Snow Removal Using a Passenger Car

[blufford]

Can a snow blade/plow be fitted on a regular passenger car for some light duty snow removal around the driveway and mailbox?

[michiganfarmer]

I dont see why not.

I would try it just to see what it looks like

[Hoop]

Anything is possible. Not everything is practical.

To start with, most cars are 2 wheel drive and lack the adequate suspension a snow plow requires. The frame itself on a car likely is unsuited for the rigors of a snowplow.
Then there is the vision thing. Car passengers sit lower than truck/suv passengers. You'd basically be plowing blind.

I suppose if you find a 4 wheel drive car, and then spend an obscene amount of funding upgrading the frame & suspension, you'd have a rudimentary, although somewhat unsafe (the vision thing) snow plowing rig that MIGHT work.

Of course, for 1/4 of what you'd spend prepping a car for a snowplow that MIGHT work, you could purchase a truck/snowplow setup that is guaranteed to perform.

[michiganfarmer]

I dissagree.

I think a plow could be used without raising it. that would save some of the stress on the frame. The angle mechanism could all be manual. that would save on material cost, and weight. the plow wouldnt have to be all steel. there could be some wood componants, and some plastic componants. A do it yourself attitude could get something built that would work, and shouldnt cost much.

Its not ging to be pretty, or easy to use, and it wont handle deep snow, but with care, and attention to detail. I think it could work, and save the cost of a plow truck.

[foxtrapper]

I have seen some plastic snow shovels/blades for cars. They slide on the ground and you just drive into them and strap then to the car.

I really question the effectiveness, and how much damage they would do to the paint of car. But they do exist.

As for trying to manuever a snow plow to clear around a mail box, forget it. Trying to get in that tight and that precisely, you'd be better off with either a snow-blower or a shovel.

[buffalocreek]

Why would you even bother to push shallow snow you can drive a car thru. Seems to be a waste of time and energy to me. Let it melt.

[HermitJohn]

I remember an article in some distant past Popular Mechanics or Popular Science, you know, back before they just became catalogs for the latest yuppie trinkets, about building one out of wood. Course that also was back when most cars had full ladder frame. No idea what issue, and sure unless you live near a university or something, you wouldnt be able to find a copy. Pretty simple though.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i think saying a standard pasanger car is a bit to vague

if you say had a 1985 amc eagle then yes

if you say a 1934 modle A then yes

if you said a 1989 ford ltd then yes

but do i think a geo,saturn , honda , toyota, mazda, passenger car could i think you would do them serios damage

yes they make plexiglas plows for light suv and small trucks like a s10

could somthing like that be used on a larger car probably but the frame/unibody of light passenger cars can bend and flex with bad pot holes causing the car to need to have wheel alingmnts made almost yearly now talk about the stress of getting up to 10 mph and hitting a bank of snow there may not even be thick enough metal at the places where you would mount it to take that abuse even a few times without tearing out.

[Thoughthound]

If the snow is light, you probably could get a blade and a garden tractor for less money.

However a 6-8 hp self-propelled snow blower would cost even less than that.

I've moved snow with a garden tractor, a Farmall and a snowblower. If I was going to buy one machine just to move snow, I'd go with the snowblower. By the time you mess around getting the others ready and figuring out where to turn around and where to push snow to, you could be done with the snowblower, and back in the house. A snowblower is less expensive to maintain, uses less fuel and requires less storage.

I'm with those who believe pushing snow with a car would not be practical. There's light snow, and heavy wet snow, and partial ice, etc. Without the torque and weight, a car would not perform well in all situations. A snowblower does not have a lot of weight, but it is taking smaller bites, and with tire chains will get through very icy snow in a low gear. Plus it will move the snow 20 feet away.

If you buy a snowblower, go with Airens or another quality maker. You won't save money or time with a lightweight machine that rattles apart. And the heavy-dut ones can handle a little gravel. Avoid MTD. I have an Airens from 1974--still tears through icy packed road-plowed mounds at the driveway like a champ. I've replaced oil, filters, belts, hoses, zerks, shear pins, and paint and that's it!

If I was to buy again, I might even look for an older Airens on the cheap and have a repair shop slap a new engine on it rather than buy brand new. One caveat--that old machine is heavy if you have to push or pull without the engine assist. No aluminum in there.

[Cornhusker]

Most passenger cars don't have a full frame, they have sub frames and a unibody.
They aren't built for pushing big piles of stuff.
It' might work, but eventually, you'll notice little things like the doors aren't lined up right, or you'll leave 4 tracks driving down the road instead of two.
If this is an old car you don't care about, go ahead, but if it's your only car, I'd find another way.

[YoungOne]

I used my 97' geo metro this winter and it worked great. Of course, I wasn't realy plowing. I wired a sheet of plywood to front bumper to help push the snow DOWN and compact it. I only had to deal with about 16" so this probably won't work for the folks living WAY up north.

On a side note if getting in and out is the only concern a small light car is usualy the easiest anyways. Just be sure to reroute air supply to the engine since they tend to choke on snow. LOL

[wy_white_wolf]

Originally Posted by buffalocreek

Why would you even bother to push shallow snow you can drive a car thru. Seems to be a waste of time and energy to me. Let it melt.

From experience

Because when you drive over it you compact it. Over time it can build up to 2 of 3 feet thick. Then it all decides to turn into slush in 1 day come spring. Then you can't get around at all. Even with 4 wheel drives. No longer white fluffy stuff, now its wet heavy slush. You also need to get someone with a front end loader as pickups with snowplows can't move it.

[FarmerJeff]

There are a lot of beater trucks with plows on Craigslist for $500-$800. A new lightweight plow can cost $2000. Do the math.

[ldc]

Well, the OP posted from Delaware; not an area known for lots of snow, most years. I'd say, go for it! Often tho you can prob. just flatten it! Lots of the responses were from far north climates which are of course another world altogether. ldc

[cseger1]

Garden tractor. That or a 4 wheeler. And keep the foot print small.

[hunter63]

Originally Posted by YoungOne

I used my 97' geo metro this winter and it worked great. Of course, I wasn't realy plowing. I wired a sheet of plywood to front bumper to help push the snow DOWN and compact it. I only had to deal with about 16" so this probably won't work for the folks living WAY up north.

On a side note if getting in and out is the only concern a small light car is usualy the easiest anyways. Just be sure to reroute air supply to the engine since they tend to choke on snow. LOL

You have snow in Arizona?

Didn't set off the air bag did you?

[YoungOne]

northern az. as said 16", no problem other than I choked it the first time.

[longshot38]

ive seen it done to a chevy chevette so if you can get that sucker mounted give 'er a try.


dean

[TNHermit]

Red Green did a show on that!! I can watch all them again and see if I can find it

[wy_white_wolf]

Originally Posted by TNHermit

Red Green did a show on that!! I can watch all them again and see if I can find it

While your watching would you tape them all for me! Local station quit carrying him.