Plowing...

[Molon Labe]

Did my first plow today with my UXV700i and Warn plowvantage.  Went pretty well I think.  I've never plowed before so I can't compare it to past experiences, lol.

My question:

On concrete / asphalt do you use the "floaters"? 

I wasn't sure so I had them set so the wear bar is just touching the ground.  Seemed to work fine, but Like I said, I've never done this before and my dealer gave me no manuals or anything with the new machine or plow or winch.

Anyone have any tips they have found or anything?  Being new, I really have no idea what I'm doing beyond "just doing it".

[zombie]

Get rid of those pads. You need the weight of the blade to cut the snow. The "floaters" are only for long maintenance runs (ie:) highway plowing.

Set your plow high, and only attempt to move the top layer of snow. 3-4 passes with less snow per pass is much more efficient. It saves wear on your vehicle, and actually goes faster.

Also instead of pushing the snow straight ahead into a pile or berm you are better off angling your blade, and cutting the snow off to one side in long passes. This way you don't make heavy piles. Instead you can control the width of your cuts, and plow quicker.

(30+ years of plowing in Yonkers, and Long Island) We got snow up there.

Ps... I assume you have the Lexan blade... Coat it w/ 8-10 layers of Canuba wax. That will keep the snow from sticking to the blade, and save wear on your machine.

[Molon Labe]

Ok so no go on the pads.  Even on the concrete?  The blade seems to like to hit the cracks. 

It's a steel blade, pretty heavy and sturdy.

I did set the blade at an angle yesterday for most of the plowing.  Circular drive and then the 400' run (with a couple of curves) out to the street.  The 400' run to the street is asphalt whereas the circular drive and pad between the house and barn is concrete.

Good call on waxing the blade, I had to knock some snow off yesterday before parking it in the barn.

Calling for upwards of 4" tonight, possibly more with lake effect and then tomorrow afternoon / night as much as 8, again depending on lake effect, so I'll be at it quite a bit.

Thank you for the tips, I appreciate it.

I have another question, my 400' asphalt run has a corn field on the windward side of it.  Drifting can be insane I'm thinking.  I Plowed half the snow to one side going out (angled) and half to the other when I came back.

Is it feasible to plow angled to the leeward side going out and then come back plowing to that same side to get it off the road ?  I'm thinking I'll try it out tonight when I've got 1.5" on the ground and see how it goes.

I got some drifting today while I was at work from the mounds on the windward side of the drive, I'd like to eliminate that and with 5 degree temps for the next 2-3 days, the snow will be drifting quite a bit.

Tks again.

[BettinANDlosing]

I just had to......

[zombie]

"Ok so no go on the pads.  Even on the concrete?  The blade seems to like to hit the cracks. 

It's a steel blade, pretty heavy and sturdy."

I assumed you had the plastic blade/wear bar. They are thicker, and will hop over most stress relievers in concrete. That would be my first modification. It's better for your machine as well. It insulates shock, and reduces vibration.

I would also try to mound everything on the windward side. It will keep most of the snow  (in a squall) from even hitting your drive.
Lining both sides creates a trap, and it will hold what would have otherwise blown right over.

My BUDDY, B&L had to bust my chops... "Mr. Plow"...

I did spend 30 years plowing in N.Y.. Mainly commercial properties like shopping malls, strip malls, and schools. Many times I would work for 4-5 days straight, and catch 2-3 hours of sleep in the truck when I could. You learn how to baby your machine because no one gets paid when a plow is down. Same goes for where you put the snow. It HAS to go somewhere that will not be in the way as it accumulates, and better yet, somewhere it can actually prevent accumulation.

Try to cut your angles so the blade cant catch the cracks. Every snap of those springs is a sledge hammer to the machine.

Hey B&L... You have to be versatile brother. You never know when our beloved leaders will ban scooter sales in the US!

[Molon Labe]

I just had to......

Lol I was singing that song at 3am this morning.  "Mr Plow, that's my name, that again is MR PLOW!"

[zombie]

Got    to admit it was funny as hell!!!   

[Molon Labe]

"Ok so no go on the pads.  Even on the concrete?  The blade seems to like to hit the cracks. 

It's a steel blade, pretty heavy and sturdy."

I assumed you had the plastic blade/wear bar. They are thicker, and will hop over most stress relievers in concrete. That would be my first modification. It's better for your machine as well. It insulates shock, and reduces vibration.

I would also try to mound everything on the windward side. It will keep most of the snow  (in a squall) from even hitting your drive.
Lining both sides creates a trap, and it will hold what would have otherwise blown right over.

Try to cut your angles so the blade cant catch the cracks. Every snap of those springs is a sledge hammer to the machine.

Hey B&L... You have to be versatile brother. You never know when our beloved leaders will ban scooter sales in the US!

Yep it has the wear bar on it.

Reading online it seems like most want it on the leeward side, not the windward.  I can only assume it's because of the reason why snow accumulates on the leeward side of snow fence.  Air flow changes.

I plowed everything to the leeward side late last night and again this AM and I don't seem to have the drifting issues I had yesterday afternoon.  Same temps / wind direction and speed and type of snow. 

I think I'm getting this thing down.

I have the sliders on still but they are set at the same level as the blade, this seems to keep the blade from digging into the expansion cracks on my driveway.

Also helps when I'm a second to two late on getting the blade up as hit the grass.  Not so much any more but at 3am with numb fingers and a foggy head and black in the cab, it happens from time to time, lol.

For the most part I have a pretty good pattern figured out now.

[zombie]

Good for you! Some of those red reflectors on aluminium poles might help ID the outline, I know about hitting things at three am!

[Molon Labe]

Good for you! Some of those red reflectors on aluminium poles might help ID the outline, I know about hitting things at three am!

I went on ebay a couple of weeks ago and picked up 50 of the 4' driveway marker poles.  No way I could do it without them.  Guy before left about 20 of them and I have no idea how he did it with 20. 

I put out about 15 of the old ones (5 were so messed up and old they were junk) and then 44 of the new ones.

Shot of the driveway on my drive out today.  Need to get a shot of the Kymco in it.  I'll do that tomorrow.

[BettinANDlosing]

Lol I was singing that song at 3am this morning.  "Mr Plow, that's my name, that again is MR PLOW!"

Haha yeah after i looked up that YouTube video i rode my scooter around and couldn't help humming that. Your lucky, that looks like a lot of fun plowin' away. I've always thought Mtn. plowing looked like a hell of a fun job.

[zombie]

What a beautiful place you have there.
I was kinda digging (pun) my place in Carrabelle, and now that I see this... I just blew out the pilot light on the stove.

Oh Hell.

[BettinANDlosing]

Here's a short version

[zombie]

Have you seen dee's?



Just the short version.

[Molon Labe]

LOL @Zombie

So I survived Snowmageddon.  2 feet of snow in about 30 hours over the weekend.  Crazy stuff.  Had another 3 inches yesterday and at the end of my run the night before my winch cable broke!

Apparently winch cables breaking are a common thing when plowing?

After some consulting, I'm ordering 50' of amsteel blue rope cable and a hawse to replace the roller fairlead. 

I ran out yesterday and bought some cable clamps and bolt cutters and fixed the cable and plowed out the 3" of fresh snowfall.  So far my repair is holding.

In addition to the broke cable, the pin that holds the wheel for the cable is really bent.  Barely comes in and out, I need to replace it.  Anyone know what that's called?  It's for a warn provantage setup.