"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Boater" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
...


We've not had any snow which covered the ground, yet. Lots of wind
yesterday, buy only about four flakes of snow.

BTW, have you tried adding chains and weight to the Gator for snow
removal?


Traction isn't a problem with the Gator. It has four wheel drive, a
high and low gear range, plus you can lock the rear differential.
With the wide, soft tires, it actually has much better traction in snow
and on ice than the bigger tractor.

The limitation is the size, particularly the height of the plow. When
the snow gets over 12 inches, it starts to pile up and over the plow
instead of being pushed to the left or right, depending on how you set
it's angle.

Eisboch


You need a full size dump truck with chains and a vee-plow...


Last night I downloaded the newest version of Google Earth. It's pretty
cool. It even has a Flight Simulator mode that I was fooling around with
for hours.

Turns out I was a bit off on my earlier estimate of the length of our
driveway(s) that I plow.
Google Earth has a "ruler" function where you can fairly accurately
measure distances in miles, meters, yards, feet, inches, etc. I used
the "path" mode (sums a bunch of cumulative measurements) and measured
the total length of the driveways. They total 815 feet long by an
average of 15 feet wide. That's a lot of snow to move with a Gator.

Eisboch

If you don't want to buy a heavy duty plowing vehicle, build a small 12' x
20' garage right at the foot of your driveway to store one of your
vehicles for the winter.


There you go. Except I still have to get from the house to the car.
I have a better idea.

Move back to Florida or one of the Carolina's for the winter.

Eisboch

wrote in message
...

On Jan 1, 9:30 am, Boater wrote:

So let's see. First you want a HEAVY vehicle to give the tires more
"bite", then you praise the merits of a LIGHT Jeep......
Which is it?

---------------------------------------

Actually, this has some boating relevance, if you trailer your boat to
launch and retrieve.

Best traction is with skinny tires, putting more weight per square inch of
footprint.
The big, fat tires, kept soft are good for running on a sandy beach.

Eisboch

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:45:13 -0500, Eisboch penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

Happy New Year youse all.

Let's hope '09 brings some refreshing and positive changes.

And a ban on snow.

Eisboch

I'll second the anticipation of "refreshing and positive changes."


And snow? We'll, we haven't had any of that, but I'm really tired of
it being 70 degrees one day and 16 degrees the next.



The problem with living in MA is that during the summer and fall I have to
admit it's a nice place to be, especially living near the coast. You tend
to forget how miserable the winters are until they arrive again. Getting a
little longer in the tooth doesn't help either.

Eisboch

Gene Kearns wrote:
On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 06:56:03 -0800 (PST), penned
the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

On Jan 1, 9:30 am, Boater wrote:
Eisboch wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Jan 1, 8:56 am, Boater wrote:
Eisboch wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
We've not had any snow which covered the ground, yet. Lots of wind
yesterday, buy only about four flakes of snow.
BTW, have you tried adding chains and weight to the Gator for snow
removal?
Traction isn't a problem with the Gator. It has four wheel drive, a
high and low gear range, plus you can lock the rear differential. With
the wide, soft tires, it actually has much better traction in snow and
on ice than the bigger tractor.
The limitation is the size, particularly the height of the plow. When
the snow gets over 12 inches, it starts to pile up and over the plow
instead of being pushed to the left or right, depending on how you set
it's angle.
Eisboch
You need a full size dump truck with chains and a vee-plow...- Hide
quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
Eisboch, don't you love it when idiots tell you what "you need"?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Well, funny thing is, he's right. Late last night the landscaping
company that normally plows our driveway showed up. By then there was a
bunch of new snow and drifts due to wind covering everything, even
though I had plowed earlier. He was driving a small dump truck with
dual rear wheels and did in about 10 minutes what it takes me an hour or
so to do with the Gator.
The only reason I do it is because we never know when Mrs.E.'s elderly
and handicapped parents who live a few miles from us are going to call
with an emergency. I try to keep the driveway somewhat passable, even
during the middle of the storm for that reason.
A goal for 2009 is to convince them it's time for assisted living or a
nursing home. It's a tough sell, but the time has come. My mother
moved into an assisted living facility last May and she loves it. All
kinds of activities, new friends, great meals and privacy when she wants
to be alone. It was a tough sell for her as well. She lived in the old
Farmhouse that we own (until tomorrow) for seven years. Now she wishes
she had moved into the assisted living place earlier.
Eisboch
Once I got my driver's license in Connecticut at 16, I earned my
spending money in the winter by plowing driveways and shoveling sidewalks.

I used my dad's 4WD jeep. Chains on all tires, concrete blocks in the
back, and a hydraulically controlled plow. The dump trucks do a good job
because the box can be filled with sand, and the added weight gives the
chains and tires more bite.

Those were the days of relatively lightweight four cylinder jeeps. They
were pretty good on beach sand, too...light enough not to sink too
deeply in the sand.

You remember the long Fountain Street hill? I can down there one snowy
day in the jeep/plow and about halfway down, the road surface turned
entirely to ice. I slid about 500' and only stopped because I dropped
the plow blade and the drag slowed me down.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
So let's see. First you want a HEAVY vehicle to give the tires more
"bite", then you praise the merits of a LIGHT Jeep......
Which is it?

Both. In that era the jeeps were built light. In the tractor pulling
early 70's we found out that a jeep with added weight would out pull a
full size pickup. So, if you already have a jeep and add weight,
you'll do fine. Whatever you have with 4WD will pull more with more
weight.

I remember when jeep came with the options of a front passenger seat,
a snow plow, a turning plow, a mower, irrigation pump... etc. and that
is the *short* list.

Your you sissies, they had the Tuxedo Park.....



Poor stupid Loogie...

In snow, the heavy dump trucks with chains on the tires and sand in the
box break up the snow and ice to get a grip on the pavement.

In sand, the old light jeeps with 4WD don't sink in to the point where
the 4WD is pretty much useless. Towing ability was not an issue with
the relatively light boats my dad towed to beach launch sites.


Stupidity - it couldn't be a Georgia thing, could it?

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
news

Well, although John is probably right, being the do-it-yourself nut
that I am, I would be remiss is suggesting this little gem:
http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.co...ow-thrower.htm

Besides, play with that thing would be a hell of a lot of fun....


That's an idea. In fact the Gator shown is the same one I have, although
I've "customized" mine a bit.
Funny thing is ... I used to have a big ass snowblower attachment for the
tractor. It ran off the front PTO. The problem with it was that it was a
rip roaring pain to put it on. You had to remove the front loader
attachment (which is no small feat in itself) before you could attempt to
hookup the snow blower. I've become accomplished in quickly changing the
various 3 point hitch rear attachments for the tractor, but the front end
loader is a pain to do.

The first year I had the tractor I spent a November afternoon hooking it up.
Three or four hours later and with 8 skinned knuckles it was ready to go.
Never snowed enough that winter to use it.

Second year, same ritual. Little bit of snow, but hardly worth firing up
the tractor for.
Took it off in the spring and it sat covered with a tarp for the next three
years. Finally sold it last spring, figuring it would never be used. Al
Gore had me convinced.

Naw, what I should get is a plow put on the truck. Nice and warm, coffee
cup holders, music. If you gotta plow, you may as well do it in comfort.

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...


The first year I had the tractor I spent a November afternoon hooking it
up. Three or four hours later and with 8 skinned knuckles it was ready to
go. Never snowed enough that winter to use it.

Second year, same ritual. Little bit of snow, but hardly worth firing up
the tractor for.
Took it off in the spring and it sat covered with a tarp for the next
three years. Finally sold it last spring, figuring it would never be
used. Al Gore had me convinced.

Naw, what I should get is a plow put on the truck. Nice and warm, coffee
cup holders, music. If you gotta plow, you may as well do it in comfort.

Eisboch


I just remembered the main reason I never used the snowblower attachment for
the tractor.
It may have snowed, but we were in warm, sunny, Jupiter Florida those years.

Eisboch

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:17:14 -0500, Eisboch wrote:


I just remembered the main reason I never used the snowblower attachment
for the tractor.
It may have snowed, but we were in warm, sunny, Jupiter Florida those
years.

I can see that being a good reason not to use it. ;-)

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
news

Well, although John is probably right, being the do-it-yourself nut
that I am, I would be remiss is suggesting this little gem:
http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.co...ow-thrower.htm

Besides, play with that thing would be a hell of a lot of fun....


That's an idea. In fact the Gator shown is the same one I have, although
I've "customized" mine a bit.
Funny thing is ... I used to have a big ass snowblower attachment for the
tractor. It ran off the front PTO. The problem with it was that it was a
rip roaring pain to put it on. You had to remove the front loader
attachment (which is no small feat in itself) before you could attempt to
hookup the snow blower. I've become accomplished in quickly changing the
various 3 point hitch rear attachments for the tractor, but the front end
loader is a pain to do.

The first year I had the tractor I spent a November afternoon hooking it
up. Three or four hours later and with 8 skinned knuckles it was ready to
go. Never snowed enough that winter to use it.

Second year, same ritual. Little bit of snow, but hardly worth firing up
the tractor for.
Took it off in the spring and it sat covered with a tarp for the next
three years. Finally sold it last spring, figuring it would never be
used. Al Gore had me convinced.

Naw, what I should get is a plow put on the truck. Nice and warm, coffee
cup holders, music. If you gotta plow, you may as well do it in comfort.

Eisboch

You might lineup enough plowing contracts in your area to pay for the plow
attachment.

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 11:17:14 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Eisboch" wrote in message
m...


The first year I had the tractor I spent a November afternoon hooking it
up. Three or four hours later and with 8 skinned knuckles it was ready to
go. Never snowed enough that winter to use it.

Second year, same ritual. Little bit of snow, but hardly worth firing up
the tractor for.
Took it off in the spring and it sat covered with a tarp for the next
three years. Finally sold it last spring, figuring it would never be
used. Al Gore had me convinced.

Naw, what I should get is a plow put on the truck. Nice and warm, coffee
cup holders, music. If you gotta plow, you may as well do it in comfort.

Eisboch


I just remembered the main reason I never used the snowblower attachment for
the tractor.
It may have snowed, but we were in warm, sunny, Jupiter Florida those years.

You could have blown leaves with it.

Or sand. :)

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 09:17:53 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Jan 1, 8:56 am, Boater wrote:
Eisboch wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .

We've not had any snow which covered the ground, yet. Lots of wind
yesterday, buy only about four flakes of snow.

BTW, have you tried adding chains and weight to the Gator for snow
removal?

Traction isn't a problem with the Gator. It has four wheel drive, a
high and low gear range, plus you can lock the rear differential. With
the wide, soft tires, it actually has much better traction in snow and
on ice than the bigger tractor.

The limitation is the size, particularly the height of the plow. When
the snow gets over 12 inches, it starts to pile up and over the plow
instead of being pushed to the left or right, depending on how you set
it's angle.

Eisboch

You need a full size dump truck with chains and a vee-plow...- Hide quoted
text -

- Show quoted text -

Eisboch, don't you love it when idiots tell you what "you need"?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Well, funny thing is, he's right. Late last night the landscaping company
that normally plows our driveway showed up. By then there was a bunch of
new snow and drifts due to wind covering everything, even though I had
plowed earlier. He was driving a small dump truck with dual rear wheels
and did in about 10 minutes what it takes me an hour or so to do with the
Gator.

The only reason I do it is because we never know when Mrs.E.'s elderly and
handicapped parents who live a few miles from us are going to call with an
emergency. I try to keep the driveway somewhat passable, even during the
middle of the storm for that reason.

A goal for 2009 is to convince them it's time for assisted living or a
nursing home. It's a tough sell, but the time has come. My mother moved
into an assisted living facility last May and she loves it. All kinds of
activities, new friends, great meals and privacy when she wants to be alone.
It was a tough sell for her as well. She lived in the old Farmhouse that we
own (until tomorrow) for seven years. Now she wishes she had moved into
the assisted living place earlier.

Think out of the box. Build a garage at the bottom of the drive, near
the road/street. As elaborate as conditions allow.
Okay, that's the "automobile BASE station."
BASE to HOUSE TRANSPORT SECTION.
Two options to consider for HOUSE to BASE transport.
Ski lift cable transport to and from HOUSE to BASE.
Snowmobile or snow tractor transport to and from HOUSE to BASE.
Problem solved.
Besides, if you do the BASE station right, you don't have to go all
the way to the boat for some "private and manly" time away from the
wife.
Hell, you could even have a couple chain saws to rev up in there.
Just an idea, one of many.

--Vic