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.

My situation involves living in a village environment where my snow removal responsibility is for both my two car driveway and a sidewalk that goes across the front of my house.

The VAST majority of snows in my area have been a few inches at a time. We get two or three heavy snow event that generally stay within the range of a foot or two of accumulation. It is not unusual to have storms that include ice accumulation either.

I rely on a shovel and elbow grease. I can't legitimize to myself a snowblower that will take up space that could be utilized for something else. I do have access nearby to a snowblower of a relative's if we were hit with a freak storm but that hasn't happened quite yet.

I need to better plan/stage sand to work as a traction aid for ice accumulation but I hope to have that sorted for the next snow season.

We only get an average of about 80" of snow per year. We have 150' of gravel drive in a D-shape and a powerful walk-behind snow-thrower. But if we use it on the first snow, it tosses a lot of gravel. So on the first real snow, I drive around and around and around our driveway, compacting the snow into a pad of ice and rock. That happens around the end of October or the beginning of November and that pad stays put until April or May. After that, I use the thrower to clear the snow off to the sides. Because of the layout, there is a patch in front of the garage where I have to toss the snow onto another region of the drive and then toss it again off into the yard.

We start by sweeping the snow off the cars, then we run the thrower as above, then we shovel around the cars, then we clear the large deck that wraps our house on two sides with a GreenWorks electric blower, then we shovel the steps clear with an all-plastic shovel so the metal tip doesn't scuff the wood.

I also use the thrower to clear a path from the driveway to the propane tank if we need a refill. And another path to the barn (which we don't use as a barn, but it's a storage depot).

I used to have a really long driveway that would be impassible in deep snow.  I noticed my horses did a great job of clearing trails and their main areas stayed free of snow.  

I fenced the driveway and put the horses and sheep on it in the snowy times.  They would walk up and down the driveway and keep it clear.  I would leave treats out there for them to find and if we got a snow drift or deep snow I could just throw corn out and they would take care of it.  If it got poopy or icy I could cover those places with old dry grass or pine needless.  

My current philosophy, at this stage of life;  I didn't make that mess, I'm not cleaning it up !!!

Peace/Heddwch

i live on the oregon coast in the last 29 yrs we have had 3 snow days only 1 stayed we got 6 inches it was like amazing but people here didnt know how to drive . i used to live in alaska so i knew how to drive

be safe out there people . your life isnt worth the risk. but your animals are . be smart stay home stay warm and eat. god bless

Deane Adams wrote:My current philosophy, at this stage of life;  I didn't make that mess, I'm not cleaning it up !!!

Peace/Heddwch

Hello Deane!  

That sounds like the most joyful technique!

 I love driving by people's homes days after a storm and the driveway is untouched.  I imagine that they are so well planned they don't have to go out and they can just enjoy the beauty of it all.

To me it is a mark of accomplishment either way.  A well shoveled walk or an unmarred one, each speaks of the personal achievement of the individual.

Samantha, to be honest I no longer drive, I don't own a car or truck these days.  I try to keep a well stocked pantry.  So I have little to no need to clear the driveway.  Our snow was only four or five inches, the problem was the freezing rain that fell on top with very low temperatures.  And now the highway crews have piled snow and ice blocks about two feet high at the edge of the road.

Using one's animals to help is great.  Many long years ago during the growing season, if I was too busy to mow the lawn I would open the gate to let the two rescue horses trim the lawns for me.  Ex-wife number one was a city girl and didn't like that the horses dropped fertilizer as they mowed !!!

Some folks just don't understand.

Peace/Heddwch

Gary Numan wrote:"What’s your snow removal strategy?"

April.

I live in Texas (for a reason!) so my strategy is wait a week! AKA:

Deane Adams wrote:My current philosophy, at this stage of life;  I didn't make that mess, I'm not cleaning it up !!!

Deere 550B with 24in snow shoes.
Few miles out to the plowed county road, couple miles on this property, neighbor's 1/4mi driveway, and few miles out back for a secondary escape route/access to forest service land is my plowing routine.
I leave the snow 6+inches deep on this property so it freezes down. Keeps any mid-winter thaw from creating mud. Spring is a once a year horror show for access on my marginal roads, we don't go out back in the soft time unless necessary.

A sled carries our Echo-flow battery which powers our small electric snow blower. I just pull the battery sled along with me as I go. Got me through the last dump of 30"

Before we had our EV we used to park at the end of the driveway and then shovel a foot path to the house. I hauled groceries with the sled.

But now that we have an EV we have to pull all the way up to plug in so entire driveway gets plowed now.  

Keeping a set of lounge chair cushions out front helps as I cover the windshield so I don't have to scrape the glass or free up the wipers, works great.

I do want to set something up across the end of the driveway to melt the ever growing berm. Maybe I'll lay out a long something to make a channel I can  insert a crock pot full of water inside to melt the snow away!    

Last week it snowed, then rained on top of the snow, then some snow after it was all frozen. Left it all in place, thought for sure I would not be able to get to work. Never had a problem.
.
This morning I scraped a little path with a sand shovel, but it was more for a "proof of concept" than anything worth noting.

A flamethrower that runs on methane from the septic tank. Kidding. I have a tractor with front end loader and a snow blower. However I have learned a good chunk of my driveway clears itself if I just expose a small portion to sunlight and let thermal mass take care of the rest.

Ergonomic plastic end snow shovels with 16" blade reinforced with metal -- I bought four a few years ago, never going to find them again for $14 CAD
Roof shovel -- for the tarp tents and motorhome, sheds, and roof
Perhaps a ladder and go on the roof -- this year I paid someone to take most of the snow off the north side
Sleigh shovel (see pic) I call them a snow pusher. These are also great for draggng your stuff to your humble abode instead of pulling a sleigh -- on your return trips you can use it to tidy up your footpath
72 Dodge Adventurer with 60s hydraulic plow no brakes, for the yard when necessary
I have six feet of compressed snow already, 1000' Gatineau mountains in Quebec Canada
Snow shoveling: le sport nationale du Québec 😂

In our region of occasional heavy snow, our home’s little road system (I calculated our snow-removal areas to be about a half acre total) necessitates using a diesel tractor. Mine is a 50hp, 4-wheel drive utility tractor with a front end loader and a rear-mounted snow blower. The snow blower is old and rather rugged. I bought it used and had to rebuild its gearbox and also had to rig thick rubber “swipes” onto the fan to make it functional. At this point all I can say is that it works, but I really don’t like using it because it’s rear-mounted so necessitates going backward, and because my tractor has no cab, the blowing snow is punishing. Most of the time I do my best with the front loader, which is a mixed bag. It makes a terrible plow (once full the snow mostly just spills around the sides) but it’s really good at picking snow up and depositing it where I want. By the end of winter I usually have at least one 8-foot tall snow pile, and many more smaller piles accumulated here and there (which the grandkids think is awesome!).

Once, after a substantial snowfall the weatherman predicted that temps would rise above freezing in a few days, so I decided to save the human and fossil fuel energy and skip the plowing. It was a terrible idea. We had above-freezing temps alright, but just for a partial day, which wasn’t enough to cause significant melting, but did manage to turn the snow surface to slip-and-fall-inducing, tractor-obstructing ice.

These days I just buckle down, bundle up, and get out there when I need to. Am I complaining? No, not really. For some unknown but undoubtedly biological reason, I enjoy operating machinery, and being productive is of course satisfying.  

i've posted on this machine in different threads but don't recall if it was regarding winter use.  You will see them around commercial and municipal crews for lawn mowing and snow blowing.  A bit of a splurge in retirement and definitely not purchased new as quite expensive, but used ones can be found if poking around the want ads.  I had used a tractor + rear-mount snowblower for many years...no cab....and just tolerating the North Dakota-Minnesota mid-winter 'breezes'.  Decided I'd had enough, so purchased the base unit with cab and added better windows along the way.  Having a heated cab is pretty nice and having the maneauverability of rear-wheel steer is awesome.  Blower is ~48" which is just a hair shy of the wheel-spread, but not enough of a hindrance to be an issue.  With a 37 hp diesel Yanmar engine, it is a reliable champ.   Elsewhere under the "Gear" category here I showed the build of a front lifting unit that Deere does not make, but allows for some light lifting for summer use.  We don't use the mower deck...it's stored away for the day when re-sale is necessary.  With the blower, it makes quick winter clean-up of long driveway stretches and some pretty packed, massive drifting where the driveway meets the county road.

For heavy snow, I use a gas snow blower. For light dustings, I used to shovel by hand, which was kind of tiring, so I switched to a leaf blower

FWIW- the county will hit the road to our place with a truck plow while we are stateside, for a fee, but I have to wing the road back, make pushouts with the 'dozer when we get home. Truck plow will only handle so much before the road is too narrow, snow too high.
I also have a Polaris Sportsman 4x4 ATV with a plow.
Worthless.
Maybe it's the tires, but it gets stuck very easily. Might be okay for someone who can't muster the energy to shovel a concrete driveway or sidewalk of 3 inches of snow, but on my sloped driveway in any kind of snowfall, useless.
Inherited an old Sears snowblower ca.1984 from an oldtimer around here. Needs a bit of work, but will use it to make better trails for us and the dogs next winter.

Hi Rowan,

Welcome to Permies.

If I am shoveling snow, I like to use a regular flat shovel.  I much prefer that to a snow shovel.  A smaller scoop but it is lighter to lift and throw.  It also is easier for me to dig out a nice trail.  I always carry a flat shovel in my car in winter.  Much easier to dig out the car than with a pointed shovel.  

When we just get an inch or so, I try to sweep it up before anyone walks on it.  It is fun and easy to sweep powder.