Help me make snow removal better

So I have an ever growing frustration with snow removal on my driveway. I enjoy snow removal in general but this driveway is a PITA. Some of you are pretty crafty so I figured I’d post and see if there was something I wasn’t thinking of.

I have a tractor with angle plow, back blade, walk behind snow blower and shoveled this and every time I end with snow compacted in the low spots which freezes and makes it impossible to get up the hill without 4x4/AWD.

It’s an old paved driveway that has sunken into ruts and a high center. (See photo)

Other than paying thousands to have the driveway bed redone and a new driveway, I can’t come up with a less expensive and more DIY solution.

I think millings or even gravel would just roll and wash down the hill.

Using salt every snow storm seems expensive and impractical. the driveway is about 80yds long plus I have a turnaround in front of the garage.

 

Sure makes it tough to do a nice job when the ground isn't flat. Best i can think of is a power broom/brush for the tractor. Snow blow or plow and then brush afterwards? Probably a really stiff plastic bristle but maybe even wire. Not sure how they make em. Would be pricey though.

 

Maybe a landscape rake after plowing or blowing and then use a good leaf blower before driving on it again? Might get the bulk of it or might rip up bits n peices of the blacktop and make a mess.

 

Could you make an auxiliary cutting edge to bolt onto your plow over the existing? You could plow down hill with the bulge in one trough and up hill with it in the other. Could be mounted left, right center or anywhere. Probably 3/8" mild steel would work instead of hardened for several seasons at least. Would be interested to see your plowing equipment.

 

I have a landscape rake - it'd be the same problem only hitting the high spots, even at max angle. Leaf blower wouldn't get it up either.

 

That's about what I need. Just don't have the skills or tools to do so. Ideally I'd have a V plow, with those bulges on either side and do the whole drive in one pass. My plow is just a regular 7' pickup plow adapted to a skid steer quick attach plate for the front loader of my tractor with hydraulic angle.

 

That would probably work but yes pricey and I'd have to have one that had it's only hydraulic pump because my tractor isn't high enough flow to power a broom.

 

Do you get much thaw & refreeze or do you pretty well stay frozen once?

 

A bit of both which doesn't help either.

 

If you stayed frozen I almost think it'd be better not to plow at all unless you get more than a couple inches. Contrary to my whole life's experience for the most part, packed snow can be driven on. I know this becuase they do it out west all the time.



My 'economical' solution is to spread all your ashes on the drive. Can't think of an easy or cheap workaround for you.

Unfortunate that the money was spent on paving that drive without giving it a proper bed to lay on.

 

Yeah, growing up if it was less than 6" we just drove over it and packed it down. Good memories of early driving experiences. However that was flat and contary to the photo, it's a decent grade. I'm not sure the lifespan of a paved drivedway but I would imagine this orginal from the early 80's when the house was built.

 

I was trying to guage that hill. I try to take pics to show elevation in my woods but it never translates very well. It's been 25 years since I didn't have 4wd, so my experience with workarounds is pretty well gone. I just turn the front tires on since. lol

 

I have a suggestion and it's not meant to be a smart azz. Have you considered a set of winter tires on your vehicles? Such as Nokian Hakapalita or Bridgestone Blizak. There are many others that are good as well. I realize this solution only helps you or your family get up the driveway but a real winter tire transforms a vehicle in the slippery stuff. So much so, as long as we can afford it, we will continue to run winter tires and wheels.

 

Bolt some heavy duty rubber to the bottom of the blade to sink down in the grooves. Maybe cut up some truck tires? Think big squeegee.

 

Thats not a bad idea either.

 

Conveyor belt material would work.

 

I do pretty much what you do, plow off as much as you can without destroying the driveway and then put a significant amount of sand in the tracks. Sand in at least one track is the only way I would get back to the house from a trip to the mailbox on foot. Even when I had the truck and could just drive over/through it I'd have to put sand down to walk down it sometimes. Some years I use a few buckets full of sand and some none. My driveway is 300 feet. There's an abandoned gravel pit about 100 yards down the street and I can still find dumps of nice sand here and there if I get to it before it snows, or rains and turns everything to ice.

 

I kinda like this idea. In eastern WA, the cold part of the state, Everyone has a complete set of studded tires and wheels. Come the first big storm everyone is down at Les Schwab Tires, changing to the studded set! Could also be done simply enough at home!

 

As I think about it, in your OP when you referred to some of us as "crafty", I am certain the word you were searching for was "devious"!

 

Studded tires were outlawed here before I was old enough to drive unfortunately. Not like Michigan roads could get much worse if we still could run them lol. We have been using studless, Nordic rated winter tires for 27-28 years now. We have tried many. The Nokian have been the best we have used and thats all we buy now. With all of the brands we've tried you have to be aware of the people behind you that most likely cannot stop like you can. A good winter tires performance on snow is like driving on a dirt road in the summer with regular tires. I couldn't believe the difference when We got our first set.