Hello, I’m considering purchasing an ATV type vehicle for snow plowing in/around the paddocks and around the property in general. Looking for advice on which types (and models) would be a good choice. I had read that the side by side types are more effective because they are heavier. I also heard the some people like the smaller quad types because they are more maneuverable.
Thanks. Bob
How much snow are you going to move around?
Our first Gator came with a snow blade.
It would plow and when too heavy snow, fold over and quit plowing.
That thing was a dud, just not enough power, even in 4 wheel drive, to move most any over a few inches, too wimpy.
I don’t see how you could handle real snow plowing with one, if you are talking about serious snow and snowdrifts.
We let the blade go when we traded.
I think any kind of tractor would run a snow blower on the FEL bucket, or just use the bucket itself to move snow out of the way.
Now, if you move up to something like Bobcat’s Toolcat, that could do both, be a side by side and handle snow:
1 Like
Thank you for the information and response Bluey.
I plan on purchasing a snow blade for my tractor (Kioti) for the heavier snow falls. The ATV would be used for lighter snow events and cleanup of the bigger storms. We live in NH.
Oh, I bet you get more snow and for longer than we do.
We average 22" a year, a big snow year was 72".
Our problem is snow means a Blue Norther blizzard, big snowdrifts piling every place, not really a lot of snow itself.
When we get those, it takes bigger machinery to handle the drifts, not that much just plowing some inches off roads.
Our gator blade had little feet and a spring and when it hit too much to handle would just fold back and not do anything.
Maybe if you have plain snow on the flat, it would work to clear roads of just a bit of nice loose snow, not big piles of it?
Maybe your question would be better answered by those in your area or familiar with it?
We’ve got a Polaris Sportsman 570 that we use for the majority of our plowing. I’ve never plowed with a side by side so can’t compare the two.
We’re in MN and get a decent amount of snow - probably not quite as much as NH though. It’s super handy for the smaller snowfalls where getting the tractor going when it’s below zero is a PITA. I’ve also moved some decent snow with it. Knock on wood I haven’t tripped the blade springs yet and had the blade collapse so it can push a pretty decent pile. The limiting factor is that it can’t push/lift it very high.
What we usually do during a heavy snowfall is go out a couple of times on the ATV to keep the driveway clear, then when it’s over use the snowblower on the tractor for the big stuff/drifts. I’ll usually take the ATV and do some clean-up too in those situations since I’m a lot more anal about snow removal than my husband. :lol:
Get some chains for the back wheels - that will make all the difference.
The other consideration is what else might you use it for? We went for a 4-wheeler because my husband uses it for hunting and ice fishing where a side by side would be unwieldy, as well as the higher price tag of the side by side. It’s also more fun on the trails. However I’d love a side by side to make toting hay/water to the paddocks easier!
I plowed my 1/4 mile driveway for several years with a plow on the front of my Polaris Ranger UTV. No problem at all, and I’m in Wisconsin.
