ATV Snow Plowing is a great way to clear a driveway of that cold, white slippery stuff. It is also a great way to justify the purchase of an ATV to your spouse. Done right, ATV snow plowing can save a lot of back-breaking, tedious snow shoveling while having fun at the same time.
I have a fairly long driveway and before I had the ATV Plow it took several hours to shovel and I was toast for the rest of the day. Now with a ATV Snow Plow mounted on my ATV I am done in about 30 – 45 minutes. Then I am off to the neighbors and I plow their driveway. Then I plow the road, it’s not work, it’s fun!
ATV Snow Plowing – It’s Not Work, It’s Fun
To plow snow properly you need a good utility 4×4 ATV preferably 500cc or larger with good tires or tire chains. Then you will need the ATV plow system which usually consists of a plow blade, push tubes, plow mount (specific to your ATV), and a lifting mechanism.
The lifting mechanism can be an ATV winch, an electric or hydraulic cylinder or a manual lifting mechanism. Due to its versatility an ATV winch is the most popular lifting mechanism. Once the plow mount has been installed on your ATV, connecting and disconnecting the push tubes and plow blade take only a few minutes.
Most push tubes allow for multiple blade angles and pitch adjustments. Once you have your ATV plow system completely installed you are ready to start ATV snow plowing. I have put together some tips to help you make the most of your ATV plow when clearing a driveway:
ATV Snow Plowing Tips
- Before you start plowing ensure the plow is installed correctly and the all mounting hardware is tight.
- Start by clearing the area in front of the garage door. This technique is called Backdragging. Position the angle of the blade to the straight position (no angle). Raise the blade and drive forward to the garage door. Lower the blade, then back up while pulling the snow away from the house. You should backdrag only two or three ATV lengths. Repeat this operation for the length of the garage door.
- Now back into the cleared area and position the angle of the blade to the left or right side. Lower the blade and plow a path down the center of the driveway all the way to the street or road. Remember any snow you push into the street must be cleared.
- Start plowing at a slow speed. You want to plow at a speed that both pushes the snow effectively but won’t damage the blade if if it catches on something.
- Once the first pass is complete, back into the cleared area again and make another pass on the side the blade is angled to throwing the snow forward and to the side.
- In deep snow raise the plow off the ground to shear off the top layer of snow. You should push just enough snow without overloading your ATV. A good rule of thumb is to use a full blade width for two inches of snow or less, three quarters of the blade for four inches of snow and a half blade for six inches of snow or more.
- Once you have cleared this side to the edge of the driveway, back into the cleared area and position the blade to the opposite side and clear the other side of the drive way.
- For sidewalks always position the blade so you are pushing and throwing snow away from the street or road.
- Try to pile the snow in a way so that it does not melt back onto the driveway or sidewalk.
Each time you use your ATV plow you will become more efficient and a better operator. You will also find there are other uses for your ATV plow other than moving snow, so make the most out of your investment and have fun doing it. For all of your ATV Plow System needs check out CampingATV.com
just installed a plow on my atv, how do you adjust the pitch on the blade? it appears to be tilted back too far and is riding on the pads
What brand plow do you have? Some plows have adjustable stops while others use a cam type of adjustment for setting the pitch of the blade. The trip springs hold the blade against the stops or cam.
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