Choosing a Snow Removal Service-Independents vs Landscaping Companies

Posted on November 25, 2011 by admin

When looking for a snow removal professional, a homeowner or small business will come across a number of independent snow plow operators. Many of these services are an owner-operator with a truck or two, and can offer good snow removal prices and do a good job. The drawback to these smaller services can be that the smaller companies can get over extended during the season, taking on more work then they can handle attempting to maximize their snow removal equipment investment. If you use a small company, make sure that they can guarantee performance.

In addition to single operator snow removal service providers, many landscaping and lawn maintenance companies provide snow removal as well. Finding a lawn service company to perform snow clearing is easy, and if you already have a lawn service company, they may offer incentives to continue getting your business throughout the winter months. You will find that these landscaping companies also own dedicates snow and ice removal equipment, and the ones that provide commercial snow removal service (in addition to residential snow plowing) have enough equipment and staff to handle all of their accounts during a large snow accumulation event. The drawback here may be that a lawn service company may not be interested in your business – perhaps they only carry enough staff to cover their existing lawn customers, or that your property is too far out of their range.

For more help in choosing a snow removal company, here is a list of 20 questions to help choose a snow removal company.

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ATV Snow Plows – Great Snow Removal Equipment

Posted on November 23, 2011 by admin

If you have ever driven an ATV, you know how fun it can be. Mounting a snow plow on an ATV makes a fun machine into a competent snow removal machine! An all terrain vehicle equipped with a plow is great for clearing snow and ice from pathways, walkways and small driveways, and can be even better then a truck plow in space restricted situation. The best snow plow for an ATV can vary, as many are designed for a specific manufacturer or model of plow, but typically the ATVs with more horsepower are the ones best suited to the job.

The snow plow techniques used with an ATV are not too far off what you would do with a truck- don’t plow more then you can safely handle at once, and don’t go too fast. Adding equipment to the ATV is highly recommended- strobe lights are important for visibility and tire chains may be needed to add traction in icy situations. Smaller ATVs benefit from adding weight as a counterbalance and traction assist. Other available options for your ATV snow plow include rear mounted salt spreaders, gravel shoes, blade markers, blade wings and additional headlights for night plowing.

Making sure the plow you choose is compatible with your ATV is important, as getting the wrong setup for your ATV is sure to be a frustrating experience. The mounting frame for attaching the plow itself bolts on the ATV frame, which then in turn connects to the snow plow. This frame must be compatible with your ATV. The weight of the plow can be an important consideration as well. Additionally, many ATV snow plow setups use a winch for raising and lowering the blade, so if this is a function that is required, make sure you have or are purchasing a winch with the plow system.

In addition to clearing your snow accumulation, a good ATV snow plow will make the process more fun and extend the usefulness of your investment to more then a toy.

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Prevent Ice Dams From Forming And Save Your House From Damage.

Posted on November 20, 2011 by admin

Preventing ice dams from forming is an important step in protecting your house from snow and ice damage. By having a solid snow removal plan in place before the winter, the accumulation can be managed before ice dams have to be removed professionally. By planning ahead, you can get on top of the snow and ice removal job before it gets to the point of disaster.

Start by checking out the property. A sloped roof helps, because a roof rake can be used to remove the snow from the roof before it gets too built up. Make sure the roof rake you get is long enough to reach onto the roof from the ground, without using a ladder if possible. The other part of the plan is what to do with the snow once its on the ground. try and spy out any areas where the snow can be piled up, preferably within a short distance, but keep in mind that more snow and ice may accumulate before the first batch has a chance to melt away.

 

You may also want to look into ice melt tablets for those hard to reach areas. These hockey puck chunks of calcium chloride can be tossed onto the roof from the ground, and they can provide longer term ice melting benefits. Another option is to fill a nylon stocking full of ice melt and lay it across the gutter, which should eventually make a path for the melting snow and ice to escape the wall the ice dam has formed. Having these items on hand is an important part of your snow removal plan.

 

A good ice chopper is good to have on hand, although its application in the removal of ice dams may be limited by the homewonwer’s ability to get close enough to the ice dam to use it without compromising safety. Sometimes brute force is required, however, and a good ice chopper will work far more effectively then using the edge of a shovel.

 

Prevention of ice dams is better then having to deal with built up ice dams – once the ice dam requires removal by a professional, you will be competing with other homeowners in the same situation – calling in an expensive pro to handle the task. Of course once it gets to that point, the snow removal professionals will have to begin the long process of manually chipping the ice out, which is not only time consuming but also can be expensive and dangerous.

 

 

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John Deere 522E Snow Thrower

Posted on November 20, 2011 by admin

John Deere 522E single stage snow blower

The John Deere 522E is a small single stage snowthrower that packs a powerful punch. A small, lightweight machine that's designed for areas with smaller snow accumulation totals, the 522E still carries a 4 cycle Briggs And Stratton engine. The 22 inch clearing width provides a good bite radius to make short work of clearing driveways and sidewalks. John Deere has include both a recoil and electric starters on this model, and the chute can be rotated 190 degrees to aid in aiming the snow where the operator wants it to go. Looking sharp in the traditional green and yellow paint scheme, The John Deere 522E carries a two year warranty for consumers, making a reliable choice from a great brand.

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Snow Blower Accessories Roundup – Arnold Products

Posted on November 19, 2011 by admin

arnold snow blower accessoriesArnold Products (MTD) manufactures a range of snow blower and snow thrower accessories, upgrades and replacement parts. In this post are a sample of the product offerings Arnold makes to keep your snow removal equipment up and running when you need it the most. These items make great gifts for dear ol’ Dad, who is most likely currently out in the cold, clearing out your parking space for you.

First up is the Arnold snow blower chute clearing tool. By now you should know not to stick your hand in the snowblower, as no one likes to be called Lefty, Stubby or Darwin. A tool like this is designed to clear snow and ice jams from the machine, and this product is designed to clear the snowpack quickly, unlike your son’s hockey stick. This chute clearing tool weights around 1 lb, and is Arnold model OEM-731-2643.

 

Next is the Arnold Universal Snow Cab, designed to fit on most models of snow throwers and to keep the operator dry and comfortable. A simple shell like this allows the operator to continue to work in the wind and snow, but still provide visibility in tough weather. Weighing in at a trim 10 pounds, the snowblower cab is made from polyethylene and includes the hardware for mounting and gets great reviews from customers who have tried it. Tests have shown that having a shell like this one offers more protection then not having a shell like this. Look for Arnold part number OEM-390-675

 

Remember last summer? That’s the last time anyone in the house saw the keys to the snow blower. You swear that you left them in the drawer, but more likely they were in the pocket of the coat that got donated to Goodwill at the end of last winter. Now there is 6 inches of wet and heavy snow on the driveway and it looks like the expensive snowblower is just a place to set your hot chocolate when you are out shoveling (and cursing charity organizations) But wait, Arnold makes a set of replacement keys to fit most models of snowblowers! Cheap, and the replacement snowblower key set fits most Tecumseh, Briggs, Craftsman, and MTD branded engines – buy this now, and save the traditional Christmas Family Argument for more important subjects, like “Who Burned The Christmas Ham” or “Why Can’t I Have Another Drink”. Arnold Universal Snow Thrower Electric Start Key Set, part number 490-241-0008

 

The last item in the Arnold Snowblower Accessory Roundup is the 7-1/2′ Folding Aluminum Arched Ramps. Lets face it, having a good snow blower is great, but sometimes you need to stick it in the back of a pickup truck. These machines are heavy, and your college football days are long gone by. You could try and place it on a series of progressively higher objects until its in the truck, but don’t forget you need to get it out of the truck at your mother in law’s house. The Arnold folding aluminum arched ramps are just the ticket – roll it up, and then throw the ramps in the truck. Buying the ramps is also more cost efficient then buying a second snowblower to leave at your wife’s family’s house as well- there is little to no chance that your lazy brother in law will pawn them for drug money. The full set of ramps weighs only 42 pounds and is Arnold model number 490-150-0015.

 

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