Anyone know anything about snow plows? Thinking of getting one for my driveway

[PingSpike]

We're going to get a small used truck soon, Tacoma, Nissan, maybe a ranger...and considering how much it snows, how long our driveway is and how much it costs to have some one plow we're thinking of doing it ourselves.

Most of the plows I see seem to have a professional setup. They're really heavy and expensive. I'd like something smaller, but functional to clean up my average dump of snow. I don't have a problem with having the plow company come a few times a winter to clean up huge snow storms...but I don't want to keep paying $23 to clean up 5-6 inches either.

I'd also like something that can be quickly mounted and unmounted so I could still drive the truck to work after plowing the snow. I've seen the snowsport one, which costs like 1200 bucks and has no motors or anything. It has to be manually adjusted, and drags when backing up.

But I saw a "Rocky Road" plow thats pretty simple and uses a winch attached to the trucks battery to adjust the blade. Also, around 1200.

Are these things crap? My driveway is about 150-200ft and has a pretty solid hill going up out of it. Will a 4cylinder truck get the job done?

Are there any concerns with using a plow with a truck?

 

[FDF12389]

Have kids - buy shovels - get out whip.

http://www.snowplownews.com

That site seems to have a good amount of information.

 

[GoatMonkey]

They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Why not get a snowblower and just use that? A plough can be a pain to mount and dismount all the time, and it will block your headlights when it's raised, so you'd need an extra set of headlights if you kept the plough mounted.

I would recommend a Toro Power Max snow thrower. They are a two-stage snow thrower with self-propulsion and they work great. We bought one for my father a few years ago with electric start (just plug it into a wall outlet and push the starter button) and it cuts right through any snow they get. They advertise MSRP of around $1,100, but we bought ours for around $800, so there are deals if you can shop around. A good two-stage snowblower is really the perfect thing for a driveway if that's all you need it for. An Ariens from Home Depot can be had in the $600-$700 range with electric start and a quality Techumseh engine. For what you need, that sounds better suited. The extra time it would take a snow thrower would be canceled out by the amount of time it would take to mount and un-mount a plough.

ZV

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Why not get a snowblower and just use that? A plough can be a pain to mount and dismount all the time, and it will block your headlights when it's raised, so you'd need an extra set of headlights if you kept the plough mounted.

I would recommend a Toro Power Max snow thrower. They are a two-stage snow thrower with self-propulsion and they work great. We bought one for my father a few years ago with electric start (just plug it into a wall outlet and push the starter button) and it cuts right through any snow they get. They advertise MSRP of around $1,100, but we bought ours for around $800, so there are deals if you can shop around. A good two-stage snowblower is really the perfect thing for a driveway if that's all you need it for. An Ariens from Home Depot can be had in the $600-$700 range with electric start and a quality Techumseh engine. For what you need, that sounds better suited. The extra time it would take a snow thrower would be canceled out by the amount of time it would take to mount and un-mount a plough.

ZV

I agree with this post. Snowblower would be the way to go. :thumbsup:

 

[PingSpike]

How fast do the snow blowers usually go? How well do they handle going up hill? (I don't know the grade, but its steep enough that I'm "compelled" to break into a slow jog when walked back from getting the mail.)

Don't snow blowers get bogged down in deep snow? I live in the mountains of vermont. I guess one of my neighbors with a shorter driveway gets by with his blower.

This is becoming another thread....

 

[GoatMonkey]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

It would probably cause the concrete to crack also if it heated too fast.

There must be a way to do this automatically though.

 

[zerocool84]

Mr. Plow, that's my name, that name again is Mr. Plow

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

It would probably cause the concrete to crack also if it heated too fast.

There must be a way to do this automatically though.

I can't think of anything that doesn't involve heat or mechanically moving the snow. My other terrible idea, mounting a flame thrower on the front of a truck, is worse then conventional plowing since it would use even more energy and start lots of buildings on fire.

But actually, I don't think the roads would have to heat up fast. You could use a heatpump system to keep them a steady temp most of the time. And you don't have to crank the heat up to a million degrees instantly.

Actually, if it wasn't even more cost prohibitive to install and bury heatpump systems that would probably work pretty good on ice. Might not have enough power to wipe out snow though. And there would be mountains of coils to bury.

 

[mooseracing]

Those cheap plows are just that. Buy a used plow setup for 700 bucks or so. Meyer, western, Boss, fisher - stick with he good stuff and it won't fail you. And if you get a new enough one, you can get the easy mount cartons. Hell even my old plow is only 2 pins, 2 hoses, and a chain. Less than 5 mins easily hooked up.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
How fast do the snow blowers usually go? How well do they handle going up hill? (I don't know the grade, but its steep enough that I'm "compelled" to break into a slow jog when walked back from getting the mail.)

Don't snow blowers get bogged down in deep snow? I live in the mountains of vermont. I guess one of my neighbors with a shorter driveway gets by with his blower.

This is becoming another thread....

The Toro we bought has 6 speeds, ranging from fairly slow to what I would characterize as a slow jog. It's heavy and has knobby tires, so it should to fine going up and down hills. I believe that there are even some companies that have the option of little snow chains for the tires on snowblowers.

Two-stage snowblowers do not usually get bogged down, though with a Vermont winter I would recommend a model with 8HP or more just to stay on the safe side. Just like a lawn mower, the faster you go, the more likely it is to clog, but if you go slow through the deep stuff you shouldn't have a problem.

ZV

 

[bruceb]

My personal choice is a Snapper unit.

This unit would do fine: 38 Inch Width and 13 HP motor

http://snapper.com/largeframe_xl_snowthrower.html

 

[KillerCharlie]

In the small chance you have a four wheeler / ATV, you can get a plow on that.

 

[cardiac]

ZV and others, I have a drive a little longer than the OP, and I did it with a snowblower for a few years and it kinda sucked too.... Took a lot of time, and I had a 36" 10HP 2 stage snowblower. I now have a 4 foot snowplow on my Wheelhorse tractor and it works wonderfully. Can do it in less than half the time.

The Rocky-road is ok, but I think these are a better plow and they are made by Fisher: The Homesteader - A lightweight plow. Fishers are grest plows, and these are made for 4 cyl trucks and SUV's.

Consider a good used garden tractor and a blade on the front. With tire chains, I can plow 2 feet of snow fairly easily with my Wheelhorse....

Bob

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: cardiac
ZV and others, I have a drive a little longer than the OP, and I did it with a snowblower for a few years and it kinda sucked too.... Took a lot of time, and I had a 36" 10HP 2 stage snowblower. I now have a 4 foot snowplow on my Wheelhorse tractor and it works wonderfully. Can do it in less than half the time.

The Rocky-road is ok, but I think these are a better plow and they are made by Fisher: The Homesteader - A lightweight plow. Fishers are grest plows, and these are made for 4 cyl trucks and SUV's.

Consider a good used garden tractor and a blade on the front. With tire chains, I can plow 2 feet of snow fairly easily with my Wheelhorse....

Bob

I agree that a plough is ultimately faster. I just recommended the snowblower because he didn't want to drive to work with the plough on the truck and it seemed like mounting and dismounting would be a pain. If he has a riding mower and can get a plough attachment, that would be an excellent idea. I wish I'd remembered that possibility.

ZV

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

It would probably cause the concrete to crack also if it heated too fast.

There must be a way to do this automatically though.

It would probably have embedded temperature sensors, and only turn on the heat when the road surface dips below freezing.

They heat airport runways in some areas, but I'm not sure it would be cost-effective to heat entire highways.

 

[PingSpike]

Thanks for the ideas guys. A guy at work that lives near where I do uses an ATV to plow. But honestly, I don't really want an ATV for any reason other than plowing so I'm not sure thats the best solution. My parents always used their big tractor to plow, but they have a greenhouse business with its own serious little road network. The only place I could store a tractor would be in my 2 car garage. (I need to build a shed or something...or god it never ends!)

cardiac, how long did it usually take to do your driveway when there was half a foot of snow? How about a foot?

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

I believe that there are even some companies that have the option of little snow chains for the tires on snowblowers.

ZV

The tracked units are nice also.


FYI a drive of the OP's sice shouldn't take more than 10-15mins with a 6/6.5 foot plow which woul dbe standard size for a 1/4 ton truck.

 

[GoatMonkey]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

It would probably cause the concrete to crack also if it heated too fast.

There must be a way to do this automatically though.

It would probably have embedded temperature sensors, and only turn on the heat when the road surface dips below freezing.

They heat airport runways in some areas, but I'm not sure it would be cost-effective to heat entire highways.

Since when did that ever stop the government?

I was just thinking about driveways actually. The government can pay for plowing roads, but each person still has to clear their own driveway. Automatically clearing the highways would be cool though.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: PingSpike
How fast do the snow blowers usually go? How well do they handle going up hill? (I don't know the grade, but its steep enough that I'm "compelled" to break into a slow jog when walked back from getting the mail.)

Don't snow blowers get bogged down in deep snow? I live in the mountains of vermont. I guess one of my neighbors with a shorter driveway gets by with his blower.

This is becoming another thread....

The Toro we bought has 6 speeds, ranging from fairly slow to what I would characterize as a slow jog. It's heavy and has knobby tires, so it should to fine going up and down hills. I believe that there are even some companies that have the option of little snow chains for the tires on snowblowers.

Two-stage snowblowers do not usually get bogged down, though with a Vermont winter I would recommend a model with 8HP or more just to stay on the safe side. Just like a lawn mower, the faster you go, the more likely it is to clog, but if you go slow through the deep stuff you shouldn't have a problem.

ZV

Yeah keep a minimum of 8 hp. If you want to do it fast get a 10 or 13 hp and you'll be able to blow in a pretty quick gear. 8 hp you'll have to go a little bit slower.

If you could get a tracked wide-auger 13+ hp unit you'll get it done in no time.

 

[cardiac]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Thanks for the ideas guys. A guy at work that lives near where I do uses an ATV to plow. But honestly, I don't really want an ATV for any reason other than plowing so I'm not sure thats the best solution. My parents always used their big tractor to plow, but they have a greenhouse business with its own serious little road network. The only place I could store a tractor would be in my 2 car garage. (I need to build a shed or something...or god it never ends!)

cardiac, how long did it usually take to do your driveway when there was half a foot of snow? How about a foot?

With 6-8 inches I could plow my driveway in about 20 minutes. It is 210 feet long, 10 feet wide at one end, and 30 feet wide at the barn. 12 inches would usually be about 30-45 minutes. I am kind of a fanatic about it too, as I like it pretty clean....

After I plow the driveway, I usually start plowing up big piles in the yard for the kids to build snow forts

 

[Zorba]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
They should make driveways in cold areas with embedded heating coils.

Heh, I was trying to think of a better way to clean the roads of snow the other day and thought briefly about installing heatcoils throughout the roads. The insane upfront cost might actually not be that bad if you consider how much it must cost to maintain plow trucks, pay salaries, fuel, sand, salt, etc. Of course, the energy usage would be absolutely insane so thats another good reason not too.

It would probably cause the concrete to crack also if it heated too fast.

There must be a way to do this automatically though.

It would probably have embedded temperature sensors, and only turn on the heat when the road surface dips below freezing.

They heat airport runways in some areas, but I'm not sure it would be cost-effective to heat entire highways.

Oklahoma State did a massive research project on heating bridges a few years ago. Smart Bridge I think the concussion was that it wasn't economical, but there is a ton of research at that link if anyone is interested.