G-ManBart Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Okay, so we've moved to the great state of Michigan and will be here at least for one Winter....still working on a promotion that would have us move again. I've got a new Troy-Bilt 24" snow thrower that has all of maybe three hours on it, but we've got a long driveway that I don't want to spend hours clearing every time it snows (we're also on an island so it may mean a little extra snow). At this point in time there are a lot of things I'd rather do than clear snow so I'm looking for something faster/easier than the snow thrower (which I could sell for a good percentage of it's original cost). I've been considering two different options. Idea one is to get an 82" Snow Bear plow blade setup for my wife's FJ Cruiser (AWD manual tranny) that is a tank in the snow. That would run give or take $1700-2000 to get set up and if I wanted to, throwing some chains on it would really make it pretty solid. We could leave the plow on it and just use my truck (also 4wd) when it snows, so that's a plus. The good things are that it would mean plowing in the heated comfort of a vehicle and probably would be a lot quicker with the wider blade and overall power of the setup. Option number two is to get a garden tractor, get the optional plow blade, add the wheel weights and leave it in the extra garage bay ready to roll. The plus to this is that we need a lawn mower anyway (local grass guy hasn't been reliable at all). The negatives are that you're in the elements while using it and it looks like it'd be a minimum of $2500 or so to get a powerful enough model to do the job, and the blade is quite a bit narrower so it wouldn't be as fast as the bigger blade on the FJ. Anybody out there have experience with the tractor route and what size did you use? Any ideas of a minimum HP to look at etc? I think a 4-wheeler/side-by-side would be cool, but the price jump wouldn't be worth it even though you can put a blade on them. So, fire away with your thoughts on the general topic...and heck no, we're not going to have a couple of kids just so we'd have someone to shovel for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mscott Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I've known a couple of people that plowed snow with a lawn mower and it's less than ideal. If you have a paved or concrete driveway it won't be too bad, but I wouldn't give up the snow blower for a garden tractor. Remember you have to put the snow somewhere when you move it. A snow blower can throw it over quite a ways (over last week's snow fall) and a powerful vehicle can push through a lot more to get it gone. I use a Polaris 4wd quad and it's great. My neighbor is glad I have it, too since our Township doesn't get around as often as we'd like and I plow the road. I'd say use the snow blower you have and see how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 How long's your driveway? What condition's it in? I used to clear 80-90 yards of alley when we lived in Trenton, and that took less than an hour with a 29" two stage snow blower. I was also rolling over really rough terrain --- cracked, shifted asphalt with patches of dirt and monster potholes in places --- which added to the time required. If your driveway's smooth, and not too long, the snowblower may be the thing..... If not, I'm thinking Toyota Plow, assuming that you can get full controls, and have some place to push the snow.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Lift Kit + Mud Tires= Snow fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGunner Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I use a 42in snow blower attachment on my yard machine lawn tractor. The tractor has a 17.5hp engine, auto and I put a set of weights on the wheels. The only problem I have is with the wet slushy snow, other than that it works like a champ.... Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 NG on the plow mounted to the garden tractor. I've been plowing a small driveway for about 25 years with a fourwheeler first, then a garden tractor and now a four wheeler again. I found that a good balance of speed and weight help move the snow with a plow blade and the tractor didn't have enough of either. Once you get a full blade, which happens in the first ten feet, it takes momentum to keep pushing the snow that's out in front of the full blade and then once you get to where your going to pile it you need to push it either deep into the bank or get a way to get it up in a pile. As for the fourwheelers my first was a two wheel drive 230 cc with a 4' blade. It weighed about 300 lbs would break free pretty often once it had a full blade. My current bike is a 4WD, 650 cc machine with a 5' blade. The whole package w/o me is about 700 lbs and even at that the tires break free in heavy, wet snow. Chains would be the way for me to go but I don't want to tear everything up. If your only going to be there one year (maybe even two) it would seem reasonable that hiring a plow service would be the way to go. On top of the initial cost of the equipment I've never been able to make it through a season without having to fix shear pins, grab hooks or the cutting edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 No help here I have a 30 hp John Deer with a 4' rear blade. It dose make short work of snow removal if we get any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P. Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I live in Minnesota and I vote for the truck with plow blade route. There is NOTHING like plowing in a heated cab, especially in January. I think the garden tractor would work fine but the plow on the truck is a much better idea. IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Bell Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Plow service +the snowblower for in between visits and cleaning out the approach. One of my old neighbors used a garden tractor, it was almost comical. It doesn't have the speed required to push the snow into banks. If you go with a tractor for summer use then get a blower for it not a blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 G-Mann - If you want a great deal on a tracotr - M&M Tractor in MO. I think it is http://www.mandmtractor.com. Good guys good deals. I have almost a mile of driveway, keep it smooth and in good shape with my 24hp 4 Wheel Drive Diesel tractor. Paid 2900 for it at m&m then put a Koyker Loader on it. With 30 forward gears its a beast. I also have two Kubota's, they are the best tractors made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I can't believe there hasn't been a Michigander jump in and tell you about the snow. It is an entity of it's own, some years there are tons and other years there is almost none. Your problem will be the length of your driveway and what you have on both sides. If the driveway is open on both sides then a plow that can be angled is a possibility but if you have driveway lights then that goes out the window. Also a plow would have to drive to the garage doors then drag the backwards with the back of the blade which doesn't work well with the occassional wet snow. The city also won't like the idea of you pushing your snow off the end of your driveway into their streets. With your job where you may get a callout at any time that could last days, I would opt for a qualified bonded plow service so when he digs up part of your yard you can get the fix paid for. I would start by asking the guys in the office what they do about the snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h2osport Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 The name of the game when plowing snow is either speed or power. You need to move the snow out of the way(way out of the way) or over the course of the winter, your driveway will shrink. Most lawn tractors do not go fast enough to throw the snow very far, so you have to push it. I have a Husqvarna 25hp lawn tractor. It has the power to push the snow where I want most of the time, but tire chains are a must. All the power in the world will not help you if you can not get any traction. I also have a father with a snow plow on his truck, and he takes care of the snow for me most of the time. Most of the people recommending 4 wheelers are getting it done because they go fast enough to get that snow thrown out of the way. My recommendation to you would be to get one of the light weight blades for your Toyota truck. 2 or three runs up and down your driveway and you are done!!! Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchwrench Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 We use a garden tractor with front mounted snow blower. With wheel weights and chains...it gets the job done. I paid $900 for the whole set up used. 20hp Cub Cadet about 11 years old. If I had a choice I'd have a snowblade on a 4x4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimWheeler Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Put the plow on the FJ and since it is your wife's truck, have her go out and plaw to make extra money for your shooting habit.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSmileyX Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Do you have a sidewalk in front of your property? If you do it's probably your responsibilty to clear that also, you don't want to be hand shoveling it. If you have a long walkway to your front door, you won't want to shovel it by hand either. Depending on wind direction and if you have hedges, you might end up with large drifts on your walkways even when you only get a few inches of snow. A walk behind blower is probably the most versatile machine (other than a shovel). If you do go the lawn tractor route get a blower attachment for it, not a blade. After a year of clearing snow, you'll have a much better idea of what will work best on your particular property. Edited October 11, 2009 by DarkSmileyX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Payne Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Get the lawn tractor and snowblower. By far the best bet for the amount of snow you will be getting. Any time you use anything with just a plow on it, you will leave large piles of snow that stick around for an extra month in the spring. The snowblower will leave a nice clean, flat area when done. My wife and I raise horses in MN. I have a 70 hp John Deere with 72" loader and a smaller tractor with snowblower. The snowblower gets the nod for clearing any snow. A 4-whlr with blade works well for 1-2" of snowfall. Any more than that and you really need the blower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Thanks for all the replies so far! A lot of the comments are suggesting what I was already wondering about...the tractors don't always have enough speed/power to really push a decent amount of snow. A few more details to fill in the picture. My driveway is 95yds from the garage to the road as well as a 45yd loop in front of the house. No sidewalk out by the road to clear and plenty of open space on the sides of the driveway to push snow. It wouldn't be impossible with the snow thrower, but it would take a while. The problem with hiring someone is that we've had poor luck getting that sort of service done with any consistency. Sure, they might show up, but since you're just a single customer they get to you when they get to you. I'd like to have the option of making a couple of quick passes every few hours if it looks like it's really going to get bad rather than waiting until it's really deep and having a bigger chore. In short, I'll spend the money to not have to wait on someone else. I'm leaning towards the blade for her FJ (it's a 4300lb vehicle with good power and a solid off-road low range transfer case) or one of the slightly more expensive units I've found for my Tundra (2007 CrewMax 4x4 with the 5.7L engine). I have a work car so it wouldn't be a big deal to leave the blade on either of our vehicles for a while....she could just use the other one if she needs to go somewhere. The other thing is I think she could manage to clear the driveway easier with a plow on either of our vehicles than getting her familiar with a tractor, starting it, etc, or trying to use the snow thrower. Heck, maybe I'm just getting soft and would rather be in a heated truck drinking coffee than sitting out in the elements Now that I think of it, I could probably make some extra cash clearing a few of the neighbors driveways too...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I have a JD 540 with a 4' blade and it will do just fine PROVIDED that the snow is no deeper than the blade itself (say 14"). Problem I ran into last Winter was a place to put all the damn white stuff. I plow about 150 feet of packed gravel driveway with it and it does just fine but some days I had to be out there in the early AM and twice in the evening (right after I got home and again before bed) to stay far enough ahead of it. I am seriously considering the snow blower for it. Problem with ANY blade type device is you can't really pile the snow up all that high and may quickly run out of places to put it. I finally resorted to pushing it across the street into the city park. The state plows kind of helped a bit when it piled up too high and the local city plow helped me out a couple times by pushing one of my huge piles into the ditch for me. With a snow blower you can go a lot higher even if it is a bit slower overall. You will need chains for the tires. I don't need wheel weights as my natural body build provides plenty of that on my machine but for most folks wheel weights and maybe other weights on the rear of the tractor might be necessary. Also consider some insulated coveralls, glove heaters, heated socks, etc. The blade on the FJ is a wayyyyy better deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 I have a JD 540 with a 4' blade and it will do just fine PROVIDED that the snow is no deeper than the blade itself (say 14"). Problem I ran into last Winter was a place to put all the damn white stuff. I plow about 150 feet of packed gravel driveway with it and it does just fine but some days I had to be out there in the early AM and twice in the evening (right after I got home and again before bed) to stay far enough ahead of it. I am seriously considering the snow blower for it.Problem with ANY blade type device is you can't really pile the snow up all that high and may quickly run out of places to put it. I finally resorted to pushing it across the street into the city park. The state plows kind of helped a bit when it piled up too high and the local city plow helped me out a couple times by pushing one of my huge piles into the ditch for me. With a snow blower you can go a lot higher even if it is a bit slower overall. You will need chains for the tires. I don't need wheel weights as my natural body build provides plenty of that on my machine but for most folks wheel weights and maybe other weights on the rear of the tractor might be necessary. Also consider some insulated coveralls, glove heaters, heated socks, etc. The blade on the FJ is a wayyyyy better deal. Hmmm....I just looked up the suggested retail on a JD 540...yikes, that's a lot more than I plan on spending on a tractor! I think we'd have plenty of room to the sides of the driveway, but I also have an alternate plan. The neighbor across from the end of the driveway has a lot of room and I'd offer to plow their driveway for free if they'd let me push some snow into their open area. They just moved in as well and I didn't see any heavy equipment come with them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Gman, aren't you a government employee? You can't get your hands on a flamethrower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Gman, aren't you a government employee? You can't get your hands on a flamethrower? Oh...I like that idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Yeah, I had need for the horsepower and wide mower deck so went with the 540. The snow blade was almost an afterthought...which I was real happy I went for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzysights Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 That is a LONG driveway for anything only 24" wide. Since you have extra vehicles go with the blade and keep the snowblower for doing the areas you will not be able to get to with the truck or FJ. I have lived in snow country all of my life and had tractors, trucks, snow blowers, and kids. The truck complained the least! Keep the blade mounted if there is any chance you might be out of town when it snows. I doubt your wife could install it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 That is a LONG driveway for anything only 24" wide. Since you have extra vehicles go with the blade and keep the snowblower for doing the areas you will not be able to get to with the truck or FJ. I have lived in snow country all of my life and had tractors, trucks, snow blowers, and kids. The truck complained the least! Keep the blade mounted if there is any chance you might be out of town when it snows. I doubt your wife could install it. Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking....95yds with a 24" wide thrower is going to take some time and if the snow isn't really dry it's going to be even worse. I thought about selling the 24" and getting one of the much larger throwers but it would still be slow.....and cold! This thread is pretty much confirming what I was thinking...get a plow, leave it mounted if I'm going to be out of town and have things a LOT easier when we get a big dump. I wasn't aware of some of the newer plows designed for quarter ton trucks and there are some nice 6.8-8' models out now that are only around 400-450lbs total which shouldn't be hard on the truck for personal use. They'd cost more than the model for the FJ, but they have full hydraulic controls, not just up and down....that would be really nice. Those seem to cost $1000-1500 more than the simpler models, but it's probably worth it. With one of those I can't imagine it would take more than a couple of passes up and down the driveway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 You realize that if you gear up like this your next assignment will be somewhere that snow hasn't fallen in 100 years...right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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