Snow Plowing with a skid

[BPS]

This may sound like a dumb question, but how do you safely plow snow with a skid steer, either with a bucket or plow? It seems like the weight of the machine and the hydraulics could easily cause a plow or bucket to dig into the asphalt.
Is there a way to take hydraulic pressure off of the loader so the plow would float across asphalt by its own weight?
Snow removal is something I would be interested in doing in the winter, I was concerned about the liability...thanks.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

I prefer a plow for the trip edge in case you hit something.
I only plow on dirt and find it easy to nick up the lawn or drive until it freezes. I generally leave the skid shoes on until I build a layer of hard pack snow up then usually anything short of a tooth bucket won't scrape through the frozen snow.
A skid does not have much weight on the front by design so I generally don't use the float on the boom, but you could.
Also my current plow only had a 3/8 thick cutting edge and I did find it easier to penetrate my hard pack snow layer lastwinter then the year b4 when my blade had a 1/2" edge. So I think I'll add a 2nd 3/8 edge to the first one and see how that goes.
I sold a plastic cutting edge to one customer last winter with a blower and he was quite happy with the way it was non marking and said it seemed to be holding up well.
Ken

 

[BPS]

I prefer a plow for the trip edge in case you hit something.
I only plow on dirt and find it easy to nick up the lawn or drive until it freezes. I generally leave the skid shoes on until I build a layer of hard pack snow up then usually anything short of a tooth bucket won't scrape through the frozen snow.
A skid does not have much weight on the front by design so I generally don't use the float on the boom, but you could.
Also my current plow only had a 3/8 thick cutting edge and I did find it easier to penetrate my hard pack snow layer lastwinter then the year b4 when my blade had a 1/2" edge. So I think I'll add a 2nd 3/8 edge to the first one and see how that goes.
I sold a plastic cutting edge to one customer last winter with a blower and he was quite happy with the way it was non marking and said it seemed to be holding up well.
Ken

So, there is a way to take hydraulic pressure off the boom so it "floats" on its own weight?

 

[Tazza]

So, there is a way to take hydraulic pressure off the boom so it "floats" on its own weight?

On most bobcat machines the left pedal has a detent setting that makes the arms float. Push your toe all the way forward, it should click and stay there. The arms will go up and down with the lumps and bumps of the terrain. To pop it out use your heel and it will go back to center.

 

[BPS]

On most bobcat machines the left pedal has a detent setting that makes the arms float. Push your toe all the way forward, it should click and stay there. The arms will go up and down with the lumps and bumps of the terrain. To pop it out use your heel and it will go back to center.

I'm not sure I knew that...maybe that's why my stump grinder has been a little "jumpy" before. I noticed that here and there, the hydraulics weren't holding the grinder down and the arms were raising...thanks.

 

[siduramaxde]

I'm not sure I knew that...maybe that's why my stump grinder has been a little "jumpy" before. I noticed that here and there, the hydraulics weren't holding the grinder down and the arms were raising...thanks.

I plow 32 acres of parking lots every time it snows. I use an Arctic sectional plow and they are by far the best plow out there. Check there website out.

 

[clr1001]

I plow 32 acres of parking lots every time it snows. I use an Arctic sectional plow and they are by far the best plow out there. Check there website out.

I agree that the Arctic sectional plow is by far the coolest snow plow I've ever seen. It was so cool that I stopped this past winter in a Lowe's parking lot and took pictures of the one they had hooked to this huge 4wheel drive tractor. I will create a photo gallery titled "Arctic Snowplow" so you all can see what he's talking about. I push snow for hire (have been for 11 years now) with 2 Yamaha Grizzly 600 4wheelers. I park one in each of 2 towns in a garage, and then when I have to go push, I just pull them out and go. I have been using a modified power-V from Cycle Country. I have done a lot of reinforcing and remodeling on my plow because they really take a beating and I want something better. I have been looking for something like this Arctic section plow to use on my 4wheelers, and I really think they are slick. There's a very good chance this is what I will use this season on both of the 4wheelers.

 

[clr1001]

I agree that the Arctic sectional plow is by far the coolest snow plow I've ever seen. It was so cool that I stopped this past winter in a Lowe's parking lot and took pictures of the one they had hooked to this huge 4wheel drive tractor. I will create a photo gallery titled "Arctic Snowplow" so you all can see what he's talking about. I push snow for hire (have been for 11 years now) with 2 Yamaha Grizzly 600 4wheelers. I park one in each of 2 towns in a garage, and then when I have to go push, I just pull them out and go. I have been using a modified power-V from Cycle Country. I have done a lot of reinforcing and remodeling on my plow because they really take a beating and I want something better. I have been looking for something like this Arctic section plow to use on my 4wheelers, and I really think they are slick. There's a very good chance this is what I will use this season on both of the 4wheelers.

Here's the link to their brochure: http://www.arcticsnowandice.com/lo_speed/arctic_sno_plow.pdf I don't know what the cost is for one of these, but it's the best thing I've seen on the market so far.

 

[siduramaxde]

Here's the link to their brochure: http://www.arcticsnowandice.com/lo_speed/arctic_sno_plow.pdf I don't know what the cost is for one of these, but it's the best thing I've seen on the market so far.

If you are really into plowing with your skid and you don't want damage and want to get the job done in the shortest time get an arctic sectional plow. It is amazing how good they work and I'm in no way afiliated with them. I use the 10' plow on my T200 and this is the first year I had the Arctic plow. I had a Daniels box plow B4 and the Arctic gives better results faster and less damage.
I wouldn't use anything bigger than 10' on a skid. My T200 has it's hands full with the 10' plow.
Here is a pic of my rig with the Daniels plow. Notice how the front idlers are in the air, this doesn't happen with the Arctic. http://www.skidsteerforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=52&gallerypage=1&currentitem=0&path=siduramaxde