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Hello. We have been getting more snow than usual here. Usually we just deal with it and it melts in a week or two. For several years I have been thinking of getting one of the above. We have a gravel drive and supposedly you can adjust some snow blowers not to get low enough to pick up gravel. 4 wheeler is a Honda Rincon(4x4, 700 motor). What is your advice for snow removal? Brands? Thank you for your time.
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437517 01/23/1911:02 AM01/23/1911:02 AM
Where I am we get quite a bit of snow.Lots use snowblowers and lots use truck or 4 wheeler plows.Those who use plows have to have a place to push the snow,as it accumulates all winter long.I don't think that would be an issue where you are. With a snow blower you just blow it up over the banks all winter.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437520 01/23/1911:09 AM01/23/1911:09 AM
Depends on snow depth, how much more snow is coming, how long will it last, and how far you have to move it. Our snow won't melt until late April and we're going to get a bunch more before then. I have a Bobcat with a bucket and a hiflow snow blower. Bucket gets almost all the work because the city comes by and hauls away the piles. I had a Polaris 500 6x6 previous to the Bobcat and given enough time, I could move the snow from a 70 foot driveway that was over four foot deep. Hours of work and very hard on equipment. Now it's a 10 minute job.
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437522 01/23/1911:13 AM01/23/1911:13 AM
Plow,if there is any contour to your drive way what’s adjusted for one spot for the snowblower might catch gravel in another. The plow can set all year and will be ready when ever you want it. If the snowblower sets with out fuel being drained(completely tank and carburetor bowl)it won’t start when you need it. Plus you can grade your drive in the summer with the plow
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437524 01/23/1911:20 AM01/23/1911:20 AM
If your driveway freezes solid either will work. If the driveway is loose gravel and you get a wet heavy snow the plow will pick up a lot of gravel and you will be raking a lot in the Spring.
I have the top of the line honda snowblower with tracks, It sucks. You really have to man handle it and even it can get stuck
If you don't mind the cold I had a very agile polaris 400 4 wheelers, 4wd it was very nimble and it could move snow as fast as you can move your hands
I have a backhoe, it's nice and warm, does a nice job.
Probably the most remarkable thing I have had, and this only works on fluffy snow, but when it does work its amazing, and that is a snow auger. It will push snow as fast as you can walk, without any effort
I also have a skidsteer with just a bucket, they don't have the best traction in the snow, 4 wheeler clearly beats it with its speed.
Looking to purchase Skunk Quill 740 544 6513
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437536 01/23/1911:40 AM01/23/1911:40 AM
There is no "best". The four wheeler is going to be faster if snow is under 6" Once you get into deeper snow, the blower is the easier option. I can't decide if it's funny or rude that no matter what the question is, there's always someone here that finds away to tell a person that their brand of ATV is wrong and they should just junk it. No one asked!
Re: Snowblower or 4 wheeler plow?
[Re: TurkeyTime]
#6437551 01/23/1911:57 AM01/23/1911:57 AM
Used to plow with a little Yanmar deisel and back blade. Worked well but took too long and hurt my back. For the deep stuff I used/use a little front end loader on another deisel. This year I'm using a 4x4 atv with a plow. It is much faster if the snow's not more than 6-8" and it's easier to start when the temps are in the single digits than the deisels.
I'm looking into buying a winch rope for the atv plow. The cable on mine has snapped twice. Anybody know anything about these?
If you already own the quad just get a blade for it. Anybody that says a Honda rincon isn't capable of pushing snow is uninformed. I've pushed snow for years with my old king quad 700. I also have a subcompact tractor with a loader if it gets really deep but I'd much rather push a 60" path 20+ mph than a 50" path at about 6 mph.
The winch cables take some abuse and the synthetic rope is sold as a fix for that. I have one but haven't ever installed it. Most of the time the thing that breaks the cable isn't wearing in the same spot over and over, it's when the plow frame bottoms out on the quad frame and the cable is weakest point. My wife has broken the cable about 75% of the time she runs the plow. She's getting better about it now and hasn't done it for a long time but that's something to think about before you go changing out your cable. Also if the cable breaks you can cut it off flush and crimp a new ferrule on it. You break that synthetic rope and you're done.
Have tractor with front assist, 7 ft blade and still pull out the snow blower to clear the driveway (gravel), still pick up some gravel but nothing like the blade would do. I bought a Honda with the hydrostatic drive. At the time I needed to clear out the pens and alley for calving. Been several years it wasn't used, but like this year it's been getting a work out.
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” - Thomas Jefferson
I have a quarter mile long driveway, so both options are out of the question. I have an old Dodge W-350 with a Boss plow that I use on my driveway. Around the house on the walkways, I use a 10HP walk-behind snow blower.
The difference between animals and humans is that animals would never let the dumbest ones lead the pack.
I have a Honda with manuel plow and a snowblower. The plow is faster and a lot easier, but it is not heavy enough to push a lot of heavy snow, like a truck. The blower is good for cleaning up small areas and paths I use the Honda more. Mine doesnot use a winch, it is manuel, the ones that use the winch do break cables because they lift too high, you can then use cable clamps to fix it.
I have a plow for my ATV and a blower for my JD garden tractor. Most of the time I use the blower for the simple reason it throws the snow well off the driveway getting it out of the way for the next storm.
I carry a ratchet, socket and cable cutter in the trunk of my atv so cutting it off and fixing the cable doesn't take long. But it's still a pain. How often do the ropes break? I do think a manual lift would be quicker. The plow I use is a swisher and it's heavier than the plows my friends have on their's. I don't think they make a manual one for it.
I carry a ratchet, socket and cable cutter in the trunk of my atv so cutting it off and fixing the cable doesn't take long. But it's still a pain. How often do the ropes break? I do think a manual lift would be quicker. The plow I use is a swisher and it's heavier than the plows my friends have on their's. I don't think they make a manual one for it.
I have a ATV plow. The guy I bought my house from had a nice self-propelled snowblower. I’ve used both.
Pros of ATV plow: -Much faster to clear the driveway -Cheaper since I already had the wheeler and got the plow for $50 from a yard sale. -More enjoyable and the kids can ride with me, which makes it less of a chore. -Adjustable shoes on the plow reduce gravel pickup (MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE WITH SHOES) -Don’t have to store and service another machine.
Cons of plow: -Can’t get in tight spaces so I end up shoveling the walk, in front of the garage, etc. -Had to fab a mount for the plow (you could probably buy one) -Have to to take it on and off seasonally to use the ATV for other activities (only takes 5 minutes though). -Struggles with wet heavy snow but still doable (just take smaller “bites” when pushing). -Potential to break winch cable or damage winch if you’re not careful. -Hard on the wheeler if you work it too hard- pushing isn’t really what they’re made for.
Pros of blower: -Tighter spaces = less shoveling -Can handle more snow, but slow. -Smaller to store IF you don’t already have an ATV. -Cheaper up front IF you don’t already have an ATV.