# Sidewalk Snow Machine?



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

we are finally starting to grow into a decent sized snow company. i have never had any issues pricing parking lots and salt etc. however with the sidewalks, how much sidewalk justifies a sidewalk machine? currently i have about 1/2 mile of walks total in one area we take care of where all of the accounts are rite next to each other. all of these walks take 2-3 guys maybe 3 hours total over the course of a storm and i bill $485.00 total for the walks for all of the properties together. i cant really think of an account in my area that would justify needing a side walk machine. the town guys around here use them on city walks and stuff like that but i think i have maybe seen 2-3 companies using the sidewalk machines in our area on huge stuff like malls.

What do you guys think? how much sidewalk justifies a sidewalk machine, or how much are you looking to bill on walks per storm if your using a sidewalk machine?

Thanks for any info gentlemen.


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

I have always hated sidewalks. First thing customers moan about, biggest risk area for slips, and biggest pain to get staff in for.
I find having toro single stage blowers and an atv with plow seems to take 90% of headache away. Still some hand work but i would rather spend $ on machines then on labour that might not show etc. Without getting a 10 or 20K machine, buy a decent used atv, put on a plow and see how it works for a year. A nice atv can be had 5k, buy it well, take care of it, maybe use for some fun stuff too and sell in 2 years for most of what you paid. Works for me $500 toro blowers are good for 4 years... So for 7k you got an atv and a couple nice blowers. Life just got easy without a big spend and over half the money will come back in a couple years when you update.


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## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

yeah, my thoughts are with an ATV i would have a guy come in for an hour? because id think that is all it really takes with a snow machine.


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

Atv isnt perfect but saves a lot of time and is cheap. Ours actually has a brine tank on the back (cheap $250) and when they plow the long straight aways, it sprays behind. Saves a ton of time hand shoveling and walking with pails of salt. I would rather have a guy in for an hour and pay him for 4 and get the job done fast and easy where he is happy than always a battle getting people in and moaning etc. Just a tip, you dont need a monster machine a 300-700cc is plenty the montsters are too bulky plowing in my opinion


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

We do sidewalks after the storm is over on my HOA accounts. Have 1 condo complex that gets shoveled with the storm as there is no room for even snow blowers with all the cars hanging over the walks.

We try to not windrow snow from the roads onto the walks but sometimes its not possible. With a 6” storm I can clear the walks as fast as the machine will drive. 8MPH. I set the bucket down and drive. Only have to dump the bucket maybe every 200-300 yards. With storms in 12” range there is a lot more dumping involved. One account has 2 miles of walk. Takes me 1 hr for the 2 miles with a 6” storm. takes me about an hour to 2 hours per mile if we get a 12” or bigger storm with the bucket depending on how much snow is windrowed on the sidewalk. I only run with a bucket since walks are done post storm. 

If you only have 1/2 mile of walks its going to take you longer to unload and load the machine than it will to do the walks.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Our sidewalk tractor runs a full 6 hour route. The Ventrac SSV will be very close to that as well this winter.


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## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

i was thinking maybe leave it on sight with the skid steer and have one of the drivers hop out and blast it real fast. that way there is way less labor. it would probly take 10 minutes to plow. 500 a storm, for a used quad maybe a ten storm ROI


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Ive just never like quads with plows. If its light and fluffy its fine. We hardly ever have light and fluffy snow. If its wet snow at all the blade just rides up on the snow. Then its packed down and the bladed isn’t heavy enough to grab it if you make a second pass.


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## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

i mean id prefer a can am x3 1000 but my fiance probly wouldnt approve of such a tool for snow lol.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I didn't really have much interest for a sidewalk machine until I started learning about the JD 1025r in another thread.

@John_DeereGreen @Mark Oomkes how does the 1025 compare to say an S70 machine? Just larger attachments, more power, capable of more?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I've only used a quad for snow as a "toy" but I can't imagine trying to use one to actually make money with. Sounds like a huge pain in the ass.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I couldn't ever buy an S70 I don't think. The tractor has much better visibility, rides smoother, much easier to set up to salt in one pass, easier to train people to run, cheaper to buy, cheaper to run.

If you could use it more in the summer then it might be worth a trade off but for me it's not. 

That's just me.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

I have a 2305. Basically the old version of the 1025. I ran a S70 last year when my tractor was down due to the bee in the fuel tank. The S70 sucked hard. It got stuck a lot, no clearance operator had a lot to do with that though. There is zero reach. And at the end of the day you get to pee blood. The SCUT is hands down better in my opinion.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Ha, I forgot about that bee! Anyway, thanks guys, I was just curious how they compared.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

Ive never seen this before


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Freshwater said:


> Ive never seen this before


They're pretty sweet...and spendy.

I would rather have one of these:

http://commercialvideo.toro.com/watch/ZK6FwMUzwgS9TCQl1zJBlA


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Mark Oomkes said:


> They're pretty sweet...and spendy.
> 
> I would rather have one of these:
> 
> http://commercialvideo.toro.com/watch/ZK6FwMUzwgS9TCQl1zJBlA


I want me one of those.


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