# Plowmandan



## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

That's Ed Peabody right there, that's his house too.









I actually got this guy from CL under the " gigs" section and what a gig its been. I have been clearing this guy's drive for 4 years nows. The house was built 1980 and in that time many a plowman has tried his metal upon this hill.







Peabody says no one has stuck with it as long as I have.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

It looks a little different now. I have bounced off the big oak on the left before.














I am actually probably stuck here. Well not stuck, I can always just slide back down which is usually what I do. I put it in nuetral and drop the plow. After I plow it once or twice I need to dump at least a 150 pounds of salt on it.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)




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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)




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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

*Dingo action*

With this amount of snow I hit things with the plows the come back with the loader.














Its good for walkways too.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

*Back in town*


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

Well anyway even if its a light snow I go out to Peabody's and it at least around a 100 bucks for the plow and salt each time. If I come off that drive in the wrong spot and sink in or get stuck on a boulder its gonna cost me BIG!
I think the problem others have had is they tried to plow up the hill where I just drive all the way up , clear the top and push all down. Some drives I do I have to back up and push out, they are steep but nothing fights back like Peabody's hill.
I can back up this hill time after time but not Peabody's.









I service 12 properties, most rural. Its a long route but it works well. My customers don't give me trouble, I get what I need as far as money and it is completly fun as hell. We are bound for another foot on Wed.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

This one came up over the plow and dumped all over the hood and glass, it was so cool to watch.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

This one came up over the plow and dumped all over the hood and glass, it was so cool to watch.




















And this is going down Peabody's hill


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2010)

Rocker panel


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## Stihl088stock (Feb 8, 2010)

*Cool*

Life is good...


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## deevo (Feb 9, 2010)

Looks like fun, how long is Peabodies driveway? I thought you plowed with your F-150? Was it having a rest? About time you guys got some of that white stuff down there, we are tired of having it all!  Wheres Plas? Is he still buried under it all with his smart car?


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## yooper (Feb 9, 2010)

TreeCo said:


> I didn't realize plowing snow was so exciting!
> 
> 
> Thanks for sharing.



lol...I always thought it was the equivalent to getting wisdom teeth pulled, the novelty wears off quick in my book.


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## yooper (Feb 9, 2010)

cool photos treemandan


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## logging22 (Feb 9, 2010)

Great photos bro.


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## matt9923 (Feb 9, 2010)

Nice, ill snap a few tomorrow morning getting 8-14" but we will see.


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## gwiley (Feb 9, 2010)

Great photos Dan...one thing though - real men plow roads with an open cab skid steer instead of the toasty warm and dry cab of a truck. Plowing in the skid steer I like to see how long I can go before I loose feeling in the majority of my limbs and digits.

I think I am going to have to add a heater to "tiny" before next season.

One of the most exciting things about snow plowing is the $$$.

Have you considered a set of chains for your rear wheels? That will make the plow work a lot less exciting, but will pay for itself in one missed accident. I bought mine from tirechains.com


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## matt9923 (Feb 9, 2010)

gwiley said:


> Great photos Dan...one thing though - real men plow roads with an open cab skid steer instead of the toasty warm and dry cab of a truck. Plowing in the skid steer I like to see how long I can go before I loose feeling in the majority of my limbs and digits.
> 
> I think I am going to have to add a heater to "tiny" before next season.
> 
> ...



could you cover the cab for the winter? Plexiglas and door? hell even some plastic. It will keep you warm, and with a heather you would be warm.


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## gwiley (Feb 10, 2010)

matt9923 said:


> could you cover the cab for the winter? Plexiglas and door? hell even some plastic. It will keep you warm, and with a heather you would be warm.



In keeping with my rule about not borrowing money for equipment I was trying to save up. I bought a few sheets of lexan at Lowes a2 weeks back but haven't had time to put them on. I really want some on the roof - it sucks raw eggs when you tap a tree and get 1ft of snow dumped down your back. I have enough to do the sides too, but I am worried about visibility if I cover the front size I don't have a windshield wiper.

I have heard that there are some simple aftermarket heaters...at the rate I am running the equipment it will be a summer job. I don't like fooling with the engine or elec. when I might need to run it in the next day or so. 

I am getting closer to buying a plow for the f350 every time I see pictures like the ones above.


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## matt9923 (Feb 10, 2010)

gwiley said:


> In keeping with my rule about not borrowing money for equipment I was trying to save up. I bought a few sheets of lexan at Lowes a2 weeks back but haven't had time to put them on. I really want some on the roof - it sucks raw eggs when you tap a tree and get 1ft of snow dumped down your back. I have enough to do the sides too, but I am worried about visibility if I cover the front size I don't have a windshield wiper.
> 
> I have heard that there are some simple aftermarket heaters...at the rate I am running the equipment it will be a summer job. I don't like fooling with the engine or elec. when I might need to run it in the next day or so.
> 
> I am getting closer to buying a plow for the f350 every time I see pictures like the ones above.



We have around a foot coming, ill get you some pictures then you want one even more. Heated cab, music... fun for a while until you ass gets numb ha. 

You could probably get an old wiper motor and wiper put of a car/ truck and rig it up.


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

TreeCo said:


> I didn't realize plowing snow was so exciting!
> 
> 
> Thanks for sharing.



Well, within 75 yards I am in 4th gear and in low loc... by 100 yards I am going back into 3rd trying to keep the r's up. This is in the red dump... its turbo charged. A few could happen so I try to stick it and hold my line but if I hit the oak it slows me down, sends me off track and cause me to stop... well stop going foreword that is. If that happens I drop the plow and put it in Nuetral ( stick) and down I go backwards. If I keep off the brake I can steer enough to keep it in the cleared path on thre drive but if I keep off the brake I go really fast, backwards, for 100 yards til I hit teh stuff I piled up at the bottom. 
I was back there with the pickup and when I was slidding down backwards I went off and had to side winch it out of thre ditches on both sides. Boulders over there too. I used the comealong anchored to a tree lateral to the truck, cranked it tight then spun the tires to make it slip up back on the road.


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

deevo said:


> Looks like fun, how long is Peabodies driveway? I thought you plowed with your F-150? Was it having a rest? About time you guys got some of that white stuff down there, we are tired of having it all!  Wheres Plas? Is he still buried under it all with his smart car?




I think its close to 400 yards. I used both trucks. Smart car, that's funny:greenchainsaw: I think his snowblower ate him


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

gwiley said:


> Great photos Dan...one thing though - real men plow roads with an open cab skid steer instead of the toasty warm and dry cab of a truck. Plowing in the skid steer I like to see how long I can go before I loose feeling in the majority of my limbs and digits.
> 
> I think I am going to have to add a heater to "tiny" before next season.
> 
> ...





Yes, I am going to get a set of military wheels and chain for next year just for plowing.


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

yooper said:


> lol...I always thought it was the equivalent to getting wisdom teeth pulled, the novelty wears off quick in my book.




That is the truth. One time, after putting this ladies front yard in her back yard with the dump truck, she calls me all hollering about it and ask me if I was drunk. I said, " Yes" The girls at the daycare love that story.
On this storm I had this one guy crying about the gravel on his lawn... well; What can I say? What was I supposed to do? Gravel? On the lawn?


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

*Lost track on Dingo*

Just a quick note: Ice had built up in the tracks enough to toss a track.


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

yooper said:


> lol...I always thought it was the equivalent to getting wisdom teeth pulled, the novelty wears off quick in my book.



No way! I had them yanked; _ slapped down a few hundred cash and the guy knocks me out and does all 4. The stuff from the operation made me feel lovely not to mention the prescription afterwards, no the teeth are easy, plowing is murder.
It was a good bit to get the F150 up to par. I put a flex-plate in it in the fall and did a bunch of general rudimentry repairs in the fall. the first snow the trans starts not shifting so it was in the shop getting the thing fixed under Jaspar warranty. They had to do all sorts of test and checks before they would put another trans in it. But they did and it shifts like crap too.
So I get it back to put the air bags in the front coils, grease the hubs, front axle seal ( I had to pull the front pinion for that) and more general rudimentry shots with a can of red grease. Got to keep those moving parts moving. Tailgate latch, shifter ( the 4x4 lever feels great now!)
That was before pushing any snow.
Peabody tells me stories of big loaders and tow trucks getting stuck up back there. I am going to be a hard bastard billing him. There is just no getting around the truth. Those people back there who live off of that gravel road know the value of a clear driveway. They are real good about clearing the gravel road, Blackshorse Rd.
The one guy who walked up to me when I was driving the dump truck came off as a kunt compalining about the gravel in his yard but most of the people know the deal and are happy as hell to see me roar up. Sure I was putting snow over by his place, I kept his mailbox clear as well as the road when I was done. They come down that gravel raod with one of those big road levelers that sends gravel up too... I didn't even break his fencey.. when I knocked on the guys door to tell him he could really kiss my ass that's what I told him. I asked my one client about him cause he was his neighbor adn told him what happened and that I was all pissed off. So he tells me the guys name and asks if I want a beer and I head off and knocked on the prick's door. He opens it , I say, " Hi, Dan is it? Well I don't really care to much about some gravel on your grass out there by the gravel road but I am a little irritated you bothering about it ( he was really bothering about it- here I am trying to keep my foot on the clutch and this guy is out the window making me promise to " do my best" with the gravel). "
So he starts yabbering something but I stuck my fingers in my ears and started to walk back to my truck saying how lucky he was to still have his mailbox cause I just crushed teh guys down the street. I started hollering about how all this snow is crippleing the region, people are in trouble cause of it and he crying about some dam gravel on his grass out by the dam gravel road.
The one other guy I plow up there is one of my old neighbors from here who just moved up there. 
I am charging by the hour, rates start at 50 to 85. Peabody is 85 plus salt. I was up ther 4 hours winching the F150 out one night. I kept getting stuck but that guy hired me to clear it out so I did. 

I see some Track Cats back there and some of the people have tractors and such. I tried to drive a Track Cat up a ssnowy hill and went sideways. I imagine I came down backwards in the dump truck pushing 25 miles an hour. I just tell myself to stay off the brakes and be sparing with the rudder.
I also back up the hill too. Just jam it up there. I don't make it past the top like that , it helps to clear the hill so I have some speed left once I crest and start into the deep stuff above. I go until I can't anymore while staying on the pavement. I still have the plow up but there is a mound in front, I am sitting on snow and sstill going up so I am not going anywhere. I dig and salt the area right behind the truck at this point then I had a solid take off point to start slamming from and I can get back it and be safe.
I don't salt the hill on the way in unless I am stuck on it. Once I am all the way in I clear the turn around and push the long drive to the bottom. Peabody tells me there where guys who tried to plow up the hill. No way on the steep part but if its not deep I can low loc up with the plow down but it don't make much sense and its harder on teh pavement.
All in all we had a record snowfall, least that is what Peabody says. Over 3 feet easy not counting drifts. What a #####!_


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

I guess some would think its not construed as a good business practice to knock a guy's door who is neighbor of one of your clients and tell him off for getting in your face BUT not me.
I mean I did think about it before I did it. I thought about any negative repercussions that could fall on my business, the guy could have called the cops ( but I wasn't doing anything illegal). I just had to let the guy know my feeling on the subject. If anyone doesn't know the feeling of walking away from someone and hollering " I can't hear a dam word you are saying.Can't you see I have my fingers in my ears?" then I think you don't know what you are missing.


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## yooper (Feb 13, 2010)

treemandan said:


> No way! I had them yanked; _ slapped down a few hundred cash and the guy knocks me out and does all 4. The stuff from the operation made me feel lovely not to mention the prescription afterwards, no the teeth are easy, plowing is murder.
> It was a good bit to get the F150 up to par. I put a flex-plate in it in the fall and did a bunch of general rudimentry repairs in the fall. the first snow the trans starts not shifting so it was in the shop getting the thing fixed under Jaspar warranty. They had to do all sorts of test and checks before they would put another trans in it. But they did and it shifts like crap too.
> So I get it back to put the air bags in the front coils, grease the hubs, front axle seal ( I had to pull the front pinion for that) and more general rudimentry shots with a can of red grease. Got to keep those moving parts moving. Tailgate latch, shifter ( the 4x4 lever feels great now!)
> That was before pushing any snow.
> ...


_

Ok maybe yer right, perhaps i should have said getting yer teeth kick out and a good step on top of the head with yer jaw on the curb. where I live I get an average of about 50 inches of snow a month through the winter. I would rather get kicked in the face once a month then plow snow. its usually the toothless people that plow snow here anyway and now i know why. here its a realy hard racket. stay safe_


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## yooper (Feb 13, 2010)

treemandan said:


> That is the truth. One time, after putting this ladies front yard in her back yard with the dump truck, she calls me all hollering about it and ask me if I was drunk. I said, " Yes" The girls at the daycare love that story.
> On this storm I had this one guy crying about the gravel on his lawn... well; What can I say? What was I supposed to do? Gravel? On the lawn?



lol I have a county snowplow do my drive way, wanna talk about moving lawn, I have a ####en permanent burm at the end of where the plow stops, it just gets bigger every year. some day i will make a killing on selling top soil!


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 13, 2010)

yooper said:


> lol...I always thought it was the equivalent to getting wisdom teeth pulled, the novelty wears off quick in my book.



:agree2:after the first time tom:hmm3grin2orange:


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 13, 2010)




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## tomtrees58 (Feb 13, 2010)




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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

yooper said:


> Ok maybe yer right, perhaps i should have said getting yer teeth kick out and a good step on top of the head with yer jaw on the curb. where I live I get an average of about 50 inches of snow a month through the winter. I would rather get kicked in the face once a month then plow snow. its usually the toothless people that plow snow here anyway and now i know why. here its a realy hard racket. stay safe



There are many different type of outfits running plows around here ranging from having teeth and nice new trucks to not.
Mainly my plow customers are my good clients with the trees. I really just stick to them and I seem to be making thr right money I suppose. Sure a few tree guys also run plows of course.


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## treemandan (Feb 13, 2010)

tomtrees58 said:


>




I see you have a wheeled loader there. Would you say they are better for snow than tracks?


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## treeclimber101 (Feb 14, 2010)

You plow alot of spooky roads ...


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## treeclimber101 (Feb 14, 2010)

Heres one From this morning


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## treeclimber101 (Feb 14, 2010)

Check out these two chaps


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 14, 2010)

treemandan said:


> I see you have a wheeled loader there. Would you say they are better for snow than tracks?



tracks will tear up driveways tom


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 14, 2010)

have this one too tom


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 14, 2010)




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## gwiley (Feb 14, 2010)

treemandan said:


> I see you have a wheeled loader there. Would you say they are better for snow than tracks?



Tracks tend to float on top of the snow (the way they do in mud), the tires help focus the weight of the machine on smaller area so they penetrate the snow cover better.

I would bet that my wheeled Bobcat has better traction that a rubber tracked skid steer, I have heard that the steel track loaders tend to slide badly on the ice where my tire chains seem to bite nicely.


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## Toddppm (Feb 14, 2010)

Wheels are the way to go. Put wings on the plow for my little 743, works pretty good although I haven't really used it that much. Just been using the bucket to move piles after the storms.


I can't count how many people have stepped in front of me while plowing these past few storms. If you idiots want something, stand off to the side and wave me down, not with your come hither finger either! Don't sneak up behind me while I'm backing up, don't run in front of me while I'm pushing a pile of snow and don't knock on my window in the dark as I'm backing up! You could get killed!

The last idiot that knocked in the dark did this while I was trying to get home after the blizzard about 12:00 am, the main road to my house was closed because of 10 ft. snow drifts, so I went to the next road and encountered some smaller 3-4 ft. drifts and was trying to plow them out the way so I could go sleep. Wasn't working at all when this kid kncoked on my window and asked if I was plowing the road Came really close to knocking him out.

I'm not sick of the plowing yet, just the people getting stuck in front of me on the roads that shouldn't be there blocking the way ......and then trying to flag me down for help. NOT

I didn't get too many pics while working, just a couple when driving around.







This is where the deeper snow drifts were trying to get home, bunch of people got stuck, Nat'l Guard was there with the real Humvees to get them out.






This truck burned up at the hotel I plow, guy was screwing aorund in his truck all night, not sure what he was doing. Was parked part way into the lane , when I tried to ask him to move he wouldn't even look at me? So I left him alone and kept plowing. Guess he left it running too long, then it was really in the way after they put the fire out. Stayed there the whole next day.


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## Toddppm (Feb 14, 2010)

Typical Va. Pines, perfect reason not to have them in your yard





Thought this was a cool plow truck/van, was a first for me, wonder how it did? Not sure if it was 4wd or not?





Made it through 6 or so storms without a major hiccup and this dummy hits my truck while it was parked in a lot trying to squeeze between me and the next truck. He didn't fit! 1800 GOT JUNK , hire some smarter drivers!


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## gwiley (Feb 14, 2010)

Toddppm said:


> I can't count how many people have stepped in front of me while plowing these past few storms. If you idiots want something, stand off to the side and wave me down, not with your come hither finger either! Don't sneak up behind me while I'm backing up, don't run in front of me while I'm pushing a pile of snow and don't knock on my window in the dark as I'm backing up! You could get killed!
> 
> The last idiot that knocked in the dark did this while I was trying to get home after the blizzard about 12:00 am, the main road to my house was closed because of 10 ft. snow drifts, so I went to the next road and encountered some smaller 3-4 ft. drifts and was trying to plow them out the way so I could go sleep. Wasn't working at all when this kid kncoked on my window and asked if I was plowing the road Came really close to knocking him out.



It really is amazing how many people are completely ignorant of the dangers next to a piece of heavy equipment. I think that folks just assume that you can see/hear just as well as if you are sitting on a motorcycle? A quick pivot in place is a good way to accidentally kill or maim somebody trying to get your attention.

I always remind folks at a site that they can not approach me unless they make eye contact with me. I know they think I am an idiot, but I'd rather have them think I am paranoid or a wimp than live with having killed or hurt someone with the skid steer.

I wonder whether "DANGER - DO NOT APPROACH" signs would be worth putting on?


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 14, 2010)

man that's a mass tom


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## treemandan (Feb 14, 2010)

I would say wheels as well.

I was able to get the track back on the Dingo in about an hour, it was pretty easy. I had to run back to the shop to get the farm jack cause the floor jack wouldn't fit under the machine but it went back on OK.
I am going to have to keep chiseling the ice out of the wheels as it builds up. We are in for another 6 inches Monday night.


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