snow removal

[John O]

Does anyone have have ideas and/or experience in using animal power to move snow? I built a v-plow some years ago, which works great with oxen to break a path but doesn’t work so well to clear the driveway. Anyone moving large amounts of snow with oxen or horses?

John O’Meara
New Sweden, ME

[goodcompanion]

I have a friend who designed and had fabricated an amazing plowing forecart. It has the blade in front of the horses, mounted on a pole, with cable controls that can adjust the blade direction. He plowed roads and lots with it, all weights and depths. You need good shoes, of course.

I can ask him if maybe he would share specs on this forum at some point or allow me to do so on his behalf.

I have seen this thing with my own eyes and it is draft innovation at its best.

[Carl Byerly]

Pioneer makes a blade that goes on the back of their forecarts, and people who own them tell me that they work quite well.

[Gabe Ayers]

Since I have been interested in animal powered equipment for a long time, I have been lucky to find a few pieces of old equipment that is still very serviceable. A good example is a Galleon Pony road grader that I saw sitting in the edge of a field for a long time and finally stopped and looked at it, found the nearest neighbor and eventually bought it for $300. It was a bargain. This thing will move snow. It is a really fun tool to operate if you are one of those folks that like to see your work in an immediate result way, you know – sweet instant gratification. I really think the horses love it too.

Sometimes in the winter when there is no chance to log or move wood to the mill, because of deep snow and deeper drifting – we run the road grader all over the community. Our place is on a gravel back road that is always last to be plowed by the state trucks. Once we get the farm opened up we hit the road and work all day opening our neighborhood up. There are always some neighbors that don’t have a tractor and with this grader it is a matter of a trip in and a trip out and the driveway is cleared. Neighbors are very grateful and often pay us for the effort. When we think they can afford to pay, we accept the money or whatever they offer. For many it is a lot better than a snow shovel.

It is just a fun device to operate. One person drives the team and the other operates the blade depth and angle. The weight of the human operators actually contributes to the grader staying on track and moving snow.

So if you can find an old road grader and it isn’t completely worn out, it will move snow and is fun to operate.

Before this machine was found we used a v-shaped wooden device that was fun also. It just didn’t do as good a job on heavy snow or crusty snow.
They did work and the kids love riding on it. The key is to keep the tip of the
v from digging in and flipping the whole thing forward.

I would love to have one of the push blades described in the earlier post. I have seen photos of one used to scrap a cow lot once, it looked pretty cool.

I have also seen photos of large plow devices used by folks in India to turn huge piles of compost with oxen.

It seems like there is plenty of snow in the northeast and many places out west. We have only had a few dusting’s in the Appalachians so far….but there is allot winter left.

Jason Rutledge

[John O]

Thanks for the replies– This gives me some ideas for next year. We’ve had over 60 inches so far here.

John O’Meara
New Sweden, ME

[Rod]

Hi John

I found this link descripbing a Pioneer snow blade and how it works. If you go the the pioneer site you can see a picture of the blade, maybe something you could make yourself from an old snow plow blade or 3ph scraper blade. Sounds like it worked pretty good for the snow they had.
http://www.ruralheritage.com/messageboard/frontporch/9947.htm

[Drummond Fraser]

Jason,

I would be very interested in seeing the Galleon Pony road grader, if you were able to send a photo. I’d also be interested if you had any idea where I might find one.

Goodcompanion,

Likewise with the plowing forecart designed by your friend.

Many thanks to both of you in advance. Great thread.

Drummond
fraser.d@live.com

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