# What is the best way to plow a gravel driveway



## TheKing (Dec 4, 2003)

Hey, can anyone give me tips on how to plow a gravel, oil and chip or QP driveway? I don't wanna tear them up or push the rocks all over. Is haveing feet on the plow the only way?


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

The firs time or two will suck since the ground isn't frozen enough. What I do is drop the blade then hit the joystick up for a split second and drive a bit slower. This keeps the plow from riding with it's full weight on the ground. You COULD use the fabled plow shoes but they could leave two small grooves in the gravel.

No matter what, by the end of the year, you will lose a little bit of gravel. Once the ground freezes you can plow just like on concrete or asphalt.


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## jeepplow (Sep 23, 2003)

First of all, I am a personal plower, not a contractor. So others may have more experience.

I have a gravel driveway with some rather large (2 inch) stone for a portion of the driveway. I have a Western Pro that I bought shoes for and I simply back drag the snow into the street and then push it into piles back onto my property. When pushing from the road I have to lift the plow a couple inches to avoid rolling the 2 inch stone into my yard. 

Most of my driveway is inclined so I doubt I would be successful trying to push even with the shoes and lifting the blade a few inches. 

This works well for me and clears most of the snow off the gravel drive.

Good luck.


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## chris k (Nov 5, 2002)

Let someone else do it. Thats the easy way


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## easthavenplower (Aug 21, 2003)

you could back drag or just lift the plow


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## ilhmt (Aug 15, 2003)

I have a gravel drive. Like easthavenplower said you could either backdrag it or lift the plow. I drop the plow and lift it just enough to pull the front end back down and plow forward with the weight off the blade. It works really well and you can get the hang of it in just a few passes.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Put a urethane cutting edge on your steel edge.


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## ilhmt (Aug 15, 2003)

Putting a urethane cutting edge is another good idea if you don't mind spending around $300.


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## slowpoke (Nov 18, 2003)

On the gravel drives I do I've found backdraging to be the only way to get them done without a lot of heartache. It will leave some snow on the drive, but it's better than trying to lift the blade. The smaller gravel usually will stick to the snow and roll with it. When all else hire a kid with a shovel


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## RWK in WI (Mar 29, 2003)

If you are only doing gravel drives you may be interested in what are called "sandguards" copy and paste this link:

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=nboard&th=363231

It may be of interest.


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## Crumm (Nov 5, 2003)

I have found that if I just don't plow the first snowfall of the year it works great the rest of the year. The first few inches get packed down and make a great base. I am in interior Alaska where in the spring we still have the first inch of snow that fell in the fall so this may not work in a warmer climate where the base melts. By the way is there such a thing as a driveway that is not gravel my whole neighborhood is gravel including the roads.


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