There is always more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, and how to remove snow from a gravel drive is no exception. Depending on the snow conditions you’re dealing with, the condition of your driveway, and the equipment you have, one solution or another will work best for you. But generally speaking, here are some tips that might help.
If you can, use a snowblower. There’s nothing like a tractor-powered snowblower (US CA) for turning a big job into a big job done. To remove snow from a gravel drive, use the skid shoes so you leave about 1 inch of snow behind. That way you’ll avoid picking up gravel that will run through your implement and be thrown into the grassy areas along your drive.
In this video we’ve matched a Frontier SB1174 3-Point Snowblower (US CA) with a John Deere 4052M (US CA) Compact Utility Tractor.
If the wind is blowing, start on the most upwind section of the driveway and set the chute deflector to discharge snow downwind.
If you’re confronted with snow that is very deep, raise the snowblower and remove a top layer of snow. Then lower the snowblower and make a second pass to remove the remaining snow.
When you’re done, make sure you clean out the auger/impeller of your snowblower before putting it away. Snow left in those areas of the machine can freeze solid, prevent the snowblower from operating properly at next start up, causing damage to the machine’s internal parts.
Read your operator’s manual thoroughly before operating your snowblower. Reviewing it as you get ready to start a new season is also a good idea.
No snowblower?
Hopefully you spent some time in late fall getting your gravel driveway ready for winter. Now the snow has fallen and it’s time to dig out. The good news is you can also use a rear blade (US CA) to remove snow from a gravel drive.
Set your rear blade at an angle with the end nearest the center of your drive well forward of the outside edge in order to pull snow away from the center and off the edge of your drive. If your rear blade has skid shoes, set them to keep the blade just above ground level.
If the snow is deeper than 10 inches, set the 3-point hitch high enough so the rear blade will take the top layer of snow off first. Then drop the 3-point hitch and rear blade to ground level and take the bottom layer of snow off. one or two passes at each layer should do the trick.
And remember, always read the Operator’s Manual before operating any piece of equipment and follow all operating and safety instructions.
Helpful Links:
Frontier Snow Removal Equipment (US CA)
How to maintain a gravel drive.
How To Use A Tractor-Powered Snowblower
How To Remove Snow 3 Different Ways
How To Maintain A Gravel Drive Using A Box Blade With Hydraulic Scarifiers