What’s your snow removal strategy?

Just curious what your snow removal situation is. Anything working reliably for you? Tried anything new around the homestead this year?

My situation is:
-I’ve tried two things on my 100ish yards of driveway/parking : electric corded snow blower and Snapper lawn mower with a plow. Both worked so poorly I found myself out there making paths with a shovel! That’s what I get for half measures.
-I know a guy with a pickup truck plow, but my parking/driveway/paths are notoriously awkward so a truck isn’t maneuverable enough.
-I struggle to want to pay for a good enough snow blower, only to use it a few times a year. The amount and type of snow differs greatly year to year here in NW Missouri.
-I am considering an ATV (quad bike) with a plow. I would get some good use out of an ATV on my 7 acres in the other seasons.

Not looking for all the answers, but wondering what this lovely community does on their own turf.  

"What’s your snow removal strategy?"

April.

I was just outside clearing some snow off of the panels, and it is the first wet heavy snow I have had in some time. It had me thinking about how different snow can be, and also thankful that I usually have the colder fluffier stuff!

There is a thread on the go that has a similar discussion as to what you are after: Everything I've learned about snow removal


It sounds like a plow on an atv or small tractor could be the way to go for your area.

Matt,

I have had a nice discussion on another thread about clearing snow, but my personal approach is to use my tractor with a rear blade.

I don’t know if you have a tractor or not.  If you do, rear blades are not expensive.  If not, that ATV might do very well for you.

I have heard of people rigging up gas snowblower contraptions to various vehicles and maybe that appeals to you, maybe not.  I have found a simple blade or plow does a fine job.

However I have to relate my first experience clearing my driveway of snow.  Christmas was approaching but up to this point, there had been no snow.  We were going to leave to see the families on Christmas when my wife woke me up at about 4:30.  She told me I had to clear the snow RIGHT NOW!  I looked out and we had 10” with more still falling quickly.  So I went out to my little JD L120 garden tractor/riding mower recently equipped with a snow plow.  I had never used the plow before for anything and now I had 10” of wet, heavy snow with more falling.

I tried going forward but I could only make about 6” progress.  Then I angled the blade and I could make a few feet of progress.  The snow was much deeper by the house.  I probably spent 45 minutes just getting the first 20 feet from the garage, with about 300’ more to go!

All in all it took me 3 hours to clear my driveway.  I was able to move forward (away from the house) about 20ish feet before the snow piled up and stopped that little tractor in its little tracks.  I used a grain scoop to then move the pile and I would even lower the snow level ahead of my expected path to ease plowing.  I was actually clearing a path (by hand) so I could plow snow!  

I later used this as rationale for getting a small diesel tractor.

Good Luck,

Eric

Hi,  I get a bit more snow than you. We have a 200 ft driveway. I use a walk behind snow thrower. In spring the motor snaps into other equipment quite easily. I can also hook up saws and other smaller items to the motor which saves my energy for other important things.  You can now buy a machines that splits in half. The motor half detaches easily and reattaches easily to something else.

Maybe Aurthur is referring to walking tractors?

A walking tractor is much more affordable than a 4-wheel tractor and it has a wide variety of implements, including some truly amazing snow blowers.  For what it’s worth, I personally think that the walking tractor snowblowers are better than the dedicated models.  You can also do all sorts of stuff with them.

Might be an option?

Eric

If a small front-wheel assist tractor is in your future, that front-loader bucket that does so much work the other 3 seasons will be right at home moving damp Missouri snow.  For our Minnesota winters, the rear mount snowblower removes 90% of our snowfall. But this time of year with spring storms on the way, it becomes too wet for the blower and the bucket is the tool of choice.