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Shoveling is fun, for maybe ten minutes, but I do enjoy the activity if the stuff isn't wet and heavy (I term it heart attack snow) but really, really enjoy using one of my toys, which is why I have so many of them. I often do most of my neighbors driveways when we get a heavy snowfall, I'm the only retired guy and it gives me something to do. With that said, how many of you enjoy clearing the white stuff yourselves?

One vote + for me -- the VENTRAC makes it FUN !

The plow is good, but the Blower is Great !

BKBrown said:

One vote + for me -- the VENTRAC makes it FUN !

The plow is good, but the Blower is Great !

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WOW...that is one serious gadget you have...I'd love a blower for my JD but being retired, I can't justify the expense. I have let several of my neighbors (two of which are cops) drive my JD under my supervision and let them plow their driveways, they all said "now I know why you do this, it's FUN"..:biggrin:

JDgreen said:

WOW...that is one serious gadget you have...I'd love a blower for my JD but being retired, I can't justify the expense. I have let several of my neighbors (two of which are cops) drive my JD under my supervision and let them plow their driveways, they all said "now I know why you do this, it's FUN"..:biggrin:

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The Ventrac is 31 HP and made in USA -- No problem with 20" and then 24" snows this past winter. 9 neighbor driveways + 1/2 mile to main road. Ours is a state road, but they did not get here for a week.

I find snow removal to be a LOT more enjoyable now that I have heated cabs on all my snow equipment...
I can comfortably remember all the years of having to be in Ice & Snow and all the howling wind.
Turn up the tunes and occasionally sip some hot coffee while making the snow fly... :smile:KennyV

BKBrown said:

The Ventrac is 31 HP and made in USA -- No problem with 20" and then 24" snows this past winter. 9 neighbor driveways + 1/2 mile to main road. Ours is a state road, but they did not get here for a week.

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Bet you are a hero to your neighbors, oh, wait, because you cleared them out they had no excuse for not getting to work, right?:confused2:

Not really, it's just a job that has to be done! :frown: Depends on the snow, I either use the 74-112 w/37A blower or the 83-420 w/ 54 blade. Of course, there's plenty of hand work to be done too. I blow or blade one neighbor's drive too. ~~ grnspot110

grnspot110 said:

Not really, it's just a job that has to be done! :frown: Depends on the snow, I either use the 74-112 w/37A blower or the 83-420 w/ 54 blade. Of course, there's plenty of hand work to be done too. I blow or blade one neighbor's drive too. ~~ grnspot110

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Nice looking 420---I've got an '89 318 with a 54 inch blade (1200 hrs) that I want to restore someday.
Has way more power than traction, even with chains, OEM wheel weights, liquid weight in the tires, and 100 pounds of barbell weights hanging off the back it still didn't have enough traction to push wet, heavy snow. If my JD had a diff lock like the 420 does it would have made a big difference. I use my Honda Foreman ATV now instead, even with no chains, it will push twice the snow in half the time and not chew up the driveways in the process. I can still see the scraping the chains from the 318 made 15 years later (asphalt driveway).

JDgreen said:

Bet you are a hero to your neighbors, oh, wait, because you cleared them out they had no excuse for not getting to work, right?:confused2:

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But, the ones that needed to get to work don't get paid unless they can get to work. :biggrin:

I'm retired.

I used to enjoy snowblowing with my walk behind. Now I see it as a chore forcing me out in the cold for 3 hours. The older I get the less I like the cold.

I like it when it snows, I go and clear it, and it is done.

I don't like when it snows, I clear it, it snows more, I clear it, it snows more, etc.

I like it when the whole family (wife and all three kids) are out there with me, shovels flying, scooping the snow into mounds that we can then use to make tunnels and forts and sled ramps.

I don't like when it snows, I clear it, it blows, I clear it, it blows, I clear it, etc.

AndyMan said:

I like it when it snows, I go and clear it, and it is done.

I don't like when it snows, I clear it, it snows more, I clear it, it snows more, etc.

I like it when the whole family (wife and all three kids) are out there with me, shovels flying, scooping the snow into mounds that we can then use to make tunnels and forts and sled ramps.

I don't like when it snows, I clear it, it blows, I clear it, it blows, I clear it, etc.

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We don't have kids at home now, but I understand what you mean about clearing, IF you have help. When there is a lot of the white stuff, I use the FEL on my tractor to make big piles for the neighbors kids to play with,,,:wink:

The 2nd best part of winter is plowing mine and 2 of my neighbirs driveways in my RTV w/heater & stereo blasting away. The best part of winter is watching the trees bud, then you know winter is over. Remove the plow, fuel up the Harley and get ready for some warm weather activities...........

I truly do enjoy it! I love to shovel snow. We have a 600 foot driveway on a 10% grade, and I love to shovel it! It's a vigorous outdoor work out that accomplishes something at the same time.

Green Girl said:

I truly do enjoy it! I love to shovel snow. We have a 600 foot driveway on a 10% grade, and I love to shovel it! It's a vigorous outdoor work out that accomplishes something at the same time.

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SIX HUNDRED FEET !!! You must have arms like Popeye, if there is any serious snowfall in your area !!! :smile:

I hope you are making several smaller jobs of it and not tackling too much at one time? I would assume you also have other ways that you deal with the snow too?

I really enjoy the winter. I love storms of any kind. And I really enjoy getting out with my little Kubota.:biggrin: Dusty

I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. We make a game of it, we shovel, then play in the snow, then go back to shovelling.

As a heavy equipment operator for 22 years in the military, I removed a lot worse stuff than snow. Snow removal is no big deal for me. As long as you have the right gear and your dressed for it, it's OK.

indypower said:

I used to enjoy snowblowing with my walk behind. Now I see it as a chore forcing me out in the cold for 3 hours. The older I get the less I like the cold.

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Yah, same here. And to think that for my retirement, I'm moving farther north!:confused2: Hopefully, I'll eventually have the money for some serious snow removal toys. Even a 4-wheeler with a blade would be better than now.

I've learned to enjoy it again......with a JD 729 !!! Cab, heater, the works!! 4 wheel drive and steer. I get a kick out of people watching me sitting in the cab in my green JD T-shirt in well below zero temps throwing snow across the street!!! You just gotta have the right equipment. John Deere.

Where I stay, we never get any snow; the closest would be very big hailstones. I would find it monotonous after a few minutes. In such instances, I prefer to switch between two tasks.

I enjoy Snow Removal for the most part, particularly the light fluffy stuff that blows or shovels easy... The wet snow I could care less for, Its not bad blowing wet snow but that Wet snow is definately heavy to shovel.

Oh yeah, I hate it when I just finish plowing the driveway and have shut down the tractor and along comes the county snow plow and fills in the driveway with more snow. Don't mind it now that I have the 2305 Deere with 4X4 & blower, but the old Agco was getting stuck every 5 feet with weight & chains this yr blowing snow, so I enjoy it now.

In the past I have only done the minimum snow removal to get out at home. Most of this consisted of using a rear blade on my older 30hp open station tractor. This was okay but not particularly "fun".


I am currently considering a snow push for my 110tlb with Laurin cab or a rear mount blower for my 4520 cab 60hp tractor. I could remove the backhoe and have a snowpush on front and blower on the rear of the 110tlb seems like a lot of money for limited use though.

I have an X749 I could also use but don't want a cab on it and don't wan't to look like Frosty the snowman.

I am open to suggestions.:smile:

Diary of a Snow Shoveler

Ahh. I finally found it. My favorite snow shoveling story of all times. No, I did not write it, but I easily could have, back when I lived in Minnesota.

The Diary of a Snow Shoveler

December 8
6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.

December 12
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14
Snow lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life!

The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way.

December 15
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer.

The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like heck. The wife laughed for one hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere.

Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20
Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Darn snowplow came by twice.

Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to poop. By the time I got undressed, pooped and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think the jerk is lying.

December 23
Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24
6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the man who drives that snowplow I'll drag him through the snow by his nose and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been!

Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the snowplow.

December 25
Merry -bleeping- Christmas! 20 more inches of the slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26
Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27
Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze, plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28
Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. THE WITCH is driving me crazy!!!

December 29
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30
Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver he is now suing me for a million dollars not only the beating I gave him but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up where the sun don't shine. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.

December 31
I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8
Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

I don't enjoy it at all but then, I don't have any fancy toys to help me do it. :tongue: I do find myself offering to clear my neighbours' paths and driveways though because most of them are older than me, so it's good exercise!

It took me one season to learn how best to do the job. I have a JD LA175 with a JD 44" snowblower. Threw a tensioning spring and broke a drive belt last year, but have now learned how and when to lift the blower and enjoy doing my long paved driveway and a 1/4 mile dirt (private) road. So far, have handled three storms with 36 inches of heavy wet snow and have nothing but praise for the JD equipment.:smile:

Where I live now, I rarely have to deal with snow removal, but when I was growing up, I enjoyed it! There's just something satisfying about shoveling snow, in my experience.

I actually love moving snow! Get to do my neighbors driveways as well, but I am really looking forward to cutting some green!

Use a Ventrac 3223D with a 60" Blade
(Ventrac - 3000 Series Compact Tractors)

Re: Diary of a Snow Shoveler

AndyMan said:

Ahh. I finally found it. My favorite snow shoveling story of all times. No, I did not write it, but I easily could have, back when I lived in Minnesota.

The Diary of a Snow Shoveler

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That was hilarious!!!!!

I absolutely love clearing snow. Can't get enough and its never too much. Here are my snow weapons:

With all the snow, I actually had fun moving it. Lots of seat time.:thumbsup:

I do enjoy snow removal. :thumbsup:

I think around the end of July or August I will start to think of how much fun snow removal was...
Right now... I'm looking forward to GRASS... :smile:KennyV

bakerg said:

With all the snow, I actually had fun moving it. Lots of seat time.:thumbsup:

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Have never used a box blade for snow removal, when I use my RB at an angle for plowing while going forward, sometimes if the snow is heavy and will not slide off the blade it finally drags me to a stop. Does snow build up in a box blade to a greater extent?

JDgreen said:

Have never used a box blade for snow removal, when I use my RB at an angle for plowing while going forward, sometimes if the snow is heavy and will not slide off the blade it finally drags me to a stop. Does snow build up in a box blade to a greater extent?

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Yes it does build up. The first pass I make with the FEL down to open up the driveway. After that I use the box blade to pull the snow to either end of the drive and then either use the FEL or back up with the box blade down to push into piles. Got the idea off of TBN, just found using the box blade easier then the back blade.:biggrin:

Love snow removal, but I agree, I am ready for mowing!:thumbsup:

We don't get a lot of snow in Gig Harbor, but when we do, I enjoy plowing it with my lawn tractor. I have a 1987 John Deere 165 and have a 42" blade. It does a great job clearing snow from our property, and the cross street heading out to the main highway. Last season I added a strip of conveyor belt rubber to the cutting edge, which seems to make a difference. I've attached a picture of a young lady demonstrating the unit.

With the amount of snow we get in Northern Canada, I do not enjoy snow removal. My husband had a heart attack recently, so now I need to find a lightweight piece of equipment to help me do the job.

I see it as a neccecairy evil.I don't enjoy it at all,been fighting the stuff since november and its still here.
It takes to much of my time.
I have a big yard and a 1/2 mile long driveway.

From the looks of the tracks in the snow, you have something there big enough to deal with the snow... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

From the looks of the tracks in the snow, you have something there big enough to deal with the snow... :smile:KennyV

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Sort of :wink:

I was guessing a wheel loader from the tracks... Great:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Love heavy equipment... :smile:KennyV

Got this one too.
Waldon compact loader,used it before i found the big one.
I build the hydr angle blade myself from scratch,including the quik attach.