# Atv as a backup



## ballbusta (Feb 14, 2007)

I am looking to purchase an atv as a back up to my truck I have a long steep driveway to plow my initilal plow will be down hill I am wondering if anybody has any experience with atv plowing and how well would it perform in this situation The atv I am considering is an Kawasaki Brute Force 750


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## ABES (Jun 10, 2007)

your gonna have to plow with the storms as 8" of snow is pushing the limitations of a 4 wheeler with a 750 you will have more than enough power but traction is the only problem with using an atv


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

i found out about a driveway yesterday that im having doubts about. goes straight down hill and ends at the foot of a lake. kind of like plowing a boat ramp except longer from what ive been told. not a long driveway and there is not where to turn around so your backing up the hill. but it sucks so bad the guy is paying over a hundred bucks just for this driveway. 
a. you could not stop and go into the lake.
b. you may not make it back up the hill

guess the plow guy passed on it for next year. couldnt get the one ton back up one day. the guy he passed it to doesnt want it and brought it to my attention. it really isnt very far from my house.

think ill go take a look at it and see what all the fuss is about he is offering that kind of cash for two passes.

four wheeler with tire chains and a **** load of sand maybe?


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## ballbusta (Feb 14, 2007)

My driveway is not that bad here is a pic comming off the second 90 degree turn 400 feet to the street


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

not bad. does look long. if you get eight or ten inches i think using the fourwheeler may take quite a while and give you quite a headache. perhaps you have a small tractor you can buy cheap or another vehicle to put a little personal plow on? 
atv would would eventually. but i dont think you would want to use it, especially if you had somewhere to go asap.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

ABES;396781 said:


> your gonna have to plow with the storms as 8" of snow is pushing the limitations of a 4 wheeler with a 750 you will have more than enough power but traction is the only problem with using an atv


 ABES is right on the money..as long as you plow with the storm and your not in a big hurry, theres no reason you cant plow it with a 750 Brute Force (I know because I have one w/ a 60" plow on it). Your biggest issue will be traction, but a few 50 lbs. bags of sand on the racks takes care of that.


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

i didnt say you couldnt use a atv.
but why the hell would you want to if you dont have to? honestly. i look at that pic. and i think of sitting on a fourwheeler in the snow. forward, reverse, forward, reverse, stuck , spinnning, forward, reverse, forward, reverse,. over, and over, and over, and over. you would be there a while. 

if it was a small driveway yeah. on that driveway i can think of better things id rather be doing. not to mention the price of the atv. if you have it for recreational anyway sure, put a plow on it. if your buying just have another option for plowing that driveway, you can find better options.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

He has a truck with a plow, the atv is strictly a backup, so he won't be doing the driveway repeatedly unless his truck catches on fire and he's uninsured.

ATV will work fine here...agreed I wouldn't want to do it all winter either, but as a backup its a good choice...I do also agree though that if you're buying the ATV just for a backup to the truck thats its probably a poor way to spend money. Personally I'd consider one for this purpose because I can make use of a utility ATV to skid logs off the back acres to the house and other stuff, plus some light recreational use...but for the kind of money an ATV plus a plow costs, even used I could probably get a heck of a nice small tractor with a bucket loader and a mower.


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## SuperPlow Guy (Jul 8, 2007)

*Other Solution to ATV*

Have you considered a SuperPlow? www.superplow.com This rear monted plow will handle that driveway as it is similar to my own. We are on a lake also with pavement and gravel about 1/4 mile...check it out.,


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## ballbusta (Feb 14, 2007)

Thanks for the replies it is true that this option is expensive compared to other options but I could use the atv for many other tasks as well I have a few acres behind be which borders state land and leads to power lines that run into two lakes I could pull logs for firewood etc.

This is only a backup option that I am considering because the last storm last year which was 27 inches left me unable to get up to my plow I was lucky that my neighbor lent me his snowblower

You can't tell from the picture but from my garage the plowing would be straight down to the street then I would have to turn around and come straight back up there will not be dozens of forwards and reverses I had a plow guy three years ago but he disappeared without a word I only got two replies last year and was quoted 100 - 150 dollars per plow one guy did the first small storm but quit after that saying his truck could not handle the turns and he was not comfortable with the decline

I don't see how the rear mounted plow would work well as a primary or backup seeing that the cleared pavement is behind you leaving you to drive through deep snow and that can't be comfortable to plow backwoods to clear certain areas especially when the snow is really coming down this plow might be good as an addition to a front mounted plow


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

ballbusta;397071 said:


> Thanks for the replies it is true that this option is expensive compared to other options but I could use the atv for many other tasks as well I have a few acres behind be which borders state land and leads to power lines that run into two lakes I could pull logs for firewood etc.
> 
> This is only a backup option that I am considering because the last storm last year which was 27 inches left me unable to get up to my plow I was lucky that my neighbor lent me his snowblower
> 
> ...


Actually back blades are the Cats azz, they work with the front blade. Many Farm tractors have pull boxes that hold many, many yards of snow that you drive threw first.
As stated the atv can get it done, just dont plan on moving the 27" of snow with it. Wont happen. The other thing with atv's is you need to push your snow way way back from the get go. No stacking or pushing piles back with an atv.
For the 10K you will spend on the atv and plow, I would be shopping for a tractor with a loader and a 3 point with a back blade.. It will do anything the lil atv can do (cept go 50 mph) plus you can stack snow, cut threw 6' drifts, and push back piles when the drive gets to skinny. With chains and loaded tires it will crawl up anything you may need.
If your looking for a a new Toy to race around on and justify it to the wife the atv will be fine. Just dont expect it to have any were near the capacity of a truck.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

If you can plow it with a truck, you can plow it with an atv. There are just some things you have to know- You can't have a short temper, you must plow with the storm, you must enjoy freezing your rear end off, don't stop mid push, and the most important part- think where you want the snow before you push, there is no stacking or pushing back piles with an atv. Also if it takes you 30 minutes with a truck, you need about 4 hours to do it with an atv


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## SuperPlow Guy (Jul 8, 2007)

*Atv is gonna be Cold and Wet!*

Yea, I used to plow my 1/4 mile (paved and gravel) with an ATV took 4 hours and once you made a pile NO WAY you were moving it! Now it takes 50 minutes warm ad dry plowing forward AND reverse with SuperPlow nice and dry listening to tunes. ATV's aren't very good like blowers in the heavy wet stuff either. Looks like your getting an ATV for other reasons too  T-man is right back blades have been around longer than fronts on tractors... It was just an idea. Good Luck


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

SuperPlow Guy;397179 said:


> Yea, I used to plow my 1/4 mile (paved and gravel) with an ATV took 4 hours and once you made a pile NO WAY you were moving it! Now it takes 50 minutes warm ad dry plowing forward AND reverse with SuperPlow nice and dry listening to tunes. ATV's aren't very good like blowers in the heavy wet stuff either. Looks like your getting an ATV for other reasons too  T-man is right back blades have been around longer than fronts on tractors... It was just an idea. Good Luck


You liked the Super Plow so much, you bought the company. J/K. I think it probably would work alright, but 27" of snow, anything with that much snow would be a hard push. I don't think the Super Plow would quite make it through that. We have used box blades for years on tractors, but the tractors have lots of ground clearence, that's the only thing I'm worried about. The ATV seems what you want and from my experience will be fine for back-up.


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## Duracutter (Oct 25, 2006)

ballbusta;397071 said:


> Thanks for the replies it is true that this option is expensive compared to other options but I could use the atv for many other tasks as well I have a few acres behind be which borders state land and leads to power lines that run into two lakes I could pull logs for firewood etc.
> 
> This is only a backup option that I am considering because the last storm last year which was 27 inches left me unable to get up to my plow I was lucky that my neighbor lent me his snowblower
> 
> ...


You answered your own question. Get a SNOW BLOWER!!

Problem solved.


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