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Clem Smith 11-20-2009 15:47:13 140.214.50.149 741994 Report to Moderator	Snow plowing 101 Previous thread brought up good questions for those of us new to using 8Ns to plow snow: How do you plow new driveway snow 6”-12” deep with an 8N with 5’ back blade? Push backwards a few feet at time, push angled to left side, start at snow staging/dump area? Etc. I and others are new to this. How do YOU do it? Old tricks, old manuals, voice of experience. A step by step primer (after start 8N with blade attached) would be helpful. Thanks, CLEM [Reply]   [No Email]
John (TR) 11-22-2009 08:28:00 143.85.192.242 742205 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   You"ll be able to push more than pull. I run forward whenever I can, but heavy wet snow or lots of it prevents that from working. THen its running backwards time pushing from side to side. Effective but hard on the neck. I"ve never had problems running forward over the snow unless it gets too deep   [Reply]   [No Email]
Danny in CO 11-21-2009 16:18:13 67.142.130.31 742113 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Clem, It all depends on your situation! With my 500' long drive I plow with the blade angled and push the snow to the low side. If I push to both sides, I get mud puddles when it starts melting on the high side. Be sure to push it far enough back in early winter for the snow piles the rest of the winter. Several years ago, I didn't push the piles back far enough, and then with each snow, my plowed drive got more narrow with each snow. Generally, our snow is very dry and I plow forwards with anything less than a foot. With more than a foot or if it is wet, I push backwards. With both ways, I use the blade angled. It takes practice in your situation. Good luck, Danny   [Reply]   [No Email]
Joe in MI 11-21-2009 12:32:32 174.42.218.87 742093 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   I have to do some of each. My driveway is 1/10th of a mile long, but it winds through some woods. I can only push the snow to the right. Then I have to turn the blade around and push the "windrow" it backwards into piles in the trees in some predetermined areas that are cleared just for that. If I don't pile my windrows, the driveway will close up way before spring. I have a big circle drive/parking area/polebarn apron that also has to get cleared. That gets done with a combination of backing up and pulling forward - way too much backing up, but there is no other way, unfortunately. It's all gotta be pushed into a pile, eventually. This picture was taken after only one or two snows. That pile in the background gets about twice as high and the surface area is bigger than my house. Every year I push my first snow piles a little further back into the yard. And every year, I end up with nowhere to push snow by spring. I'm pushing it ALL the way back this winter. This post was edited by Joe in MI at 12:35:31 11/21/09.   [Reply]   [No Email]
bj/8n/mt 11-21-2009 07:03:20 64.12.116.20 742063 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Snow plowing with an N series is a lot more art than science. If it works for you keep doing it. Conversely, if I understand your question, what works for me here in the Montana banana belt may be instructive If your back blade is built right it will be adjustable in all three planes--yaw, pitch, and roll. On pavement set the roll neutral. On gravel set the roll about an inch high in the center[left side] to leave a center crown to turn water. This axis adjusts with the three point crank raising or lowering the lower three point arm. Set the yaw axis about an inch of toe to the left--i.e center leads ditch so you are throwing snow off to your right. This axis should control with a swivel at the top of the plow. If you have a Chinese non adjustable blade now is a good time to go shopping. Set the pitch to about level. Maybe a little back tilt but not enough to dig in. This axis adjusts with the length of the top link. I do my quarter mile long gravel drive starting on the right and going out leaving spoil spread down the road then coming back in and leaving a spoil pile beyond the garage that may still be there in the spring. All going forward. I only use the blade backing up to clear a corner. I also do some neighbor"s all in less than an hour unless there is more than a foot of snow. I now do it with live hydraulics and more horsepower but the principles remain the same. Your mileage may vary   [Reply]   [Send Email]
TheOldHokie 11-21-2009 05:28:50 71.176.159.29 742058 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Dunk, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   35thLE said: (quoted from post at 02:04:03 11/21/09) Maybe I take it to far and think about the 3-4 foot blizzards (not counting the drifts) we get every once in awhile, It can still be done, just differently, doesn't really answer the 6-12" question... sorry but I live on the light side of life... Still gotta be plowed, especially Needs to be plowed! Hey.. that Christmas deer is getting covered.... Is it gonna be able to breath soon? Oh, it's dead! and so is the other one!... Can never seem to get the images right the first time.... If I had to deal with snowfalls like that more than once evry couple decades I'd move for sure. I HATE PLOWING SNOW!!!!! TOH   [Reply]   [No Email]
john B. NE Ind 11-22-2009 20:43:04 67.236.224.73 742276 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to TheOldHokie, 11-21-2009 05:28:50   I've got a v blade that would handle those bigger snow falls. It looks just like the Deerborn plows made for the n-series. Beats the heck out of a back blade. I now have a truck so I don't need it any more. if anyone might be interested let know. If I can get my grandson to up load a picture, I plan on posting it on the for sale page.   [Reply]   [Send Email]
35thLE 11-20-2009 22:04:03 72.42.69.152 742054 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Dan in CO, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Maybe I take it to far and think about the 3-4 foot blizzards (not counting the drifts) we get every once in awhile, It can still be done, just differently, doesn't really answer the 6-12" question... sorry but I live on the light side of life... Still gotta be plowed, especially Needs to be plowed! Hey.. that Christmas deer is getting covered.... Is it gonna be able to breath soon? Oh, it's dead! and so is the other one!... Can never seem to get the images right the first time.... This post was edited by 35thLE at 22:19:36 11/20/09 2 times.   [Reply]   [No Email]
35thLE 11-20-2009 21:25:19 72.42.69.152 742053 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to sergio, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Great question! and I can't imagine the length of post that could explain it completely .... I started and I stopped because it just kept ramblin....... Hopefully somebody that is more succinct in their words will post... It's really,,,, at the end of the day, kinda an art and every snow (cold, wet, volume) is different... It's fun with an N because it's not a big enough rig to just always do the same thing every time/snow ! .... Sometimes you just get off the tractor, take a look, and make a plan for that day, even if you've been plowing for awhile and adjust accordingly!   [Reply]   [No Email]
SteveC47 11-20-2009 20:36:52 173.24.62.29 742046 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Depending on the wetness of the snow, I use center, left or right. Left or right depending on which side I want to build my pile. I usually back up to prevent packing the snow by running over it. I have a 30 yard straight shot out of my shed and push all the way to the road ditch opposite the drive. Then set the blade to angle and widen. If the snow is too deep or wet for that technique, just push in more-or-less a herringbone pattern to pile the snow along the side of the drive in short passes. You need to plan around your yard obstacles. I always try to push the piles as far as possible to allow space for future snows. I always use tire chains, just be careful about spinning a tire too much. You can really damage blacktop or grass easily. Great seat time can be had pushing snow. I always get my neighbor's driveways too. Good Luck   [Reply]   [Send Email]
JohnC IND 11-20-2009 17:43:03 66.252.93.32 742019 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to Clem Smith, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   If it's deep and wet, I let the blade down to within 6" or so of the driveway blacktop, angled to the right and drag (pulling) off the top layer. Downhill. Then I go back and drop it to the pavement and do it again. I can only push the snow West in my situation, and sometimes I have to repeat the pattern until I get it all off of the drive. I have cast iron weights on all four wheels and big honkin' chains and a fairly heavy 5' blade of unknown pedigree. It helps to silicone spray the snot out of the painted blade. When it was rusty like I got it the wet snow would stick and often freeze to the blade, making pushing snow with it a pain.   [Reply]   [No Email]
JW Axtell 11-20-2009 17:24:20 74.42.162.27 742016 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to danh01, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Clem Smith said: (quoted from post at 19:47:13 11/20/09) Snow plowing 101 How do you plow new driveway snow 6”-12” deep with an 8N with 5’ back blade? Thanks, CLEM 6-12 inches is difficult. More or less like TOH said but everybody has to find their own system in the end. I only did it one year before I found a FEL with a snowblade   [Reply]   [No Email]
TheOldHokie 11-20-2009 16:15:23 71.176.159.29 742000 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to G6 at Snook, TX, 11-20-2009 15:47:13   Clem Smith said: (quoted from post at 19:47:13 11/20/09) Snow plowing 101 Previous thread brought up good questions for those of us new to using 8Ns to plow snow: How do you plow new driveway snow 6”-12” deep with an 8N with 5’ back blade? Push backwards a few feet at time, push angled to left side, start at snow staging/dump area? Etc. I and others are new to this. How do YOU do it? Old tricks, old manuals, voice of experience. A step by step primer (after start 8N with blade attached) would be helpful. Thanks, CLEM Well, if you have open shoulders on the roadway and you don't have to worry about plow off accumulatiiung with time you simply: Set plow blade at angle to right. Drop blade and bust a$$ down right side of road as fast as you feel comfortable flinging snow onto shoulder Turn around at end of road and repeat on the other side of road. Repeat trips as needed to obtain clean roadway TOH   [Reply]   [No Email]
Bob Harvey 11-20-2009 20:09:55 216.86.96.82 742039 Report to Moderator	Re: Snow plowing 101 in reply to TheOldHokie, 11-20-2009 16:15:23   So ? What is wrong with setting it to the left ? What are we dealing with here - POLITICS ???? ;~}   [Reply]   [No Email]