well I stink

[Thomas]

putty,
If you think you stink,than I s..k plowing my driveway at first w/fel w/a plow attach /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

First year my driveway look like lead sled raid{F14} targeted my driveway..holes..bark missing from the trees..mailbox knock down..Wife Buick /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif S10 p/u /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif etc..Second year not as much damage..Third year hardly any damage,and now getting pretty darn good..knock on wood...so keep fine tuning and it will become clock work.

 

[RobS]

Hey, Happy birthday Frank /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[hazmat]

Putty,

While the skid shoes are expensive options ($100 for Landpride or Woods) In my opinion, they are worth the money. If you are handy with a welder, you can probably make your own for $30. Do a search on Skid shoe here on TBN, you'll find lots of advice.

The skid shoes let you use the blade in the proper orientation. The snow will windrow much better (although still not great due to limited speed) than pushing the snow with the blade backwards.

It is FAR easier to plow when the ground is frozen. If it is not, simply set the shoes so that the blade is an 1" to 1.5" off the ground. This will leave some snow behind, but it will pack in to the gravel & give you a hard surface to work on next time. You'll still grab all the high spots and deposit them on your lawn the first storm of the season.

Lifting the blade up via position control doesn't work for me because my driveway changes pitch too much

Now that I've got a good layer of ice & snow down, I set the shoes so that the blade is 1/4" above the ground. Minimal gravel gets pushed into the lawn.

Good luck & happy plowing!

 

[putty]

Thanks guys, I have never seen anyone plow snow with gage wheels before , I bet that works really well. Happy B-Day frank my wife is a new years baby too./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I don't mind screwing up so much because I get to learn things firsthand so I can tell the story firsthand, I am usually the first to try something ,my friends often wait for me to do it so they can either keep from screwing up or to do it right the first time

 

[RoyJackson]

Putty, I don't know where you're at...but if you're in the Northeast, you should be able to try out quite a few of the ideas listed in this thread tomorrow!!

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color=blue>...but if you're in the Northeast...</font color=blue>

Why wait...? He can try them out right now...!

...and for the next week he will still be going in the NE... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[bigpete]

Well, I know the notion has been debated at length, and on occasion, summarily dismissed. But there is no better way to plow snow than with a 4-way hydraulic front blade. The only possible better option is a blower.

I know, I know...the front blade is idle for everything except snow once you have a loader, but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that a front blade is at least twice as fast on pavement or frozen gravel than a loader under the same conditions. I've been plowing snow for a good many years with a front blade on a garden tractor, and for the last few years on my JD 445. Even with an occasional side-sliding front end when the snow is above a foot deep, the 445 with bar tires, plenty of weight, and a 4-way, 54" hydraulic blade would plow circles around all of the compacts and utility tractors in the area. Anything deeper, though, and I might have to concede to a blower, but so would the back blade.

I know the cost for the hydraulics and blade on a mid-size CUT can run over $2,000, but a good used unit or a loader mounted front blade is the only way to go if you prefer plowing and plow a lot. I know a loader can get you through the deepest blizzard, but I think I'll always have the front blade as a "luxury." It's amazingly fast with a "squeegee" under the cutting edge in float on asphault or concrete. I can't wait to try it out on the 2210 in a month, or so.

 

[Hydraman]

Nuther trick-- with gravel drive it is inevitable that you remove gravel with snow, so pile snow all in one spot--then in spring when snow melts, your gravel will then be in one spot to retrieve. Of course, all of this means more tractor time. right!!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif [/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[hazmat]

Pete,

I agree with you. That's why I'm in the process of building a front blade for my tractor. I had a front blade on my JD 316 garden tractor. I can't wait for the power angle! Hope to complete it sometime this month. So far, I've picked up a manual angle 6' plow from a small suv (geo tracker). Need to weld up a mounting bracket & work out the hydraulics.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I also prefer the 4-way hydraulic front blade over the FEL or back blade. Although with a heavy snow it is nice to have the FEL to get the snow out of the way.

 

[drpepper]

This site is so neat! This is really the first year I have plowed snow with my tractor. I was having the same fustration blading snow. All you have to so is look around for the answers.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color=blue>there is no better way to plow snow than with a 4-way hydraulic front blade. The only possible better option is a blower.</font color=blue>

I agree. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://users.beanstalk.net/godollei/pt425/PT425Pictures/PT425SnowBlade.jpg>Here's a picture of mine</A> /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Having the power angle and tilt plow in the front on the loader arms is fantastic. Since it tilts like a bucket, it might as well be a bucket. I can tilt it back to act like a scoop and really push the snow up. Actually, I think I can push it up higher with the plow than the bucket, because I don't have to dump the plow like I would the bucket. If it ever snows again, I'll get some shots of it in action.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I plow with a 6 ft back blade, if you adjust the pitch to be leaning more forward it won't dig the gravel. I have a gravel drive and a gravel road(1/4 mile of private drive) and don't have a problem with digging in.

 

[jhburke]

I just plowed a church lot today for my brother. I used my 6' rear blade. I pulled it reversed. Satisfyed everyone so I guess I must have done ok.

 

[jhburke]

I forgot to mention that the lot was newly laid crushed asphalt. My brother didn't want it gauged up. By pulling the blade reversed I didn't gouge it at all. With the black surface the snow left was starting to melt.