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Truck vs. ATV vs. Tractor for plowing/blowing snow

5K views 33 replies 8 participants last post by  Mark Oomkes 
#1 ·
I am new here. I need to plow/remove snow from my and my parent's mile long uphill gravel driveway. I am in Northcentral Pa. I inherited a Nissan Frontier (1998) with a plow from my father, who used to plow the driveway himself, but he has graciously allowed me to take it over now that he is 92. (Although he still uses his Ariens snow blower for around his house and barn.) The Nissan was doing great this year until about the 6th snowfall, at which time I lost what I thought was the clutch. Had it towed, long story short, it is going to be too expensive to repair. (either master cylinder or the transmission). So the hunt begins for a replacement vehicle. I could really use an ATV too, and a tractor. But can't afford all three. So perhaps I will luck out and find a multi-use vehicle that will do the job.

The main issue is keeping the driveway clear of snow as my parents are at an age where a medical emergency could happen at any time, which was the case this winter on the night the Nissan Frontier died. Luckily my neighbor was available to plow us out and I was able to get my dad to the ER. The road is a mile long, uphill, gravel, winds through fields and woods, is narrow, oh and did I mention it is steep in parts. I am careful to plow as wide as possible from the get go as the road becomes narrower with each passing snowfall. (that's why a blower attachment on a truck, tractor, or ATV is an attractive option)

An ATV, enclosed with heat, would be great but can it handle a mile long, steep in parts driveway?
Anyone have experience with using a compact enclosed tractor with snow attachments?
Or is a pick up Truck or large SUV (Toyota forerunner) the best option?

Thanks in advance for hearing me out and any advice or wisdom you can offer.

K
 
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#3 ·
I am new here. I need to plow/remove snow from my and my parent's mile long uphill gravel driveway. I am in Northcentral Pa. I inherited a Nissan Frontier (1998) with a plow from my father, who used to plow the driveway himself, but he has graciously allowed me to take it over now that he is 92. (Although he still uses his Ariens snow blower for around his house and barn.) The Nissan was doing great this year until about the 6th snowfall, at which time I lost what I thought was the clutch. Had it towed, long story short, it is going to be too expensive to repair. (either master cylinder or the transmission). So the hunt begins for a replacement vehicle. I could really use an ATV too, and a tractor. But can't afford all three. So perhaps I will luck out and find a multi-use vehicle that will do the job.

The main issue is keeping the driveway clear of snow as my parents are at an age where a medical emergency could happen at any time, which was the case this winter on the night the Nissan Frontier died. Luckily my neighbor was available to plow us out and I was able to get my dad to the ER. The road is a mile long, uphill, gravel, winds through fields and woods, is narrow, oh and did I mention it is steep in parts. I am careful to plow as wide as possible from the get go as the road becomes narrower with each passing snowfall. (that's why a blower attachment on a truck, tractor, or ATV is an attractive option)

An ATV, enclosed with heat, would be great but can it handle a mile long, steep in parts driveway?
Anyone have experience with using a compact enclosed tractor with snow attachments?
Or is a pick up Truck or large SUV (Toyota forerunner) the best option?

Thanks in advance for hearing me out and any advice or wisdom you can offer.

K
Hi kingdomebuilder: I am new here as well.
For a mile long drive I would go with a tractor or skidsteer with chains and plow or if your budget allows a blower. You may need the bucket for a heavy snow fall.
Track loaders are nice but much more to break and they slide on ice, wheels and chains are the way to go.
I have a 900 ft drive with an up hill grade I keep 20-25 ft wide with my skidsteer wheel loader w/ chains.
Living in western Mass I have had to use the bucket several times in the past.
Check out my post in the gallery
 
#4 ·
I am new here. I need to plow/remove snow from my and my parent's mile long uphill gravel driveway. I am in Northcentral Pa. I inherited a Nissan Frontier (1998) with a plow from my father, who used to plow the driveway himself, but he has graciously allowed me to take it over now that he is 92. (Although he still uses his Ariens snow blower for around his house and barn.) The Nissan was doing great this year until about the 6th snowfall, at which time I lost what I thought was the clutch. Had it towed, long story short, it is going to be too expensive to repair. (either master cylinder or the transmission). So the hunt begins for a replacement vehicle. I could really use an ATV too, and a tractor. But can't afford all three. So perhaps I will luck out and find a multi-use vehicle that will do the job.

The main issue is keeping the driveway clear of snow as my parents are at an age where a medical emergency could happen at any time, which was the case this winter on the night the Nissan Frontier died. Luckily my neighbor was available to plow us out and I was able to get my dad to the ER. The road is a mile long, uphill, gravel, winds through fields and woods, is narrow, oh and did I mention it is steep in parts. I am careful to plow as wide as possible from the get go as the road becomes narrower with each passing snowfall. (that's why a blower attachment on a truck, tractor, or ATV is an attractive option)

An ATV, enclosed with heat, would be great but can it handle a mile long, steep in parts driveway?
Anyone have experience with using a compact enclosed tractor with snow attachments?
Or is a pick up Truck or large SUV (Toyota forerunner) the best option?

Thanks in advance for hearing me out and any advice or wisdom you can offer.

K
Just noticed you say it's steep up hill. You will need a longer wheel base than a skidsteer go with a tractor or large SUV and chains.
Good luck!
 
#5 · (Edited)
I see it’s been a while, but I wanted to give my two cents. I think a pickup truck could be a could be a solid choice. Choose one with a powerful plow attachment. Some models even offer heated cabs for added comfort. It's versatile for everyday use too, but be mindful of its size on narrower sections of your driveway. I recently faced a similar challenge with my own driveway, and getting a pickup truck was also the right decision for me. I snagged a fantastic one using delivery from shipvehicles.com. It was a smooth process, and having a reliable truck with a solid plow attachment really saved the day, especially during heavy snowfall.
 
#6 ·
I also have to plow 1 mile of road/driveway. Over the last 15 years I have used: a blower mounted on a F250, a Western Prodigy plow on a 1 1/4 ton military pickup, and the loader bucket on my backhoe. BLOWER: worked great with light,dry snow. Wet snow often clogged it, and gravel beat the heck out of the innards, especially the chute, and you are going to pick up gravel, guaranteed. Also, if it's windy, you will have no choice but to throw the snow downwind. PLOW TRUCK: pushing heavy snow uphill hard on the transmission. Unless you have large level areas on the side where you can pile the snow you're going to run out of room as the berms encroach on the road. LOADER ON BACKHOE: Slow going, as you must continuously dump snow from the bucket, but at least you can dump where you want and keep the snow off the road. Also it is hard to steer; I have to use alternate braking (left & right) along with steering. IDEAL: I am hoping to run across an articulating loader on which I plan to install a 2-3 yard snow bucket and keep all 4 wheels chained up.
 
#19 ·
How would there be less wear when you use only first gear it won’t shift you can go slow as needed

you can go to slow, this allows the snow to stack up in front of the plow instead of being briskly, moved over to the side and up and over the snowbank out of the way.

you can argue this until the cattle come home.
it may be wise to read some of the links I posted.

another wise tip is not to wait until you have a foot of heavy snow.
as low range is in efficient, you loose traction way too easily regardless of your right foot, and his harder on your driveline
 
#31 ·
K

COLDplay,

people who listen to Coldplay always wear those stupid knit hats even in the summertime.

sew now

an attempt at a joke at their expense,
Every time I see a dude from Billings trying to hide his bit-ch biscuit underneath one ,
I look over to my warden, or whoever is sitting next to me at the bar and go he must’ve been listening to Coldplay before he came in.
(works well in the summertime when it’s 80° plus)

it usually gets a chuckle out of a couple of the locals
 
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