Just In Time

1815 Views 20 Replies 18 Participants Last post by nomlasder, Feb 13, 2017

IveofIone

Discussion Starter · Feb 10, 2017

With the snow depth now near 4' here keeping my road open has become a real issue. When we left for Spokane on Wed morning the running boards on my truck were cutting grooves in the snow berms. By the time we returned home it was snowing again and dropped another 6"+ on us overnight. By morning we were unable to even get out of our own driveway. I worked for several hours on Thurs to at least get a track down to the county road and finally broke through in late afternoon. But my 30 hp 4wd tractor was simply overmatched. For 16 years it has been more than adequate but this year it is in over it's head.

Today my neighbor came to the rescue with a tractor that is 800# heavier, has 5 more hp, bigger tires and a 7' blade instead of my two 5' blades. Doing tag team plowing we were able to increase the width of the road by two feet in just over an hour and a half so even UPS can reach me now.

I just need a bigger tractor if this happens again. So it begs the question-should I spend 30K+ on a new and more powerful tractor or 20K+ on a little travel trailer and just get the hell out of Dodge for 3 months next winter? I have a hunch that long term I will get a bigger bang for the buck out of a travel trailer. Not sure I could survive another winter like this.

Reactions: 5

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

Randy Lindahl

· #2 · Feb 10, 2017

HaHa!!!...a travel trailer to somewhere warm sounds like a great option. We have two places in the Ellensburg area that I have put many hours plowing the driveways with a Polaris Ranger with a blade up front . My problem is I didn't make my first few plows wide enough so I'm running into the same problem. Lots of snow this year that's for sure! Travel Trailer gets my vote!

freestoneangler

· #3 · Feb 10, 2017

IveofIone said:
...and just get the hell out of Dodge for 3 months next winter?

Millions of Americans and Canadians have done the snowbird thing for decades... can't all be wrong.

Banff Visitor

· #4 · Feb 11, 2017

As the years progress, where do you want to spend your time? Do you want more time in the tractor seat moving the white stuff around, or in the trailer parked in a warmer climate with different scenery and more activity options?

Reactions: 1

Buzzy

· #5 · Feb 11, 2017

Travel trailer. And I think after this winter we're going to get a bit more serious about warmer winters.

If my memory serves, we haven't had anything like this since '93. May not have it again for 20+ years or it could be a real doozy next year (oh - winter isn't over yet? Shut up Buzzy)

Reactions: 3

JayB

· #6 · Feb 11, 2017

I take it no one in the area will come in with a rig that can do the job for ~$100-200 a pop?

Manwell Lotion

· #7 · Feb 11, 2017 (Edited)

Yep snow will do that.

lee c

· #8 · Feb 11, 2017

It hit 40 degrees today.............I ain't sure how to act.

Reactions: 1

Old Man

· #9 · Feb 11, 2017

I got some snow last night. It was almost all gone off the ground. I even saw my grass yesterday. It is still green. One would think that since it hasn't seen the sun in three months it would be brown.

gone johnson

· #10 · Feb 11, 2017

Buy a used tractor and a used travel trailer, then you get both and are ready for anything.

Freestone

· #11 · Feb 11, 2017

Ive, like you say "you can buy a lot of gas" with the difference between a fully paid for vehicle vs a new higher mileage rig, well you could buy a lot of plowing service and/or a trailer for the price of a new tractor. I'd buy the trailer and keep the tractor. If you have more snow than you feel like plowing while you are there or when you get home, simply hire the plowing out.

Reactions: 3

zen leecher aka bill w

· #12 · Feb 11, 2017

You could always winter over in the big town of Moses Lake.

Robert Engleheart

· #13 · Feb 11, 2017

Ive, my SIL is the largest Kubota dealer in US, might get you a good price if you decide to go with a tractor (or Case IH).

Reactions: 2

IveofIone

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 11, 2017

In normal years we would call our local contractor with the big equipment. He would be up in a few hours to open the road and send me a bill. Then I would stop by and drop off a check the next time I was in town-painless. But this fall all of his customers got a letter saying that the service would not be offered this year because he has a major contract that will require his time and equipment for the winter. You can't blame a guy for landing a sure thing during the winter. Last year there was nothing to plow as the snow amounts were a little over 13'' whereas this year our total so far is over 72''

So in a couple of ways it is anything but a normal year and if the contractor wasn't busy there wouldn't be an issue at all. Just bad timing. I'll no doubt keep the tractor I have, probably buy the new trailer and start prepping my place for sale. Some young couple in their 60's could have a lot of fun here.

Reactions: 2

Buzzy

· #15 · Feb 11, 2017

lee c said:
It hit 40 degrees today.............I ain't sure how to act.

Ive - it has been a long time since anyone called us (that would be my wife and I) a young couple. But that only is applicable for about two years........ ;-)

Reactions: 1

bakerite

· #16 · Feb 11, 2017

We have had more snow this winter at my place than any year since the 1960's when my neighbor started keeping daily records. There had been two years when the total snow was over 100 inches, the highest was a total of 116. This year was at 104 when I was last home two weeks ago, so I'm sure it's over 116" by now. We have a neighbor that does our driveway with his big farm tractor but it finally got to the point where we had to get another guy out with an industrial snow blower attachment. My other neighbor had his big shed come down on top of his 25' travel trailer and his car. Thank goodness it has been melting! I see form the Sno-Tel that we are only at 108% of normal so the difference this year is that the snow fell in the valley (3500') big time instead of up in the mountains where it belongs! Hopefully this will mean a great year for the reservoirs around here and maybe a holdover of water and fish.

Mark Walker

· #17 · Feb 13, 2017

The trailer, then stop by Arizona for some smoked prime rib next winter.

saffman

· #18 · Feb 13, 2017

Couple years ago I traded out the plow for a big blower on the Kubota as I got tired of running out of places to push the snow. Blower shoots it out about 70 feet and solves the berm issue. They aren't cheap but they are a whole lot less than a new tractor.

gone johnson

· #19 · Feb 13, 2017

Ive, perhaps you just need a shorter drive way!

Ricardo O.

· #20 · Feb 13, 2017

Ive, I lived with my grandparents as a kid. Grampa was an engineer and built a snowblower for his tractor, ran off the PTO. They must have them commercially available these days. He tamed Finger Lakes snow on 20 acres with it, sure one would work at your place.

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