plowing with riding mower. yay or nay?

[Bad00SS]

So now that I have this 3 car wide gravel driveway in front of the new shop I started thinking about all of this snow we get. Obviously the new snow blower I just bought works great on the paved driveway to the house, but what about gravel? I see this ending badly with sucking up rocks on a bran new unit I spent a lot of money on. My neighbor has a plow on his rider he uses on occasion. It got me thinking what if I bought the MTD 46" plow they make for the MTD riding mowers. It's only $300. Has anyone done this? I assume I need weight on the hitch and prolly chains on the tires. I figured I could set the plow up 1" off of the ground so as not to scrape up the gravel. Not really sure what the best thing is to do here.

 

[Higgins]

Use to live in Kane Co and we had a rock driveway.... I just adjusted the feet on the blower and that addressed picking up the majority of rocks!

The BIG problem with a blade is your pushing the snow. So at the beginning of winter, you better start pushing the snow 10 ft or more off the driveway. Otherwise, like last winter, you will run out of places to push the snow to. In the event that happens, hope you have a neighbor with a large tractor that can dig you out!

And in large storms, the blower was quicker in cleaning the driveway!!

 

[slamin81]

Why not��

 

[The Cobbler]

need a lot of weight and power to push snow if it's wet .
I had a JD318 with plow and it worked well for lite snow , but liked the blower attachment better overall . both required weights & chains
for blower just raise the shoes high so you skip over the stones

 

[Maui]

Set the snowblower up with enough ground clearance so that it will be unlikely to pick up any gravel and you should be fine.

 

[KBigg]

Absolutely, tire chains make all the difference set the shoes about an inch lower than the cutting edge.

 

[Bretny]

A lawn mower with a snow blade will work but so will a shovel. At 3 cars wide your really going to have to be out there every few inches.

Gravel plows and blows prety good when you let the first few storms pack into the surface. I ususly dont see my driveway dec-feb...im also not out in the spring raking half my driveway out of the lawn.

 

[Bad00SS]

Set the snowblower up with enough ground clearance so that it will be unlikely to pick up any gravel and you should be fine.

Really didn't want to make adjustments every single snow fall. I like my house driveway to be clean black asphalt. I have it set as low as it goes right now. figured blow the house driveway like usual and plow the shop driveway if its feasible way to handle this.

 

[wasfuzz]

You will be cleaning less gravel out of the lawn in the spring if you set your blower up properly than if you push it with the plow!

 

[jd_1138]

I don't see why not. Usually around here, the big box stores sell a snow plow package with the plow, chains, weights to go on back, and a cover for the cab to keep you dry.

 

[MoonRise]

BTDT with a 'garden' tractor and a 48" plow blade on it.

Even with tire chains and rear wheel weights and my **** in the seat, I'd have to plow as soon as there was no more than a few scant inches of snow on the ground. Unless it was complete super-light fluffy powder. If the snow storm was a longer one or the snow was falling pretty fast, by the time I was done plowing the first time I'd have to go back and start plowing again.

If we were getting pretty regular snow storms (a couple years we were getting 2-6" snow falls pretty much twice a week ALL WINTER LONG!), the plow rapidly ran out of a place to push the plowed snow. A garden tractor just doesn't have the weight or horsepower to push a snow bank back or to push 6" of fresh snow up on top of 3 feet of already plowed snow berm.

Bought a snow blower instead. Works much better for my needs and IMNSHO.

Gravel driveway? Set the skid shoes to leave a 'skim' of snow on the gravel base and not scoop up and launch all the gravel (or jam the gravel in the snow blower impeller). After the first snow fall or two, lower the skid shoes a bit.

YMMV and all that.

 

[steve308]

It will shorten the life of the mower. Be prepared to dig a bunch of single wheel holes in the gravel. Been there, done it. I now own a easy on / off DetailK2 plow for my truck.

 

[sixty4]

It *****! Used my old wheelhorse for 2 years to do my past place. Had the weights on the wheels with chains.

 

[The Cobbler]

also keep in mind the road salt has noticeable affect on the machine too

 

[Showkey]

It’s that time of year on the GJ..........thoughts of snow removal and garage heating solutions.

If your one or two inches of snow a garden tractor will work.

Any more than that to.........Effective plowing is done at speed that allows the snow to curl off the blade. Especially with a wide driveway or parking area.

Garden and lawn tractors do not go fast enough to curl the snow. So you end up trying to push a large blob of snow. Wet heavy snow...forget it. Tractor plowing is marginal at best.

ATV or UTV make great plows.......but as mentioned you must plan ahead for a season worth of snow storage when plowing.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Riding mowers and light blades aren't very well suited to plowing snow. It's hard on the machine and it probably won't handle more than a light snow. Add weight and chains and they can move more snow than without. Will also dig up more gravel, asphalt and be harder on the machine.
Could you use the the blower high as suggested then use the mower/plow to scrape the asphalt clean (or let the sun do it). If you are particular about the drive put a rubber or plastic edge on the blade.

 

[carnutdallas]

Sounds like you need to find a used older blower for the gravel side of the house. If you do not want to adjust shoes for different types of driveways. Blower is the way to go and no need abusing yard mower. And less chance of damaging your fancy new blower. Money fixes everything [emoji41]


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[glentre]

Bite the bullet. Pave the gravel and use your new blower without any worries. Tractor won't work well and you will be tossing stones through your blower until you break it. Best solution if you are going to stay in the place long term.

Glen

 

[jd_1138]

Who cares if it's harder on the $1,200 mower? Point is making it easier on the PRICELESS human. If he winds up in the ER that's a lot more $$$$$ than $1,200.

 

[SARG]

Just sold a set-up as you describe ... 20 hp garden tractor with the wheel weights...the chains...a plow blade and a blower .... because it was just about useless.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

I had a John Deere 185 Hydro that came with a blade that I got pretty cheap from a co worker. I bought: lights, ag tires, extra set of rims, and 4 suitcase weights to mount to a bar I fabricated for the rear. With the money I spent just to get it to do okay, I was a little over half the cost of a MTD 28" blower. In a heavy snowfall when I couldnt stay on top of it...it took me 2 hours to get from the shed to the driveway (100 ft) with about 10 inches of snow

 

[TractorJeff]

20 years ago, I found out that a blade on a Garden Tractor is useless!
Following summer I found a JD blade in Eastern NY to fit my Farm Tractor. Well worth the money spent getting it here! 2 years ago I started pushing snow with my Skidsteer, cleaner and slightly faster than the Farm Tractor due to maneuverability!

 

[nastorino]

You can plow but you'll need significant weight especially if the machine is light. 4wd is nice to have as well as diff lock should you be in slush or on some pack.

I plow my 600' paved driveway using nearly a 400lbs 66" wide plow on my John Deere X758.

 

[Mick56]

Years ago I had a gravel driveway, and a Ford 12hp garden tractor with a snowblower. The first few inches of snow, I would drive back and forth with my truck and pack it down. After the gravel was completely covered with packed snow, then I would use the blower the rest of the winter. Never had any trouble with blowing gravel onto the lawn. Just don't plan on keeping the driveway down to bare gravel during the winter.

 

[Jackfre]

I had a 12 hp Arien’s years ago and got the front end snow blower attachment. First off it was to long. It had the turning radius of the USS Enterprise...not the NCC1701 variety. Also limited by its lack of weight. If you can’t put the power to the ground you will just spin with or without chains, wheel weights or weighted tires. Also, that thing would get bound up with moderately heavy snow and you are out digging it out. I finally sold it and bought an 8hp Ariens blower and I was able to do a better job faster, safer and without the hassle.

 

[mmb617]

I can't imagine trying to plow more than a couple inches of snow with my lawn tractor as I'm sure it would lack both power and traction to do the job. One time after a really heavy storm my neighbor came by and plowed my drive with his bobcat, which was nice of him but also pushed piles of gravel all over the place, which was a real mess come spring.

If your gravel driveway is anything like mine it's far from perfectly level so no matter how you set the shoes on your blower you're going to pick up a fair number of stones. It's unavoidable.

The first few inches of snow, I would drive back and forth with my truck and pack it down. After the gravel was completely covered with packed snow, then I would use the blower the rest of the winter.

I tried this once many years ago. The end result was that the snow left on the ground soon turned into a sheet of ice which was worse than if I hadn't done anything about snow removal.

I've been using the same snowblower on my gravel driveway for 20 years now. I break a few shear pins so I always keep a supply on hand. Yes I have to rake gravel from the grass in the spring. Another problem is that all those stones hammering on the impeller housing have it somewhat belled and actually punched holes through in a few places that I welded up last year. I would certainly not recommend using a new blower for that duty if you want to keep it nice for your paved area. Having a cheap used one dedicated to the gravel drive might be wise.

One other thing I noticed after all these years with the gravel drive is that after I did the impeller mod a couple years ago the snowblower has pretty much stopped breaking shear pins. I think the rubber extensions keep the clearances so tight the stones don't get lodged between the housing and impeller. They do get thrown farther though so you have to keep that in mind.

 

[Woodtick]

Have you thought about getting a quote from a snow plowing service? It could be a resonable alternative. We have about 500' of drive and my guy takes less than 10 minutes for $25 a plow. He will also salt if we get ice.

 

[DGersic]

A 4x4 truck with enough ground clearance and decent tires, don’t plow it, just drive over / through it until spring.


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[Bad00SS]

Sounds like you need to find a used older blower for the gravel side of the house. If you do not want to adjust shoes for different types of driveways. Blower is the way to go and no need abusing yard mower. And less chance of damaging your fancy new blower. Money fixes everything [emoji41]


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Just found one on Craigslist for $50 and he cant get it started. Might go check it out. prolly the cheapest option and if it gets screwed up I wont care about this thing lol.

 

[Bad00SS]

A 4x4 truck with enough ground clearance and decent tires, don’t plow it, just drive over / through it until spring.


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not an option. I run an auto repair business out of it on nights and weekends. cars and tow trucks come and go alot.

 

[Bretny]

You own an auto repair business and dont have some old plow truck laying around?

Here you can buy an old non road worthy plow truck that may need a few things for the same price as a nice used snow blower. The truck has heat though.

 

[Chubbz]

Refer my avatar. 1976 Sears Suburban ST16. Chained, weighted and a plow. Only problem I had was storage for it and places to put snow. If I had a snowblower on it I would have kept it. It plowed snow fairly well. Just a driveway big enough to park 3-4 cars. Like the rest said get a blower on the tractor or a plow truck. Remember it takes more time to plow than blow.

 

[Bretny]

I have a tube frame bolens with a blower. That thing is totaly useless in the snow. I made it 75ft up my driveway in 4-5in of snow before i put it away to never be used again. The blower was so heavy that with it on the ground you could only go in a streight line. With it in the air you could steer but hardly.

 

[kbs2244]

I like the idea of setting the blower high. to avoid picking up the gravel, and using it for both driveways.
Then come back with the mower/plow to neaten up the house.

That way you use the blower for the heavy snow and the mower for a lighter duty touch up.

 

[Slednut]

I’ve been plowing my driveway for years with a POS John Deere garden tractor. When it first snows I push it beyond the edge of the driveway about six feet. Once I get a pile I raise the blade up as I push the snow up the pile. This makes a ramp that enables me to keep pushing snow up and over the pile.

To do this you need a good plow. My plow is a good sixteen inches out in front of the tractor. Yes, if you get a lot of snow you’re screwed. We usually don’t have more than a couple of feet accumulate a year.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Only if you have a beater and about 1000lbs of weights. Barring a pickup, or big wagon, with a plow, the best, and most current plow we've had is a Dingo with a 4' blade. It weighs in at around 1700. Anything less just doesn't get traction.

 

[greenskeeper]

2 pages and not the correct answer....sad.

 

[carnutdallas]

2 pages and not the correct answer....sad.

I gave him a good answer and he quoted it and thought it had merit [emoji39]


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[bop_pa]

I have a 54” Cub Cadet riding mower with a snow plow for winter. It’s 27hp and with chains on the back wheels has no problem with my 136’ driveway. Mine is concrete, so not sure how it would do on gravel. It would move snow, no problem but it could get all the way down due to the gravel. So unless you scrap away some gravel there would always be a thin layer of snow. Only takes the littlest amount of snow for potential slipperiness. My advise, if you do go the riding mower route, you should buy snow chains for it. They make a huge difference in the amount of work the tractor can do, but a pain to get on in my opinion. Yet there is still something satisfying about plowing the driveway in 5 mins while your neighbors are trying to bundle up from the cold.

 

[Uhlee1]

If you go the plow route, I would definitely use weights and chains. For the chains look up v-bar chains. They grab very well compared to standard chains in gravel. Just be careful with them on concrete as they can scratch it up pretty good. Having a similar concrete/gravel setup now though my snowblower seems to do a great job. I kick up a bit of gravel but once it packs with snow it works fine. My garden tractor is very thankful for it too.