# Plowing gravel



## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

OK, well my house just has a gravel drive, and this will be my first year plowing it. Any tips for me? 

I have a old 8N with a plow on it, but it has no feet on the plow. I als have a old pickup with a plow, and my Ingersolls whatch also have plows. I want to try to keep SOME of the stone in the drive. BTW it is about 400 ft long.


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## slipshod (Sep 19, 2003)

*gravel*

444
Try to push the snow to the same spots every time.That way you can recover your gravel in the spring much easier.Also first few snow storms the ground will probably not be frozen so you will tear out more stone. Snow is an insulator, so get it off and let the driveway freeze.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

We don't clean snow the first few snow unless they're big ones. We just drive on it and pack it down. If you do have to plow, take your time and raise the plow an inch or two so as not to tear up your drive. 

Slipshod is right on about piling it in one spot so you can recover it in the spring. That's why I went to blowing snow, because I got tired of raking stones out of the yard in the spring.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

I DO remember raking up stone when I was a kid. There would always be a HUGE pile of them where the snow banks were at the end of the drive. Thanks for the tip though. I have the perfict place to plow it. At the end of my drive, there is a spot in the woods where the polebard/garage is going. I was planning on bringing in stone for that part of the drive anyway, might as well plow everthing there, and get a head start putting down rock.


BTW, on dirt drives I have always set the plow feet real high.[or low however you want to look at it. p;ow up off the ground] I assume you would need to do that on gravle also??


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Most definetly keep the shoes down on gravel. I can remember on some wetter snows watching the lime stone curl up with the snow as I was plowing.


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I noticed you said your plow doesn't have shoes. I would find a way to weld some on. They would save on some of the wear and tear on your driveway.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by leolav _
> *I noticed you said your plow doesn't have shoes. I would find a way to weld some on. They would save on some of the wear and tear on your driveway. *


I took the tips of the ski's off an old snowmobile and made shoes for an old Case snowblower once. Just welded them to the small shoes that came with the blower. Worked great.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

we have a gravel drive... until this year ive had it plowed.. The plow guy never got the concept of lifting the blade an inch or two.. so in the spring id spend 2 afternoons shovelling all of the stone (another bad idea) that was on the top part of our driveway. 

i got rid of the stones and put recycled hot top down.. it packs much better... 

definetly lift the blade a little...


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

SJ,
Was that recycled hot top cheaper than the stone?


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## slipshod (Sep 19, 2003)

*stone*

Around here recycle hot top has gotten expensive#1
#2 crushed limestone
#3crusher run gravel
#4 bank run gravel
I put in a lot of driveways and crushed limestone is the answer,2"and fines for a top coat.That stuff packs like nobodies business,and holds up for the longest time of any of the above options.I recomend it if the homeowner plans on blacktop or concrete later on.
The rycycle top is good if they dont over mill it.Some of my customers complain that it stains vinyl floors a yellowish brown if the weather is hot and they walk on it. Seems that the oil in it gets on your shoes.
Bank Run is the cheapest driveway. Downside it makes mud when it rains a lot and there is a lot of vehicles driven on it.


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