Snow removal with a bucket on gravel

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pnw_steer

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Joined
Jul 11, 2021
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10
I'm new to this so apologies if this is obvious. I bought an old used S740 for snow removal. My driveway is gravel, definitely not perfectly graded, and steep (23% grade). I have a standard bucket. I tried briefly last year and immediately dug up my driveway. So my question is how to remove snow from my driveway without having the bucket catch (and dig through) any imperfections AND without leaving too much snow (that I will drive on and compact to ice). My guess is I tilt the bucket up just a little bit and just accept that I'll leaves an inch or two? Or do I use float? Tips appreciated!
 

reaperman

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Joined
Dec 18, 2011
Messages
598
Around here, once the ground freezes its much easier to plow a gravel driveway. But it always seems the first snow comes before the ground freezes. That can raise hell with plowing as the bucket always finds its way into the ground. If your driveway is that steep, leaving any snow will certainly make ice. I snow blower attachment may be the best in your situation. They dont come cheap, but they work great.
 

KarlB

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Dec 5, 2011
Messages
62
I'd try removing the snow with the bucket raised a bit and then go backwards in float to try to scrape off some more. You'll never really get all the snow off gravel, and on a steep drive you'll have to accept using salt/sand. Even a snowblower has to leave some (though less, but you generally need the skid shoes about 1" up); if the driveway is not perfectly smooth then you'll have to leave more snow or you'll be removing gravel.
 

Hotrod1830

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Sep 14, 2010
Messages
513
I'd try removing the snow with the bucket raised a bit and then go backwards in float to try to scrape off some more. You'll never really get all the snow off gravel, and on a steep drive you'll have to accept using salt/sand. Even a snowblower has to leave some (though less, but you generally need the skid shoes about 1" up); if the driveway is not perfectly smooth then you'll have to leave more snow or you'll be removing gravel.
Take a look at installing "snow shoes" on your bucket. if you have ever looked at a snow plow blade, you will notice they have "shoes" installed that allow it to float and not dig in to the gravel. You can do it without them. but you will need more practice. It is all about keeping the bucket level and not digging in. If you still cant do it without digging up gravel, maybe your driveway needed grading anyway?
I used to clear my drive with a skid steer. always wound up with piles of gravel in my yard in the springs. Got a snow blower for the john deere X595, and I will never push snow again. Just sayin.....
 

dynarider

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Joined
Sep 16, 2019
Messages
13
I got a small mustang 332 that I cut down an old meyer blade, and for my gravel lot I cut a length of 2" steel pipe then cut out a slice the width of the cutter bar and now I move snow off gravel with out digging in even with tilt forward pressure on the blade, went across some grass area and didnt rip up grass, works slick.. putting one on bucket edge should have same results, give it a try
 

Phil314

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Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Messages
102
lol, I just did this last weekend. Google 'snow plow gravel guard' for ideas.

Here's mine. Cut a 1/2 inch slot down the middle of a 1.5 inch black pipe.
Then welded it over the bottom of the cutting edge. (my cutting edge was fubar anyway).
You can make them removable too with some tabs and bolts.

Worked better than I could imagine. Clears the snow, but floats over the gravel.
Also requires less effort to push snow since it doesn't dig in. Win-win.


20230109_171334.jpg20230109_174514.jpg
 

Atilathehun99

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Joined
Dec 17, 2011
Messages
111
Around here, once the ground freezes its much easier to plow a gravel driveway. But it always seems the first snow comes before the ground freezes. That can raise hell with plowing as the bucket always finds its way into the ground. If your driveway is that steep, leaving any snow will certainly make ice. I snow blower attachment may be the best in your situation. They dont come cheap, but they work great.
23% grade? So your driveway rises 23-feet per 100-feet? You must live on a ski slope
 

mrbb

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
494
not much help on tips to plow gravel, as my experience is, unless its frozen to the ground, your always going to be pushing a lot of it with the snow, as the snow likes to roll and snowball effect happens and it picks up gravel as you travel pushing snow, and from my experience,. trying to lift a blade an inch or two, only ends up with thick hard pack snow that turns to ice and takes a LOT longer to melt then, making hills slick,
god news is grave, doesn;t get damaged by rock salt, HAHA< as that hard pack snow turns to ice, lots of rock salt on hand can at least speed the melting process down, or been my best way of solving it!

NOW< what I will add as a tip here is,
I would suggest maybe if in off season looking around and trying to find some good double ground road millings, and get rid of the gravel al;l together, they work much better at driveway making than gravel does IMO
it seems to pack tighter and stay in place better and longer than gravel, and if your super lucky, many times it can be found cheap or even free, pending what road work near you is doing with them, , BUT sadly some places there illegal to be used, so, check regs first! But I gave up on gravel driveways here due to too much work in spring time, from plowing them!

Millings are not perfect by any means, but a lot less work come spring time in my experience on clean up! Call it food for thought!
 

LazyKG

Active member
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
34
Well, after destroying my gravel driveway for about four years, I broke down and bought a 6 foot snow pusher, a very popular attachment here in southeast Minnesota. It does take down the rise in the middle of the driveway but that's it. it will leave some snow behind, but I go back over with the bucket once I can tell where the gravel and snow meet without making too much of a mess. Granted, I have over 500' of driveway to plow but that takes way too long with any bucket my old 732 can handle. I got the thing a couple years ago for $650 at a local auction house that frequently sells this stuff; since then, I've seen them go for a couple hundred less (but not mid-winter).
 

cdmccul

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Joined
Jun 18, 2013
Messages
504
I saw the pictures that got added. It wasn't what I was thinking, I thought it was more like snow blower skids.

I may have to set something up like this though.
 

ggeh19

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2022
Messages
7
Well, after destroying my gravel driveway for about four years, I broke down and bought a 6 foot snow pusher, a very popular attachment here in southeast Minnesota. It does take down the rise in the middle of the driveway but that's it. it will leave some snow behind, but I go back over with the bucket once I can tell where the gravel and snow meet without making too much of a mess. Granted, I have over 500' of driveway to plow but that takes way too long with any bucket my old 732 can handle. I got the thing a couple years ago for $650 at a local auction house that frequently sells this stuff; since then, I've seen them go for a couple hundred less (but not mid-winter).
I
I'm new to this so apologies if this is obvious. I bought an old used S740 for snow removal. My driveway is gravel, definitely not perfectly graded, and steep (23% grade). I have a standard bucket. I tried briefly last year and immediately dug up my driveway. So my question is how to remove snow from my driveway without having the bucket catch (and dig through) any imperfections AND without leaving too much snow (that I will drive on and compact to ice). My guess is I tilt the bucket up just a little bit and just accept that I'll leaves an inch or two? Or do I use float? Tips appreciated!
I also have a gravel driveway. What works fo me is i keep the bucket parallel to grade and in the float position. I never take it out of float and put down pressure on the bucket. When it freezes down i still use float but angle the cutting edge down a little.
 

dynarider

Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2019
Messages
13
yes i can get some this weekend or like stated plenty on you tube that use pvc, i think steel will last longer, I used mine on concrete with good results
This is what I came up with and when I use it I pull 2 outer blade bolts and put them back in to hold pipe on works ok on concrete, but won't Peel off packed snow with pipe on. Looking into coming up a quick pin or a slotted latch to make it toolless removal
 

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