surface saver for back blade?
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Ah so! I thought maybe you were sneaking off with some signs or a guardrail or twoWhoops!
Not all my words made it in that post.
I use a tire throw/pelt from a truck.
You can get it free on a freeway!
Ray
Hokie I do have stall mats, old and newer, but they are a bear to cut. Something already about a useable width would be within the range of the tools I have. I can ask my neighbor that bales hay if he has any old baler belts stashed away. His farm has been in their family for 150 years or so, so not unreasonable.
Thanks guys I appreciate all the good ideas! I am not thinking to get this alley way immaculate, but if I can get the piles down to a reasonable size without gouging the concrete with the corners that would be good. This will be my first winter with this 3d barn, so it will be interesting to see what the north wind does with the snow in the space in between them there.
Thanks guys I appreciate all the good ideas! I am not thinking to get this alley way immaculate, but if I can get the piles down to a reasonable size without gouging the concrete with the corners that would be good. This will be my first winter with this 3d barn, so it will be interesting to see what the north wind does with the snow in the space in between them there.
If you're not worried about it being perfectly clean, how about skid shoes like a truck snowplow, or a bucket tamer. Either one would move the majority of the snow without gouging.
Update: Following Diydave's suggestion, I got a 5/4 by 6"plastic board (free, by luck, 12' cut in half to make two blades) and attached it to my blade in the place of my steel blade. It needed different bolts because of the challenges of drilling square holes in the plastic board (see thread on that in Off Topic ) I used 2 inch long, 5/8 inch, grade 8 hex head bolts and big washers instead of the original plow bolts.
The plastic board worked great on its maiden voyage, I had to fracture the frozen slush piles into blocks with a shovel to where the blade could grab them, but it worked great to pull the piles down the alley way to the pasture. Where the corner of the blade would have dug into the concrete, the board just left grey marks. Depending on the winter and my plowing skills it might last a season before needing to be replaced. But for the cost of the bolts and a 15/16 socket it is a cheap alternative. No doubt the commercial blades are nice, but for what I hope is minimal use (thank you El Nino) this is fine. Thank you Dave!
BTW I ran out onto the lawn at one point with it, and it didn't dig into the established lawn. The fresh dirt and newly planted grass at the other end of the alley were another matter.
) I used 2 inch long, 5/8 inch, grade 8 hex head bolts and big washers instead of the original plow bolts. The plastic board worked great on its maiden voyage, I had to fracture the frozen slush piles into blocks with a shovel to where the blade could grab them, but it worked great to pull the piles down the alley way to the pasture. Where the corner of the blade would have dug into the concrete, the board just left grey marks. Depending on the winter and my plowing skills it might last a season before needing to be replaced. But for the cost of the bolts and a 15/16 socket it is a cheap alternative. No doubt the commercial blades are nice, but for what I hope is minimal use (thank you El Nino) this is fine. Thank you Dave!
BTW I ran out onto the lawn at one point with it, and it didn't dig into the established lawn. The fresh dirt and newly planted grass at the other end of the alley were another matter.
Looks great but just be aware that the wear bar also adds strength to your blade so be careful not to fetch up on anything or you could bend your blade.
Grouse Feathers
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If I remember correctly you have one of the better Woods rear blades, maybe one that has the capability to tilt? When I was looking for a rear blade to use for snow removal I considered one with tilt so I could pull the tilt pin. With the tilt pin pulled the blade is supposed to be able to tilt to follow the terrain and reduce gouging. I was just wondering if you ever tried to move snow with the tilt pin removed and how it worked?
If I remember correctly you have one of the better Woods rear blades, maybe one that has the capability to tilt? When I was looking for a rear blade to use for snow removal I considered one with tilt so I could pull the tilt pin. With the tilt pin pulled the blade is supposed to be able to tilt to follow the terrain and reduce gouging. I was just wondering if you ever tried to move snow with the tilt pin removed and how it worked?
Yes you can tilt it to a couple of angles, but I have never tried it with the pin out completely. Interesting point, I'll take it out in the back pasture and try it and let you know.
For lawns and fresh earth, plowing with the blade turned the other way, may not make sense, but just try it. You will be amazed at how well it works and saves gouging lawns, etc.
Yes, I agree, I used it a lot last year. Not possible in this particular spot. I was gouging just where the blade dropped off the concrete into the new soft dirt despite my best efforts to raise the 3pt just enough.
I tried it with the pin out in the back pasture which is hilly and lumpy, not much snow, but seemed to work fine. Had the blade at 90o so it was easy for it to roll left or right. When there is more snow I'll try it with the blade angled.
Thanks everyone!
Grouse Feathers
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Thanks for the report, I hope it helps in your concrete alley when you get some snow. With the pin out you can change the angle and you will not have to adjust the 3 point tilt to keep the blade level. You can lengthen the toplink for a more aggressive cut or shorten the toplink for more rolling of the snow and the blade will still set flat regardless of the angle.
North Idaho Wolfman
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I would not try and let the blade tilt side to side unpinned when you have the blade at any angle, as it could catch the leading edge on something and cause the blades leading edge to dive and dig in and this could cause some serious damage to the blade or possibly the tractor.
My driveway is a mile long with class a gravel. The first couple snowfalls every year I use the back blade angled and turned backwards so I don't lose my gravel to clear snow. As soon as there's a good base I switch to the blower but even thenI'll use a blade to move the snow to the centre of the road and then it's just one run with the blower as long as it wasn't a heavy snowfall.
Thanks NIW, I wondered if something weird might not happen if it was slanty wise. This is a pretty heavy blade and it would torque the heck out of my 3 pt if it did that.I would not try and let the blade tilt side to side unpinned when you have the blade at any angle, as it could catch the leading edge on something and cause the blades leading edge to dive and dig in and this could cause some serious damage to the blade or possibly the tractor.