Had our first snow fall today. To bad I still have a septic field to install 867' of pipe. It is a big one, not looking forward to it. I have the tank and dosing tank in so all that is left is the D box's and laterial's. I much rather be doing that then plowing snow!:Banghead
All my steel has been put away for a little over a week now. Just waiting for the white stuff. That is why I have had a little time for the grader. I live for the 24 hr shifts behind a plow.
we do snow, and i HATE it, it's like having dairy cows, you gotta be there. all it does for us is lets us keep a couple of our good hands on year around
How many of you guy's plow snow? Dawn you really like it that much? Wouldn't you rather run your grader or skid steer, or excavator?
I've been plowing snow since the age of 7, started out on the old farm tractor. In 1978, I bought my first pickup and started plowing snow commercially and have been at it ever since. I don't get as excited about snow as I used to though, and the 24 hour storms get old in a hurry. 2 or 3 years ago we had a blizzard on Christmas eve into Christmas day, I spent the whole holiday in my truck. That really sucked!
Steve we have been there, Back in 84 we opened christmas presents in the front seat of a plow truck. What would I rather be operating? First and formost I like the 975 bobcat with a 9' bucket and chains on the rear wheels in the snow. I have no seat time in a grader so I can't say how much I would like it but I am hoping I enjoy it almost as much. The excavator is fun if it is dry out and you can show some work been done. I am almost as happy in the seat of on of the F350 with a good blade on it.
Dawn, the set up you have is very close to mine, I use a F350 crew cab with 8'2" Boss v blade. I am working on wings. Going to try a fab something up. Had a fabricator put a radius in some sheet stock and adding 12" to both sides of the blade with steel cutting edges and 30 degree pitch forward. I will post some photos when I get it together. My favorite machine to run is my dozer then my excavator. The truck is nice because you have coffee holder, radio, heat but the plowing all night and sleeping days I hate.
I tried the plowing snow for money thing, but since I've to still run my semi much of the day regardless of the weather, and my help(dad) goes south for the winter now, I just can't juggle the time to move snow on my own. Every year I dislike winter more and more, too. That's a bad attitude to have living where I do. We had a few days of light snow earlier (last month), but it didn't build up or stay.
jmac, the factory wings have rubber cutting edges on them I have cliped a curb or 2 and they have saved my ***. plus no dammage to the curb. They add 11" to each side making the 9.2 12' wide. They do work and work well. I am getting old so lifting them into the back of the truck is tha hardest part of owning them. I think they weigh about 80 lb each. and take about 15 seconds to remove or put on. I can't wait for snow. I am ready
You should try snowmobiles, I do that in the winter and have since I was 12 and love it!:yup
I have but I now live in a green town and the law says you can not ride anyware unless there is at least 1' of coverage. and there restricted to certain trails because of the cross cuntry skiers complaning. Besides it would take away from my plowing time. I do have an older Yamaha V-MAX at the shop but have not had it running for a few years now.
I did try Pro Wings two years ago and when I cliped a curb the rubber bent back so far that they did not touch the pavement anymore. Then the wing itself was not very strong. The fact that your plow is 12' wide is great! How heavy is the plow? That was mine concern when I went with the 8'2". Is the poly plow alot lighter. The Boss wings looked alot better. I think they cost around $650. I have started making the wings with steel cutting edges but I could add rubber if needed. One of my lots have all rounded curbs and a real pain.
I They tried that here, also wanted only 4 strokes but the snowmobilers out number skies by alot. Plus they spend alot more. We have an area called the tug hill, 1/2 hour from my house that gets 200" to 250" of lake effect snow a year.
Something happened to my post??? here it is again The ploy blade is about 50 lb heaver then the steel. try to put a rubber edge on it if you can, the boss one is about 2" thick. and replacements are expencive but they will give when needed.
We plow here, I think it sucks but you've gotta do something in the winter. We plow about 50 places, but they are all really long, and some really steep. There are only 2 of us (me and my pa) and we each have our route. It takes us about 6 hrs to make a round, so if it's snowing really hard and you have to do everything a couple of times it make for some long hours, usually we will shut down and go at it with the loaders in a really big storm.
You guys can keep your snow I don't mind having snow for couple days to a week and thats enough. We are having lots of rain thou like today it poured down in buckets. I would rather wear rain gear instead of winter clothing I'am not a fan of being cold :bouncegri
I don't mind the snow honestly. Nice paychecks and extra cash from work I do with my own truck.I just hope I'm not plowing Wal-mart this year with the Komatsu 600 (and no I'm not kidding ) Oh well soon enough we'll have global warming and it'll be like flordia year round :bouncegri
I just wish it snowed year round. Now that would be killer. Because the money is too damn good to pass up.
I miss snow, but don't miss the real cold days. I'm hopping for some snow to push when I go to NE to visit family.
This is the 4th day it has been about 10 to 12 degrees at night and as high as 18 durning the day. This is expected to hang around for another 4 or 5 days. sure hoope it keeps raining in the north west so we can have some of this clear weather a little longer. This has been the longest dry spell so far this year.
why do u hate the loader? no heat?
I don't mind a loader,just something a little smaller that one from the quarry lol :yup IT28,950 even a 966 but when we start using 980's and 600's with the spade nose with teeth,it makes snow removal an olympic event.
A 980 in freddy moving snow musta been the fredericton mall you can tell I don't get up that way much.
I think I would be pushing more than snow with that bucket. When I was good and green I took out 15' curb with a 14G, needless to say I was told not to use a blade to push snow any more. And come spring guess who was given a jackhammer and a shovel and told to go fix that curb, not that that wasn’t fair.