Snow removal tips

The Right Clothes For Snow Removal

I put on thick, heavy watertight gloves and a hood covering my mouth and neck. I wear a heavy snow jacket and fleece-lined blue jeans. My shoes are lined boots, and I have heavy-weight wool socks on to keep me from frostbite. I do not want to get wet or cold when removing snow. If your head is not covered well, snow can blow into your shirt and neck, which is very uncomfortable. It is best to keep on waterproof gloves as clothes get wet in a hurry.

Shovels And Ice Scrapers

I like the long snow shovels that are 100 percent metal and that have a metal skid on the bottom of them, grain shovels, small metal shovels, and the shovels designed to save your back while you move your snow. Buying plastic shovels is a waste of time as they are generally broken within one year of use. I like the extra heavy-duty metal ice scrapers, which stand up over time without bending or breaking.

Snow Blowers

It is best to have two snow blowers. A small one is good for your house as it can quickly go up and down your deck without much trouble or strain on your body. A larger snow blower will dig into those large drifts, making cleaning those areas much more accessible. The older one gets, it is nice to have an electric start, so you do not have to keep pulling on a rope on a stubborn snow blower that does not start quickly. Put snow chains on your larger blower, snow drift bars, and large skids for easy maneuvering in all kinds of snow. Check your oil often. If you mix gas and oil, ensure you are mixing up the correct ratio, or your snow blower may smoke black smoke and not run right. If you scrambled your fuel wrong, drain it out and put fresh in. I run my snow blower out of gas before storing it for the next season. I put sea foam in my gas and have never had trouble with fuel in my snow blowers.

Large Equipment For Moving Snow

A large ATV with 4-wheel drive with an enclosed cab works very well with a heavy metal blade attached to the front of it. I like the hydraulic cutters that let you move the snow to the right, left, or straight ahead. A pickup with four-wheel drive and a hydraulic blade will push most snow out of the way without much trouble. An old tractor with a large bucket and snow chains will move your snow out of the way. A tractor with a giant snow blower on the back will blow most any drift away. A small tractor with a bucket with four-wheel drive is very effective in removing solid-blown mounds that cannot be moved with a pickup blade. I hope your snow removal goes smoothly.