Snowplow job: experience needed

[jpanhalt]

First, let me say that I survived 17 years in Minnesota. I know what snow is and have shoveled/blown tons of it. My part of Ohio is different. We have a few heavy snowfalls a year. I have only needed to plow my drive 3 to 4 times a year. The remaining snow usually melts between snowfalls.

This past few weeks, I modified a 7-1/2' Meyer ST snow plow to fit the front-end loader on my tractor. Today, as I was about add weldments for the hydraulic unit, I asked myself whether power angling was even necessary. The tractor attachment, unlike the usual light truck attachment, can easily be lifted. Rotating the blade from left to right manually should be easy. The driveway is about 1600 feet, and all I am interested in is getting it clear enough to drive over. Probably one pass on each side going downhill will be sufficient.

Question for those with experience: Is moving the blade manually from right discharge to left discharge really that easy? Is there any need to use angle positions in between the three choices on the Meyer's quadrant (i.e., left, right, center)?

John

 

[ronsimpson]

My big tractor has many angles of adjustments on the blade. I have to make the adjustment by hand (get off the tractor and fight with the blade angle).
The big Oliver has a rear blade. When pushing snow the tractor drives in the snow and pushes the snow behind the tractor. The snow can pile up under the tractor which is not good.
I can flip the blade around and then back down the road so the tractor is driving in the cleared spot.

The little tractor is built on the same idea but the power to weight ratio is such that if the blade is angled too much the snow will push the tractor off the road. I am looking for a front blade. Last year I put on different front tires that really help with the side ways slip problem.

When the snow is light and fluffy the blade angle is not critical. Some times the snow is wet, heavy and sticky. If the blade is not at the perfect angle it sticks to the blade and will not slide off easy.

We all have big 4x4 cars/trucks so the height of the snow is not much problem. (if under a food) I want to get the snow off the road so the sun can dry the dirt road. My biggest problem is mud holes.

 

[jpanhalt]

The little tractor is built on the same idea but the power to weight ratio is such that if the blade is angled too much the snow will push the tractor off the road. I am looking for a front blade. Last year I put on different front tires that really help with the side ways slip problem.

That is exactly why I got the Meyer ST unit. It was off a F150/250 pickup. My Case DX40 has 4WD and R4 loaded tires. Last Winter, I just used the FEL bucket to clear snow. When the snow was heavy (>5"), I did not have full steering control. That convinced me that this year had to be done differently.

That is interesting about the angle being too much. Most of our snow is on the wet side compared to MN, but not mushy. I have not seen a day here when you couldn't make a snow ball and the snow squeaked like in MN. The #1 reason this is a question is my concern about overloading the small battery and/or alternator in the tractor. The Meyer specs for the hydraulic motor is >200A.

John

 

[audioguru]

Come up north to my part of Canada. We rarely get snow anymore.

 

[tcmtech]

Yes being able to change the blade angle on the go is necessary. Depending on how heavy the snow is and how fast you are going what angle the blade can sit at without shoving your tractor sideways make s big difference and being able to change that while moving is very convenient.

Personally if it was me I would replumb the hydraulic angle control into the tractors hydraulics if it has a spare spool set available.

If not the short bursts of 200 amp draw off the main battery shouldn't bother your alternator one bit being it handles more of a initial load from when you start your tractor and the battery was run down without problems.

 

[ronsimpson]

When I lived in Alberta Canada, we could not keep up with the snow so we just drove on it. In summer all the stores in town had 2 to 3 steps to get up inside. By February there were no steps and by spring you stepped down into the stores. At -40 snow is dry and good to drive on. It only a problem near freezing/thawing.

In Canada we have many water sports. In summer it all milts. We are reduced to playing foot ball! Last year summer came on Sunday and we went fishing. I really don't know how to fish from short. Normally we walk out on the lake and cut a hole through the ice. Here in Colorado you need a boat to fish.

 

[jpanhalt]

I decided to keep the power angle part. As for plumbing into my tractor, I will keep the two systems separate. Meyer's hydraulic fluid is supposed to be quite different form Case/New Holland's. Pictures will follow. I am using Chassis Saver paint instead of POR-15.

John

 

[Mikebits]

Glad I live in San Diego

 

[jpanhalt]

I grew up in SoCal (East LA, 1950's). The weather was nice, but I don't regret for a minute moving a little further East.

John

 

[audioguru]

Snow is fun. Skiing and skating are fun. Throwing and ducking from snowballs are fun.
Few of us run around naked in the snow.

 

[jpanhalt]

audioguru
Be very careful of frost bite. We saw a lot of that in Minnesota. The jolly Norwegians weren't so jolly afterwards.

John

 

[audioguru]

I have lived in Canada all my life and never had frostbite.

 

[Vizier87]

Few of us run around naked in the snow.

Well AG, do you?

 

[Mikebits]

Snow is fun. Skiing and skating are fun. Throwing and ducking from snowballs are fun.
Few of us run around naked in the snow.

Trying to erase that picture from my mind...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Throwing and ducking from snowballs are fun.
Few of us run around naked in the snow.

I most admit to doing that

We'd been potholing, the entrance was down a shaft up a couple of fields off a small road.

We were down a few hours, all wearing wetsuits, and when we climbed back found it was snowing heavily, and had been for some time.

The snow was too heavy to see the road - but it was simply downhill, so no problem to find it.

So we were getting changed at the side of the road, and wetsuits keep you really warm - and we all ended up running around naked snowballing each other

We got some really strange looks from passing motorists, who were crawling along in the deep snow

This is where we were:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxlow_Cavern

 

[audioguru]

Well AG, do you?

Yes, one time I ran around naked in the snow and nearly froze my goodies. My toes also got very cold. Never again.
I also went "skinny-dipping" in a freshwater lake with a bunch of girls and guys friends.

Of course I "fool around" with my wife in the water at the beaches in Lake Ontario, Jamaica and Cuba.

 

[Vizier87]

Yes, one time I ran around naked in the snow and nearly froze my goodies. My toes also got very cold. Never again.
I also went "skinny-dipping" in a freshwater lake with a bunch of girls and guys friends.

Of course I "fool around" with my wife in the water at the beaches in Lake Ontario, Jamaica and Cuba.

Whoa.. I'd like to be there and scoop the ice, put some honey/syrup.. Yummy!

 

[large_ghostman]

OLD people NAKED in public!!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

OLD people NAKED in public!!

I wasn't 'that' old at the time

 

[tcmtech]

I wasn't 'that' old at the time

Apparently I look even younger naked!