Snow plowing a driveway--Options?

[amelia]

Okay, don't laugh at me. I'm new at this!

I'll have about 1/8 mile of driveway to clear this winter and am not sure what my options are. I hear a lot about "four wheelers" with snow plow attachments being a good bet in this area; I've also heard reference to snow blowers. I'm afraid I don't have a mental image of either one and would kill to see a picture! Also, any advice on what might be a good (and reasonably priced) option for doing this job would be greatly appreciated. One priority of mine is that it not be mechanically complicated--the simpler the better. Thanks for any ideas!

[fantasymaker]

Hire a service?

[Pink_Carnation]

If it is western washington I would not expect a blower to work very well due to the weight of the snow. There are attachments for lawn mowers I don't know how well they work though. We just shovel the parts with the hill if it is actually going to stick around more than a day. If it is on the dry side like the Tri-Cities area a blower would probably work well since the snow tends to be dry.

[Bear]

If you have a 4x4 truck, you can always have a plow mounted on it.

[NCLee]

If you have a neighbor with a tractor and a blade, make arrangements ahead of time for him to plow it. You can set this up on a barter system. You help him out when he needs help and he'll help you with the snow. Same should work with a neighbor with any type of vehicle mounted snow removal equipment.

Around here snow blowers aren't worth the investment, IMHO. Often our snow starts out or ends with sleet and freezing rain. Wet, heavy snow is the norm for us.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Snow plow? Wassdat?

Around here what little snow we get we just drive on it. Once your tires mash it down it melts really quickly. Plus it's not the snow that's hard to drive on but the freezing rain and ice...

A front wheel vehicle like a lot of minivans and such are great on snow, the front drive gives it better traction in the snow and ice. You can drive on about 6 inches of snow without a problem as long as it's not too hilly. More than that and you'll need some way to remove it or crush it, perhaps by driving a tractor over it using the tires to mash down the driveway area.

[seagullplayer]

Originally Posted by NCLee

If you have a neighbor with a tractor and a blade, make arrangements ahead of time for him to plow it. You can set this up on a barter system. You help him out when he needs help and he'll help you with the snow. Same should work with a neighbor with any type of vehicle mounted snow removal equipment.

That is what I do, I pay him a little something when he lets me. You will find in much cheaper in the long run.

Is your drive paved? It makes a big difference, ATV's and small plows do a fair job on paved, but gravel (like mine) is a whole other ball game.

I also own three 4x4's at present, that helps...

[cfabe]

I've used a walk-behind blower, a lawn tractor mounted blower and a truck-mounted plow. For ease of use, a plow is great. You get to sit in a heated cab and not have snow blowing in your face. A new plow is very expensive, at least $2000. The only reason I have one now is I stumbled into a great deal.

Walk behind snow blowers are a pain to use, and I wouldn't consider it for that long of a driveway. A tractor/mower mounted are better, but you still are "outside" when working, and they are light so they can get stuck easily.

I've seen guys try to plow with a light machine like an ATV or lawn tractor and they always seem to struggle. I don't think the machines have enough weight & power to really push up large piles of snow. If you only get a few inches of snow, they might do okay.

Unfortunately, I think you'll find that none of the good options are cheap. It might be worthwhile to consider a plow service if you can find a reliable operator in your area. A plow service is no use if they leave you snowed in the day of the biggest storm. Hooking up with a neighbor who has the right equipment might be the best idea, they'll be there during a big storm and not out plowing all their customers.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by amelia

I'm afraid I don't have a mental image of either one and would kill to see a picture!....

How's this?

[tab]

We have always had long driveways (700+ feet) and for years, 20 ++, I used a snowblower. If the snow is heavy, plan on getting out and getting the driveway cleaned before it accumulates. Plan on lots and lots of time and lots of cold. We finally have purchased a four wheel drive tractor and believe you me, there is going to be a snowblower on it this year. Yes, I will be out in the cold still but I will not be pushing the blasted snowblower when it can't quite go where I need it to. A truck with a blade sounds good to me or a service.

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

How's this?

A chevy! oh no, I cant park my ford near a chevy or they will be scrappin'. lol.

[hunter63]

Forget a ATV on a long run driveway, gravel drive way or really deep snow.
They do alright as long as there is room to push it, like a first snow fall, but they don't "Lift" the snow, so you run out of room.
Also need 4 wheel drive.

Hire it out or get a 4 X 4 truck w/ plow.

[Jennifer L.]

How much snow do you actually get? And if you get a lot of it,how many times a winter do you get it? If you get a lot, and you get it often, the plow mounted on the truck might be a good idea. If you get four inches twice a winter and that's it, I probably wouldn't bother with anything.

If you have a neighbor with a mounted plow who will do it for you once or twice a week during storms, that might be a good option.

The snow blower does not make sense to me on that long of a driveway if you had to do it on a continual basis, like once or twice a week. I use a skid steer to do my driveways, with a bucket, and it's not ideal but it's versatile and does the job. I've never wanted to spring for the blower attachment for one, which would be great but I'm cheap.

I have never used a four wheeler for this kind of thing but I question how much "ompf" they have for actually clearing snow. Maybe in light weight snow areas they work. I know I don't see much use of them around here, and we do get considerable snow here on occasion.

Jennifer

[Wolf mom]

I just drive on the driveway & access road (appx 6/10 of a mile) every few hours with my 4 X 4 when it's snowing. That packs down the snow & I'm fine.

This was suggested to me here on HT when I had 33 inches of snow overnight & didn't know what to do.

[mnn2501]

snow? whats that?

[RVcook]

DH and I 'built' a drag behind snow plow out of 2 x 6's and some lengths of perforated metal (like drywall corner bead) to protect the edges when it's dragged. We attach it to the hitch on the 4 x 4 Jeep with a length of HD chain and drive down our 1/8 mile long driveway. It's shaped like a triangle and the point of the triangle is where the chain is attached. DH drags the plow around when we get moderate snow. It works like a 'wing or V plow' and cuts through the snow. Then he finishes up with the 4 wheeler and mini plow. We have a snowblower, but the snow is so heavy we rarely use it.

Even though this system works relatively well for us, when we get HUGE freakin' snow, we do have a person on a per-call basis who plows with a 4 x 4 truck. It's also nice to have him come and plow when we're out of town for a day or two.

RVcook

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by mnn2501

snow? whats that?

It's that stuff when the forecast says that a few flakes may fall, Texas schools get cancelled.

[mellowguy]

Originally Posted by Jennifer L.

How much snow do you actually get? And if you get a lot of it,how many times a winter do you get it? If you get a lot, and you get it often, the plow mounted on the truck might be a good idea. If you get four inches twice a winter and that's it, I probably wouldn't bother with anything.

That was my thought too. How much snow can you get in western Washington? If it's 4-5 inches, any car with all-season tires can just drive over it a few times until the weather melts it a few hours or a couple of days later. The problem here is at the end of the driveway, where the county plows makes a snow bank.

I'm in Ontario, and I just drive over anything below 6" of snow. That's with a 4x4 or a sport car. Storms get cleaned-up by a neighbour with a tractor-mounted snowblower.

ATV-mounted blades are useless. If you can't just drive on top of it with your car, your ATV won't push it. Forget about using an ATV to push heavy snow, and they'll make a mess on gravel driveways. Anyone I know that tried an ATV with blade gave up. I have a stubborn friend that cleans small snow (up to 3-4") with the ATV to justify his purchase, and anything bigger with a walk-behind snowblower.

A lawn-tractor with a blade will do much better, except with gravel. A lawn-tractor with a snowblower will work fine. I don't understand the negative comment in one of the above posts.

A walk-behind snowblower works fine. 1/8th of a mile seems like it would take a lot of time to clean with a snowblower. If you're cleaning 5" of snow with a decent engine, it might very well take you an hour or two to clear.

Keep in mind that snowblowing is not as glamourous as it may appear. You've got to dress up as if you're snowmobiling, because wind is a b**ch when you blow snow.

[TwoAcresAndAGoat]

Horse drawn "V" plow

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...3D160%26um%3D1

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sc...g_pferdzug.jpg

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

It's that stuff when the forecast says that a few flakes may fall, Texas schools get cancelled.

Ain't that the truth!