I'm looking at buying a 3/4 acre property where I think a riding mower is gonna be a necessity. It's also in an area that gets some significant, though sporadic, snow dumps, and it's got an 80'x25'ish driveway, plus it's on a cul de sac that probably isn't plowed by the city. Most people seem to have walk-behind snow blowers and in fact there was one in the garage when I viewed the house yesterday, but I'm thinking that maybe it makes sense to get something that can go on the mower instead. I'd probably be getting a pretty small mower, something like a Cub Cadet X1 or Deere 100 series, and I see that blowers and blades exist for them but I'm not sure how well they do with them. For what it's worth the area I'd be plowing/blowing is relatively flat, paved, and the snow I'd have to clear would be more toward the powder end of things. Any advice? Should I just get a walk-behind, or if a mower thing how about blade vs blower?
>>2888243Also here's a pic of the actual property and driveway in case it helps. Don't want to post what might become my actual house so I blurred that out. Normally the irregular shape and trees would make me think about getting a zero turn but the hills and undulating terrain seem more suited for a tractor, from what research I've done, and I'm not sure a zero turn would fit through the gates to the inner yard - I assume a regular tractor must though since it looks like the current owners have been using one. A tractor is more suited to dual use as a snow removal machine anyway.
I personally would go with a quad mounted plow. It is extremely fast at removing snow, and won't have to change the shear pins every other use. With it being flat, you could have the whole thing done in a couple laps. Not only that you then also have a quad which obviously is an incredibly useful piece of machinery. A mower mounted one is a meme for deep snow conditions in my opinion, unless you have a heavy heavy beast of a riding mower and don't mind it getting covered in water and salt all the time.If snow is too deep for a quad then a blower will be fine, will just take a whole whole lot longer and may not get down to pavement. I have used 3 Cub Cadet blowers at different companies and they all have had issues with storage. Getting them to start after a summer is a nightmare, even with electric start in warm conditions. I would suggest any other brand. Just my personal experience.
>>2888247I'd love a quad but it's not something I can really justify, property's nowhere near big enough for it to have any other use there and my recreational off road interests are more toward 4x4s and bikes. Fwiw salt isn't really a concern unless I put it down myself btw, I'm in Oregon and they don't really use it here, some magnesium chloride in strategic locations but they mostly just spread crushed rock on the roads for traction, and also don't plow all the way down to the asphalt in most areas, instead leaving a bit of packed snow for winter tires or chains to bite into. I'd probably do something similar, just need to remove the deep fluffy stuff but I can leave some hard pack at the bottom, don't need to scrape all the way to concrete. (And given that the driveway is cast into those hexagon things instead of smooth I probably shouldn't try anyway.)
>>288824380' x 25' driveway? Just get any old 2-stage snowblower -- if you want, get a wider one (30"). The main problem is going to be the Wall of Winter that the plow leaves at the end of the driveway (if they don't plow your cul-de-sac, contact them), which tends to be heavier and icier and single stage throwers aren't as good for that.When I was looking at getting a replacement for my thrower, I did look at the tractor-mounted units. Price-wise you're not really getting that much more for your dollar. I think the CC model (42") comes in around $2500 and you can get a 30" Ariens 2-stage for about $600 less. Since a 2-stage will clear about as fast as you walk, at worst, each pass will only take you a couple minutes, and you only have to do about 10 or 12 passes, depending on the model you get, so half an hour is all it will take you to blow the entire drive. If it was a longer, wider driveway, then you might want to consider it.
>>2888245Why is everyone on this board either assblasted poor or rich?
>>2888426Remember fren there's always the option of living in a place with a low cost of living and doing all the work yourself
>>2888245That looks like more than 3/4 acres
>>2888243I do two acres with with a regular push mower. It takes me about half a day once a month or so
>>2888275Yeah that's probably what I'll end up with, and what the current owners seem to have. I mostly just think one I drive around instead of pushing would be fun but it's probably not worth it. >>2888426Honestly it's actually my parents looking at the place, I'm just living there with them for a few years while I go back to school and handling most of the logistics for them. I'm personally pretty broke. It's also a semi-affordable area, definitely not what you'd call a low cost of living area but also nowhere close to California or anything. (This house is listed at 700k, something comparable in SoCal would probably be 2+ mil.)>>28884350.73 acres according to Zillow. It's kind of a funny irregularly shaped property.
Most snowblowers are gonna get fuuucked on those pavers. The wear edge on the bottom of the machine will catch on the lips of any pavers that have settled unevenly.At work the facilities crew has big spinning poly brushes (think like old car washes) mounted to their gators for use on the walkways that are irregularly surfaced. Maybe you can get an attachment like that instead?
>>2888426it's /diy/either you're poor and helplessor you're poor but know how to do shit yourself
>>2888243>3/4 acre>riding mower is gonna be a necessityNo, you're just fat, lazy and weak. I entirely disapprove of your way of thinking, and I doubt your integrity as a man.
>>2888426>Why did the middle class get killed offLong story, kid
I have 2 acres and mow with the cheapest wal mart gas mower
>>2888711It's more about my elderly parents, they'll both be past 80 when I finish school (helicopter pilot training) and move somewhere else and pushing a mower around isn't gonna be in the cards for them.Also I'll fully admit that it just seemed like fun to have a thing I can drive around, especially if I can also plow/blow snow with it.
>>2888752In this case, yeah, a push-mower is out. Actually, so is a snow-blower. Seems to be a pretty flat, simple driveway, but blowers in a big snow are a bastard to use. It might be time to step up to a larger, 20+ HP garden tractor, with a 2-stage blower attachment and wheelweights. Wheelhorse used to have a very slick EZ-Attach system, for additional stuff, but that was years ago - no recommendations for current good products.
>>2888752Hire someone
