down [fried brains I believe]. Last year we didn't get any snow to the extent that I needed to remove it from the driveway I don't believe. In the areas where the rest of you live does it seem like the winters are getting milder or worse? I shouldn't have mentioned our mild winters, we probably will have a bad one this year, shucks!

Toy, have you been holding back? I want to be sure I read that right. Do you have a cab on your 425 or do you mean the cab area?

 

[cqaigy2]

Toy, have you been holding back? I want to be sure I read that right. Do you have a cab on your 425 or do you mean the cab area?

That kind of caught my attention as well.

 

[KMA]

Would like more info on that blower you built - nice video also.
PJ

You can look in this thread for info on parts, etc. There are some pics several pages in.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/229709-thoughts-converting-lawn-tractor-snow.html

 

[toy]

Toy, have you been holding back? I want to be sure I read that right. Do you have a cab on your 425 or do you mean the cab area?

I built a cab for my 425 the first year that I had the pt. in 2003. I used metal off of a hood for a truck for the top, I used square tubing from old gas grills so the metal never cost me anything. I used plexiglass for the windows to cover the doors and front and back glass. The tubing doesn't obstruct my view at all. I got a 12 volt heater for it but haven't used it but I did install a power socket for it and for a small air compressor. I also use the power point to plug in a trickel charger when not using pt. I also put a plug in on the back to hook a cheap wench up to. I put three eye hooks on top of the cab so I can take it off easily if I want to, I took the cab off the first two years for summer but now I just take the doors off. I now use small bungie cords to keep the doors together but if I ever have to redo the doors I plan on buying some good door handles and latches for it but as for now it still works good. As for using the heater in the winter time, I am usually dressed to work outside and the machine puts off enough heat that it isn't necessary to use it. I was the first one on the pt forum to put a cab on mine but I am basically computer illiterate so I never did put pictures of it on the forum.

 

[3238dpw]

Well you will be kicked off the forum if you don't produce pictures!:talktothehand: Just kidding of course, but if there is anyway you can get some pictures we all would love to see them.

 

[Marks481]

SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

Some people get to practice their snow clearing methods early this year.

Clumber, are you ready? Go place your battery on the charger....

 

[radioman]

A combination of the first 2 tractors shown.

nice new pics lbrown!

My technique is more of necessity . I plow windrowing to my westerenly side of driveway- (wrong side due to winds) only because of the land layout. If I push snow to east side of driveway- when snow melts it will make a mess in lawn and water drool in driveway freezing at night making a ice patch. To combat the snow drifts, I just push the snow a extra 7 ft back on western side.

 

[Clumber]

Some people get to practice their snow clearing methods early this year.

Clumber, are you ready? Go place your battery on the charger....

Yes, the PT was ready to go if needed. I used it for transporting firewood pallets close to the house. We are located near the WV border backed to Little North Mountain. On the other side of the mountain (and south of us) were blizzard conditions in addition to the hurricane. We only had 60 mph winds and heavy rain all night. We were lucky not to loose power. We prepped for for 4 days to be without power and access to stores for two weeks... We built an impromptu shelter underneath the deck to house the potable generator and many Gas containers. I have the utility grapple on the PT now, about to drive down the private road to remove fallen trees and debris. It was a **** of a night. I think I need another nap...

 

[Marks481]

We built an impromptu shelter underneath the deck to house the potable generator and many Gas containers.

Now that it is all over, it is time to build a permanent doghouse for that generator.

I have a generator doghouse that has been waiting for paint all summer that is sitting in the garage. Last night I was wishing it was put together, because I doubt my generator would have lasted long in the rain we were getting. Fortunately, we never got more then a flicker of power. Bravo Zulu to Dominion Power... they spent the last week feverishly clearing limbs away from all the power lines along my street.

 

[foote2floor]

We never really have enough snow to need plowed. Sometime in the last two years the town I live in (Spavinaw) set a record for snow. Don't know if it was accumulated amount or amount in a set time frame. Either way I had to stay at work for six days straight so no need to plow. It had melted to a slush by the time I got home. But most of the time I just run over the snow a few times with my truck so the GF can get out in her mountaineer.

 

[Clumber]

Now that it is all over, it is time to build a permanent doghouse for that generator.
.

Yep, I want to build a generator dog house on a pallet-type base that I can move with the tractor. However, it's not clear how to enclose the generator and still provide adequate ventilation vs protection from the weather? Any advice on that issue is appreciated.

 

[Marks481]

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

If I ever get it together I will let you know how it works out. This is for a 10kW generator... primary purpose of the shelter was to attempt to shield the noise.

 

[ponytug]

Dear Tim,

I hope you added some glass fiber type insulation for sound absorption. The other item to watch for is radiant heat from the engine and muffler. Depending on your design, you might want a heat resistant panel to keep the walls of the dog house from getting too hot.

Commercial one tend to rely on labyrinth enclosures to breakup the sound. (Also, they help to break up the radiant heat.) A long time ago, I walked by a 100kw one (no typo) being used for a movie set. It was unreal. You could see all of these lights, but you could barely tell it was on, standing next to it.

You might want to consider in an inner metal structure with vibration dampeners if you need more sound reduction.

As another route to noise reduction- I have an old, loud, Briggs and Stratton generator, and I saw/heard a video of someone who put a small Mazda muffler on it and basically all you could hear now was the whirr of the engine fan and the generator brushes. I don't use it enough for the project to have risen to the top of my do list, but it is on it, somewhere.

All the best,

Peter

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

If I ever get it together I will let you know how it works out. This is for a 10kW generator... primary purpose of the shelter was to attempt to shield the noise.

 

[Clumber]

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

Thanks Tim. I have since seen lots of variations of generator enclosures on the web. Most exhaust vent from the side. I would think that venting from the top would allow snow and rain into the enclosure. When I start my project I will start another thread

 

[Marks481]

Thanks Tim. I have since seen lots of variations of generator enclosures on the web. Most exhaust vent from the side. I would think that venting from the top would allow snow and rain into the enclosure. When I start my project I will start another thread

I described that vent poorly.

I have an 8" round louver vent at the top of one wall, underneath the edge of the roof, with an exhaust fan on it. Roof overhang + louvier will keep the rain out.

Engine exhaust vents straight out the side, direct 1.25" tube bolted onto muffler goes directly out the side of the shelter.

 

[Clumber]

Thanks for the update Tim. That config seems like a good design.

My spouse now wants the generator far away from the house. She heard of a couple that died of Carbon Monoxide poison while sleeping with a generator by their bedroom window. I think that I could attach a long section of dryer vent flexpipe to the exhaust port of the dog house to vent far away from the house. But then you have the problem of the hose flapping about in a windy storm... More to think about...

 

[Rustyiron]

Think snow!