Thinking about getting a 4 wheeler with a plow for snow removal. Anyone do this? How does it work? What size engine would I need? Price? Remember, I live in WI and we get a good deal of snow.
4-wheeler’s do not remove snow… They can only move it. My BIL uses a 500 cc Honda (4x4) to plow a medium size rural driveway (150-200 yards long). It works ok when the snowfall is up to 6" of lighter snow or 3-4" of wet heavy snow. But drifting or more snow than that, and also later in the year it is nice that my father can come by with the front end loader to push the piles of snow back or take care of the drifts that form. In MN you see a lot of them in town in place of snowblowers. You will also see some in small towns being used to clean up sidewalks in front of businesses. So they work ok.
A 4-wheeler is only a viable snow plowing option if you live in town so as to have a relatively small total area to deal with. Also, it is important to plan when using a 4-wheeler. When pushing the first snow of the year off of the driveway, move it a good distance off of the driveway. Otherwise the solid mound of ice it becomes will prevent you from pushing future snows off of the driveway soon.
Bottom line, if you have a mid to large sized in town driveway with some area to push the snow off of the driveway to it can be a good option. If you do not have space to move the snow to, a snowblower that is designed to actually throw the snow to a different location is better.
Size, engine, etc… Focus more on a good winch (lifts the plow up and down) and a model that is 4-wheel drive. 400-500cc will have plenty of power to push the snow; traction will be more of an issue as a mid sized 4-wheeler is only 600-700 pounds so you will equal 25% of the weight potentially. Creature comforts like an automatic transmission and power steering might be nice. But I would also look to find the model with the easiest method to shift into reverse because on some models that takes an extra hand and pulling two levers while depressing another button and reciting the company motto backwards…
As far as price… Well for new models with a good list of extras you are talking $5000-$7000 without a plow. Used could be a good option though. In Wisconsin there are plenty of …older… gentlemen that bought them for hunting or whatever and took good care of them (I only highlight the older previous owner because they tend to take better care of them and a 4-wheeler can really get beat up…). Look around and you might be able to find a nice used model for a significant drop in price. And most of the good ones will last essentially forever if you take care of them. My dad still has a 1983 model year honda three wheeler that runs great and he still uses to do yard work three seasons of the year (uses snowmobile in winter). Just new tires and basic maintenance is all it has needed since we got it when I was a kid.
Best to add a standalone blower unit (with its own engine) to the ATV. Throws the snow where you want it. I’ve seen them live and while a little pricey, are awesome. Depending on your clearing area / volume, your ROI could be really good or really bad. These things generally run forever and payback over paying someone is anywhere from 2-5 years. And they’re a ton of fun!
http://www.bercomac.com/accessories-20-versatile-plus-snowblower-atv.php
That is a berco example and there are many competitors as well.
ryans above makes a good point. My neighbor has one and he has two locations to dump it. Depending on what we get , and the drifting, it’s a huge pile. We’re lucky that we live in a cul de sac so he can push it onto the middle island, keeping in mind the street ordinance.
It’s awesome though. It can take me an hour to clear my driveway, and I watch him finish sometimes in less than 10 minutes.
That would be fun to play around with… I would only suggest a very good jacket, hat and even ski goggles for the operator. I know with any wind at all running a simple 27" wide snowblower would put quite a spray of snow up in the air depending on snow conditions. With the power and width of that… That would rival a small utility tractor which usually have cabs…
I will say though, the most impressive snow moving I have ever seen was a company that cleared snow in rural MN. They had a couple of dump trucks with plows, a grader and even a bobcat that they would use to push all of the snow to a long line in our companies parking lot. They then had a bunch of dump trucks that a full size farm tractor would load with a loader mounted hydraulic run snowblower. That thing would have buried your car in seconds had they tried to. It would toss the snow from a 5-6 foot tall pile into the back of a full size dump truck and have them full in no time. That would be a fun toy in a snowstorm…
As far as your neighbor with a 4-wheeler: I know in Superior WI they are trying to amend the local ordinances so that 4-wheeler’s can be driven on city alleys basically for the sole purpose of travelling between houses for snow removal. They are that popular in the smaller towns for snow plowing now…
I have a huge area to the side of the house that needs to be cleared. It can take me well over two hours for that area alone. A pickup with a plow does it in five min max.
I have a large blower, but, the issue is moving the snow. There are limited places to throw it. Easier to just push it off the back of the lot. Otherwise I end up throwing form the front to the back to off the lot.
Well, if you have a place to push it then a 4 wheeler with plow could be a quicker option than a snowblower.
I personally think most of the major brands would work fine. Focus on the winch itself and the switch for working the winch as those are the items that will go first. Luckily they are easily replaced too. As far as the 4 wheeler itself, used is a great route as the off the lot depreciation factor on toys like that is even worse than on cars. Try out the reverse… That is pretty much all you do when plowing snow. Plow down, forward to where the pile goes, plow up and then throw the 4 wheeler in reverse. Repeat until done. And the method for getting in reverse can be a hassle on some of them. Try it out before you buy.
Have fun with this. Basically you are buying a toy under the masquerade of a tool for snow removal. That is a win win to me… Now only if I can convince the wife that a bike is a required tool for something… I could always use another bike…
No experience with snow relocation, but lots witth atvs. Get fuel injection. In cold weather, it can’t be beat. It may be a cost a little more, but the ease of start up pays for it. I normally don’t advocate automatics, either. But it might be the way to go for this specific job. Forward and reverse are easily accessible. In a lot of manuals, reverse can be a PITA to find. I imagine it would be worse with thick gloves and heavy boots.
All the major makes have advantages and disadvantages. Polaris sucks down here, they can’t handle the heat. That might be a huge advantage for you in your climate.
No experience with snow relocation, but lots witth atvs. Get fuel injection. In cold weather, it can’t be beat. It may be a cost a little more, but the ease of start up pays for it. I normally don’t advocate automatics, either. But it might be the way to go for this specific job. Forward and reverse are easily accessible. In a lot of manuals, reverse can be a PITA to find. I imagine it would be worse with thick gloves and heavy boots.
All the major makes have advantages and disadvantages. Polaris sucks down here, they can’t handle the heat. That might be a huge advantage for you in your climate.k
Thanks for the tip on fuel injection. I stopped by a shop today and the guy insisted on it. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t playing me.
I am looking at a Honda 450 w/ fuel injection. It is a manual, but, has the clutch in the handle, which seems to be a plus. However, the total cost w/ winch and plow is nearly $7k. Much higher than I expected.
Checked out used ones, but, the only 4 wheelers were larger models that ran $6k (used). So, new seems to be the better way to go unless I can find some place with more used models.
If you get a four wheeler to plow snow have heated hand and thumb warmers added to it. I used to use a four wheeler to plow a very long driveway at work and would have killed to have hand warmers on that thing. No matter what gloves I would wear my hands would be numb in about 15 minutes or so. Think I used a Honda 450, but don’t remember the exact model. Had plenty of power for moving most snows that fall in MN only a couple of snowfalls did I need bigger equipment.
is this just for your driveway?
Is it legal to operate an atv in your community on a public street apart from loading unloading one from a truck/trailer
We have a detached garage and a small driveway. But, that is not the issue. Our house is next to a former hardware store. The black top from the parking lot of the hardware store comes up to the side of our house. We own a large section of it and park our other vehicles along the side of the house. It is a very large area and needs to be plowed, largely due to the fact that we park there. The biggest obstacle is the fact that there is no convenient place to throw the snow. It needs to be pushed to the back of the lot, close to 60-70 yards from the road. The house is on one side and the old hardware store is on the other. So, you cannot blow the snow to either side. It needs to be pushed (or blown) to the back of the lot. In heavy snow, I have to clear the area from the back forward. I blow the back section to the back of the lot (off the blacktop and onto the grass). Then I throw the snow from the front of the lot to the back of the lot (the area I just cleared). Then I go back and blow it from the back of the blacktop onto the grass. In essence, I have to clear in stages. Sometimes, the owner of the hardware store will come by with a plow and push it all off the back. But, the store has been empty and on the market for 5 years, so, he does not come around often. I have to clear my area myself about 90% of the time. If I had a plow on an ATV, I could simply push it all to the back area.
We have a walk way that goes from the driveway on one side of the house to the parking lot on the other. So, it would not be operated on the road (nor would it be used to clear the road). It is legal to operate an ATV on your property in my municipality.
The other alternative is to get a plow to mount on my FJ Cruiser, but, I really do not want to drive around with a plow all the time.
After reading a few ATV forums and watching a few videos, I am starting to think my ATV idea is not the best plan. It does not look that easy to push the snow around. I am not sure it will work as well as I thought.
So, I went to the local shop that caries high end snow throwers. I am looking at a Toro with a 10 hp Briggs & Stratton engine and 28 inch no-clog chute. It can throw the snow over 30 feet. Seems like a better option for about 1/3 the price of my original idea.
I live in N.Y. and i am thinking about buying an ATV for a snowremoval biss, What equipment should i start with?
I own a snow removal business. I bought an atv with a plow. It sucked. Don’t do it. Trust me.
I live in N.Y. and i am thinking about buying an ATV for a snowremoval biss, What equipment should i start with?
Start with a tractor with a bucket on the front and a plow on a three point hitch. Works perfect for me.
Please tell me y?
I also have an exterminating Biss,So alot of my Cus Always ask me can i remove Snow off of there property,there propertys range from mid to large.Can at be done with 2two 400cc ATVs.Please only RESPOND WITH SERIOUS ANSWERS.THANK YOU
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They are too light to plow. You can plow low volume but for any real snow you will need a blower instead of a plow on front.
my FIL has a John Deer ride on mower with this snow thrower attachment. It’s pretty sweet.