How Do You Clear Your Drive?

How do you clear your driveway, whether contracted out or done yourself?

Shovel: I do it the old fashioned way
5
7%
Snow Scoop: I use the modified old fashioned way
0
No votes
Snowblower: I like to use petrochemicals to move snow, but prefer to do it at 30 inches at a time
23
33%
ATV: I like to clear my drive and then go blasting through the woods as a reward
2
3%
Tractor: An ornery ole cuss, I just push it out of the way with my tractor
17
24%
Tractor/Blower: I use a snowblower on my tractor and end up wearing most of it
8
11%
Truck: Nothing beats a heated cab, and the speed and power of a truck
14
20%
Radiant: I don't do anything but look outside and watch it melt
1
1%
 
Total votes: 70

 
NoSmoke
Member
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun. Oct. 14, 2012 7:52 pm
Location: Mid Coast Maine
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: New Yoker WC90
Baseburners & Antiques: Woods and Bishop Antique Pot Bellied Stove
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut/Pea Anthracite
Other Heating: Munchkin LP Boiler/Englander Pellet Stove/Perkins 4.108 Cogeneration diesel

Post by NoSmoke » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 6:37 am

Just wondering how people on here clear their driveways?

I use my tractor and push it out of the way with the bucket. We did modify the bucket to be nearly 8 feet wide to gain some efficiency in doing so. Overall it is a terrible way to push snow. The tractor does not have a cab so it is cold, and it is a very slow moving way to move snow. Granted no amount of snow stops it, and it never gets stuck, and can pile the snow up 8 feet, but I think a truck is better and a lot faster.

Alternatively, we do have a 7 foot snowblower that does work well. It is a bit big for the tractor and is cumbersome to use. With it sticking out 6 feet in the back, and the loader doing the same up front, the turning radius is about 40 feet, so it is tough to get around. And on this hill, blowing snow means you wear as much of it as you remove. I would take a pick up with a Blizzard Speed Wing any day, but who could justify a $12,000 dollar unit just to move snow from point A to Point B?


 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30292
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 6:44 am

Now if we woulda had more then one choice I woulda had to put p/u plus ornary old 8N for clean up.

 
User avatar
Freddy
Member
Posts: 7292
Joined: Fri. Apr. 11, 2008 2:54 pm
Location: Orrington, Maine
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 130 (pea)
Coal Size/Type: Pea size, Superior, deep mined

Post by Freddy » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 6:53 am

I snow blow. No way would a plow do what we do. We have more paths & twisty places then anywhere. Gotta keep the wife & dogs happy! For the first time this year I have a "sit on" snowblower. I picked up a used Wheelhorse & did some major repair work on a two stage snowblower. It does a hellofa job! I do eat some snow if it's windy, but if I wear my full face helmet I'm comfy as a dog by a coal stove.

 
User avatar
I'm On Fire
Member
Posts: 3918
Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Vernon, New Jersey
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator

Post by I'm On Fire » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 7:00 am

There's no option for, "I tell the lazy 13 year old boy to go oitside and shovel since my snowblower is still broken".

Because thats what I do.

 
User avatar
lsayre
Member
Posts: 21781
Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
Location: Ohio
Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75

Post by lsayre » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 7:01 am

For us it used to be shovels and salt, but three years ago our three children (grown adults) pitched in together and got us a two-stage MTD snowblower with electric start for Christmas.

 
User avatar
sperry
Member
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri. Nov. 05, 2010 10:55 pm
Location: America
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520

Post by sperry » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 7:10 am

We start with the heated cab. :D Then we we gear up and start the old Ariens blower to get her done. ;)

 
User avatar
wilder11354
Member
Posts: 1221
Joined: Sat. Jan. 29, 2011 10:48 pm
Location: Montrose, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF260 Boiler
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
Coal Size/Type: nut or pea, anthracite
Other Heating: crown oil boiler, backup.if needed

Post by wilder11354 » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 8:46 am

P/U w snowplow 99.9% shovel rest.


 
User avatar
Yanche
Member
Posts: 3026
Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2005 12:45 pm
Location: Sykesville, Maryland
Stoker Coal Boiler: Alternate Heating Systems S-130
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Pea

Post by Yanche » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 8:55 am

Heated cab 4WD tractor, 1% shovel.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17965
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 8:59 am

F350 with Fisher plow...cost half as much as my previous compact tractor and moves a lot more snow.

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:00 am

John Deere 1032D

 
User avatar
echos67
Member
Posts: 625
Joined: Tue. Feb. 22, 2011 7:26 am
Location: Maryland and Wanting Out !!

Post by echos67 » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:00 am

Little JD Diesel with a plow most of the time but when it gets real bad I throw the blower on it.
Blizzard 2-10-10 005.JPG
.JPG | 142.6KB | Blizzard 2-10-10 005.JPG
After the 80" of snow durring the winter in 2010 I found a cab, go figure I havent needed it since !
Cozy Cab Installation 001.JPG
.JPG | 161.4KB | Cozy Cab Installation 001.JPG

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30292
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:05 am

Nice find Keith. :)

 
User avatar
Ed.A
Member
Posts: 1635
Joined: Thu. Aug. 30, 2007 7:27 pm
Location: Canterbury Ct.
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Channing III/ '94 Stoker II
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by Ed.A » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:06 am

Snowblower. Like fred my area to clear is to tight and difficult to effectively plow. Paid people for years to plow out the main portions but then I'd spend an hr shoveling by hand the places where it couldn't be pushed.

Luckily I purchased my 27" 2-stage just before the major snows we had 2yrs ago. The worse we got was 16" of the white stuff at one drop and handled it fine.

 
User avatar
sterling40man
Member
Posts: 1645
Joined: Sat. May. 03, 2008 11:52 am
Location: Northern Maine
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker K6

Post by sterling40man » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:06 am

:D

Attachments

2012-10-31_15-36-28_478.jpg
.JPG | 101.5KB | 2012-10-31_15-36-28_478.jpg

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30292
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Tue. Jan. 01, 2013 9:10 am

Show off :clap: toothy


Post Reply

Return to “The Coffee House”