County Roads

[Stmar]

How many of you clear the county road if the county has not? Ours is hit and miss because we are low on the priority list which I understand. I do it sometime if I need to, about a quarter mile to the pavement, they do to the end of the pavement consistently because it is a school route and a priority.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I do what's near me so I don't get THERE snow pushed into MY driveway... Meanwhile neighbours shovel their driveways 50-50, left and right..can't SEE that the stuff 'up plow' gets plowed BACK into their driveway....
kinda funny, kinda sad....

 

[BigG]

I never understood the questions along these lines. Plowing snow or mowing the embankment along the road has always been done for our family as a public service. Many times the grass was not cut often enough so we did it just to keep the neighborhood looking nice all summer.

In the winter we always thought of clearing the snow as a requirement. The "what ifs" always came to mind. What if some one has a fire, if someone needs to go to the doctor or hospital, or if someone needed to go to work, etc. I plowed our driveway and then every neighbor that was older or infirm. Never for pay and often early in the day before they were awake. It was just the right thing to do. Even did the driveways of people I did not know well or like. I just wanted to try to keep things normal as I could.

Now being in Florida there is no more snow. But when the storms go through I am out on the tractor to help clear the roads or driveways and I have used the big tractor to help with the high water rescue and stuck cars.

I would hope someone would come to help me if it was needed.

A little kindness goes a long way.

 

[Poohbear]

I keep the oiltop in front of our place mowed on both sides but it's only about 300 ft. Snow is just not a problem here.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Interestingly, I'm 2.5 miles off the pavement and our not so good county road department, if I waited for them to clear the road, I'd be waiting until spring so it gets plowed if it becomes impassable. I have a 10 foot wide retired county plow on one of my M9's I use.

Here in Michigan (according to the road department), it's illegal for any individual to do anything to any county road, something I've ignored for 34 years now. I also mow the ditch banks in front of the farm as well.

Very poor to non existent right of way maintenance out here.

Speaking of which I need to put the plow on today. NWS is predicting 2-10" tonight and tomorrow. If it materializes, I'll need to open the road.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Stmar, talk to the county road department, they will tell you what's acceptable and legal.
Keeps you out of any trouble, different states / counties require you to have different things like:
Strobe Lights
Flashing lights
SMV signs
and some require you to have insurance.

Here are allowed to plow/maintain county roads that are not plowed/maintained.

Also some roads have different designations like:
Public road, Public (county /state) maintained
Public road, Private maintained
Private road, Private maintained

You're like us, a lot of roads and not many plows to go around.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Put the plow on, I'm all good. Wife said snow starts in about 1 hour. Interestingly the county road department has all kinds of equipment but they also have a very strong union so the employees sit around and drink coffee and eat doughnuts instead of plowing and not much we can do about it. The union always defends them.

 

[D2Cat]

Here you go Flip. Save your Orange tractors for the haying operation. You made too much money last year and you need a write off. Put your plow on this.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/d/garnett-john-deere-tractor/7069267443.html

John Deere tractor - $13000

John Deere 8430. Solid ol tractor we are just up grading to auto-steer. Recent work includes frond diff rebuilt by jd, top end of eng including refurbished head and valves by jd. All new led lighting including front light bar. Late fall we replaced top shaft on transmission including synchronisers and bearings and transmission hydro pump. See pics to verify. We do have a John Deere silage blade to sell with it if any interest. A.c.3 remotes, pto and 3 point all work

 

[Kurtee]

My brother lives on a well traveled county road which people who have no respect for winter are on all the time. He goes out and clears in front of his place so the idjits can keep going and not be stuck at his place. A mile and a half to the next farm place either direction. Long way on the prairie in a blizzard. Ya cant fix stupid so let em go on.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Here you go Flip. Save your Orange tractors for the haying operation. You made too much money last year and you need a write off. Put your plow on this.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/d/garnett-john-deere-tractor/7069267443.html

John Deere tractor - $13000

John Deere 8430. Solid ol tractor we are just up grading to auto-steer. Recent work includes frond diff rebuilt by jd, top end of eng including refurbished head and valves by jd. All new led lighting including front light bar. Late fall we replaced top shaft on transmission including synchronisers and bearings and transmission hydro pump. See pics to verify. We do have a John Deere silage blade to sell with it if any interest. A.c.3 remotes, pto and 3 point all work

Hell the rubber is worth 10. Little large for me. I've run a few flatbacks before. Good machines. Transportation to here would be an issue, don't think my Kauffman tandem axle goose will handle it. Besides, it's the wrong color. Been perusing Tractorhouse lately. I'm a registered bidder on there. There was a nice M151 on there being auctioned off but my wife told me if I bought it, I'd be sleeping in the shop.....

 

[SidecarFlip]

Snowing here to beat the band right now. I may use the plow this winter after all. If I do, I'll snap some pictures.... I hope not though.

 

[bucktail]

Hell the rubber is worth 10. Little large for me. I've run a few flatbacks before. Good machines. Transportation to here would be an issue, don't think my Kauffman tandem axle goose will handle it. Besides, it's the wrong color. Been perusing Tractorhouse lately. I'm a registered bidder on there. There was a nice M151 on there being auctioned off but my wife told me if I bought it, I'd be sleeping in the shop.....

Is it a heated shop?

 

[BAP]

In New England, there is only Town and State roads. Both Towns and State maintain a big enough fleet of plows through owned and contracted out so that they can plow on a 2-6 hour cycle if needed. No need for private citizens to maintain their section of the road.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Is it a heated shop?

Why of course. PEX in floor heat. I keep the floor at 72 in the winter and reverse the system in the summer for ac.

 

[shootem604]

I never understood the questions along these lines. Plowing snow or mowing the embankment along the road has always been done for our family as a public service. Many times the grass was not cut often enough so we did it just to keep the neighborhood looking nice all summer.

In the winter we always thought of clearing the snow as a requirement. The "what ifs" always came to mind. What if some one has a fire, if someone needs to go to the doctor or hospital, or if someone needed to go to work, etc. I plowed our driveway and then every neighbor that was older or infirm. Never for pay and often early in the day before they were awake. It was just the right thing to do. Even did the driveways of people I did not know well or like. I just wanted to try to keep things normal as I could.

Now being in Florida there is no more snow. But when the storms go through I am out on the tractor to help clear the roads or driveways and I have used the big tractor to help with the high water rescue and stuck cars.

I would hope someone would come to help me if it was needed.

A little kindness goes a long way.

X2. This is just being neighbourly.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I always 'help' those in need (in the ditch from their own stupidity), for a price of course. Had one this morning actually. Down in the mud, slid off the road, probably texting. Snatched her right out and relieved her of 50 bucks. All is good for her and me.

Cute little lass too. Wanted to give me a CC. Told her cash only.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

X2. This is just being neighbourly.

I do 1/4 mile long driveway and then another 1/4 mile of private road, when we first moved here 10 years ago, every neighbor would come out with walk behind snowblowers and help clear the road, I was the only one with a Large garden tractor with a blower and would clear most of the road, they would all give me money, cookies, bottles of this and that, but most of all just thank me for helping out.
I would take me about 4 hours every time it snowed (and it snows a lot of days up here), so it took alot of my time up.

Well all of those neighbors, but one (and they are excellent) have moved and now we have a complete new group, they don't help, they don't thank me, in fact most complain...a lot.

The funny part is it's a section of road that there are two of us ( Us and steve) that use it that aren't in the home owners association (We have private land).
That association is required by the county to maintain the road ( It was built for the association over what used to be our driveway way before we owned our land) It's in their homeowners association agreement to maintain the road, they collect money to maintain the road (it was written 15 years ago and is severely under budget).

Every year no one maintains the road besides me and Steve, we grade it, we fill potholes, we mow it, we clean it.

It costs me in the range of about $1500 a year to maintain the road, and that doesn't include gravel costs.
I go through fuel and a wear and tear on 20K worth of tractors and equipment, all out of my pocket.

I finally asked for them to help out with the expense and said $100 per household would be great to help out with the expense of clearing the road all winter.
Only 3 out of 10 neighbors paid me this year, yet they all drive on it everyday, and still complain if it's not plowed and kept nice.

Every year I say, "This winter is going to be different, they either pay or I will berm them in with so much snow, their grandkids will still be dealing with it when they hit collage"!
but alas no, I keep clearing it because, I live at the end of the road and we need to get out.

So being neighborly only goes so far before it just plain being taken advantage of!

 

[michigander]

We are 1st house on the street last month we got 8" or so I cleared the snowplow mess up from city plugging up our road entrance.

Saturday was day I did it snowplow didn't come through until Monday afternoon.

If I had a snow blower I would be more inclined to clear past our own driveway.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

NIW, I had a similar situation here... got tired of spending MY money(hard to come by.NO PENSION.) and time to help others after 10+ years of being a 'nice neighbour'. You should see the 'POed' looks I get driving by the 'unfriendlies' as I slowly go to the 96 year old Vet way,way around the corner !!!

 

[D2Cat]

North Idaho Wolfman, instead of a high berm to lock them in, just make it enough snow to be a speed bump after they pack it down. They'll get tired of that quickly. Each snow add to the speed bump. Maybe they'll be forced to ask (and pay) to have it cleared after their exhaust comes loose.