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Baylaker

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So I've started my own business and looking for advice on winter snow removal set ups using an atv with either a plow or a blower attachment. Do any of you guys have an atv with a plow or blower attachment on it? How well do they work?

A lot of my competition run small kubotas with blower attachments for small residential driveways.

But those tractor setups are $40k and the tractors themselves are slow.

I'm thinking the atv set up would be faster forsure. And way less money!

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I have a Can Am 1000 with a moose plow.

It will push but they use the tractor set up because it works for all conditions of snow.

Wet heavy snow without much frost is a tough push with an ATV.

 

 

Sno

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Plow on a quad is limited to where you can push the snow, and when its heavy or backed up & packed its a long day. I have a 4 foot blade on mine and push snow for fun and minor cleanup.

If I was going to clear snow for a business I'd get a 60" 13 horse blower deal for a quad. I know a guy in Timmins has one, it throws the snow over the building into the back yard with the right wind ... no guff.

You can plow it for a bit and get a jobber come with a back hoe to clean up a big dumping, or push the pile further back to make more room a coupla times a season too ....

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I'm leaning more towards the blower setup because of the wet heavy snow situations. I was only thinking plow because you can push faster. Blowers are slow but yes they'll handle pretty much everything. Also thinking about a back drag, anybody know if they make those for quads? The blower I was looking at was a 50". A 60" would be nice though.

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You could push some with the bucket of the blower with the engine off, then fire it up and throw it ...

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Very true, never thought of that lol.

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Plows push up banks and when the banks freeze and build up you have nowhere to push the next snow. Just blow it the hell out of the way. Also, plow banks fill the driveway in faster which is OK if you are on hourly but sucks on contract. A front blower and a rear blade would be the ultimate if it would work on a Quad IMHO 

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I have seen WB do an install of a blower on an ATV.  Check with him for advice.

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I plow my driveway(175'x 50' with a taper to the road down to 25') with my small JD. The key is early in the season, start pushing the snow back, way off the driveway. And keep the mounds flat, that way you have room for later in the season. I love plowing, it's quick, it's fun and for me... Does the job. This year I will be looking to upgrade to a quad with a plow. Mainly for my son to get out and plow some driveways and make a buck or two. If you run a snowblower, prepare for snow in the face... It's not if, it's when especially when wind is really blowing. U less you have an enclosure.

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My previous quad I had, i had a plow blade about 50". It wasn't bad but you are limited on where to push the snow as well when it got wet and heavy, it got worse. Now with my 2 year old quad, last year I had a blower attachment put on mine as we used my quad at the fire hall to blow out the ice rink behind my fire hall. What a difference from a plow blade! Yes a bit slower but i was actually expecting worse. A blower is a bit more coin than a plow but works a lot better for what you want I believe. just my two cents. 

 

Good luck in the new business adventure Baylaker!

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So I've started my own business and looking for advice on winter snow removal set ups using an atv with either a plow or a blower attachment. Do any of you guys have an atv with a plow or

blower attachment on it? How well do they

work?

A lot of my competition run small kubotas with blower attachments for small residential driveways.

But those tractor setups are $40k and the tractors themselves are slow.

I'm thinking the atv set up would be faster forsure. And way less money!

Atvs aren't ideal for plowing snow, since they don't have hydraulics. They work ok for odd driveway, but wouldn't buy one to do what you are doing. Plows can damage side of people's lawns and not fit down side walk. In town not much spare to pile snow, so you will euchor yourself quick, if snow keeps coming. I bought a John Deere 739 with four wheel drive and 4 wheel steer. It will blow snow as quick as an Atv can push it, plus since it turns so nice, no hand work. Good luck.

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Also make sure you have proper liability insurance probably two million minimum. If someone slips and fails they will sue home owner, city, and you the contractor. Cases can be expensive to defend since you don't want to be left in cold. I have 5 million in coverage for my custom work. Very important, otherwise you can loose everything!

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Also make sure you have proper liability insurance probably two million minimum. If someone slips and fails they will sue home owner, city, and you the contractor. Cases can be expensive to defend since you don't want to be left in cold. I have 5 million in coverage for my custom work. Very important, otherwise you can loose everything!

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Also make sure you have proper liability insurance probably two million minimum. If someone slips and fails they will sue home owner, city, and you the contractor. Cases can be expensive to defend since you don't want to be left in cold. I have 5 million in coverage for my custom work. Very important, otherwise you can loose everything!

 

You can say that again!

 

 

Also make sure you have proper liability insurance probably two million minimum. If someone slips and fails they will sue home owner, city, and you the contractor. Cases can be expensive to defend since you don't want to be left in cold. I have 5 million in coverage for my custom work. Very important, otherwise you can loose everything!

 

LOL

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Hey thanks for all the replies guys! All the info is greatly appreciated! Yes I do have 2 mil liability insurance. Hey Blake, we'll have to get out this season forsure for a ride, I know last year we were having a hard time meeting up but we'll try again for this season!

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Absolutely. I remember our discussions. Lots of great opportunities in the area, especially when the lakes freeze up.

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skidsteer , see that a lot out here

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You could push some with the bucket of the blower with the engine off, then fire it up and throw it ...

 

Be sure to carry plenty of spare shear bolts.

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Be sure to carry plenty of spare shear bolts.

 

 

Well ya gotta empty the bucket of rocks and 2x4's before flipping the blower switch .... duh .... lol !

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I have a 60" Moose plow on my Honda 420 ATV , and have about 100 metres (double wide ) of drive way to do. I also have a Kubota BX2660 (26 hp diesel) tractor with a 54 inch Snowblower attachment for the back. (of note the tractor route does not cost $40,000) mine cost 18,000 and the snowblower $2300. . If I want a quick job done when snow is less than 4 inches , I just use the ATV , cannot beat the speed. But for more than that , and so snow banks don't rise 4 or five feet tall , I instead use the Kubota with snow blower. Most rural folks in my area use a snowblower behind their tractors , because it prevents high banks and high banks cause more drifting. So better to blow far away. I would suggest you go for any kind of snowblower.

 If I was to do snowremoval commercially I would go tractor route (with a cab) even if it was a homemade one like mine.

post-22163-0-91207300-1474286509_thumb.jpg

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If you just use a ATV plow (like I did before I had the tractor) this is the kind of snowbanks you end up with. But the good news is your nephews can jump off them.

 

post-22163-0-58150800-1474287327_thumb.jpg

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Sadly you gotta pay to play in the snow plowing business. But if you start small and slowly work your way up it can work out.  What type of plowing are you planning to do?

Also http://www.plowsite.com/  Your best source of info(opinions) but also a tough crowd sometimes

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I set two tractors up, so we plow with one unit and blow with the other. This way we get driveways right down to gravel. Blower can leave a few inches on top each time and can build up, then you get a mild day and vehicles sink and get stuck.

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I have a 60" Moose plow on my Honda 420 ATV , and have about 100 metres (double wide ) of drive way to do. I also have a Kubota BX2660 (26 hp diesel) tractor with a 54 inch Snowblower attachment for the back. (of note the tractor route does not cost $40,000) mine cost 18,000 and the snowblower $2300. . If I want a quick job done when snow is less than 4 inches , I just use the ATV , cannot beat the speed. But for more than that , and so snow banks don't rise 4 or five feet tall , I instead use the Kubota with snow blower. Most rural folks in my area use a snowblower behind their tractors , because it prevents high banks and high banks cause more drifting. So better to blow far away. I would suggest you go for any kind of snowblower.

If I was to do snowremoval commercially I would go tractor route (with a cab) even if it was a homemade one like mine.

I'll try to take a pic of some of my competitions setups. But they have a little bit bigger of a tractor with blower on front. Brand new they are $40k. Kubota is always offering 0% financing too, so next year I might think about it if I can get enough clients to make it worth it.

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