Snowblower and gravel roads

[Papadiver]

I spent 6 hrs today pushing snow with my open station tractor and a 7’ rear blade. I have about 700’ feet of road to maintain. 200’ of that is blacktop.
Today was quite different with 6” of snow and an inch of ice on top. That was a difference problem. And I can’t remember the last time I seen that. I’m tired of freezing on my open station tractor and I’m tired of pushing snow with a rear blade. I’m getting old! And I’m looking for an easier way. The reason for this thread is would I be asking for trouble trying to use a front mounted blower on my gravel roads? My gravel roads are pretty smooth, and I rarely kick up gravel with the blade. I have no experience with a snowblower. Thanks in advance for any assistance and ideas!

Ron

 

[je1279]

If you are worried about throwing rocks, you can always raise the blower a bit over the gravel areas. Gravel does like to stick to the heavy wet snow though, especially when it's not yet frozen. I don't think you can eliminate it, but you can definitely minimize it.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Dress warmer or buy a cab. I just bought electric heated gloves to help me not freeze while plowing. Been contemplating a cab but then I can’t bring it in the garage. For now, open station.

 

[Papadiver]

If you are worried about throwing rocks, you can always raise the blower a bit over the gravel areas. Gravel does like to stick to the heavy wet snow though, especially when it's not yet frozen. I don't think you can eliminate it, but you can definitely minimize it. I also highly recommend insulated and waterproof boots and bibs and a waterproof jacket if you don't have them already. Makes the long days cleaning up in frigid temperature suck much less.

Where I would be blowing I am not worried about striking something with a flying rock. More concerned about if it will damage the blower….

 

[Papadiver]

Dress warmer or buy a cab. I just bought electric heated gloves to help me not freeze while plowing. Been contemplating a cab but then I can’t bring it in the garage. For now, open station.

Yeah, I have appropriate clothes. Thinking about updating the tractor. If I do I will consider a cab

 

[Thunder Fish]

Where I would be blowing I am not worried about striking something with a flying rock. More concerned about if it will damage the blower….

I have tossed some good sized nuggets more than once through my blower,dents to prove it on the chute,might have weakened the shear bolt,did bend one blade slightly on the fan but just did a complete rebuild and straitened it out.If you have a very flat spot(concrete) you can adjust the top link some what to help,also I installed stainless angles on either side to give mine a bit of a lift.
Blowing snow on a windy day with a open cab can really suck,hope this helps.

 

[je1279]

Where I would be blowing I am not worried about striking something with a flying rock. More concerned about if it will damage the blower….

As long as your not picking up chunks of rocks larger than ~1.5", the worst thing that you will do is go through some shear pins on occasion.

 

[KKBL]

If you have a 4x4 pickup just put a snowplow on it. We do 1/2 mile gravel drive and 4 large parking areas and are in the heavy lake effect snow area near Erie PA.
Warm, dry, wipers and tunes when we want. Also can easily get to some other neighbors and family to help them with driveways.
A good friend had a very nice used Boss poly mold board 7 1/2 ft installed at a local snowplow dealer last year on his 2014 Chevy 1500 for $3000. Probably less than a snow blower and cab would cost to install on a tractor.

 

[mcmxi]

I spent 6 hrs today pushing snow with my open station tractor and a 7’ rear blade. I have about 700’ feet of road to maintain. 200’ of that is blacktop.
Today was quite different with 6” of snow and an inch of ice on top. That was a difference problem. And I can’t remember the last time I seen that. I’m tired of freezing on my open station tractor and I’m tired of pushing snow with a rear blade. I’m getting old! And I’m looking for an easier way. The reason for this thread is would I be asking for trouble trying to use a front mounted blower on my gravel roads? My gravel roads are pretty smooth, and I rarely kick up gravel with the blade. I have no experience with a snowblower. Thanks in advance for any assistance and ideas!

Ron

I've been running snow blowers for eight years now, first with a front mount BX5450 blower on a BX25 for five winters, and for the last three winters (starting the fourth) a rear mounted SB1574 snow blower on a couple of MX6000s. The ability of the snow blower to handle rocks or gravel depends on how much hp you have turning the augers, and how big the blower and augers are, but the size is the more important variable. As to the damage done blowing gravel, other than paint removal I'd say not much. I've run some fairly large rocks and chunks of ice (up to 4" diam.) through the SB1574 without any issues and I've yet to shear a pin on that blower. I had to replace shear pins three or four times a season running the BX5450, but I didn't have any asphalt for most of the time that I had the BX.

Like you I have a mix of asphalt and gravel to clear, and the sound of gravel running through a blower is awful. I hate blowing gravel not to mention the problem of flinging fairly costly gravel away from where it's supposed to be. This is why I use the front blade on gravel and the rear blower on asphalt, and sometimes (like this morning) use the blade on asphalt to break up compacted snow and ice from my neighbor driving over snow while I was away.

 

[mikester]

Yeah, I have appropriate clothes. Thinking about updating the tractor. If I do I will consider a cab

Put your wife on the tractor and have her clear snow once. Then you will have support to go buy a nice new cab tractor with front mount snow blower.

 

[je1279]

Put your wife on the tractor and have her clear snow once. Then you will have support to go buy a nice new cab tractor with front mount snow blower.

That or your wife and 50% of everything that you own will suddenly disappear...

 

[GreensvilleJay]

just 50% ?????
you should be so lucky.....

 

[CAPT Seabee]

I had a JD 1025R with a blower on front. A few winters ago in -14 degree, I could do about 20 minutes and had to come in to warm up. Repeat and it took longer to warm up. The new set up has be doing in 45 minutes what used to take me 2+ hours. The blower is heavy and the skids need to be much larger. I did see some threads of slitting a pipe and inserting it on the back plate, thus giving more glide over gravel. Make sure you're in float to gain whatever glide you can.

 

[ItBmine]

I was in same boat. Always used my B2620 with a rear 3 point blower.

Then, just as you, wanted a warmer option. So bought an RTV-X1100C with a Boss vee plow. It was great, and fast when it was cold and you had a good base. But now that we have been getting lots of thaws and freezing rain cycles between snow dumpings, I just don't like plows. They make a mess. So I took Boss plow off and put a snow blower on the RTV.
Even my wife loves doing the driveway now.
All you need to do is start out with your skid shoes down. It will leave an inch or two on the gravel. Then one you drive on it and pack it and have a base, then you can raise the shoes so it starts cutting. I don't have much problems in my loose 7/8's gravel.

And the reason I love blowers way more than plows is no snowbanks, and you don't have to push the snow.....the blower will eat it's way through it no matter how deep or wet.

 

[ItBmine]

I had a JD 1025R with a blower on front. A few winters ago in -14 degree, I could do about 20 minutes and had to come in to warm up. Repeat and it took longer to warm up. The new set up has be doing in 45 minutes what used to take me 2+ hours. The blower is heavy and the skids need to be much larger. I did see some threads of slitting a pipe and inserting it on the back plate, thus giving more glide over gravel. Make sure you're in float to gain whatever glide you can.


View attachment 145762

Nice! I wanted one of those but the Grand L prices have gotten absolutely insane here in Ontario Canada. So I set up my RTV instead.

 

[mcmxi]

I was in same boat. Always used my B2620 with a rear 3 point blower.

Then, just as you, wanted a warmer option. So bought an RTV-X1100C with a Boss vee plow. It was great, and fast when it was cold and you had a good base. But now that we have been getting lots of thaws and freezing rain cycles between snow dumpings, I just don't like plows. They make a mess. So I took Boss plow off and put a snow blower on the RTV.
Even my wife loves doing the driveway now.
All you need to do is start out with your skid shoes down. It will leave an inch or two on the gravel. Then one you drive on it and pack it and have a base, then you can raise the shoes so it starts cutting. I don't have much problems in my loose 7/8's gravel.

And the reason I love blowers way more than plows is no snowbanks, and you don't have to push the snow.....the blower will eat it's way through it no matter how deep or wet.

Maybe a dumb question, but I'm assuming that you need hydraulics and a PTO shaft for that front mount snow blower on the RTV? That's a cool set up though, however it's configured.

 

[ItBmine]

Maybe a dumb question, but I'm assuming that you need hydraulics and a PTO shaft for that front mount snow blower on the RTV? That's a cool set up though, however it's configured.

Yes, has a frame that goes underneath with a driveshaft. Takes power off engine crankshaft into a drop box that has the electronic clutch in it.
And instead of using the RTV's hydraulics, it has an electric pump and oil reservoir in that front power pack, pretty much same as the Boss plow.

 

[mcmxi]

Yes, has a frame that goes underneath with a driveshaft. Takes power off engine crankshaft into a drop box that has the electronic clutch in it.
And instead of using the RTV's hydraulics, it has an electric pump and oil reservoir in that front power pack, pretty much same as the Boss plow.

Wow! That's awesome! I had no idea how it was configured. I know less than nothing about ATVs and RTVs. Sometime wish I had one but it'd be a real luxury for me.

 

[RCW]

Sorry, but this might be long-winded. I've been down this road......

My driveway isn't large or long, but I have no place to push snow; a blower is really my only viable option.

I've run a front-mount snowblower on a gravel driveway for 22 years. Had an antique walk behind 11 years before that.

First 10 or so with a John Deere 425 Garden Tractor with a 48" blower. Rest with a BX2360 with 48" blower.

To me, the MOST important thing with a blower on gravel are the shoes.

I really liked the shoes on the JD blower. They were outboard to the housing, and had several bolt-hole options in the blower housing and the shoes for placement.
Various arrangements of the shoes changed the height of the blower's cutting edge to the driveway.

If you look at @mcmxi picture at post #9, and @CAPT Seabee picture at post #13, their shoes are outboard to the housing, which is great. However, the shoes are "slotted" to allow changing cutting height. These are both much larger blowers than my little 4-footer and a better design than mine.

I still don't consider ideal, as the "slots" can allow the shoes to slide up if not paying attention. Not a deal-breaker by any means, just pointing it out.

Early season, I leave about 1.75 inches of snow with the blower to help build up a base. I can then raise the shoes to only leave 0.5" or so once a base is there.

A Counter-Point to the slotted shoes is that they are MUCH easier to adjust cutting height in just a minute or two. Mine are slotted, and it's easy to do. I keep a couple pieces of lumber at 1/2, 1, and 1.5" thick I set the blower cutting edge on to use as "Spacers" to adjust as needed.

The other part related to the shoes is what the gravel/stone driveway is like. It can be a challenge if the gravel/stone is not frozen. Shoes can dig in while running in "float," and stuff starts to get tossed around. You might see the same on occasion with a plow and the shoes dig in.

My BX2750D blower has long since been superseded by "improved" models. Wasn't ever happy with the shoes. They were inboard and would dig in regularly. Poor design IMO. I modified them a couple times to gain surface area on the ground and also lined them with UHMW so they didn't scratch up my patio. They've been great.

I see you're in WV. Do you normally get a wet/heavy snow on top of a thawed/loose stone drive?

Not insurmountable but makes the shoe design that much more important.....

The other commonly debated option is a rear-mount blower versus a front-mount. Like anything else, there's pros and cons for both.

I often have the front-mount blower and put a box blade or rear blade on the 3PH.

Again, apologies for the long dissertation. But like I said I've dealt with a gravel drive and snowblowers for a long while.....

Good luck.

 

[ItBmine]

As RCW said, skid shoes can and will sink in soft gravel also. When I have that happen, I just put the blower down then lift it slightly instead of leaving in float. That sometimes helps too.