Snow Plow Vehicle Suggestions

Any old Jeep with 4wd with a blade. Tuck it into a corner of your garage next to a door…..a straight shot out & return. Done. (keep it on a trickle charger). Worked fine in Incline for 20 years.

 

We have a straight plow (Hiniker) mounted to Jeep. Works great. Other choices are V and wing plows. A straight plow is easiest to use (so I hear--no experience with the other types) and the least expensive.

The plow is relatively easy to take on and off, so you also have use of a 4WD vehicle during the non-snow months. If I had it to do over again I would probably get a gas powered vehicle mounted snowblower. They are more, but they can solve the problem of "where to put the snow".

 

Do you already have a riding mower? There are blade attachments available for a nominal cost, but you have to search.
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Same for snow blowers. Snowblowersdirect carries most brands and blade attachments to fit many.
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If the only purpose of the vehicle is to push snow, a Jeep. Smaller, easy to park out of the way, easy to maneuver and turn around. And can be fun to cruise around on the summer.
You can do an atv or side by side, but they cost as much as a used Jeep.

 

Plowing snow versus blowing it away. Plowing will lead to a big pile somewhere that keeps getting bigger and unmanageable. We prefer blowing to get it up and out of the way, so by winter's end there is still space to move snow.

A walk behind is too small for a 500' driveway. My 150' driveway takes two hours with a walk behind. This is a great option, but make sure there is a reputable repair place available or it becomes a boat anchor. Everything breaks down, and snowblowers only break in winter when you need them.


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This is what happens when the snow piles up at the end of the drive at my neighbors house. This is from a big Dodge dually 400 series. He just couldn't push it farther back by winter's end. You can't just keep pushing it off the drive. Doesn't happen when you blow it.
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No kidding. We’ve gotten hammered this winter. I have a Honda HS828. The edges of the drive in some places are over 5’ tall. The key is the edge of the driveway is in the exact same place that it is in summer. And I have a really wide driveway, approximately 55’ at the widest part up next to the garage/ house. No way I could have used a plow.

 

5 or 6 feet of snow is a crap ton. Too long a driveway as well. I have a diesel Kubota 4WD tractor with a couple PTOs and a large front bucket and other implements and we get a fraction of the snow you get. But when it decides to snow big the only solution for a long private drive is to scoop it up and pile it wherever you like. Doesn't matter how long or much it snows. A couple steps up to the seat with a nice flat deck and keep your body out of the elements.

Doesn't make sense to pay for another vehicle to register, insure and maintain. A good tractor can be your best friend year round. Move any material - lumber, gravel, mulch, top soil, trees - and grade property or cut grass, seed the lawn, put in a fence, plant trees, etc. You'll find all kinds of thinks to do faster and wonder why you didn't get one sooner. I use mine to get up on the roof and clean gutters as well as transport water in the bucket to water trees or soften ground to dig. Drag the kids around on inner tubes in the snow. Lots of stuff.