Ride-on Snow plough?

[Myles1970]

I'm looking for some inspiration to get me started with this. We have a long driveway that becomes impassable with any more than an inch on snow - 500m iirc. So since we now have a ride-on mower I've picked-up a blue plastic barrel with the intention of cutting it up to make a plough. Apart from wanting it off-set so as it moves the snow over to the side, being able to engage/disengage and remove it easily, is there anything else to consider? I'm sure it's been done before....?

 

[Robotstar5]

It will need some sort of wheels to stop the leading edge digging in.

 

[Agrismith]

I'm looking for some inspiration to get me started with this. We have a long driveway that becomes impassable with any more than an inch on snow - 500m iirc. So since we now have a ride-on mower I've picked-up a blue plastic barrel with the intention of cutting it up to make a plough. Apart from wanting it off-set so as it moves the snow over to the side, being able to engage/disengage and remove it easily, is there anything else to consider? I'm sure it's been done before....?

You will either need a cutting edge or jocky wheels on the front to keep the blade off the ground slightly. A blue plastic barrel will wear away really quickly running on tarmac

 

[colnerov]

Hi, You need a reasonable amount of grunt to push snow, so don't make it too wide or start pushing it as soon as it starts snowing so it doesn't get away from you. Practice will tell you what works best for you.

Colin

 

[Bobupndown]

Sounds like an epic project, watching with interest. Metal strip on the edge of the blue barrel will prevent wear.

Also live down a long rural lane at fairly high altitude. Have a Freelander 2 4x4 and AT tyres. If the weather beats it I'll just stay at home and light the fire!

My next project is a wheelie bin trailer for the ride on. Not a traditional trailer but a wheeled frame the bins can be attached to. Currently have 2 sons at home who do the bins, when they leave home or I'm too old (lazy) to drag them up the lane or put them on a real trailer it will be a great invention .

 

[Myles1970]

A blue plastic barrel will wear away really quickly running on tarmac

Maybe....although we only get snow once or twice a year at most. The barrels are cheap enough, I could make them easily replaceable

Hi, You need a reasonable amount of grunt to push snow, so don't make it too wide or start pushing it as soon as it starts snowing so it doesn't get away from you. Practice will tell you what works best for you.

Colin

I'll probably need to experiment with different angles of deflection, the idea being not to allow the snow to accumulate in front but to push it aside

Sounds like an epic project, watching with interest. Metal strip on the edge of the blue barrel will prevent wear.

Also live down a long rural lane at fairly high altitude. Have a Freelander 2 4x4 and AT tyres. If the weather beats it I'll just stay at home and light the fire!

My next project is a wheelie bin trailer for the ride on. Not a traditional trailer but a wheeled frame the bins can be attached to. Currently have 2 sons at home who do the bins, when they leave home or I'm too old (lazy) to drag them up the lane or put them on a real trailer it will be a great invention .

We've a similar issue with the bins, but having young strapping boys stops me from doing anything about it

 

[Migmac]

Make a frame for the barrel to sit in, on the bottom of the frame have a rubber wear strip mounted. It will wear and not damage the drive. The garden tractors I’ve seen pushing snow all have chains on.

 

[frank horton]

just get a tractor....
rideon's dont work esp in mud, so no chance on snow......always nice to have a tractor anyway.....

 

[Myles1970]

just get a tractor....
rideon's dont work esp in mud, so no chance on snow......always nice to have a tractor anyway.....

Lol, yeah, i'm not getting a tractor

 

[Dev]

Here’s the one I did. This is unfinished - I also have springs going from the top edge back to the pivot so if it catches the edge it pulls back up. It can be angled left or right and the blade is rubber.

 

[Agrismith]

Maybe....although we only get snow once or twice a year at most. The barrels are cheap enough, I could make them easily replaceable

I could be wrong but I'd imagine one trip to the end of the driveway would wear one out. They are a very soft plastic. I seem to remember we stuck a hole in one dragging it down the road with 40l of water in.

 

[merryman]

The blade only carries its own weight so is not going to wear particularly fast. Big problem is traction and where the snow goes when you shove it sideways. Slurry scrapers just have a rubber strip on the lower edge and are rubbing on concrete.

 

[optima21]

ahh just stick one on the front of your car

I did wonder why there was a snowplough blade in a car park in summer...who be rude not to take a photo

 

[Myles1970]

The idea of using the plastic barrel was for weight saving ... obviously not an issue for this guy

 

[Myles1970]

Most of the driveway is flat, until you reach the front of the house, where it swings left and uphill. This is where the cars generally have problems and plough straight-on into the lawn. My thinking is the mower can emerge from the garage and proceed straight down the hill pushing the white stuff to the left (into the lawn) as it goes. It's return journey, being uphill, would need to be along the path it cleared previously. Also, I don't imagine it being able to deal with anything other than freshly fallen snow ... the light, fluffy kind (I'll print a "wrong type of snow" warning/waiver on the back )

 

[Robotstar5]

Most of the driveway is flat, until you reach the front of the house, where it swings left and uphill. This is where the cars generally have problems and plough straight-on into the lawn. My thinking is the mower can emerge from the garage and proceed straight down the hill pushing the white stuff to the left (into the lawn) as it goes. It's return journey, being uphill, would need to be along the path it cleared previously. Also, I don't imagine it being able to deal with anything other than freshly fallen snow ... the light, fluffy kind (I'll print a "wrong type of snow" warning/waiver on the back )

It may be worth investing in a set of snow chains to help it get back up the hill.

 

[Duisky]

This thread has stuck a chord with me as I was making a snow plough (of sorts) today for a Landrover I recently fabricated for my nephew. So here goes my first post..

I made this one years ago as a bit of a joke, but it did work on the little fresh fallen snow we had that year. I christened it the ‘Snowbility Scooter’.

The plough worked off a swinging (lateral) ‘V’ shaped frame at the front, where a manual winch could lower and raise the blade. At the point of the ‘V’ I welded a tube that allowed the blade to pivot side to side where by it could be manually affixed centre, right, or left. For the center setting I had two tie rods to stop it swinging- the side settings were simply tight to the ‘V’ frame and bolted. I think most of my inspiration came from looking at what was available for the ATV market.

I guess the main consideration in my view is to have some external method to reliably raise the blade to prevent it being stuck/bogged down - You won’t want to be hopping off and trying to manually lift the plough in the cold when it’s laden with snow.

For what it’s worth, on the one I was making today, I couldn’t find a suitably small winch that would fit, so I bought a cheap 12v linear actuator to do the lifting off eBay. I don’t expect it to last forever, but it seems to be fine for my needs in theory, anyway. In a strange twist of irony, the mobility scooter below was used as the running gear for the Landrover, so I guess it’s nice that it’s ploughing career lives on!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

he idea being not to allow the snow to accumulate in front but to push it aside

Snow will build up on the blade, so factor the weight into the build 'loads' calcs.

 

[Myles1970]

Snow will build up on the blade, so factor the weight into the build 'loads' calcs.

I may have a couple of castors to help take the weight

 

[Dev]

Some I saw (when I was looking for something to copy) have little saucer shaped ‘skids’ behind the blade.