# Snow blowing then shoveling



## Ahawks (May 21, 2015)

Whenever I snow blow the driveway, I have to shovel where I snow blowed after. Does anyone else have this issue? Or any solutions?
Thanks


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## Pythons37 (Nov 9, 2012)

Two blowers. One big and one small. And you will still need to shovel some of it.

Sometimes, a small leaf blower will eliminate the need for the shovel.


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## Dave C (Jan 26, 2015)

Lower the scraper bar so you get closer to the ground. On flat pavement I can get within 1/4 inch of the ground.

Of course there's still the steps, deck and porch that need to be shoveled. I'm considering one of those electric single stage blowers for that.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I shovel my steps, but that's it. I clear the deck with my electric single-stage. That thing is great!


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

Due to overall, rough, uneven, gravel surfaces I have to run my scraper bar "high" so I always 
leave some residual snow behind. Because of this I always go over some areas with a shovel.

As the season progresses and the left behind snow gets packed down and "seals up" the gravel, 
rocky, areas I lower my bar accordingly. Even then I never get it low enough to eliminate 
the need to do some clean up with a shovel in the cement parking area and sidewalks.

Early in the season I sometimes do the cement with the scraper bar "low" then raise it for the rough 
areas, but, even doing it that way I always follow up some areas with a "little" shovel work.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Ahawks :welcome:

What kind of driveway are we talking about, gravel, concrete ... ??

Adjusting the skids and scraper bar might help you.

Here's some show and tell -> https://www.google.com/search?q=sno...ved=0CAUQ_AUoAA&dpr=1#q=adjusting+scraper+bar


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

i just use my pb400e to get rid of the leftover layer the scraper doesnt get


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## Toxic (Jan 30, 2015)

start in the middle of your driveway and always throw the snow over the side you are still going to snowblow..


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## TheSuMofGoD (Feb 27, 2015)

The snowblower. Snowshovel, happens


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

I only shovel where the blower won't go. I have a gravel driveway and prefer a little layer being left behind to throwing gravel hither and yon. Then again nobody is going to be playing hockey on my driveway!


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## whimsey (Oct 16, 2014)

I have a ruddy steep gravel drive. I always finish off with the shovel. At least the snow blower did most of the work .

Whimsey


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

The driveway is crushed gravel and skids are set at 3/4 " After a few cold storms I get my white "winter pavement" and that's fine by me. I'll use a snow blower to clear the boardwalks to the house and those get cleaned up with plastic shovels and a snow pusher. 

By some time in April it's all gone.

Pete


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I have gravel the same as Spectrum. I wait for it to freeze some and just drive and pack down the first couple of light snows. Keeps from tearing up the gravel and the snow blower :blush:


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

Also always start at the windward side of your drive and blow the snow with the wind if at all possible.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

Bob E said:


> Also always start at the windward side of your drive and blow the snow with the wind if at all possible.


Without doubt.........

In my case I have about 150 yd's of wide open spaces and if the wind 
is coming from the north or south I better be using it to my advantage.

To my north (left) it's wide open for about 3/4's of a mile so 
the wind has nothing to slow it down. Talk about drifting. :wacko:


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Knu2zs, do I know that feeling. Mine is just a hair shorter and I have a couple pine trees for a partial wind break but they seem to produce drifts rather them actually help cut the wind.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Knu2zs, do I know that feeling. Mine is just a hair shorter and I have a couple pine trees for a partial wind break but they seem to produce drifts rather them actually help cut the wind.


If I had trees like that along the open part of our drive I would be in big trouble........

One day last winter sums up our situation here. 

A friend had forgotten his gloves here one day and called around noon saying he was coming by to pick them up. When I asked if he was driving the "company car," as opposed to his jeep, he said yes. I said park in the road because I haven't had a chance to blow our drive out yet.

He laughed but about 15 minutes later he was trudging up the drive through the snow. When he got up here he said something like, "I thought you were kidding, that's nuts, it hasn't snowed for 3 days." It's all in the wind.......

That day I ended up getting the Ariens thoroughly stuck down by the end and had one heck of a time getting it back up here before calling the farmer for a plow out. I thought I was going to have to get a shovel and clear a path for my blower......

Shortly thereafter I swapped out my Armor Skids for Ariens poly skids and added chains. I already had 10 lbs. of weight on the front but that didn't stop those Armor Skids from riding right up those packed drifts, which were about 24" deep.

Over the years there have been days that we had to open the drive up 3 times in a 24 hr. period in order to keep it from getting too bad, and that's just due to the wind. Like last year, it might not have snowed for days.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

You folks with wind issues should put up snow fence. Doesn't need to be fancy, or permanent.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

We tried that once but it was a lot of, muddy, work. 
If the posts could be left in the ground year round it would work out fine.

Years ago I even collected Christmas trees that people put out for collection 
and made wind breaks that were spaced apart. In the spring I had a big bonfire.


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## PixMan (Feb 14, 2015)

Back to shoveling after snowblowing, I do it. Sometimes.

My driveway and all the area around my home is relatively smooth asphalt paving. Because I have the skids set properly and the housing leaves a trace of snow on the pavement, I'll take a few minutes and clean it right down to bare (or nearly so.)

The reason I do this is because even on the coldest days, as soon as the sun comes out it'll be truly barely pavement and even start drying in places where there's no runoff flowing.

Cool.


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## Elfiero (Apr 9, 2019)

I have a steep driveway so I must keep the driveway absolutely clean or we would never get up it and into the garage. I do several stages of snow removal to achieve this: First I remove the big stuff with my two-stage. Next I get the left-overs with My single stage. next, I shovel to make sure I have Almost bare concrete. Then I sweep it just to be sure. BTW, it is illegal to park on the street where I live, from Nov. 1st thru April 30th., so I really have no choice.


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## ArchAngel72 (Feb 15, 2021)

I do the 60x60 ish foot paved section and the hammer head scraper low. The rest of the “RAP” 700 feet of driveway gets plowed. We do shovel the steps and decks unless its too deep


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

did either of you two see this was a near 6 year old thread?


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## ArchAngel72 (Feb 15, 2021)

captchas said:


> did either of you two see this was a near 6 year old thread?


Nope I looked at it, It brought me straight to the last post which was page 2 1st post on P2 and I replied to it. /shrug


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