Let's See Your Snow Moving Equipment...

[trbomax]

I wish we would have got 22" ! F 250 diesel w/western 8' pro series unimount,NH tc35da w/ 8' McKEE blower. I do my driveway which is .3 mi long,the campground roads and spots (about 4a),and the roads and areas to and around my shop and mule barn.I do the neighbors place too,another .1mi drive way and turnaround parking area.It takes about 3 hrs to plow it all,and every 2nd or 3rd time I have to widen everything out with the blower,another 5 hrs.There's a rideing /exersize trail for the mules thats about .4mi loop that I keep open to 10'wide too.All these roads/driveways/lanes are connected and kept open to 14 -18 feet wide.

 

[Motown 454]

Chris & Bookworm thats some serious hardware!

 

[trbomax]

Here's some of my HD stuff! JD 8120t with a 28'x11x dubie welding drag.There aint nuthon that lays down trail like this one!



Hmmmmmm.No pics!

 

[RTC1930]

MF-35 with custom plow frame to lift with 3 point. Works ok but has trouble with digging into my gravel driveway.

 

[Del Swanson]

Growing up, my dad had an older Mustang skid loader and an 18hp Bolens with a snow blower. I'd drive the skid loader home from the shop and my dad and I would go through the neighborhood clearing sidewalks and driveways. We never charged anything, we were just trying to be decent. One of the neighbors had moved in that summer and had two concrete tire tracks with grass in between for a driveway. Because I grew up in the neighborhood, I knew this and was careful to stay just above the grass in the middle. I had moved most of the snow from the back of his driveway toward the street in a big mound that I was going to move next. This guy comes screaming out of his house yelling that I'm going to wreck his grass bitching and swearing a blue streak. I'm about 14 so I tried respectfully and calmly to explain that I'm being really careful and I'm just trying to help him out. When he questioned my lineage I thought, "screw this" and dumped the bucket load I had onto the mound I had going at the end of his driveway and left. It took that idiot over 4 hours to dig himself out. None of the neighbors would help him after they heard how he screamed at me, and I got a smile and an "attaboy" from my dad

 

[CorporateOffRoader]

My diesel shovel

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ekbLYFrsKKDivk1BiO0_ZQ?feat=directlink

 

[Mattlt]

MF-35 with custom plow frame to lift with 3 point. Works ok but has trouble with digging into my gravel driveway.

Hard to tell from the picture, but does this blade have shoes on it? It should ride on shoes instead of the cutting edge of the plow. The shoes are adjustable for different heights.

 

[PCO6]

Growing up, my dad had an older Mustang skid loader and an 18hp Bolens with a snow blower. I'd drive the skid loader home from the shop and my dad and I would go through the neighborhood clearing sidewalks and driveways. We never charged anything, we were just trying to be decent. One of the neighbors had moved in that summer and had two concrete tire tracks with grass in between for a driveway. Because I grew up in the neighborhood, I knew this and was careful to stay just above the grass in the middle. I had moved most of the snow from the back of his driveway toward the street in a big mound that I was going to move next. This guy comes screaming out of his house yelling that I'm going to wreck his grass bitching and swearing a blue streak. I'm about 14 so I tried respectfully and calmly to explain that I'm being really careful and I'm just trying to help him out. When he questioned my lineage I thought, "screw this" and dumped the bucket load I had onto the mound I had going at the end of his driveway and left. It took that idiot over 4 hours to dig himself out. None of the neighbors would help him after they heard how he screamed at me, and I got a smile and an "attaboy" from my dad

Del;

That sounds a bit like when my Dad, brothers and I used to do our church parking lot. We never charged for it; it just seemed like the right thing to do. One Sunday morning my Dad got a "loud and long" phone call from the Minister because he didn't think we were going to get there in time to plow the lot for that day's services. He was almost right. We had contracts to take care of but we managed to do a decent enough job on the church lot. No one other than the Minister complained about it. We finished out the season but that was the last one. My Dad later told our Minister that that phone call was the best sermon he had ever heard him give.

Stew

 

[RTC1930]

Hard to tell from the picture, but does this blade have shoes on it? It should ride on shoes instead of the cutting edge of the plow. The shoes are adjustable for different heights.

Yes my father has the shoes for it but they are not on it since I keep forgeting to pick them up when I'm there. More snow coming this weekend so I really need to pick them up one of these days. My driveway is pretty uneven in spots so not sure how much it will help but cant hurt. I also wish the plow was a little smaller / lighter.

Bob

 

[dirttracker18]

My driveway is pretty uneven in spots so not sure how much it will help but cant hurt. I also wish the plow was a little smaller / lighter.

Bob

The shoes make a big difference and really keep the blade from digging in. I always had them on at the beginning of the year and took them off once we got some real snow and the ground frooze up good. However that was on a truck and the blade floated. On a 3point hitch digging in can happen fast with power down.

As for the weight, no you don't wish it was lighter. Light weight plows tend to float up onto the snow. Those plastic bladed plows were a big hit for gas milage when they came out until people guys started using them. Garbage, more weight means better plowing.
However, on the tractor you can power down so . . . might be a moot point.
Nevermind then

 

[jamesemery728]

Here's what I use down here in Georgia. Problem is by the time I dig out the long extension cords and get it all set up, the snow has melted.

 

[csp]

On a 3point hitch digging in can happen fast with power down...........


However, on the tractor you can power down so . . . might be a moot point.

I don't know about the MF-35, but on a LOT of the sub-50hp tractors the three point doesn't have power down. My Cub Cadet 7275 doesn't have power down, but you still have to be careful with a rear blade as they will dig down quickly.

The trick with a three point blade is to add grade wheels behind it.

 

[StingRay]

If you can change the angle of attack on the blade that can help too. On a true 3 point blade at the start of the season I swing the blade 180 degrees and push with the convex side. It'll move a lot of snow but won't dig in and will leave enough for a packed base.

 

[Poltax]

Here is what the Montana Hwy Dept uses over Beartooth in MT

[/ATTACH]

 

[Motobob]

Here is my setup before I got chains; sitting in the garage ready to go guaranteeing we will not get heavy snow again in VA:

Bob

 

[Mattlt]

Here's mine. A Toolcat with a 6' plow blade. I've since upgraded to a 7' 6" blade, but I'm almost liking the smaller blade better. But, we've had an unusually large amount of snow this year, even for MN!

For the run-of-the-mill 4-6" snowfall the big one works very well. For drifts I'd sooner have the small one.

 

[SRM]

Here's my old dogs. Everything was bought used.
2000 Polaris 250, w/5' Eagle plow, winch-up/dn. manual turn.
1961 Jeep, 6' pulley driven up/dn., manual turn.
1978 Chevy 1 ton dump, 8' Western Hydro-turn.
The jeep has been semi-retired (rusted brake lines)so I use the Polaris for the smaller snows, and the Chevy for the bigger ones.
I did have to bring the skidsteer out with this last 24.6" we got the other day.
The skidsteer is an old Ford CL-40, 40HP.gas, 5' bucket.
We had a good 2'-3' deep in the driveway, 5'-6' drifts in spots.
The drive way is about 250' long with a circle attached.
These are nothing fancy, but they all paid for themselves.

 

[AZAV8]

pics from hettinger ND.

Raildawg,
I'm jealous of your snow blower. I want one; however, I have no need for such massive hardware in Southern Arizona.

Phil

 

[Kev442]

MF-35 with custom plow frame to lift with 3 point. Works ok but has trouble with digging into my gravel driveway.

No draft control the three point?

 

[RTC1930]

No draft control the three point?

Yes I believe the 3 point has draft control, my father suggested that might help but I'm not sure how to use it, family sold the farm and I just use this as a toy. As pointed out previously there is no power down on the 3 point but I believe that may be part of the problem along with the design of the plow mount. When the 3 point is lowered the plow should technically work like its attached to a truck pivoting at the lower bracket and slacking the chain. However since there is no power down if the blade catches an edge it starts to tip forward and kicks up the 3 point mount. Taking as much slack as possible from chain helps limit how far it can pivot over but still catches often.

Ideally the mount should work like it would on a truck and have a fixed pivot and lift via the chain. (and perhaps be on the front of the tractor)

Works great on paved surface though.

 

[latency]

I also have a bobcat 300 series: With custom mount for cycle country atv plow:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8094653@N06/4336908857/" title="IMG_1793 by latency5, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4336908857_9cc10b1b4d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_1793" /></a>

 

[Bill_Brasky]

40hp MF 2135 industrial tractor with 62" Erskine front mount blower.

I have a Sims cab and heater for it, but unfortunately it won't fit through the garage door with the cab on. Also, the cab weighs upwards of 500lbs, so getting in on the tractor is a problem of it's own.

 

[sheslostcontrol]

It doesn't snow much in Atlanta, but when it does my little Yanmar does OK.

 

[sheslostcontrol]

I use my John Deere 2210 four wheel drive diesel tractor with a 60” front and loader.

OCG, where did you buy your full length canopy?

 

[latency]

OCG, where did you buy your full length canopy?

Looks like a modified golf cart canopy to me?

 

[cashishift]

Looks like a modified golf cart canopy to me?

ditto.

needs some JD GREEN PAINT!

 

[Kev442]

Yes I believe the 3 point has draft control, my father suggested that might help but I'm not sure how to use it, family sold the farm and I just use this as a toy. As pointed out previously there is no power down on the 3 point but I believe that may be part of the problem along with the design of the plow mount. When the 3 point is lowered the plow should technically work like its attached to a truck pivoting at the lower bracket and slacking the chain. However since there is no power down if the blade catches an edge it starts to tip forward and kicks up the 3 point mount. Taking as much slack as possible from chain helps limit how far it can pivot over but still catches often.

Ideally the mount should work like it would on a truck and have a fixed pivot and lift via the chain. (and perhaps be on the front of the tractor)

Works great on paved surface though.

Draft control should be pretty easy to figure out. On mine you flip the lever towards the words "draft control". You should notice the blade lifting slightly off the ground and holding steady. I also have a crank arm that I can turn to vary the lifted height. It is not perfect, if the rear wheels fall into a dip, the blade will still catch, but it really minimizes the digging in all the time on loose gravel problem. Draft control is even better when I am spreading fresh gravel, a few times back and forth and the gravel is a uniform 1" thick.

 

[Junkman]

OCG, where did you buy your full length canopy?

That is a golf cart top...

 

[Dragster Racer]

My experience with the blade on the truck on gravel is that your first snow, you need the shoes, and you need to leave a little snow. That gets packed down, and frozen, and then no shoes needed the next time around. It is much smoother. Have a good thaw, and you are back to the beginning though. I like the tractor mounted setup, but the extra weight of the truck sure helps. Well, and keeping warm!
You could even experiment with removing half of the trip springs to allow it to trip easier. If it is riding up too easily, you may want to lower the plow mount with the three point a bit to increase the attack angle. It will want to dig more, but see the first part of my response.

 

[just1more]

I use a 97 Chevy one ton with a Boss V plow...






This week after the blizzard...the township uses this..




because of the a few "little" drifts just past our driveway:

 

[peelman]

holy jeebus that’s a big plow...

Very jealous of some of these rigs...I’m currently stuck with a 26” Pusher and a flat nose yard shovel (for the icy nastiness like we had here last week)...

 

[67ShortFleet]

Here is mine. John Deere 112 with hydraulic lift.

 

[malibu ranch]

I use a 1990 Eddie Bauer Bronco 351w 4" lift nice and short for driveways
Also a 1983 484 International Tractor with bucket & blower
I plow a few neighbors and my store & lumber yard
3rd plow truck I've had since 1990 ...all have been F series
They seem to last well
Those twin I beam front ends arn't one of their better ideas though...
Pics are from a couple yrs back...we've got alot more snow than this

The Green (rebodied with pickup cab)& Blue Broncos are my buddy's,He plows with the blue one...he likes lots of lift and straight front axles
Since been sold and he's running a 2004 Super Duty now

Intl 484 with fresh paint before bucket & blower install

 

[67ShortFleet]

Malibu Ranch, Welcome to Garage Journal!! Nice IH!!

 

[Kirbot]

 

[malibu ranch]

thanks shortfleet
here's another 2pics of the same IH before paint
when I bought it at auction it was a street sweeper !
Had a drum sweeper mounted on the front but was listed separately in the auction 40 or so items before the tractor ...I would have bid on it if I had known I was gonna get the tractor
Those are my 2 eldest boys in the pic ...they're 20 & 17 yrs old now

Before bucket

 

[klhitman]

i have a shovel that i found on the side of the road.

but want one of these <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xhL7GhHmADs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[malibu ranch]

since I'm digging around in old pics
Here's my 1985 F150 (with 81 + 89 1 tons)

And after lift kit and paint(and a kid that's now 6ft tall)

After the rust got the '85 I went to a 1978 "Barn Find" Bronco

and redid the body on that ...sorry the pics from a disp camera

 

[6th Gear]

I have only had to use it a few times this year... the south is getting all our snow!

 

[JohnMcD348]

Does this count?