They are also very handy plowing or grader/scraping our community road. I can see vehicles coming up behind me without constantly looking behind me.
Pros and cons of snow removal options
- Thread starter torch
- Start date
I purchased a bx 1880 a year ago. The mid mount mower was great for my acre lot. bought a 48” snow pusher from a Canadian manufacturer and a rear snow blower from another manufacturer. This winter has been great. The tractor was not under powered but performed well on my 20x150 drive way here in Canada.
Enjoy using my 1880 for snow duties plus cutting grass. More capable than what folks give credit to it. Cuts grass great, doesn't bog down. I plow snow using my 6 foot 3 point blade. Moves snow without issues. Small enough to get around tight spots cutting grass. Worth every penny.
Anyone have any good idea for an implement to scratch up the surface of glaze ice? Every once in a while, and this year is one, we get a thaw/rain in December or January that leaves a couple inches of hockey grade ice on my very steep driveway. I'd like to score it up somehow (with my BX). I have used a toothed bucket and that works sorta, I have a box blade I got really cheap that I'm thinking about turning one of the cutting edges into a bunch of little spikes to drag through the surface of the ice and give the cars some traction. I'm going to get pea gravel tomorrow, the problem with it is the expense (long steep driveway) and that I know as soon as I put it down it'll snow 4" in a freak storm and I'll end up plowing it off the driveway.
Yep. Welcome to the long, steep driveway club. You don't say if it's gravel or paved. My gravel drive is 800 feet, curved and steep. I have mudpit on top from last year's logging, so with snowmelt, has become ice covered with refreezing, I use stone dust (called supergrit by local quarry). Spread over ice and gives good traction. And yes, the plow and or snowblower does displace the stone down the incline. I use my box blade in the spring to regrade and drag the stone back up. I need to ditch sides of drive this year and build a crown into the center once the loggers finish up their operations in May. Just part of the joys of developing a homesite. Hang in...spring is coming.
torch
Well-known member
Equipment
B7100HSD, B2789, B2550, B4672, 48" cultivator, homemade FEL and Cab
If there is one, I'd love to hear about it for the same reasons. I've tried the toothed bucket. I tried the roto-tiller. No Joy.
The best I've been able to achieve is giving it a nice crown and breaking the banks at low spots when thawing or rain is in the forecast so the runoff has a place to go. I use a hand-held seed spreader to apply ground corn husk material as a traction aid where needed.
Those measures help with my own driveway. Good quality studded winter tires (I favour the Altimax Arctic series for both car and truck) help everywhere else.
Oh, and studded ice cleats that slip onto my boots for pedestrian travel.
I ended up filling 3 5gal buckets and a pull sled with sand from a local place here (cost $0! they said they'd get me on something else. I self loaded with a shovel) This seems to be doing the trick enough for my daughter to get up in her FWD car. Studded and/or Winter tires are a must with just the snow pack on my driveway even in AWD or 4WD vehicles. In a couple days the highs are supposed to be in the 30's with some sun, so I'm thinking that'll bring the end of it.
I haven't found it yet, similar situation as you with the added butt puckering situation of an off-camber turn on the steepest part of my driveway. I use a spreader to dump sand every time I blow and so far that has been good enough to keep everyone on the driveway. When we finally had a thaw last month I was breaking up 2" thick sheets of ice. I'm seriously considering getting a wood-fired boiler and heating the worst 100yds of my driveway to stop ice buildup.
On topic, I love my front mounted snow blower for my little bx2230. I had an f250 with a 9' fisher blade that I used to use, and while it went faster, I get much cleaner woth a blower. Even the f250, 4x4, with a bed load of sand could get pretty sketchy trying to push 2' of snow off the driveway. With my little blower I can just wait until the storm is over and take my time instead of having to go out every 8"-10".
I tried using a huge weed burner one year. I went through about $60 of propane to clear 10' of driveway. Would not reccomend.
finally it's over, I have to say that before warmer weather softened it up, the best and most economical was driving my 3/4 ton dodge up and down the driveway with chains on the back. That scuffed the surface up pretty decently.
Blue2Orange
Active member
Equipment
BX2380 with LA344S & QH05. SB1051. SG0554. BB1248. RB0560, Vassar dirt bucket
1 of 9 pages read. One a day.
JMHO and 24 seasons using a tractor to remove snow on ~230 meter long driveway in Lake Effect snow country. Not one perfect solution. If early lighter (less than a foot) snowfall I just take a run downhill from the garage to the township road using the FEL bucket as a "snow pusher" and back blade. Eventually even if no Lake Effect dumps the snowbanks build up and the driveway becomes narrower and narrower. Then I mounted the 60" Loftness rear mounted snowblower. Driveway is back to normal width. Snow piles around the garage and parking areas a blown into the woods.
With trading down to the BX a smaller 60" back blade. Might need to offset it to the 10" option. Considering just mounting the snowblower on day one and investing in a front QH compatible snow blade or bucket mounted snow blade. If there is a combination of good value and budget would consider one with hydraulics. Have the 3rd function for the grapple claw. Should have ~6 months to decide and purchase. Looking into the various clamp on models. So far Expanded and Earth and Turf.
JMHO and 24 seasons using a tractor to remove snow on ~230 meter long driveway in Lake Effect snow country. Not one perfect solution. If early lighter (less than a foot) snowfall I just take a run downhill from the garage to the township road using the FEL bucket as a "snow pusher" and back blade. Eventually even if no Lake Effect dumps the snowbanks build up and the driveway becomes narrower and narrower. Then I mounted the 60" Loftness rear mounted snowblower. Driveway is back to normal width. Snow piles around the garage and parking areas a blown into the woods.
With trading down to the BX a smaller 60" back blade. Might need to offset it to the 10" option. Considering just mounting the snowblower on day one and investing in a front QH compatible snow blade or bucket mounted snow blade. If there is a combination of good value and budget would consider one with hydraulics. Have the 3rd function for the grapple claw. Should have ~6 months to decide and purchase. Looking into the various clamp on models. So far Expanded and Earth and Turf.
I have about a 200' gravel driveway (nowhere near as large as many of other forum member's driveways) that also has a lollipop turnaround at the end and a few offshoots where you can park. I plan to use my FEL with skid shoes and my box blade. Just picked up a new tractor and few attachments (box blade, land rake and front forks) and just don't have the budget this year for "snow specific" attachments. I do know you can buy just the rear blade without the frame that will fit onto the land rake frame, but this coming winter I'll see how the box blade and FEL work out and take it from there
I also have a walk-behind MTD Pro snowblower that was great last year, but just took forever. But the snowblower is great for maintaining the sides and cutting in the edges of the driveway.
I also have a walk-behind MTD Pro snowblower that was great last year, but just took forever. But the snowblower is great for maintaining the sides and cutting in the edges of the driveway.
Blue2Orange
Active member
Equipment
BX2380 with LA344S & QH05. SB1051. SG0554. BB1248. RB0560, Vassar dirt bucket
Before tractor back in the 90's I cleared the ~1/8 mile long driveway with a 30" walk behind snowblower. Most snowfalls. If heavy (>1 ft) I called my neighbor who use to do commercial snow removal. Sometimes he just showed up and cleared one swath. Usually just one round snowblower trip to clear the driveway... I let him hunt and collect firewood on my 40. Yep, takes forever with a walk behind snowblower.
Doubt if a box blade will be very effective in removing snow. When using the FEL bucket it fills fast then ends up pushing snow to the side requiring the snowblower to remove the banks created. Bucket and rear blade works nice for very light snowfalls. That is, until the snowbanks build up. Guessing a box blade would just fill up. Snow then falling over the sides and back. Plus you will have to take care not to tear up the gravel surface.
Hope for every season is frozen gravel driveway with a few sub 1 ft snowfalls that allow driving over and packing down to reduce the chance of plowing gravel into the ditches or blowing gravel into the woods. Rare the past decade or so.
Doubt if a box blade will be very effective in removing snow. When using the FEL bucket it fills fast then ends up pushing snow to the side requiring the snowblower to remove the banks created. Bucket and rear blade works nice for very light snowfalls. That is, until the snowbanks build up. Guessing a box blade would just fill up. Snow then falling over the sides and back. Plus you will have to take care not to tear up the gravel surface.
Hope for every season is frozen gravel driveway with a few sub 1 ft snowfalls that allow driving over and packing down to reduce the chance of plowing gravel into the ditches or blowing gravel into the woods. Rare the past decade or so.
nbryan
Well-known member
Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Boxblade and loader bucket do nice moderate or less snowfall cleanups. The blade can move snowpiles off the lane and then push it up the banks in reverse. It's like having a 2-way loader with triple the snow hauling capacity.
But the front blower is the cat's meow when real winter snows hit.
Go find a 6 foot back blade on craigslist or other places. I have mine reversed and tilted good for snow removal. I paid $200 for mine. Got lucky. Just saw one on CL for $300 in my area. Back blade and front buckets works well. Having a gravel driveway, a snow blower would remove allot of gravel.
didn’t kick up much gravel at all last year with my 28” walk-behind snow blower. Bought some aftermarket skid shoes that let me raise of the snowblower a bit so you can skim it just above the gravel. Then the base freezes and after that it’s even easier