Christmas Snow

Flat Thunder Channel · Dec 19, 2020

Good pictures! I too have yet to properly prepared for winter snow. This reminds me I might want to think about getting the plows fixed. I haven't needed them for the last four or five years, but now that they are dismantled I might be in for a surprise. I better get to wrenching!

PSA don't forget your diesel fuel additive. The fuel they sell in the midwestern states doesn't come with any extra winter additives. Freezing up sucks!

cuttin edge · Dec 19, 2020

Willie B said:
Generac is the brand I sell. They make a great machine. They build their own engines optimized for long run time @ 3600 RPM.
Briggs is competitively priced, but even regular service requires a good deal of disassembly. They use the same engine used on all sorts of other stuff, I do not consider a great engine. Briggs is vertical, any oil leakage ends up in the generator.

I prefer the air cooled twin cylinder Generacs. Liquid cooled are very costly.

Generac seems popular around here. We don't have access to natural gas here, so they run off propane. we had a bad ice storm here a few years ago, followed by high winds. There were power crews here from all over, even Maine and New Hampshire. Some people were without power for 9 days. We were only 4. Made me miss my wood stove. They sold a boat load of Generacs that spring

Willie B · Dec 19, 2020

cuttin edge said:
Generac seems popular around here. We don't have access to natural gas here, so they run off propane. we had a bad ice storm here a few years ago, followed by high winds. There were power crews here from all over, even Maine and New Hampshire. Some people were without power for 9 days. We were only 4. Made me miss my wood stove. They sold a boat load of Generacs that spring

Yeah, the spine of the Green Mountains gets SNOW!
Last winter they had a major outage. Generators I ordered in October are scheduled to ship in early march. People mostly wait until it is too late, then want to buy. These are NOT like cars where a dealer has a lot full hoping to sell them.

Tinkerer · Dec 19, 2020

Here ya go Willie !
190 proof.
Maybe they could ship it to a store near you.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Everclear-Grain-Alcohol-750-mL/188219711

Willie B · Dec 20, 2020

Wallmart Online no less! In VT only the state, and a few franchised businesses are licensed to sell distilled alcohol. Beer & wine sellers are everywhere.

aighead · Dec 21, 2020

Speaking of things Everclear will tear up... I've used it to blow fire before. To do so I put probably less than half a shot in my mouth, hold the lighter out, and trumpet away! Well, I found out that it you do that 2 or 3 times in a row the lining of your mouth sloughs off after a day or two... I guess just burns it away!

I need to look into a generator also, but boy do they seem expensive!

colson04 · Dec 22, 2020

Got a bit of prep work done last Sunday for future snow removal. Don't have chains on backhoe yet, but at least the snowblower is ready to go. Bobcat has bucket on and parked in the barn as well. Even got a chance to put driveway edge markers in for the length of my 500ft driveway.

T-town · Dec 22, 2020

Hey Colson,

Is that driveway paved??

colson04 · Dec 22, 2020

T-town said:
Hey Colson,

Is that driveway paved??

Nope. Downhill to the road, all gravel. The feet are set to keep the blower an inch or so off the surface. It still picks up rocks occasionally, just need to be aware of where the chute is aimed. The tractor does really well with the chains on the drives. This is my fifth winter at this house and have used this tractor the entire time. we are in the lake effect snow area so this set up gets used quite regularly.

A big plus for me: my wife likes to drive this tractor, and will go blow the driveway out willingly on her own.

aighead · Dec 23, 2020

I put chains on my little tractor's back tires too, just to be able to slog through the wet, sometimes muddy, grass. It's amazing how well they grip and make it through almost anything. It also helped when we were pulling honeysuckle out.

Willie B · Dec 23, 2020

colson04 said:
Got a bit of prep work done last Sunday for future snow removal. Don't have chains on backhoe yet, but at least the snowblower is ready to go. Bobcat has bucket on and parked in the barn as well. Even got a chance to put driveway edge markers in for the length of my 500ft driveway.View attachment 230580

I bought a 410 2 wheel drive years ago. I reasoned a 14000 LB machine didn't need chains to plow snow. My driveway & all the neighbors have near level driveways. First storm I found myself 50 feet from the driveway, as it is a few feet in elevation lower than the driveway. I decided I was going to do damage, I went out and bought chains.

T-town · Dec 23, 2020

My 'driveway to be' is all gravel ( 'modified' it's called here)) at present.... had some thoughts of paving the 2 hills I have at some point. I was thinking of a "blower" set up like yours and wondered how it work on the a gravel drive. I will have well over 1000ft to deal with and I'm not sure how well a plow will deal with the surface.
Thanks for the insight.

colson04 · Dec 23, 2020

T-town said:
My 'driveway to be' is all gravel ( 'modified' it's called here)) at present.... had some thoughts of paving the 2 hills I have at some point. I was thinking of a "blower" set up like yours and wondered how it work on the a gravel drive. I will have well over 1000ft to deal with and I'm not sure how well a plow will deal with the surface.
Thanks for the insight.

Most of the driveway is 22A spec (stabilizer/shoulder gravel depending on what they call it where you're from). It packs hard, has smaller gravel size in it and holds up quite well. At the top and bottom I have 1.25"- crushed stone mixed in with stabilizer. It drains better so it's not as soggy where we park during the spring thaw. My hill ranges from nearly flat at bottom up to 6.5% right before you crest the top. I do have washouts that form in that area, but the rest of the drive holds up real well. Even in the heaviest snows (over 12"), the tractor makes it through, just at a slower pace. Worst case, the bobcat, or backhoe can break a trail if I really need to. I don't like plowing; end up with too much gravel and sod wherever the snow pile melts. If I had a paved drive, I would definitely plow for the speed of it though.

Willie B · Dec 23, 2020

In my youth the ground was frozen from early December to April 1. No need for shoes on a plow. These days the ground is usually not frozen. I use shoes on a plow, or a loader bucket to plow. I do not push snow past the boundaries of the driveway. Spring thaw, I back drag the driveway material back where it came from.
As for hills, research the original Macadam. It was an involved specification of at least 10" depth on native soil. Crushed stone was specified as 2" X 1" X 1". In the day of horseshoes & wagon tires, this mix would get smashed together to form a hard surface.
I use "1-3/4" Drainage stone". It works great if drivers use four wheel drive & drive with two wheels in center of a 15' wide travelled portion.

Knuckleheads who bounce up a steep hill in two wheel drive, straddling the crown will bugger a nice road pretty quickly.

Tinkerer · Dec 23, 2020

I watched a landscape company use a three point hitch snowblower in the subdivision next to me. It was quite effective. Similar to this one.

stinky64 · Dec 23, 2020

Rear blower is nice, really moves the snow, only problem is the stiff neck from looking backwards the entire time...thought about the front mount conversion kit for the massey 1428...quite pricey,and considering I have 3 hydraulic "snow shovels".I decided to save my loot...

56wrench · Dec 23, 2020

a couple years ago i bought this. its been great! i thought about a 3-point hitch type but my neck and back muscles are old and creaky. i also got a 72" mid-mount mower and a front-end-loader with bucket and also 48" pallet forks. it has sure been handy. when we downsize i am definitely taking it with me

cuttin edge · Dec 23, 2020

The city here has 2 loader mounted 365hp blowers. I think they move something like 3000 tons an hour. I know they can fill a tandem truck in about 30 second or less. I watched one open the side chute and blow snow out onto the river, quite a site

Flat Thunder Channel · Dec 23, 2020

56wrench said:
a couple years ago i bought this. its been great! i thought about a 3-point hitch type but my neck and back muscles are old and creaky. i also got a 72" mid-mount mower and a front-end-loader with bucket and also 48" pallet forks. it has sure been handy. when we downsize i am definitely taking it with meView attachment 230618

Very nice! I'm jealous

stinky64 · Dec 23, 2020

That's the cat's pajamas...same setup I was considering...gotta say , also a little jealous

Christmas Snow

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