So who's bought a snow blower this year?!

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

I have something I am working on and will post with pictures when done.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Advice needed on the legal width of a snowplough blade width depending if on a truck - Agricultural vehicle. VOSA said 2.550 - 3.000 Police said 3.000 - 4.300 but then restricted to 20MPH and 24hrs notice. Council no idea but needs side lights and reflective markers.

[b101uk]

Advice needed on the legal width of a snowplough blade width depending if on a truck - Agricultural vehicle. VOSA said 2.550 - 3.000 Police said 3.000 - 4.300 but then restricted to 20MPH and 24hrs notice. Council no idea but needs side lights and reflective markers.

 

both are right in their own way

 

The maximum widths are

 

<2.55m wide then >20mph

 

>2.55m to <3.5m wide then <20mph maximum speed and if >3m wide then 24h police notification of movement or letter of dispensation from each police force’s wide loads officer (AILV officer) who’s district you operate is needed.

 

>3.5m <4.3m wide then 12mph maximum speed with the same notifications/letter of dispensation etc as with >3m above, and the addition of attendants/escorts (>3.5m)

 

>4.3m requires permission of the secretary of state for transport, >7 days notice to police etc etc etc.

 

The practicality is though if working clearing roads for the council, if you have a 10ft plough (when angled will be less than <10ft) they wont put you on narrow roads, if you have an ~8.5ft plough they will put you on narrow roads or housing estates.

[combined tree services]

i am still looking for a plough for the front of my mog , i have been looking since august !!!!

[zeroluke]

Why not stick a snow blower on the front instead?

[b101uk]

Why not stick a snow blower on the front instead?

 

 

Because snow blowers are for deep relatively fresh snow, snow cutters are for maintaining vertical sides to snow banks or for opening up very deep drifts in old snow, you then have cutter blowers which are a mix of the two types and geared cutting just on one side and for clearing swaths of snow from the edge of the road that is built up from snowplough passes.

 

The thing they have in common is they all work at slow forward speed and are geared to hundreds and thousands of tonnes per hour at that slow speed or in essence short distances with high snow volumes (thus snow weight) per road meter.

 

Angled snowploughs are geared for long distance and low snow volumes (thus snow weight) per road meter.

 

e.g. one is for clearing 2000 tonnes of 1km of road to open it, the other is to clear 2000t off 40km to 60km of road and repeatedly pass over it all day about once every ~2h during snow fall (major roads – given you have to do both sides its ~1h each way) to keep the route open.

Edited November 7, 2011 by b101uk

[zeroluke]

I've an old 2 horse honda engine / 14 horse kohler and can make a rolling chassis for either to be seated in easy enough, but where would I find a strong impeller suited for snow blowing? An auger would be an advantage, but not essential.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

both are right in their own way

 

The maximum widths are

 

<2.55m wide then >20mph

 

>2.55m to <3.5m wide then <20mph maximum speed and if >3m wide then 24h police notification of movement or letter of dispensation from each police force’s wide loads officer (AILV officer) who’s district you operate is needed.

 

>3.5m <4.3m wide then 12mph maximum speed with the same notifications/letter of dispensation etc as with >3m above, and the addition of attendants/escorts (>3.5m)

 

>4.3m requires permission of the secretary of state for transport, >7 days notice to police etc etc etc.

 

The practicality is though if working clearing roads for the council, if you have a 10ft plough (when angled will be less than <10ft) they wont put you on narrow roads, if you have an ~8.5ft plough they will put you on narrow roads or housing estates.

 

Thanks for that. This does leave a problem then for the special Vee snowploughs that work at 34MPH to shift snow high to each side. No issues abroad on speed and width as is more important to move the snow and keep traffic going.

[b101uk]

Thanks for that. This does leave a problem then for the special Vee snowploughs that work at 34MPH to shift snow high to each side. No issues abroad on speed and width as is more important to move the snow and keep traffic going.

 

You did say "Agricultural vehicle" which I have given you the specs for, HGV's are slightly different but anything above 2.55m wide or (2.6m or 2.65m for refrigerated body’s) your into wide loads regs which don’t impose the same speeds for a given width as "Agricultural vehicles" given the higher level of driver licensing and regulation.

 

As for ridged winged V plough they really are limited in use as they are dangerous if used in the around other road users, pedestrians or on raised road sections besides razed manhole covers or kerbing etc etc, they really are for opening single track roads with drifting in places.

 

As for limits of width and speed abroad they do exist as dose the logic of you cannot send a wide snowplough down narrow roads with oncoming traffic or parked/stuck cars etc etc

[Nat]

Another point to raise is you can use red diesel when snowplowing.

 

However a vehicle gritting MUST use white diesel.

Yes, even if its snow plowing at the same time.