Municipal Sidewalk plowing

[nsmilligan]

Anybody out there running a Holder or a Trackless for sidewalk snow removal, or do you know of a competitive machine? Up here Government is moving to privatize a lot of their services, and I have been asked to bid on a contract for the next 3 years on sidewalk snow removal. I will need a specialized machine to do the job. I will have a local shop build a 50" folding V plow (He's built several from 8 to 12 feet). It has to be able to run a blower (50"), and no, a skid steer with a hydro run blower won't work. And carry a at less a 1/2 yard of salt/sand in a spreader that will spread both. I don't want a tow behind, because the machine will have to backup.
Thanks

Bill

[GeoffDiamond]

Buy a John Deer Gator

Buy a curtis Snow plow and gator cab, and a downeaster spreader.

Plow 6' something at a time with the plow, and hold up to 2/3 of a yard in the downeaster spreader.

Do a search on gator snow removel, I wrote something about this a few months ago.

Geoff

[nsmilligan]

Geoff I've looked into the Gator, it just won't move 2-3 feet of snow in a sidewalk after the highway plow filled it in. I think it might work as a back up, and it will spread sand/salt. The machine I need has got to be able to run a blower, and be able to move a 50" wide path of snow up to 3' deep, at a reasonable pace. I did ask for any input on a thread a while ago from anyone with a Gator, but didn't get much response.

Thanks
Bill

[little green guy]

Them company I plow with has a pretty big contract with the town for 6 schools and a couple pretty big parks. Our sidewalk crews use quads and big honda snow blowers but it gets tuff after like 1.5 feet. I agree about that the skid steer is no good on sidewalks. The town that we work for still does some of the walks alond the roads and they use a track drive Bombider with a V plow. That thing is awsome and will rip trough any amount of snow. It's got a cab and heat too.

[Michael Fronczak]

Here the town uses Jeeps & tractors with V plows.

[slplow]

Bombiders are kings of sidewalks.

[lawnboy82]

i had seen the last winter i was plowing that one of the towns i worked in they send out a toro groundsmaster or two for the whole storm with a blower on it. what you are gonna do about the salting i have no clue. why cant you use a skid steer with plow on it? a lot of guys around here use big tractors with plows or skid steers with plows to do commercial walks.

[CT18fireman]

We use my brother's jeep CJ-7 to do sidewalks for our commercials. We run a stright 6.5 blade. I have been toying with the idea of making a v blade for it. I think that would work the best with a little weight or maybe a tailgate spreader.

[GeoffDiamond]

Ok,

You will need a Trackless or something a long that lines to do what is required in the contract. Well for the cost of the Trackless you could buy 2 more pick ups, or a very well set up dump truck.

Now, what can you make more money with 2 more pick ups plowing, or a trackless doing work for the city.

The city knows what it cost to plow the side walks, they are trying to find a cheaper way to do it. You are there cheaper way, they hope. If you need to invest the cost of a trackless to do the job, I think your better off with 2 more plow trucks. It will make you more money.

In the places I plow we could use the gator to do the walks, because I would make sure my drives put the windrows of snow on the other side of the road.

Geoff