I really am struggling with my best option for clearing my driveway of snow this winter. I just moved to my hunting land in northern Wisconsin, and now that I live there, I will need to get something to clear the driveway. I use to just call someone a few days before I was coming up, and he would have it clean by the time I got here. But now that I live here, I can’t just wait a day or two to get the driveway cleaned. I have about 100 yards to clean, along with a parking area about 20x50.
My options, first would be a 1 ton truck with a snow plow, this would be a decent option, because I need a 1 ton truck anyhow, my half ton truck isn’t made to do most of the things I use it for. So this would fix 2 needs. Figured something in the $20k range with a plow.
Second option, a compact tractor, I have never moved snow with a compact tractor, and don’t know it’s limitations, will it be able to move a foot of snow, a 3 foot drift, will a snow blower attachment be able to have enough power to blow the snow far enough for my needs? A compact tractor and loader would be very useful around here. I could use the loader more then anything to level, and haul dirt around. I could use it for firewood, and moving stumps around. Plus for food plotting, it would make my chores much easier. I am past the 50 mark in age, and those fun food plot chores, are taking longer, and recovering time after is taking longer. I am leaning towards a compact tractor, but don’t know what it’s capabilities are for cleaning snow, which would be its selling point to my wife. I know very little about them, what size, color, year, and attachments I should get, or need to get.
A full size tractor and loader to clean and push snow, I grew up using a a 60hp tractor and loader clearing snow from my grandparents farm. It worked, but it was slow, not easy to maneuver in smaller areas. A full size tractor wouldn’t be very useful in my food plots, I have 4 food plots in the .5-.75 acre range, not really much room for a full size tractor, and really no real need for one either.
A skid loader is my last option, I could use the skid loader for snow, I have used one to clean snow for many years, and a skid loader is really universal, and I could use it for leveling off stuff, digging a pond, trails, firewood, and many other things. But they aren’t much use in a food plot, and I would need a 1 ton truck to haul it. So I would need to convince the wife I need a skid loader and a truck. While if I had a skid loader, I could do some jobs with it for hire, and have it pay for itself, but I am already busier then what I want to be, and don’t need another job that would take up more of my free time.
If anyone has a recommendation on these option, that has used them for snow removal, or has another option that would work, please share.