The Snowplowing Thread

[The Branch Doctor]

There are a few of us residing in areas that get enough snowfall to warrant owning a plow, driving a plow truck for someone, or just being a shovel monkey. Since it's that time of year I thought we could use a place to discuss plow related subjects without derailing other threads.:D

So if you plow snow post a pic for us and show off your set up.:thumbup:

[rumination]

How far above the road do you keep the bottom of the plow? I assume you don't want to mangle the plow on the asphalt, but still want to get as close as possible. Sorry if this is a stupid question. I've never lived anywhere with snow before.

[The Branch Doctor]

Definitely not a stupid question Leon. I slap mine down all the way to the ground so that I can clear ALL the snow from the parking lots, driveways, walkways, etc. that I do. I'll have to replace the bottom of my blade in a few years from it being ground down but that's it.

[rumination]

Ah I see now. The bottom of the plow is a separate piece of metal, so it is replaceable. Thanks for the explanation.

[Rotax Robert]

Short doing a major search what does one of those setups run costwise?

[The Branch Doctor]

Here's a link to Fisher.www.fisherplows.com/modeldetail.asp?model=rd

That's the model I have and I love it!!!! It takes me about 2 minutes to put it on or take it off by myself. The hand held control module is the shiznit too.

[The Branch Doctor]

Mine was right around $5,000 including installation and worth every penny. It paid for itself in 1 storm last winter... of coarse it was a blizzard.

[Rotax Robert]

Thanks for the link, hope you did'nt cost me 5 bills. It still would be nice to have but tough to justify with the amount of snow we get. Here we get about 12" a year and usually that 1 to 2 inches at a time. every so often maybe every 5 years we get what I would call a respectable amount.

[The Branch Doctor]

How long does it take for the snow to melt off when it snows where you live?

[Paul B]

Doc, we had about 4 to 6 inches of snow here the other day, went up to 11 C overnight and heavy rain, most snow gone by midday. I am about 2 hours north of the Rotaxian one.

[Rotax Robert]

How long does it take for the snow to melt off when it snows where you live?

Heck sometimes in 1 day it's gone. Even on a big snow event say 8+ inches which we had a few days ago, it was gone by noon, hence our big floods. Rarely will the snow stick around for a week.

[The Branch Doctor]

Well, if you are wondering if you can justify the expense of a plow here's a few things that might help.

How big is the city that you live in? The more places of business there are, the more of a demand there is. Shopping centers, strip malls, medical offices, Day cares, senior centers, small-med sized companies with parking lots, churches, restaurants, etc. all need to have their walkways and parking areas cleared before the start of the business day. If they don't they risk possible lawsuits if someone slips on their property or they could lose customers/sales because of a lack of accessibility.

Also, I don't know about you guys but around here the tree biz slows down considerably during the winter months and when it snows it's nonexistent. So instead of sitting at home when the weather sucks, I'm making money!

All I know is I want/need to work year round no matter what mother nature throws my way and if I didn't have my plow I'd be screwed in Dec., Jan., and Feb.

Oh yeah, another nice thing is snow removal is not cheap so it can easily become very lucrative. I charge $100-$150 an hour to run my plow and $50 per hr for hand shoveling.:thumbup:

[Tom_Scheller]

What tires do you use?

TS

[sotc]

hand shoveling? in nasty weather? 50 bucks? you nuts bro :) id hit at east 100 bucks on that to!

[Frans]

Cooper STT? I have been looking at those tires. Dont know what the road noise is like tho.
Also looking at the Michelin t2.

Interested to know what guys are using in snow country

[Dave Shepard]

Frans, I use the STT, and have had great luck with them. Most contractors around here are using them now.

This is my plow truck, and big pile pusher setup:


Dave

[JonnyHart]

I'm sure those rigs are alot more productive than mine, but I bet I have more fun doing it. :D
Truth be told I can do my driveway and my dads ( he lives 2 doors down) in less time with the snowblower and do a better job, but that's boring.

[Burnham]

Here's another one. Truth be told, it seems more use on minor rock fall and cut bank slippage clearance than on snow, but we did about 10 miles of road a little earlier this year for access to a work site.

[squisher]

OK I've posted it a couple of times before but I better throw it in this thread. Mine's a v-plow which basically means it's split in the middle and I can control each 'wing' independently to form a V or a scoop or just wing up one side or any combination in between. Also my sander runs off of a pony motor on the back and everything is controlled from the comfort of the cab. I put airbags front and rear to help-out the truck and it's working out really well so far.

Frans or someone had asked about treads, I run BFG commercial ta tractions studded. A excellent tire imo, great grip/wear and they laugh at whatever weight you throw on em, take up to 85psi no problemo

[Jonseredbred]

Why doesn't that truck say Fisher Tree Service on it with a phone #??

Advertise it all the time !!

[squisher]

It will, in 55 days to busy right now to take on more than the odd little job that trickles in on it's own.;)

[No_Bivy]

last time it really snowed good here...few years ago. This is how I plowed my drive. The snow was gone two days later, it took several runs....GRITS,(Girls Raised In The South) have trouble walking in the white stuff round here.
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zt0JVwXyQGU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zt0JVwXyQGU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[squisher]

Lol, that's great!:)

[No_Bivy]

doh!
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u8swjI982jM&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u8swjI982jM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[squisher]

Lol heh Jason was that you?;)

[Skwerl]

Is it just me or is youtube loading slow as molasses lately? It took over 5 minutes for me to see that last 1.5 minute clip. Youtube used to load faster than I could view the clip, now it's loading more like Google videos. And according to speedtest,net I'm over 6000kbps.

[squisher]

Heh Brian why don't ya whine to you tube like you did to Butch and maybe they'll speed it up :P













:lol: I couldn't resist!:lol:

[rumination]

Brian, youtube has also been loading really slowly for me. I just hit pause and come back to it later.

[MasterBlaster]

:lol: I couldn't resist!:lol:


:lol:

[The Branch Doctor]

Lol heh Jason was that you?;)

Been there done that.... too many times..... last winter! We got hit by 2 blizzards in 7 days last December that dropped around 48". It was insane!! I pulled up to one small parking lot (30'x300'ish) and the entire lot was about 36"-40" deep. It took me about 4.5 hrs of balls to the wall full contact driving to get it cleared and I got stuck at least 10 times.


I don't care who you are or how bad ass your truck is when it comes to dealing with any storm that drops 28"+..... you're going to do some digging.

Oh yeah, helpful hint. Trying to dig out the truck is a waste of time usually. Dig out the plow so it's free and you'll probably be able to back out of whatever mess you got yourself into... hopefully.;)

[JIML]

I think this was last year don't remember. Guy I work for has 2 tractors we use, ~10 trucks, 2 backhoes and a bobcat.

I get the nicer of the 2 tractors :D

Im trying to find a pic of the tractor itself..

[JIML]

found one, wasn't done with the harness yet but we had it together enough to use it. its painted and finished now.
this was 2-3 years ago i think.

[The Branch Doctor]

Yeeeeehaaaaa! There is money falling out of the sky in Colorado and I'm digging it! Wow that was a bad pun, sorry.

Anyway, looks like it's going to be an all nighter for me.

[MasterBlaster]

How do ya'll charge for doing that? By the yard? The foot?

[TC3]

Here in Michigan it's usually charged per "push", with anything over 2" of snowfall being considered a double-push (double charge).
That said, contracts are set up with "X" number of pushes per season and charged extra beyond that #.
For example, the local restaurant pays $7200 per season which covers 3 pushes per month + 8 salts. Anything beyond that is extra.

[stehansen]

What do you do with the snow. Is it just pushed off to the side and there are areas set aside for this purpose? Do you ever haul it away?

[TC3]

Hauling is rarely an option, except in very congested cities & then that's up to the Road Commission. Not my job !!!
Common sense prevails in 'where to push it' >>> meaning, basically, the school of hard knocks will teach you where to mound it up & where you've f**ked up & need to move it (again!)... ey ?!? LOL

[sotc]

in kodiak they plowed to the center of the road and at night a snowblower would load dump trucks. then theyd go dump it off the dock into the bay

[TC3]

in kodiak they plowed to the center of the road and at night a snowblower would load dump trucks. then theyd go dump it off the dock into the bay

Key word : KODIAK

[stehansen]

I take it you have done it in the past TC. Are you still doing it?

[squisher]

The guys I'm working with/for are using a big ass dump trailer to load up piles, a couple of our commercial accounts don't want to lose any parking spots at all and have no where on site to push it to. Our biggest contract is the local hospital and all associated buildings and they can't have a pile higher than 3' for liability(what a joke) so lots of hauling there.

[TC3]

Not really. I go out on crew & salt the sidewalks & entries while the parking lot is being done.
I'm terrible at tolerances >>> I'm so chickenshit that every post, walkway, door, etc. has a four foot swath in front of it. Not exactly "snow plower" material.LOL

[Reddog]

Here is what I use.
The Vee plow hooks to the bucket. I also take the blower off and use a 8' back blade.
On the hauling of snow. We are seeing more melter's being used. They dump into a storm sewer and tap into a natural gas supply. Or carry their own fuel oil to heat with. You just dump the snow in the hopper and water drains out.

[The Branch Doctor]

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!! It was a busy weekend around here for those who push snow and we're looking at another 1-3 tonight. I love it when money falls from the sky.... and into my pocket.;)

[squisher]

Nice, we're barely getting the snow here but I've got quite a few lots on a 1" trigger so it doesn't take much for me to get rolling.8) Just got back in from sanding a few lots.

[The Branch Doctor]

Hell yeah Squishy, 1" contracts rock! I don't have to plow until at least 3" but I do have 17 properties that have to have all walkways cleared and de-iced.

[Newfie]

Just saw this thread, been too busy sanding and salting. Talk of more ice tonight and plowable snow on Thursday. This season is looking better than last season already.
I might take a picture of my rig and post it here, not sure how much time that might take.:?

[squisher]

I might take a picture of my rig and post it here, not sure how much time that might take.:?

:what: C'mon man we need atleast a pic!8)

[Newfie]

Don't push me ya commie bastard....:D

[squisher]

:what: C'mon ya lazy azz pictures already! :D

Calling for another 1" to 2" tonight!

[The Branch Doctor]

I just got home from plowing my f#$king ass off!!!!!!!!!! I started pushing snow @ 2:30am and it's almost 2:30pm. I'm totally exhausted, my brain feels like it went through a blender, and my eyes feel like they're going to pop out of my skull..... and I made a BUNCH of money!

1"-3" my ass, we ended up with 6"-8" in town and even more in the rural areas. Man, what a crazy ass day.

It's time for the Doc to take a nap!;)

[Skwerl]

Glad to see you gettin' it while the gettin' is good! Maybe I might start a snow removal business to fill in the slow winter period. Although I might do better with seasonal contracts rather than 'per service' contracts.








How cold does it need to get in order to snow?
;)

[squisher]

Brian it'll have to get a little colder than I think you're comfortable with.:lol:

[Skwerl]

I'll get Gigi to partner with me. Between the two of us, we can cover the entire central/south Florida region!
:lol:

[sotc]

better turn the ac down low!

[stehansen]

We got snow enough to stay around 4 days here in 1964!

[Newfie]

Definitely not a stupid question Leon. I slap mine down all the way to the ground so that I can clear ALL the snow from the parking lots, driveways, walkways, etc. that I do. I'll have to replace the bottom of my blade in a few years from it being ground down but that's it.

If you haven't already, bolt on the replaceable cutting edge before the integrated one on the plow is worn too far. You'll get much better results when scraping and it is much cheaper and easier just to change it out every season. It looks like you already have done so, but if not, lose the shoes as well, they are pretty much useless in my opinion, even on unpaved surfaces.

More sanding this morning. Supposed to get more snow on Thursday and Sunday. I've had enough of the ice and freezing rain.

[Burnham]

Bingo, Newfie.

I never even installed the shoes on our blade...I couldn't see any use to them. Why leave 3/4 inch of ice (or mud if you use the blade as I often do) on the surface? The replaceable blade edge is surely vital for the long term life of the blade.

[Mangoes]

To limit wear and tear on the suspension, some won't raise the plow to it's max height. Raise it to 6-8 inches, so on heavy bounces the plow will bottom out saving the springs a touch.

[squisher]

Definetely agree on the edge and the shoes. I've heard the shoes are only useful on gravel if for some reason you can't feather your blade a little bit to stop it from digging in. The trade-off is longer cutting edge life but poorer scraping.

We only got about 1/2 an inch last night, nothing worth doing anything with and all my sites are sanded up good from the last round. Oh well next time!

[Frans]

We only got about 1/2 an inch last night, nothing worth doing anything with and all my sites are sanded up good from the last round. Oh well next time!

Squish, here I thought you were a good businessman! Haven't you heard of Melting sand? :lol:

[squisher]

Don't worry I'll be sanding a little lighter next time round ;) . Ah it'll come soon enough it's a nice little breather here to catch up on other stuff.

[The Branch Doctor]

Well, my nap didn't last very long. Maybe an hour and a half at best and my phone started ringing again. So I went back out plowing. I finally got back home at 9:00pm and I was so tired I could barely walk up my stairs. Taking my boots off was even a chore. Then I sat down on my couch and past out still sitting upright with my hat on. Woke up around 4:00am long enough to take my cell off my hip, hat off my head, and lay down (less drooling that way). :|:

I slept till noon and woke up still tired. If I didn't have to have my plow billing in today I would've gone back to sleep but getting a fat check before Christmas is worth it!

So, I'm going snowmobiling tomorrow and then we're looking at some more snow tomorrow night. Damn near everything I do this time of year has something to do with snow. Good thing I like snow eh.;)

[brendonv]

It's coming down here now. Suppose to be getting 5-8" today. Looks like I am plowing for my friend who passed father. Unexpected $$, can't complain.

Yuk.

[MasterBlaster]

Dang, your truck bed looks 10' tall!!!

[squisher]

To me it looks like he's got it raised slightly? No?

Also looks like we're gonna get snow maybe tomorrow or Saturday, both nights we have christmas parties to attend. Sucks for me, me and my wife usually cut loose a little at the christmas parties.

[brendonv]

Haha, the bed is tilted so the water runs out the back! It's only 6'.

[sotc]

ha it does look huge:)

[The Branch Doctor]

More snow on the way tonight. Not too much expected, 1-3 or so but I've heard that BS before so I'm gonna be ready for whatever.

Oh yeah, I took advantage of the short break in the weather today by going snowmobiling..... and YES, it was righteous!!:D

[IchWarriorMkII]

I put on 18 miles on the new sled today...

... and got paid for it.


Not like the 80 miles I got to get paid for last week... but good enough! Ill take what I can get.

[squisher]

Getting paid to sled, sweet. What are ya doing?

[squisher]

Plowed a little bit and sanded this morning now I gotta try and sleep a little, go to a christmas party and then more than likely head out plowing by midnight. Busy, busy, c'mon snow!!!!

[sotc]

they keep forecasting snow here till a day or two before then change it to rain. typical

[squisher]

Not here :D , but no real big dumps yet, just trickling in.

[The Branch Doctor]

Well it's 12:30pm here and I just woke up. I needed the extra zzz's in a bad way! I went snowmobiling yesterday, which was awesome, but it drained my body of every bit of energy I had left in me.

Pushing snow is very lucrative but the crazy long hours can take quite a toll on the body and mind.:|:

Oh well, I'll whine all the way to the bank.:D

[Frans]

Hey you two, would it be out of line to ask you what you charge?

[Paul B]

how much snow you got? :D

[The Branch Doctor]

I charge the property management co. $100.00 an hour for plowing, which is a little cheap, but I do 18 properties for them so they get it for less. Otherwise it's $125 to $150 with a 1 hour minimum.

We got maybe an inch last night Paul. Which is good because I needed the rest.... BAD!

[MasterBlaster]

Take a break! Put your feet up! Break the law! :beer:

[Newfie]

Hourly? Hmmm, never seen it done that way unless I was paying a driver to plow my accounts. I plow by the push. The cost of the push is determined at the beginning of the season and varies by the account. I made a grand in 6 hours of plowing last night.

[MasterBlaster]

I still don't get what a "push" is.

[The Branch Doctor]

A plow is just a blade that "pushes" snow so we call a night of plowing a "push".

[MasterBlaster]

So you charge by the night? 8 hours?

[The Branch Doctor]

When people call me to plow out a parking lot, residence, rural driveway, etc. I usually just give them a flat price and that's what it is every time they have me come in. I do a LOT of plowing for small businesses and tree clients and I only charge them what they can afford. Hell, I've got a few elderly clients that I just "take care of" between one of my many stops all over town and I don't charge them at all. Taking care of my "people" has brought me nothing but good and I know they REALLY appreciate waking up on a snowy morning and they're driveway is already cleared.:)

[Skwerl]

Butch, I am guessing that they charge per service. Just as one lawn mowing might be called a 'mow' and you'd pay the agreed price for one 'mow', I assume the parking lot owners pay per 'push'.

[The Branch Doctor]

Exactly what Brien said.

[Newfie]

I still don't get what a "push" is.

Every time I show up at an account and drop the blade and plow snow is a push. Some storms are 1 push some are 2 or 3. We had a two push storm the other night. looking like the possibilty of a 3 or 4 push tomorrow. Weather men are sure it is going to precipitate, a lot of it depends on the track of the Low and how much warm air it drags in off the ocean. Could be setting up for a good old 2 ft. Nor'easter! or 6" of snow with sleet and ice on top.

Some commercial and municipal contracts around here get more complicated by paying per push but as the total amount of snow dropped in one snow "event" increases the cost of each push increases. Seems way to complicated to me.

[Al Smith]

I don't clear snow for pay but I have my own 550 foot driveway to contend with.Usually the rear blade on the tractor does the job.6" of powder is not a problem but a foot of wet snow is.In that case I fire up the dozer,nothing stops it.If I can't push I can walk over top of it .

I will say though that in the 10 years I've been at this place I've yet to have to use the dozer.In a previous location,former wife etc. ,the dozer got quite a work out every winter.The problem is the dozer really doesn't care if it's shoving snow or gravel.Then you spend a week in the spring raking all the gravel back into the lane.

As I type we have at 4 inchs of powder, possibley up to 8 or 9 total on the way,depending on the storm front pattern.

[Jonseredbred]

We might get up to 24" in the next 30 hrs. or so.

We might have to eat up a dog we get snow bound.

Nah, scratch that. I'd rather force the wif out with snowshoes to get groceries.

[Al Smith]

This just popped in my mind,my favorite snow plowing story.

Oh about '92 or so,after losing my ass in a divorce all I had left was a few pieces of equipment,a little money and my good health.Dar and I were living in town in her little 900 foot square house,I was working the midnite shift.

We had a 'noreaster come through ,not as bad as they get up were Newfie and Netree are but bad enough,about 14 inchs of snow.I just happened to have one of my tractors in town,a Ferguson 20 with a Davis loader and a grader blade.Being a kind hearted kind of sort after I plowed us out I elected to help the neighbors.I can do more with that tractor in 10 minutes than two people could do all day moving snow.

I wouldn't take any money but being a sporting sort I would accept a nip or two.I had to decline same about half way through the block because I was getting a tad bit tipsy.:D

[MasterBlaster]

Damn, I just lit my tiny space heater.

[Skwerl]

I just heard that cold weather is heading this way as well, Butch. Lows in the 40's tomorrow night. Gonna have to close the windows. :\:

[MasterBlaster]

I'm thinking about putting on a long sleeved shirt. :drink:

[Al Smith]

Okay you guys ,rub it in.We'll be laughing our butts off when you roast next summer.:D

[TC3]

T'night's forecast is 1"-3"... BRING IT !!!
I've got X-Mas shopping to do & an extra hundy is gonna go miles.

[squisher]

We got a nice little 3"-4", made for a long day.:D

And the forecast is calling for more.

[The Branch Doctor]

Oh sure, everybody else is getting snow but me.:(

That's ok though, a buddy and I decided a few hours ago that we're going skiing tomorrow so while you guys are "dealing" with the snow I'm going to go play in it.:D

Have fun everybody and BE CAREFUL! The moron drivers will be out in full force.:|:

[squisher]

The moron drivers will be out in full force.:|:

Don't get me started!:D

[sotc]

your who he was talking about :lol:

[Skwerl]

:lol: You bust me up, Willie! :laughing3:

[squisher]

your who he was talking about :lol:

That's "you're" not "your" if you're going to insult me at least make it grammatically correct please.:P

[Al Smith]

Well,grammer or not,I just finished my driveway.The danged snow is wet and makes a real mess that way.If I didn't get it laid back and the temp dropped it would turn into a block of ice.Not good.

[The Branch Doctor]

Ouch, you got corrected on your grammar by a Canadian. That's almost as bad as getting beat arm wrestling by a girl.:P



:lol: :lol:

[sotc]

my grammer sucks like your driving:lol: my wife is always trying to correct me but its never interested me so it doent sink in:dur:
oh and theres no shame getting beatby a girl if shes squishys wife! shed probably beat me if i had head start!

[The Branch Doctor]

Nice come back!

[The Branch Doctor]

Well we had a nice storm come through late Wednesday night and dropped 6-8 inches of money/snow for me to play with.;)

I just put a new set of tires with aggressive treads on my truck about 2 weeks ago and I was glad I had them yesterday!

I don't know about you guys but snow season has been good to me so far this year and looks to stay consistent for a while.

[Newfie]

Plowing has been crazy this year. I've made more in the last 3 weeks than all last year. More coming tomorrow night.:D Sucks for sleep though.

[No_Bivy]

snow? whats that....in the forecaset for new years Eve....:D

[squisher]

Snow, snow, snow!!!!!Money, money, money!!!! Awesome winter we're having.

[No_Bivy]

snow here tommorrow.....the grocery store was chaos....Like were gonna get a blizzard. 1-3 inches :O oh shit I gotta go buy some bread and milk:/:

[sotc]

is there a chance of you guys getting an action shot or two?

[No_Bivy]

is there a chance of you guys getting an action shot or two?

:P yeah...lemme get my backpack blower ready...:whine:

[sotc]

haha me to:) and a manure shovel

[Paul B]

Squisher, keep raking it in amigo, get while the gettings good. An action shot, neat, seeing a plow throwing a big wake to the curb would be kinda neat. Especially if you can see the drivers Treehouse tee through the windshield ;)

[squisher]

Ha I'll see what I can do. Action and plowing in the same sentence seems a bit contradictory to me though. I'm suspecting the most action I'll see this year are when the homeless drug addicts downtown finally work up the nerve to try and truckjack me. Then we'll see some action :evil: .

:shoot:

[stehansen]

Ha I'll see what I can do. Action and plowing in the same sentence seems a bit contradictory to me though. I'm suspecting the most action I'll see this year are when the homeless drug addicts downtown finally work up the nerve to try and truckjack me. Then we'll see some action :evil: .

:shoot:

You could always take Gunter for a ride-along.

[squisher]

You think this is gonna protect me? Right!

[No_Bivy]

Just finished welding my relic plow to a mini skid plate....looks OK, put up some pics later. Now watch, it's gonna rain instead of snow:/: Oh well, it's just been sitting there.

[stehansen]

You think this is gonna protect me? Right!

He would scare me, unless he is superfriendly.

[No_Bivy]

Peapod doin' a snow dance....boxer with relic plow mod.

[Frans]

Peapod is cute!

[arborworks1]

Bivy you should loan me that bsg while you are searching for a track machine.

I mean there is no sense in it taking up room around your place!

[sotc]

northern california is supposed to get 2-6 feet of snow starting now!

[squisher]

Sweet! Money, money, money!!!! Stay safe, stay home and let the plowguys coin er up!! It was snowing here again this morning but it's stopped now and supposed to warm up and rain tomorrow :( .

[sotc]

i was gonna buy a plow if that was forecast here!

[The Branch Doctor]

Nice! That means that snow's coming my way.:thumbup:

All I got to say is... Bring it Bitch!!! Daddy likes the money.

[No_Bivy]

northern california is supposed to get 2-6 feet of snow starting now!

I saw that too....WILD :O in the Sierra's....Plowed 1 drive, for a great customer.....no charge. But they are hooked for the next time. My Little Plow(MLP) worked great:D

[Paul B]

mopedsmile: do we get to see the MLP in action? I bet you hit the drive at about 75% full out howling like a child in a ball pit!

[No_Bivy]

too bad I couln't talk asucker into holden' the camera..Brrrrr, but I hoping we get more white stuff here this winter......It did work gut' though...:D

[Paul B]

teach peapod, she can run a camera! :) for a minute or two, then back inside to warm blankets, hot cocoa and momma's hugs.

[No_Bivy]

:lol:

[The Branch Doctor]

Yeeehaaa. We got a nice storm coming in Monday afternoon and going to dump 6-12 inches overnight. If we get 3"+ I'm busy as hell, 6"+ Giddy up, 12"+ I've got a 26+ hour marathon of money and mayhem.

I better get my ass to bed.

[Newfie]

I pushed the banks back on my lots with the loader last Wednesday, not a speck of snow since.....:whine: It's been nice to sleep a couple of nights in a row.

40's & 50's this week and then maybe more white stuff by the weekend.8)

[Al Smith]

The weather is odd.Florida had a freeze,the west coast has a zillion feet of snow in the mountains.It is supposed to get in the 60's around here today,low twenties by weeks end.

Oh I suppose people will shout global warming.Well,New years day 1971 ,I was ridding my old Indian Scout motorcycle and the temp was in the high 60's.By mid month we were up to our asses in snow.

[squisher]

Yah I'm coming up on a week now of no plowing, a little sanding here and there but no pushable snow for a week :cry: . C'mon January let us have it!

[The Branch Doctor]

Grrrrrrrrr, this weather is pissing me off!!!!!!!!:X

It's snowing like hell just 30 miles south of me and nothing here... yet. I have a fridge full of beer and I haven't had a drop.... and I've been home all day.

I either want to plow or drink beer and I can't do anything right now.....DAMN IT!

[MasterBlaster]

Crikey, and I just had to turn on my window unit to cool things down a bit.

[squisher]

Lol I know the feeling, hurry up and wait. Mmmm beer :P

[The Branch Doctor]

I hear ya Butch, it's 36 degrees here... and I need it to be colder.

[Jonseredbred]

It was 63 today in Western NY. It might have set a new record.

[The Branch Doctor]

Mmmmmm beer... ah, no.

I'm not talking to you right now Squish. GDC's:P












GDC's = God Damn Canadians:D

[squisher]

GDC's = God Damn Canadians:D

lucky you cleared that up I was thinking GDC's=Godlike Dominating Canadians


mmmmm BEER!!!

[The Branch Doctor]

GDC's

[Paul B]

hey, Squish aint the only Canadian around here ya know. :P

[The Branch Doctor]

Noooo, Squishy said you aren't a Canadian.:D

[Paul B]

oh but I am Canadian, and Dutch. :P two passports, good to work in Canada AND the EU.... thats rollin' with choices.

[The Branch Doctor]

Nice! That's cool as hell.

[squisher]

Who was asking about, some 'action shots' :lol: . Snowplowing is far from exciting. Oh yah and I had to throw in the pic of the Vernon lowrider, this little putzs mobile looked like it was riding so rough it was gonna throw him right through the roof. :lol:

[MasterBlaster]

That's from all the moonshine in the back.

[squisher]

There be more than moonshine in these hills :/: .





:lol:

[sotc]

Who was asking about, some 'action shots' :lol: .

thatd be me, thanks squishy

[No_Bivy]

"ramming speed" ....."ey, ey..captain" :O

[squisher]

Lol, those are shots of pushing up a couple of little piles about as exciting as it gets. I dunno sometimes running the bag right off the truck is fun too, well until I break something.:D

[squisher]

Plow season is upon us again. Who else here burns the midnight oil. My sleep is when and where I can get it now. But it sure helps keep the bill collectors at bay!

[The Branch Doctor]

Hell yeah my Canadian brutha! Money falls from the sky for us this time of year... and it grows on trees the rest of the year!;)

[squisher]

You bet! Still running your same rig? I am, haven't changed a thing except a new sander last year.

[TreeDimensional]

Justin, do you mix some salt with the sand you use?

[brendonv]

I'm signed up to run a plow truck this winter. Beat assed Chevy 2500hd, whatever, be nice to have the income. Although it'd also be nice if a flake of snow never flew.

[The Branch Doctor]

Word, I haven't changed anything either... 'cept tires.;)

:D

[squisher]

Justin, do you mix some salt with the sand you use?

No I don't.........................it comes that way.

Yah it's a sand/salt mix that I spread. Best in town!

[squisher]

Brendon, the big money is in having your own contracts in place. But still most guys pay a driver well 'cause the hours suck ass. If it didn't/hadn't snowed at all here this year I'd still make money.;)

Plowing kicks the crap out of a truck though. Atleast the way I do it.:evil:

[The Branch Doctor]

True that!!

[brendonv]

I hear that. I'm not interested in running my own rig though. I'd rather be paid the hourly and go to town in someone elses truck. I'm paid well there, so it's all good.

[FJR]

I am kind of jealous that some of you guys get to plow already... never thought I would be saying that. :) It looks like I won't even be putting the plow on until December, which is weird because we usually have some snow by Thanksgiving.

[squisher]

Yah it won't take many hours behind the blade to change that attitude. Lol.

[rskybiz]

Yah it won't take many hours behind the blade to change that attitude. Lol.

love hate relationship, I worked plowing snow 10 to12 hr days then hour drive home when I worked a Stratton Mtn in Vt. We plow deep while others sleep was the motto.
One cool job short the hours, Then went to working and Maintaining the snowboard parks and half pipe. My neck, I don't think will ever forgive me for that, Pita always craning head around to make sure things were right on the takeoffs and landings.:evil:

[woodworkingboy]

A friend of mine raises apples and plows the freeway during the winter. The plowers live at various stations along the line, trade off in shifts. When the snow is light he complains about a lot of boredom. They used to drink a lot of sake, but that has tightened up.

[rskybiz]

Hear that about 7mph in the Piston Bully:|:, kickin Stereo always helped though:D

[squisher]

I've now plowed more this year then all of last year. SWEEEEEEET!!$$$$$!!!!

[Paul B]

snowing hard around here, probably 3-4 inches since last night.

[Al Smith]

Well it is getting that time of year again .Time to put the chains and blade on the tractor .Make sure the battery is charged with a full tank of gas .

So far it has only got below freezing once .This is Ohio though ,you just never know what can happen almost over night .Big lake up north, ya know .

[MasterBlaster]

Tear it UP, Justin!!! No wonder you can let your bucket sit.

[CurSedVoyce]

More on the way Saturday. It is going to be a wet year.

[squisher]

Tear it UP, Justin!!! No wonder you can let your bucket sit.

I'll blame today on you then. Busted me plow up today, but it's fixed! Sheared a big pin that kind of holds it all together. Oh vell, plowing's hard on rigging!

[MasterBlaster]

Busted me plow up today,


Oh vell, plowing's hard on rigging!

Lordy! First a Brit, then a Jew? I can't wait for your next accent!

:lol:

[squisher]

Eh?



Aye. Pirate. It's in my blood bye!

[woodworkingboy]

I think the yiddish expression is more like Oy vei.... but who says that there can't be Jewish pirates? First we have to know if Squish was circumcised. :/:

[squisher]

Nyet!




Lol.




I've got my tonsils too!

[sotc]

Elephant man!:D

[SouthSoundTree]

Why don't I see any pictures in this thread, and some other threads??

[MasterBlaster]

There are no pics in this thread: you can see that from the opening page of this forum. The attachment icon isn't there.

[The Branch Doctor]

Plowing isn't exactly something you'd get pics of.... mostly done at night and the pics would be kinda boring.

[Dave Shepard]

OK, here's a plowing pic for you.:lol:


28285

[The Branch Doctor]

Hey Dave, nice plow!! I have the same one;)

[squisher]

There was some pics in here at one time? I had posted some awesome, exciting, exhilirating, action pics of pushing up piles.



Lol.

[Skwerl]

Butch must have missed it, there are pictures in this thread. Here is one of your plow pictures, Skwishey.

573

http://gypoclimber.com/showthread.php?9192-The-Snowplowing-Thread&p=199975&viewfull=1#post199975

[woodworkingboy]

Pushing all that white stuff around, don't be a naughty Eskimo.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sk46W4et-0o?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sk46W4et-0o?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[Al Smith]

I've got pics but they don't show much but snow .

[CurSedVoyce]

Maybe I'll take some pics of the troy built plowing the driveway... :/:



Nawwwwwwww :P

[woodworkingboy]

The places where you guys get a lot of snow, do they even bother to salt the roads? Middle of the night work here.

[sotc]

Volcanic cinders here

[CurSedVoyce]

Sand but no salt that I know of.. It's CA man! You don't wanna salt the streams to kill the trout they are going to poison to save a frog thing :roll: Now back in MA when I lived there... You just slapped more Duct Tape on the fenders to keep out the rain and diminish the flapping.... :lol:

[woodworkingboy]

Speaking of duct tape, salt is really hard on car bodies....underframes, that's for sure...just invites rust. Salt helps snow to melt, though, I can really tell if a road has been salted during the night if it has stopped snowing, and pass through some hours after that. What you guys have only increases traction. :P

They sell it too, from small to large bags, so you can salt you driveway or whatever. I don't think it is recommended to be put on your mashed potatoes, some other chemicals in there as well, or something.

[Paul B]

salt/sand mix around here for roads as far as I know. A lot of places use 'ice melter' now for sidewalks etc, its not salt and it often doesn't tell you what the heck it is in the bag.

[squisher]

Salt/sand. Also those fancy pants new spray on de-icing chemicals are becoming popular for roadways and parking lots. That sh-t is toxic though as far as I can tell.

[SouthSoundTree]

Why don't I see any pictures in this thread, and some other threads??

I thought that people were mentioning about something that they were seeing in this, and the Ink thread. I guess I was just mistaken. I haven't looked into the icons really. I guess I'll learn something new.

[No_Bivy]

about 10 inches fell on Christmas day.....plowed for free, I know Iknow...show me the money.

started with our drive...then loaded up to plow my parents drive and inlaws. They live a a condo community. Thier plow guy said he could not get there....WTF?

I have to turn around at the local fire dept when headed up my drive with a truck. Noticed no one plowed thier entrances and in front of the bays...Hohoho, did it again for free. Holiday cheer ya know. Chief's mom came out gave me a hug and cookies.....Moms know cookies make it all better.

heres a few pics. Hopefully make some money today

[MasterBlaster]

Dayum! I thought you were plowing in a nice warm truck with the radio blasting and a thermos of hot coffee!

[No_Bivy]

nah..just a mini here. Actuall ybetter for all the crazy driveways here. It was only 31, which aint bad....gonna get cold and really windy over the next two days though

[brendonv]

Damn John,

Your sending that shit up here now. The old Simplicity below is all ready for snow, I got the plow hooked up on her. The mini is on backup under the cover it.

I've got 25ish other driveways to plow for someone else, in a truck though. :|:

[sotc]

Sorry Brendon we seen that pic already, I wanna see what kinda pimpin plow you put on her!

[brendonv]

What was I thinking...

[sotc]

Haha8) Chains and all! Now the moped needs a plow too:lol:

[sotc]

Are you in need of a new cutting edge on it? Looks like that corner is wearing out.

[brendonv]

LOL, bad ass huh!

The very corner of the plows are bent from factory so it won't dig into the ground, the cutting edge is a smidge warn from being angled always but won't affect anything.

[sotc]

It is bad ass! That makes sense

[Cut4fun]

Looks like the whole east coast in US is getting hit since yesterday. Not much here just blowing and light drifting. Might take the plow truck out for a look see later down the 700' driveway 8).

Many times I was on the 3rd 4x4 trying to pull 2 others out in drivway. Stick one, get another go in somehow stick it, then take 3rd one in to get 2nd one I stuck and start all over again. :lol: Learning from experience and got a nice manual puller now for that just in case moment :\:.

[CurSedVoyce]

I love that old tractor Brendon.. That is just too friggen cool mang ... I would love to have that for my driveway! :thumbup:

[Cut4fun]

Good thing I inspected before plowing drifts today. I found a pass side pivot bolt sheared off the plow. There is 2 of them that mount the lower section of moldboard to A-frame. Cant believe it sheared both ends off at some point without me ever noticing.

List for bolt with zerk fitting is $39 and lock nut $4. Meyer is as bad as stihl on parts thinking their gold.

[Al Smith]

You have that low spot and little angle dangle coming off that building which would make it worse than mine plus your additional 150 feet .

Mine is usually just a beech about the last 100 feet nearest the road .Up near the house there's those big trees which kind of slow it down most times .

[littlenick]

about 10 inches fell on Christmas day.....plowed for free, I know Iknow...show me the money.

started with our drive...then loaded up to plow my parents drive and inlaws. They live a a condo community. Thier plow guy said he could not get there....WTF?

I have to turn around at the local fire dept when headed up my drive with a truck. Noticed no one plowed thier entrances and in front of the bays...Hohoho, did it again for free. Holiday cheer ya know. Chief's mom came out gave me a hug and cookies.....Moms know cookies make it all better.

heres a few pics. Hopefully make some money today

What size plow is on that? Does it tilt? How does it handle it?

Sorry for all the questions!

[Al Smith]

Those Simplicity lawn tractors had one or maybe several models that used a big single cylinder engine 16-18 HP .My heavens did that bone shaker engine have the low end lugging power .Under a real heavy load they would pull down and sound like a John Deere tractor but you almost could not stall them .

[Dave Shepard]

Plowed out the farm yard. Have to go next door and open up so we can get into those barns too. At least a foot of snow everywhere, drifted 2-3 most places and one 5 foot drift blocking the barn door. Almost a complete white-out right now, high winds, maybe 15 F

[squisher]

I got christmas off but a inch or two on the way for tonight. I've been mostly run off my feet.

[brendonv]

Just did 16 hrs. Been up about 36 hrs. Weird im not feeling tired.

[Cut4fun]

Plowed out the farm yard. Have to go next door and open up so we can get into those barns too. At least a foot of snow everywhere, drifted 2-3 most places and one 5 foot drift blocking the barn door. Almost a complete white-out right now, high winds, maybe 15 F

I was just ordering some plow parts in Frankin, NJ and they said 12" was on ground and still coming down.

My local dealer ticked me off today with his lack of knowledge on parts and looking them up, so I told him I would go elsewhere. I knew all the part numbers and type plow and he was still lost. To think he is a featured retailer :?, must be like a gold certified tech :lol:.

[squisher]

Just did 16 hrs. Been up about 36 hrs. Weird im not feeling tired.

Ohhhh it'll come. 16 is a stint. I've done 18.5 once behind the wheel. Too long.

[Dave Shepard]

The occasional plowing marathon isn't bad. However it's the steady diet of long days that will get to you. I used to fill in for a week or so at a time at my first job. One commercial account had to be ready to go for about 5 am, and at two hour intervals until about 10-11 pm. Then you had everything else. You'd sleep maybe 4 hours a night, and this goes on all winter. I think this is where zombies originated.:lol:

[brendonv]

Yesterday I discovered why Burnham drives around all year with a snow plow at work.

There was dozens of tree up rooted, from the wind/snow load. We got a call while we were out, a spruce uprooted and fell with the tips landing in the garage door. At that point we had another 5 hrs of plowing, and luckily I loaded the saw before we left. Cut it in 4-6' lengths. made some relief cut to the limbs didn't brush the truck, sent the boss in the truck and had at it. Worked like a charm. Surely we are going to cuss ourselves out when it comes cleanup time, but at that point there won't be 12-16" of snow. :|:

[brendonv]

Here's the little work horse, thought it'd be a cool pic in the snow.

[SoonerFan]

Looks good!

[sotc]

Sweet!

[The Branch Doctor]

We've gotta storm coming in today that's supposed to dump 5-10in.... I hope!

[sotc]

Heres my little plow I need to convert

[arborworks1]

I saw one of those on eBay a few days ago. Did you pick it up?

[sotc]

Nope, bought it off Craigslist several months back

[squisher]

I'm having my best year yet. I've been plowing til I drool, then sleeping a couple hours and doing it all over again. My truck is getting beat, gonna need a massive overhaul at the end of the season.

[Dave Shepard]

I finally got around to welding up my plow project. I don't like how it's mounted, so I'm going to redesign the whole contraption. I'll either make a pin bracket like Fisher uses, or I'll weld a couple of rectangular tubes on the A frame and chain them onto my pallet forks. 8' blade is much faster than the bucket. Even at idle the power angle is super speedy.:D

29815

[Cobleskill]

You put chains on the tires?

[MasterBlaster]

My truck is getting beat, gonna need a massive overhaul at the end of the season.

What does that normally involve?

[CurSedVoyce]

Jack the gas cap and drive a new truck under it???

[Dave Shepard]

Yes, I chain up the rears. I ran out of time today. It pushes like a tank with chains. Going to see if I can get chains for the front so I can steer with the plow angled.

[squisher]

What does that normally involve?

It's gonna involve tranny, transfer case, and engine. Out, rebuilt, and re-installed. I'm already looking into doing the transfer case sooner. I'll probably pick one up from the wreckers have it rebuilt and then do the swap quick. I just did the front end, outer universals, new seals, re-pack bearings, so it's hopefully good for awhile.

[brendonv]

Another 10 hrs today. Shit sucks, well the truck sucks. No traction on the new chevy, dumbass never put weight in it during the week. Sure makes for stressful times.

Don't know how people get off on plowing,

Cash is good for now at least.

[Dave Shepard]

I don't know. It's not so bad from the cab of a 3 yard loader.:/: Getting the two feet out of the mill yard for the new toy that's coming tomorrow afternoon.

29866

[squisher]

Don't know how people get off on plowing.

:O

Ummm, no thanks!

Money makes plowing awesome, and that's about the only awesome part of it.

[MasterBlaster]

:thumbup:

[chucky]

Plowing's pretty big around here as a side venture, with about 100" of snow here so far this winter. On the way to work last month:

http://www.youtube.com/user/fourcubed47?feature=mhum

[bill22]

Snow plowing?i only plow chicks.

[FJR]

I bet.
:---)

[bill22]

Lol.

[squisher]

I can't find the embed code? I may be too outdated?

My favorite plowing song, wakes ya up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh3qZ2FlwSI&nofeather=True

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zh3qZ2FlwSI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

[top_notch]

Looking at getting a plow. Boss v. Owner will let it go for $3500 do you guys think its a good deal? Im just trying to get into plowing and have a 02 f250 ex cab 8ft bed and am planning on doing residential. Is this truck too big? Is the V plow a good choice? "I'm new I don't know what to do" :lol:

Here's a pic of the plow I'm looing to buy. It comes with everything and fits my truck....its coming off a 99 and I have an 01.
39271

[Fruitbowl]

I think that price is good. I would love to have a V Plow. Mine is a Meyer 7.5' on a 3/4 ton Chevy. Plowing is really hard on the truck .... even if you baby it. I personally would never put a plow on a truck I loved. Put it on an old truck that you don't really care about. Good luck!!!

[top_notch]

Thanks for the input. I can see your point on the truck thing, but the way I see it is I have a big truck that I drive around and don't really use it to its full capacity. I figure I might as well put it to work and get the use out of it. I guess I would just like it to make me some money instead of me dumping tons of cash into it upon fill up.

[FJR]

Plowing is really hard on the truck .... even if you baby it. I personally would never put a plow on a truck I loved. Put it on an old truck that you don't really care about. Good luck!!!

I could not agree more! I backed into a fire hydrant that was buried in snow and mangled the bumper and rear quarter panel a few weeks back, and that is why I use a dedicated truck for that. Every year it always seems to be something. I see brand new 3/4 tons rolling around with plows and I think they are nuts. Even if you don't hit anything plowing is still hard on the front end of the truck, the transfer case, and the trans.

V-plows are nice as long as you have the truck for it and the price looks good if it is in good shape.

[squisher]

If you plow with a pro plow on a pick-up you will frig things up. Even if you drive as smoothly as possible and don't hit anything you will destroy suspension and drivetrain components on a regular basis. The plow looks like a good deal to me but I'm up in Canada where deals are not as plentiful. If you put that plow onto your truck I would expect to be doing ball-joints too if they have any age and your springs will not be up to the task of the weight of that plow and the diesel motor, either add a leaf or airbag the front. Also from what I hear if you plow with a diesel automatic you can kiss your tranny goodbye on a fairly regular basis too. The torque of the diesel is constantly winding up the converter/tranny and loads it up hard right as you're pushing into/up a pile. Everyone around here that jumped on the diesel bandwagon for plowing is jumping back off. Also if your truck is a standard like mine you better bring the clutching skills or you will eat up a clutch in no time.

I plow like a madman, about a 12hr push every event. The money is great but unless you're into wrenching yourself your profits will be sucked up in repair bills. My '92 f-350 has a smallblock gasser in it and I still have airbags in the front, new shocks every other year atleast and I've got the oldstyle front end with kingpins instead of ball joints. Even with front airbags I'm going dual shocks after this season to help things out.

I run a 9.5' V and would never plow with anything else. For the record v-plows aren't much heavier than a non-v pro plow usually around 100pds difference and the difference between a 8.5v and a 9.5v is negligible in weight. But for function it's huge. I do alot of commercial lots and roadways and the extra 1' saves me time. Also when things get tight the extra 6"s a side keeps my truck 6"s further away from obstacles than a shorter plow so it actually makes tighter areas easier imo.

[woodworkingboy]

Great post, Squish. I feel like I just got educated in plowing. Incredibly heavy snow this year, north and west of me, not bad at all in my area. The townships are running out of money for the plow work, and a number of people have died while attempting to clear their roofs. Some of the earthquake areas have been blasted as well, up to nine feet piled up. Things can get pretty rough indeed.

[squisher]

Wow that's some crazy snowfall Jay. Our winter here has been lackluster at best. Very reduced snowfalls and besides one three or four day cold snap extremely mild temperatures. It has not been a fantastic year to be a snowplower, I've done more treework this winter than I have the last three combined. I'm thankul to have the work though.

[treebogan]

Past two winters the Plower's made an absolute fortune.A freind of mine drove one of two Tractors his Boss had out Plowing and Gritting,last year they wrote Bills of $400,000 per month.After two years like that every man and his Dog went and bought a Plow and Gritter for their Tractor.

This winter its the least snow since the 1970's.