Snow/ polar tracks for mini-skid

Enough weight to make a difference? What's your unloaded weight? And what kind of terrain? Ice or snow?
 
I don't have experience, but as easy as it is to tear up mini tracks i would be leery. A grade 8 bolt would do the same thing as those, and can be bought by the pound at tsc.
 
I have found you don't need studs for snow, but I have though about using the screw in type tire studs used on moto cross tires for ice. They are cheaper and easier to install. I think I priced the ones in your link and they wanted a grand + for a set to do my tracks. The screw i type are IIRC $300 to do my tracks.

I haven't done anything to them as of yet.
 
For the amount of snow and ice you get Sean it seems hardly worthwhile. Just keep a couple pails of unfrozen sand around and toss out some where you need traction. Easy enough to keep a couple five gallon pails of sand in the back porch or in a heated shop, anywhere where it won't freeze solid and toss one in a truck to take to the odd frozen/icy jobsite.
 
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  • #7
I was thinking about snow removal. Olympia is so under-equipped for snow removal. I don't advertise for it, nor have ever done it, but have had a dozen calls for it.
Considering just getting some people cleared out in the 'neighborhood', and for friends, or emergency access.

Sand is a good idea.

I haven't had any big tree failures to deal with.

Mostly just sitting out the storm and bad roads, and prepping.


I have 2wd, and can get around well enough without a trailer or chains, but that's pretty limiting. Might have to chain up just to look at trees in a neighborhood, and de-chain once I'm on the main roads...PITA, wood-stove and coffee. I have a backup of work before these storms of late.
 
Snow removal is a huge money maker. No sleep for a few days, but fat pockets. Once again it's an equipment game, but you can make some nice side cash.
 
Seems like with a mini you'd be hard pressed to turn decent dollars unless it was sidewalks or something? I had a mini and commercial v plows on trucks, and a tractor, and used bobcats with various blade and bucket attachments. I never used the mini not once for commercial snow removal. But if there's nothing else operating in your area maybe?
 
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Supply and demand.

I'm trying to get my mini fixed. Thinking about what to do to not get ahead of myself, like a bad fuse, or bad switch or loose wire under a cover or...

plus my one-ton started making funny noises...



Really, I would need a 4wd to do anything.

Its on the list.
 
I have a snow plow and I don't plow snow for people other than family and some old folks in the neighborhood just incase of emergency the one guy is on hospice.

The reason I don't plow is it would double my insurance premium. And it is so easy to get sued it is not even funny. If you plow somebody out and salt and take every precaution necessary to prevent slipping you can still take it up the pooper. Liability is a real bitch with plowing and we have snow here, not worth it to me.
 
Yup. Insurance is a nescessity. I quit plowing this winter for the first time in ten years and I had a handful of people in the neighbourhood that wanted me to keep doing their driveways. Just not worth it on a small scale. Everyone's, no no I'd never sue you, until they slip and fall and hurt themselves. Or someone they have over does. Or someone that trespasses does. Etc. Etc. Etc.
 
I can't believe you can be sued over something like that. So, clearing someone's drive means that they won't slip and fall???
 
Sometimes yeah, and most certainly on commercial contracts. If you are ever up north in winter, you will notice that most parking lots are not only completely plowed (except for the mountain of snow and ice), they are salted so heavily that everything is dry and stained with salt. The roads, eh not so much. Here they basically stopped doing side streets until they get bad enough where emergency vehicles and school buses can't get in.
 
Friends I know in Colorado that do heavy equipment excavating work don't do plowing with direct contracts, only working as subs. That way, the GC gets hit with any lawsuits that arise -- and apparently they average 1-2 lawsuits per year, lawyers on retainer. People's cars getting buried, scooters or bikes damaged, vehicles getting hit, etc.
 
In Canada maybe it's not so simple to sue. But still a stark reality of the business. Neglect must be proven and due diligence by the injured party. As in no sneakers in January. Proper footwear by its definition alludes to the fact of not being able to easily slip and fall. But a big part of snow removal is being diligent and keeping proper records of snowfalls, temps, and services provided. A decade of winters I was never caught up in anything not once.
 
HArd to see getting sued by homeowner for not doing the driveway.... Commercial is easy money for anyone that wants to falsify a case... Slip and fall at 10:30 at night on the sidewalk within a closed school's grounds that she had no reason at all to be on the property and no eye witnesses, and was not even local to the area... Insurance company just wrote a check... 15K... no court ... Just a ton of doctor's bills with huge damage done all over her body.. Sever pain and suffering... NOT!!!!
 
HArd to see getting sued by homeowner for not doing the driveway....

You have a contract with homeowner verbal or otherwise to clear their driveway of snow/ice and you don't show up and they slip and fall. What is hard to see or interpret about that? Further you have said agreement with homeowner and another person shows up and slips and falls and sues the homeowner. Who do you think that homeowners insurance is coming after?


Just a ton of doctor's bills with huge damage done all over her body.. Sever pain and suffering... NOT!!!!

Like the rest of your post this really makes no sense to me at all? And again in Canada the onus is on the individual to have performed their due diligence too. A 10:30pm slip and fall at a closed school would never fly.
 
you won't need studs to push snow with mini.....I do it her in WNC. Sand and salt are fine
 
Here you can't get sued if somebody slips and falls on an uncleaned untouched driveway. That is considered an act of nature. If the driveway has been cleared or attempted to be cleared and somebody slips and falls then it is lawyer fodder. Stupid I know. And it is all contingent on, is it a new snow fall ect....

If you clear an driveway and there is not even a crumb of snow or ice when you are done but if it melts and drains across the driveway and refreezes. Well, bend over here it comes. If a clean driveway drifts over after cleaning it bend over here it comes. Stupid I know.
 
So a contract or agreement to clear someone's driveway and then not doing it at all would have no liability?

Most driveways i did there was an agreed upon time I would have cleared it by after a one inch or greater snowfall. You're saying if i just never showed up after making such an arrangement and someone was injured because of my non performance I would have no liability if I was in the USA? But if I had showed up and cleared the snow as agreed I would be liable? That does seem odd to me? All of my plow agreements and contracts specified that slippery conditions may exist even after servicing. I had this clause to cover my ass a bit, and because it's true. Winter is unpredictable.

I know guys here who have been caught up lawsuits because they hadn't cleared snow or sanded icy lots. I know no one who's ever been caught up because they did clear or sand. All the situations I've been aware of involve non performance of expected services as the mitigating factor for liability.
 
You contract is with the HO/PO, right? If you don't plow you are in breach of the contract but not open to liability. You are only liable if you take action against what mother nature brought.
Plus your contract does not cover anybody else that slips and falls on the property. Hopefully the HO/PO's insurance will cover that, maybe.

It's all stupid BS IMO that is why I don't plow.
 
I studded the tracks on the mini and it helps A LOT on ice. I used the hardened screw in type for moto cross tires. So far so good, I didn't use that many three screws every other bar/block/or whatever they are called on the tracks. Maybe six hours of run time so far. Prowler tracks FYI.
 
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