Looking for snow removal options next winter.

[maxwell]

Heres the scoop, whenever i arrive at my cabin to go snowmobiling there is always a foot or more of snow that has fallen week to week. I get there late, and am there only for a short time so i need to remove this snow fairly quickly and efficiently. I have about 400m of gravel roadway and a large asphalt parking area. Currently i have a quad with a straightblade and it is USELESS. it moves large amounts of snow fairly well but the cleanup takes forever with what falls out the sides.

i am considering a couple options, space is tight so having a blower would be nice to get it up and over the fence. I am trying to do this on a budget so a skid steer and snowblower are out.

1. Modify existing blade and add wings.

2. Pickup a used garden tractor with snowblower. How well do these actually work?

3. Pickup a used blower attachment ( kijiji 300-500$) and modify it for the ATV adding a gas engine on the back. I figure i could do it for around 1000$. They want close to 8K for a new ATV style blower.



whats everyone using thats working well and efficient, that doesn't cost 80 grand?

 

[snopro]

Mine costs over $80,000 so I wont comment. Lol

 

[Rotax_Kid]

Heres the scoop, whenever i arrive at my cabin to go snowmobiling there is always a foot or more of snow that has fallen week to week. I get there late, and am there only for a short time so i need to remove this snow fairly quickly and efficiently. I have about 400m of gravel roadway and a large asphalt parking area. Currently i have a quad with a straightblade and it is USELESS. it moves large amounts of snow fairly well but the cleanup takes forever with what falls out the sides.

i am considering a couple options, space is tight so having a blower would be nice to get it up and over the fence. I am trying to do this on a budget so a skid steer and snowblower are out.

1. Modify existing blade and add wings.

2. Pickup a used garden tractor with snowblower. How well do these actually work?

3. Pickup a used blower attachment ( kijiji 300-500$) and modify it for the ATV adding a gas engine on the back. I figure i could do it for around 1000$. They want close to 8K for a new ATV style blower.

View attachment 225153

whats everyone using thats working well and efficient, that doesn't cost 80 grand?

Stupid thought - but riding time is pretty valuable. Thought about hiring someone on contract to help you out? What is your time worth once you get there?

I have a neighbour who has the ATV blower and it is meh.

I have a friend who has a curved blade for his quad that can roll the snow and it works pretty decent, much better than a straight blade. If you widen an existing quad blade, I'm guessing you will run into problems where either the quad isn't heavy enough to gain traction if the snow is wet or you risk a chance of twisting something somewhere.

 

[TylerG]

Maybe you need to talk nice to Martin, and see if they'll hook you up with a mid sized JD Tractor with blower?

 

[pano-dude]

I say hire a local to clear your driveway, if you have the money to have a second home, mod sleds and all the other toys you can afford to help the locals out financially.

 

[Ryeser]

What about a truck blade? A neighbor has one and he is done his driveway and the entire acreage development road, by the time I'm done on my quad and blade...

 

[snochuk]

I say hire a local to clear your driveway, if you have the money to have a second home, mod sleds and all the other toys you can afford to help the locals out financially.

You type faster than me.
Just what I was thinking and it is always done.
Your residence looks more lived in also for less breakin attraction.
Probably cheaper in the end.

 

[maxwell]

agreed on the Locals doing the work. I have considered this but they all use skidsteer and im concerned what that would do to the new asphalt.

 

[neilsleder]

Snowblowers are cheap right now. Get one on clearance

 

[Caper11]

Get a Honda snow blower. They clear snow alot faster and throw it farther than a cheaper snow blower.

I have a 28” tracked unit and they make alot bigger ones.

 

[pfi572]

agreed on the Locals doing the work. I have considered this but they all use skidsteer and im concerned what that would do to the new asphalt.

My driveway is all asphalt and I use a compact loader with high flow snowblower and no worries on the asphalt .
Find someone this summer and have them look before snow starts so they no what is around the property and don’t hit something?
Put markers up before winter and good to go .
Cheaper to just have someone do it or maybe even trade them services or something?
I do my neighbours for nothing as only takes a few minutes while I am doing mine .

 

[moyiesledhead]

agreed on the Locals doing the work. I have considered this but they all use skidsteer and im concerned what that would do to the new asphalt.

I have gravel, asphalt, and a skid steer. It's not gonna hurt your asphalt. It can make a mess of your gravel until it's frozen though.

 

[Cyle]

Anyone clearing residential with a skidsteer should have something on the edge to protect surfaces. I bolted a 2x6 on the cutting edge of my machine and not a mark on my concrete driveway from it.

 

[snochuk]

agreed on the Locals doing the work. I have considered this but they all use skidsteer and im concerned what that would do to the new asphalt.

I'm thinking not much will happen when it is frozen.

 

[snochuk]

Anyone clearing residential with a skidsteer should have something on the edge to protect surfaces. I bolted a 2x6 on the cutting edge of my machine and not a mark on my concrete driveway from it.

We have an 8' wide snow bucket on the tractor at the farm and a 4" round pipe bolted to the bucket.
Pipe has a 3/4" wide piece cut from end to end of the pipe.
There are 6 tab s4"x4"X3/8" welded to the pipe
Two on each end and two in the middle on each side of the cut.
Drilled three holes in the bucket and bolted pipe to front of the bucket through the tabs.
Does not dig into gravel or sod when ground not frozen and works awesome for back blading/floating the yard to build a 4" base.
Mind you snow plowing the yard is at least two acres so not really for small jobs but a smaller pipe would work on a bobcat bucket for personnel use for years.

 

[snopro]

We have an 8' wide snow bucket on the tractor at the farm and a 4" round pipe bolted to the bucket.
Pipe has a 3/4" wide piece cut from end to end of the pipe.
There are 6 tab s4"x4"X3/8" welded to the pipe
Two on each end and two in the middle on each side of the cut.
Drilled three holes in the bucket and bolted pipe to front of the bucket through the tabs.
Does not dig into gravel or sod when ground not frozen and works awesome for back blading/floating the yard to build a 4" base.
Mind you snow plowing the yard is at least two acres so not really for small jobs but a smaller pipe would work on a bobcat bucket for personnel use for years.

Hey Randy when you are done with seeding and have nothing but time on your hands could you send me a pic of that mod? I am always getting gravel on the grass from pushing snow with the same kind of setup and the wife gets pissed at me plus its hard on mower blades if you don't get it raked out good. Thanks!

 

[Trashy]

Hold out a little longer Sean, the price of good used skid steers are coming down fast. I'm glad I didn't buy one last summer

 

[sirkdev]

Watch for a deal on a walk behind snowblower this summer on Kijji I think they make up to 36" walk behind they come up on occasion get a good one like an Ariens and you will be shocked how much snow you can toss in short order.

 

[snochuk]

Hey Randy when you are done with seeding and have nothing but time on your hands could you send me a pic of that mod? I am always getting gravel on the grass from pushing snow with the same kind of setup and the wife gets pissed at me plus its hard on mower blades if you don't get it raked out good. Thanks!

Will do.
It is still best to float grave yards to build a 3-4" compacted snow base before you get wild on the snow removal or else tires rip up grass on the first couple snow falls.
I have been done seeding a few years now, rent it all out.

 

[snopro]

Will do.
It is still best to float grave yards to build a 3-4" compacted snow base before you get wild on the snow removal or else tires rip up grass on the first couple snow falls.
I have been done seeding a few years now, rent it all out.

Yep transitioning that way to. Lots more free time in the spring and fall now.