# When To Plow



## 32vld

I just did my first air plowing. I drove home with my new plow, Meyer 6'8" on my 2005 TJ Unlimited.

I have one 50' x 50' parking lot at a thrift store/charity that is not open every day and does not open that early. The rest are driveways that I do not see them being a problem except for one.

The problem one is a single lane driveway is very steep, a 15% grade, over 100' long, road surface is about 2' lower then the adjacent ground on both sides of the driveway at a 45 degree angle, until you get to the top of the property where it levels out on front of a 2 car garage.

Now I have done all of my customers for 9 years using 2 stage snow blowers. My customers have no problem with me waiting for the snow to stop before I start my route.

So whether it snowed 2" or 24" I would do them once after the storm ended.

So my concerns are can I still service the properties waiting till the snow stops, and how best to handle that very steep driveway.

The plow dealer said to back up that driveway in case I can not make it up to the top and the Jeep will be able to push down hill better and with the lower end cleared it will make backing all the way to the top easier.

Another general question is how many parallel passes can I make trying to plow row the snow to one side?

Any if you plowsite members have any other suggestions to share for I know I am sure that I have not anticipated everything.


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## beanz27

Big storms I try to do everything every 4" at maximum, easier on equipment, but I also do commercial. I'm sure your thrift store will want at least every 6" cleared off.


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## dieselss

Remember a plow is not a snowblower.
Your not gunna be productive plowing 24" 
Your going to have to set an inch mark where you start making your rounds.


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## 32vld

dieselss;2085867 said:


> Remember a plow is not a snowblower.
> Your not gunna be productive plowing 24"
> Your going to have to set an inch mark where you start making your rounds.


What is a good inch mark to start at?


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## dieselss

IMO....2-4 
Your not pushing your truck hard, and you can still "see" obstacles.


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## 32vld

dieselss;2085869 said:


> IMO....2-4
> Your not pushing your truck hard, and you can still "see" obstacles.


Yes best to see where the curbs and things are before the snow depth makes it hard to see the obstacles.


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## BUFF

You got some pretty good answers to a similar question in this thread http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=163631. 
There is no definitive answer to you're questions, weather conditions / moisture content are the biggest variable, operator ability is also a big variable. 
From reading the threads you've posted aboot what plow to buy through this one you seem to have little to zero experience running a plow. Once you had some time using it you'll understand what the limitations of you and you're rig are. Until then take what you hear/read with a grain of salt, don't treat it as gospel, play it safe and build from your personal experience. 
Good luck and happy new year


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## JustJeff

Pictures of the steep driveway, or an address so we can see an aerial view of it would help as well.


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## 32vld

Harleyjeff;2085887 said:


> Pictures of the steep driveway, or an address so we can see an aerial view of it would help as well.


Here is the view of the driveway.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.899...T7wlQPz45Hc-eHBnzA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1


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## JustJeff

From the picture it doesn't look that steep to me, but pictures can be deceiving. Even if it's not that steep I'd still drive up it (forwards if you can and there's room to turn around at the top) and push down. Looks like there's plenty of room at the bottom to stack and push back.


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## BUFF

32vld;2085897 said:


> Here is the view of the driveway.
> 
> https://www.google.com/maps/@40.899...T7wlQPz45Hc-eHBnzA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1


The steepness of the drive isn't too bad, the killer is going to be it's below grade and no place to push back the snow / windrows (yellow dash lines). It'd be nice if it opened up on top so you have a place to put snow. If is does great if not you're going to want to think aboot pushing the plié back as far as you can at the bottom of the drive (red dash lines). Since you've been using a blower you need to think aboot where to put snow.
If you find yourself not being able to push up with the blade down try raising it a few inches and taking a lighter bite to punch through it. Also it wind is an issue that driveway looks like it'd drift in pretty easy. I think you'll have your hand full if you let more than 4-5" of your typical wet east coast snow stack up.


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## 32vld

Harleyjeff;2085902 said:


> From the picture it doesn't look that steep to me, but pictures can be deceiving. Even if it's not that steep I'd still drive up it (forwards if you can and there's room to turn around at the top) and push down. Looks like there's plenty of room at the bottom to stack and push back.


First happy New Year.

I used google earth to get the height and length then found a site that would compute the grade, it was a 15 percent grade.

That driveway is so steep that it is almost impossible to walk up because your feet just want to slip out from underneath you. The old lady slipped and fell trying to walk down that driveway to get her mail when I got done. Lucky she only hurt her pride. She had corkers on her shoes/boots and she still lost her grip. So from that time I always bring their mail up when I am done.

Towards the end of the season her husband gave me a set of new corkers.


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## 32vld

BUFF;2085903 said:


> The steepness of the drive isn't too bad, the killer is going to be it's below grade and no place to push back the snow / windrows (yellow dash lines). It'd be nice if it opened up on top so you have a place to put snow. If is does great if not you're going to want to think aboot pushing the plié back as far as you can at the bottom of the drive (red dash lines). Since you've been using a blower you need to think aboot where to put snow.
> If you find yourself not being able to push up with the blade down try raising it a few inches and taking a lighter bite to punch through it. Also it wind is an issue that driveway looks like it'd drift in pretty easy. I think you'll have your hand full if you let more than 4-5" of your typical wet east coast snow stack up.


In real life there is not much room to push the snow on the bottom right side. However there is plenty of room on the left side. For some reason the end of the driveway is extra wide on the left side.

Thanks for the help. Sleep time now.


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## seville009

If you have used a snowblower on this driveway in the past, then you could simply continue to use it on this "sunken" part of the driveway. I'd think that it would fill in real quick when you have blowing and drifting. If it were me, rather than windrowing in this section, I'd try to push as much as possible to one end of the driveway or the other so as to save space to put snow if you end up with a storm. You could also windrow and then just bring in your snowblower if necessary to blow the piles back.


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## 1olddogtwo

Yea put it in "R" (Retreat) to top then hammer down in "D" (Dozer) mode after you pushed off the apron into the shoulders. You made want to try pushing up on angle left and right til traction is lost.

It does look steep and considering the lightweight Jeep, all the weight will be on the front axle, use it to ur advantage backing up.


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## theplowmeister

I would go get a snow blower for that drive. you cant put any snow on the sides so all of it has to go to the bottom. you will have to make a pile at the bottom then manuver the jeep around to (without getting stuck on your piles) to push the snow to the side.... repeat untill all the snow that is on the drive has been moved to the bottom and then moved to the side.


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## 32vld

seville009;2085942 said:


> If you have used a snowblower on this driveway in the past, then you could simply continue to use it on this "sunken" part of the driveway. I'd think that it would fill in real quick when you have blowing and drifting. If it were me, rather than windrowing in this section, I'd try to push as much as possible to one end of the driveway or the other so as to save space to put snow if you end up with a storm. You could also windrow and then just bring in your snowblower if necessary to blow the piles back.


That driveway is so steep that the blower the wheels did not have much traction so I would have to keep pushing on the blower to help get it up the hill.

Also with the angle so steep the balance of the blower was thrown off so the front end had a tendency to lift and the blower would not scrape well. So the blower wheels would just spin and the blower would stop moving forward.

So I had to lean in to the blower to make the blower move forward while at the same time lifting up on the handles so the front of the blower would stay down and scrap the driveway clean.

No more blower on this driveway anymore if I can help it.

Though a good thing is that the top of the driveway is two car wide and level with no curb so I can push snow onto the lawn if needed.


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## sota

Depending on the type of snow falling, 2"-6". Last year I pushed around 6" of fluffy and it was starting to strain. I probably could have done 7" of the same but then I'd just be beating up on the rig.

I'd say on flat lands you could delay to the higher snowfall, but for that steep driveway, you're better off keeping to the low end, especially the first couple of times until you get a few runs under your belt.


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## allagashpm

If it's that steep you could get some chains to throw on. 
I have one driveway in particular that is wicked steep and a pita. 
I always do it last because if something goes wrong on it I have done all my other work already.


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## 32vld

sota;2086001 said:


> Depending on the type of snow falling, 2"-6". Last year I pushed around 6" of fluffy and it was starting to strain. I probably could have done 7" of the same but then I'd just be beating up on the rig.
> 
> I'd say on flat lands you could delay to the higher snowfall, but for that steep driveway, you're better off keeping to the low end, especially the first couple of times until you get a few runs under your belt.


What size plow are you running? Icon photo to small for me to make out what Jeep you're running.


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## sota

7'4" Western Suburbanite out front on a 2007 Jeep Liberty


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## 32vld

Nice, how long have you been plowing with it?


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## sota

got it last year. worked great. hence why we haven't had flake 1 fall so far this year.


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## jasonv

32vld;2085863 said:


> So whether it snowed 2" or 24" I would do them once after the storm ended.
> 
> So my concerns are can I still service the properties waiting till the snow stops, and how best to handle that very steep driveway.
> 
> The plow dealer said to back up that driveway in case I can not make it up to the top and the Jeep will be able to push down hill better and with the lower end cleared it will make backing all the way to the top easier.


Ok, first off, if there's 24 inches of snow on that, you WILL NOT be driving up it.
Second, if there's 24 inches of snow on that, you WILL NOT be PLOWING up it.
Basically, if there's 24 inches and your plow vehicle is on the bottom, its game over.

Some people talk about taking off half the depth on a first pass. While this may sometimes be possible, keep in mind that with snow in front of your wheels, it is not going to have much traction. I've always found, especially with light vehicles, that you can actually move easier cutting the entire depth at once. The place where you can sometimes go wrong, is if there is a layer of hardpack at the bottom grabbing your edge, so to deal with that, just add a *tiny* bit of lift to keep the pressure off the blade so it doesn't dig in, but removing the fresh snow from getting you bogged down.

I think what the dealer was suggesting with respect to backing up the hill, is not necessarily backing all the way to the top. Rather back up the hill a bit, and then clear some of the lower section, then back up the hill a bit further, and take off some more. This will help you because you end up with a smaller pile of snow at the bottom from each run down the hill, which you will actually be able to manage. If you took a run all the way from the top to the bottom of that drive, the problem you would end up with is an enormous heap of snow at the bottom, which frankly, is probably more than you'd be able to deal with short of using a loader.

With that light vehicle, your biggest obstacle will be traction. I'm not overly familiar with that model, but am with older jeeps, YJ in particular. With that one, the back seat could fold down and flip forward, leaving a cargo space that could be loaded up with bags of sand or gravel. With mine, I went even more dramatic, removed the back seat altogether, piece of plywood against the roll bars, and loaded the back with granite boulders. After that, it worked "ok".


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## SnoFarmer

I'm very concerned about the plow being to heavy, but I'm going to wait until there is 2 feet of snow before i tackle this steep long drive....

:laughing::laughing:mor............


I bet almost no one who has plowed for any length of time will wait for there to be 2feet on the ground before they service their accounts.

plowing 2" will be harder on that jeep that a 8ft plow....
you need to lower your triger.... try a 2"-3" trigger 
then IF you do get a 2" snow you will be able to do the work, easily. 
as you cleared it every 3"

where are you going to put 2' of snow, How do you push back 2' of snow without putting that jeep threw it's paces?


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## jonniesmooth

*blower*



32vld;2085995 said:


> That driveway is so steep that the blower the wheels did not have much traction so I would have to keep pushing on the blower to help get it up the hill.
> 
> Also with the angle so steep the balance of the blower was thrown off so the front end had a tendency to lift and the blower would not scrape well. So the blower wheels would just spin and the blower would stop moving forward.
> 
> So I had to lean in to the blower to make the blower move forward while at the same time lifting up on the handles so the front of the blower would stay down and scrap the driveway clean.
> 
> No more blower on this driveway anymore if I can help it.
> 
> Though a good thing is that the top of the driveway is two car wide and level with no curb so I can push snow onto the lawn if needed.


One thing you could do to make your blower more effective would be to build a weight box on top of the auger housing, put a bag of tube sand or cement blocks in there to keep the front end down. I am familiar with the lifting up on the handles to keep the edge on the ground trick.

I also know that pics and video don't show grade well at all.

Clearing out the bottom and backing in and working it a section at a time sounds like the best way to start. Till you know what you and your Jeep are capable of.

I have one driveway that's steep also, some days it is so slippery, I shovel the bottom half, salt it, then come back after the salt has had a chance to work and do the upper half. Same thing when we have ice. Can't throw salt far enough to get all of it at once.


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## 32vld

jasonv;2088086 said:


> Ok, first off, if there's 24 inches of snow on that, you WILL NOT be driving up it.
> Second, if there's 24 inches of snow on that, you WILL NOT be PLOWING up it.
> Basically, if there's 24 inches and your plow vehicle is on the bottom, its game over.
> 
> Some people talk about taking off half the depth on a first pass. While this may sometimes be possible, keep in mind that with snow in front of your wheels, it is not going to have much traction. I've always found, especially with light vehicles, that you can actually move easier cutting the entire depth at once. The place where you can sometimes go wrong, is if there is a layer of hardpack at the bottom grabbing your edge, so to deal with that, just add a *tiny* bit of lift to keep the pressure off the blade so it doesn't dig in, but removing the fresh snow from getting you bogged down.
> 
> I think what the dealer was suggesting with respect to backing up the hill, is not necessarily backing all the way to the top. Rather back up the hill a bit, and then clear some of the lower section, then back up the hill a bit further, and take off some more. This will help you because you end up with a smaller pile of snow at the bottom from each run down the hill, which you will actually be able to manage. If you took a run all the way from the top to the bottom of that drive, the problem you would end up with is an enormous heap of snow at the bottom, which frankly, is probably more than you'd be able to deal with short of using a loader.
> 
> With that light vehicle, your biggest obstacle will be traction. I'm not overly familiar with that model, but am with older jeeps, YJ in particular. With that one, the back seat could fold down and flip forward, leaving a cargo space that could be loaded up with bags of sand or gravel. With mine, I went even more dramatic, removed the back seat altogether, piece of plywood against the roll bars, and loaded the back with granite boulders. After that, it worked "ok".


Re-read my post. I waited for the snow to stop whether 2" or 24" was in years past before when I used my snow blower. Sorry if I was not clear before.

I realized that there would be conditions where if I let the show get too deep I would be in trouble. Hence my questions and seeking advice for this is my first plow to avoid trouble.


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## 32vld

jonniesmooth;2088160 said:


> One thing you could do to make your blower more effective would be to build a weight box on top of the auger housing, put a bag of tube sand or cement blocks in there to keep the front end down. I am familiar with the lifting up on the handles to keep the edge on the ground trick.
> 
> I also know that pics and video don't show grade well at all.
> 
> Clearing out the bottom and backing in and working it a section at a time sounds like the best way to start. Till you know what you and your Jeep are capable of.
> 
> I have one driveway that's steep also, some days it is so slippery, I shovel the bottom half, salt it, then come back after the salt has had a chance to work and do the upper half. Same thing when we have ice. Can't throw salt far enough to get all of it at once.


I never saw or heard or even thought of putting weight on the front of the auger housing. Anyway my 28" blower died at the end of last season. So I finished that day out with my 24",

A 36" blower with tracks would of cost me $3,500 plus tax. Plus I felt that a 36" blower would not make me fast enough. And I reached the point where I would not be able to accept more work. So for $4,000 installed I went with a plow.


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## 32vld

I will be bringing my 24" on the rear hitch platform when I plow for the walks.


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## MLG

That driveway has grown in somewhat. I bet it drifts in great on a windy day! I would talk to the homeowner about a longer-term strategy to make it safer for her -- taking the sides back a couple feet on each side next summer, maybe pulling out a couple trees if that's what's needed, properly terrace the sides. I would focus on their safety which makes it easier to promote, which it 'would' be safer due to less snow build-up. Would also make it easier to clean better. 

Barring that, I wonder if this driveway being as steep (and slippery) as it is, is a liability waiting to happen, or you falling and cracking your head? I see bricks on one side of the driveway just waiting to be 'peeled' up by the plow blade, that you might be appointed to repair (for free) in the spring. Maybe there are other accounts that would be easier and more profitable pursuing, like their neighbor's driveway right next to it? 

Or is this a neighbor you are trying to help out?


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## 32vld

MLG;2088714 said:


> That driveway has grown in somewhat. I bet it drifts in great on a windy day! I would talk to the homeowner about a longer-term strategy to make it safer for her -- taking the sides back a couple feet on each side next summer, maybe pulling out a couple trees if that's what's needed, properly terrace the sides. I would focus on their safety which makes it easier to promote, which it 'would' be safer due to less snow build-up. Would also make it easier to clean better.
> 
> Barring that, I wonder if this driveway being as steep (and slippery) as it is, is a liability waiting to happen, or you falling and cracking your head? I see bricks on one side of the driveway just waiting to be 'peeled' up by the plow blade, that you might be appointed to repair (for free) in the spring. Maybe there are other accounts that would be easier and more profitable pursuing, like their neighbor's driveway right next to it?
> 
> Or is this a neighbor you are trying to help out?


No they are not a neighbor or friend though they are nice people.

These people are in their 80's and the husband has an old Ariens that he loaned the last guy to use because his blower could not handle that driveway. And that guy broke his machine while borrowing it. He keeps on saying he wants to fix it but he is not physically able to use it anymore if he did get it fixed.

They pay $169 for a 1" trigger minimum. As the snow depth goes up so does the price. I mow a lawn not even 2 minutes away from them. This fall the wife happen to be driving past me while I was mowing and she stopped to ask if I was still going to service them this winter. I guess it has been hard for them to find people that will do a good job and not disappear on them because this is a difficult job.


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## SnoFarmer

32vld;2088799 said:


> No they are not a neighbor or friend though they are nice people.
> 
> These people are in their 80's and the husband has an old Ariens that he loaned the last guy to use because his blower could not handle that driveway. And that guy broke his machine while borrowing it. He keeps on saying he wants to fix it but he is not physically able to use it anymore if he did get it fixed.
> 
> They pay $169 for a 1" trigger minimum. As the snow depth goes up so does the price. I mow a lawn not even 2 minutes away from them. This fall the wife happen to be driving past me while I was mowing and she stopped to ask if I was still going to service them this winter. I guess it has been hard for them to find people that will do a good job and not disappear on them because this is a difficult job.


A 1" trigger @$169
Why haven't you signed them up?
Then why all this talk about how much snow can a jeep plow etc etc
Weight needed to backdrag etc etc..?.

If it's going to be icy salt it.
At no time should it have over 3" with a 1" trigger so snow depth is moot.
Plow or drive up it.
Back drag or plow across the garage doors ,
Jump out and shovel the sidewalk,
Ya don't need a blower as you will only be shoveling 2-3" 
Get out streaching your back......
Turn around.
Back into the area you cleared by back dragging.
Push it down hill.

Then get yourself a set of tire chains.
For thoes times you get more snow than you can keep with.
As for the edge, a wider plow would be nice as it would keep your tires farther from it.
lol
Use stakes to mark it.


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## MLG

> No they are not a neighbor or friend though they are nice people.
> 
> These people are in their 80's and the husband has an old Ariens that he loaned the last guy to use because his blower could not handle that driveway. And that guy broke his machine while borrowing it. He keeps on saying he wants to fix it but he is not physically able to use it anymore if he did get it fixed.


Well, I get that, I have some people I help out I don't even charge for. I know other plowers that do that too. If it were me, I would walk the driveway with them, show them the same picture and a few landscaping thoughts (at reasonable cost), to widen it out a little (don't even need to widen up too much) that would make it easier and safer to remove snow from ...and easier for them to walk on. It would probably improve the curb appeal too and raise the property value some, which they may not be thinking about now, but will someday become important. Or, just give it a year and see how it goes with your equipment and just hit it a little more frequently.

Are you spreading salt on it? Also, have you considered a used snow blower when spring rolls around? There are a ton of them cheap on C/L around here that aren't over-used. Spend $800 or $1,200 instead of $3,000..

Just trying to throw out ideas..


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## BUFF

SnoFarmer;2088804 said:


> A 1" trigger @$169


 Holy crap...... for a resi...


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## 32vld

SnoFarmer;2088804 said:


> A 1" trigger @$169
> Why haven't you signed them up?
> Then why all this talk about how much snow can a jeep plow etc etc
> Weight needed to backdrag etc etc..?.
> 
> If it's going to be icy salt it.
> At no time should it have over 3" with a 1" trigger so snow depth is moot.
> Plow or drive up it.
> Back drag or plow across the garage doors ,
> Jump out and shovel the sidewalk,
> Ya don't need a blower as you will only be shoveling 2-3"
> Get out streaching your back......
> Turn around.
> Back into the area you cleared by back dragging.
> Push it down hill.
> 
> Then get yourself a set of tire chains.
> For thoes times you get more snow than you can keep with.
> As for the edge, a wider plow would be nice as it would keep your tires farther from it.
> lol
> Use stakes to mark it.


They are signed up. I forget to include that.

All that talk about back drag is because for the last 9 years I just used two 2 stage snow blowers and trying to get speed up the learning curve.

Forget shovels that drive is so steep that even if you were to push across your feet are still going to slip out from underneath you.


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## 32vld

MLG;2088808 said:


> Well, I get that, I have some people I help out I don't even charge for. I know other plowers that do that too. If it were me, I would walk the driveway with them, show them the same picture and a few landscaping thoughts (at reasonable cost), to widen it out a little (don't even need to widen up too much) that would make it easier and safer to remove snow from ...and easier for them to walk on. It would probably improve the curb appeal too and raise the property value some, which they may not be thinking about now, but will someday become important. Or, just give it a year and see how it goes with your equipment and just hit it a little more frequently.
> 
> Are you spreading salt on it? Also, have you considered a used snow blower when spring rolls around? There are a ton of them cheap on C/L around here that aren't over-used. Spend $800 or $1,200 instead of $3,000..
> 
> Just trying to throw out ideas..


Major landscape work is not in their budget or desire after 30+ years living there.

My main blower died but I still have my back up, my first blower, a 1996 Troy Bilt (made by Garden Way) 24" that will be on cargo hitch platform with a ramp that mounts onto my trailer hitch receiver when I go out to plow. Still looks great. Just put a new scraper blade on it.


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## 32vld

BUFF;2088811 said:


> Holy crap...... for a resi...


Where are you from and what would that job go for there?


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## BUFF

32vld;2088818 said:


> Where are you from and what would that job go for there?


No Colorado and aboot $50.00


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## Philbilly2

BUFF;2088830 said:


> No Colorado and aboot $50.00


About the same here in Illinois


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## BUFF

Philbilly2;2088831 said:


> About the same here in Illinois


With this driveway I'd take into consideration the age of the homeowner (80's) along with being a on fixed income and would do a slight increase for anything over 6". I have a couple resi's customers that are about the same age, they haven't seen an increase in 5yrs. I know I don't charge what I could beand been known to give them a couple "customer appreciation pushes" if we're getting storms that roll through weekly. I see it as good karma for when I'm old and unable to do every task.


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## 32vld

BUFF;2088830 said:


> No Colorado and aboot $50.00


We have a high cost of living here. When I first started out 9 years ago, this is my 10th season, I was nervous asking $40 - $60. Then when I found out the guys were getting $75 - $90, that was my start to learning the area pricing.

About 6 years ago that at my nieces sweet 16 party. Chatting with my BIL's good friend the subject of snow plowing came up. How he goes away on business a lot and needed to count on a guy showing up all the time and how he was glad he finally found one. To him it never was a question of money. So I asked him would he mind telling me, and explained how I was starting out and trying to the learn the market pricing. He told $300 per storm.

Google Earth is our friend. Shortly after that a small commercial business 3,500 SF was recommended to me. Never did anything like that so I measured the SF of his drive. Used the BIL friends SF price and transferred it over to do the estimate and got the job.

And as they say the rest is history. Another referral got me another 3,500 SF commercial, and I have 10 residentials. I added another customer, friends of that steep driveway. However that is small level residential driveway.

Between drive time and actual work time on average I was only getting 1 driveway done per hour. I needed to up grade to a plow so I could make more money.


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## 32vld

BUFF;2088838 said:


> With this driveway I'd take into consideration the age of the homeowner (80's) along with being a on fixed income and would do a slight increase for anything over 6". I have a couple resi's customers that are about the same age, they haven't seen an increase in 5yrs. I know I don't charge what I could beand been known to give them a couple "customer appreciation pushes" if we're getting storms that roll through weekly. I see it as good karma for when I'm old and unable to do every task.


Many times they would want to tip an extra $40 and I declined. And towards the end of the season a few times I just rounded the price down to the nearest 10 dollars so making change would be easier.

3/4 quarters through the 1st year the wife handed me a new pair of corkers for my work boots so I would not slip, she said her husband said for me to have them. When they pay me they always hand me a 10 lb bag of salt as well to put down on their drive as I walk down to my Jeep.

One time last winter as I was finishing up she had on corkers (removable cleats) and still fell and slid on the driveway as she was going down to get her mail. So after that when I am done and go to get the money and salt I bring up their mail for them.


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## Philbilly2

BUFF;2088838 said:


> With this driveway I'd take into consideration the age of the homeowner (80's) along with being a on fixed income and would do a slight increase for anything over 6". I have a couple resi's customers that are about the same age, they haven't seen an increase in 5yrs. I know I don't charge what I could beand been known to give them a couple "customer appreciation pushes" if we're getting storms that roll through weekly. I see it as good karma for when I'm old and unable to do every task.


Good Karma is what I am trying to bank now to rectify all the stupid sh*t I did when I was younger...


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## BUFF

32vld;2088854 said:


> We have a high cost of living here. When I first started out 9 years ago, this is my 10th season, I was nervous asking $40 - $60. Then when I found out the guys were getting $75 - $90, that was my start to learning the area pricing.


I can understand a difference in the market based on the COL, but 3X for that driveway is hard to justified. That home is not what I would call hi-end, a couple of my resi's homes are around $1M and they're $50.00 a push.
Guess if you can get it and sleep guilt free then have at it.



Philbilly2;2088873 said:


> Good Karma is what I am trying to bank now to rectify all the stupid sh*t I did when I was younger...


Boy you and me both...... I'm just glad my kids haven't followed the same path as I did when I was there age.


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## thecabinexpert

Push up, Turn around, push down, repeat. Adjust as nececary, I plow one similar except house and road are at same elevation with a switch back on the way back bown the mountain. Only way to know for sure is to just do it. I struggle with the one i have cause if i miss i roll my truck down a big hill.


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## thecabinexpert




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## 32vld

BUFF;2088897 said:


> I can understand a difference in the market based on the COL, but 3X for that driveway is hard to justified. That home is not what I would call hi-end, a couple of my resi's homes are around $1M and they're $50.00 a push.
> Guess if you can get it and sleep guilt free then have at it.
> 
> Boy you and me both...... I'm just glad my kids haven't followed the same path as I did when I was there age.


Nothing to do with guilt. The going rate is the going rate.

I picked another customer last winter about 5 minutes from this one. She was going away for a month and wanted the snow done when she was gone as well as for the rest of the season. She knew the base price and how the price went up as the snow fall increased. No problems when she was away. When she came back it was gee this seems like a lot of money. Then do not come this time I felt bad for some college kids that needed money to go to school.

This year she called me up to do her because she was going away again. I told sorry no can do I have more work then I can handle I'm sorry.

I wanted to tell go call those college kids. But I kept quiet.

Long Island is a high cost of living. Combined we do not average a lot of snow. About 39" a year. Some years we can have only 1, 2, or 3 events a winter. Last winter we had 12 events. Year before at least 10.

A lot of people like the idea of getting a plow and making all that easy money :laughing: but they do not want to spend that much money and take 3 years to make it back because snow is to hit or miss here on LI.

Yes the people subbing for the towns will get work, the big shopping centers too. But people starting out are not going to touch that stuff. Though just because one buys a plow here does not mean he will get all the work at good rates that he can handle.

So we do not have every body and his brother driving around with a plow looking for work.

And the high end homes start $1,000,000 here. Property taxes on the high end houses start at $25,000 a year.

Yes that house is not a high end house.


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## ken643

Deep snow falls, Maintenance is key, I charge by depth of snow, not how many visits. Foot of snow, I may go twice just to make it easier on me and the Jeep. 24 inches maybe 3 times, the last pass will tidy it all up first two passes are quick passes to open it up. If you wait until it stops on deep snow over 8-10 inches, you will be able to get it done, but it will take you a lot longer and you have other customers waiting. Not many people want to travel in a snow storm, so while your out they are home. But when its done, everyone wants OUT, you need to make time to keep them all smiling, that's why I say maintenance the last visit goes easy. My 2 cents worth


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## 32vld

ken643;2089518 said:


> Deep snow falls, Maintenance is key, I charge by depth of snow, not how many visits. Foot of snow, I may go twice just to make it easier on me and the Jeep. 24 inches maybe 3 times, the last pass will tidy it all up first two passes are quick passes to open it up. If you wait until it stops on deep snow over 8-10 inches, you will be able to get it done, but it will take you a lot longer and you have other customers waiting. Not many people want to travel in a snow storm, so while your out they are home. But when its done, everyone wants OUT, you need to make time to keep them all smiling, that's why I say maintenance the last visit goes easy. My 2 cents worth


Thanks.

I plan on going out early an often for I know that I am not experienced and will be slow getting the work done. And, hope this keeps me out of trouble.


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## sota

ken: so what's the going rate by depth?


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## ken643

Depends of the driveway size, Smallest I do is a $55.00 base price good for 3-6. 6-12 double, 12-18 triple and so on.


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