Need ATV for Plowing Snow

Heading back to the trusted bunch for a little advice. I need to plow my parking lot with something. After deliberating over a small skid steer, a compact tractor, and an ATV, I've decided to go with the ATV (no hydraulics to worry about, no need to weight the front end, better price). Of course, I'm going with Big Red, but my next question is whether I would want independent rear suspension or a solid rear axle for plowing snow. Everyone talks about how the independent rear suspension is a much nicer ride and easier on your back, and I DO have a bad back, so I'm wondering if it's a better choice. However, the parking lot is paved, so it won't be an issue there - it will only be an issue if I decide to go trail riding for a day. Wondering if IRS is worth the extra money? It's going to be an extra couple of grand.

 

Can't talk about ATV's but can talk about bad backs and necks.

Seats, ALL seats are made terribly, aka, not for the human body. Thus an ergonomic seat can take a significant strain off of your back. Show your chiropractor what you are planning and I would bet that he can help identify seats or cushions that would be appropriate. That would be a major help to you no matter which way you go with the suspension.

 

Get the independant suspension although you are in a parking lot snow will drift and not be perfectly flat ,this suspension works better in a lot of conditions

 

Thanks. These are both helpful. I called the dealer today to ask about transmissions. I read a post where someone had trouble plowing snow with a Honda ATV with a DCT transmission, as it kept switching between first and second - likely cause is the snow load on the front confusing the CPU as to the load versus rpm's. So I thought about switching to a manual transmission - but it will take longer to reverse because you have to shift down through the gears into reverse, and it must be done with the brake being held. So I'm not sure this is the best solution either. I'm wondering if a unit with a VCT transmission would be best, as moving between automatic (forward) and reverse may make this step easier. Anyone know anything?

 

Don't mean to rub anything in but we use rain to remove snow here.

Then every once in a while, we get this



Even this



That's when I turn to drinking hot buttered rums.

 

Whoa, Chilliwack....not used to seeing any snow there at all! Is Cultus Lake still as beautiful as it was 20 years ago??

I'm thinking that something with the CVT transmission will be the easiest to shift into reverse and back into forward. Any thoughts?

 

It is interesting that the tranny is up for consideration as well in this discussion.

I am on the path to switching from a 6-speed Celica to an automatic, maybe a Tacoma. That would be my first automatic since about 1993. The reason? My back, and a great deal of pain on the right side from using a mouse and programming for years. The vehicle is not a major thing, but it is one of the many negative contributors throughout the day that I can in fact control.

Shifting is non-symmetrical. It tugs greatly on your right arm and shoulder. This action pulls the neck and back in that direction and also builds the associated muscles. However, you are not working out the same muscles on the other side of your body to compensate, thus an imbalance is created. That equates to more strain and more pain that you otherwise must fight with the appropriate exercises. I don't know about you but between exercise and I, I seem to be losing that battle.

I just thought about this while shaving: Since you are plowing you will be constantly shifting with either tranny, unlike the car where I put it in gear and remain there for a long time. Thus I would recommend that you see what the physical effort is like with each tranny. Maybe there is little difference in this regard.

 

There's not enough snow on the coast in Ogeron to merit a snowplow. Maybe one of these would work up there in Canada.


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/70/ee/b5/70eeb5793629f014194322b71b162e6b.jpg

I bet somebody could make a few Canadian Pesos on some Tshirts that say, " If you can read this, the bitch fell off and froze to death."

 

A little off topic, or sideways a bit. That bottom photo was taken winter of around 1991 or so. Speaking of 20 years ago, or 1996, we had a gigantic snowfall then here. Snow in Chilliwack was close to 3 feet high. Not drifting, but level at 3 feet. Everything was shut down. Only police vehicles being used were the Suburbans. Code 3 in a chained up Suburban is another thing I must say. We actually asked for certain people to bring their snow machines out onto the street to help with certain efforts for a day or two. Yet Vancouver got no snow at all. Just 60 miles west.

Cultus lake is beautiful enough but every damned idiot with a boat from Vancouver comes there every weekend. There are so many of them, they actually create a chop on the water. If you are ever out this way, give me a shout. I will show you real wilderness beauty and only 30 minutes from Chilliwack.

 

That's hilarious....but there's no tread on either tire!!!

 

I'll take you up on that. Cultus Lake is a memory in my head that will stay forever. So beautiful. And you know a place even better? It must be up the mountains, to the south and east?

 

LOL.. The Brits and the Aussies might take issue with Knight's theory of unrelativity. Maybe some Kiwis and Tasmanians too for all I know..

 

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Hey Knight! Sorry for the long delay, but your answer made me pause! You walked a real fine line between humour and seriousness here - too funny. I've never heard of a repetitive strain injury from using a mouse, but I suspect it's a common ailment among programmers and computer users in general....if you were serious!! Too funny.

Yes, I do see the trivialness in what I was asking, but my thinking was that since I will be making a lot of runs up and down the lot, I would have to be stopping and shifting down through the gears quite a bit - the faster the shifting, the more efficient the job should be. Your advice is exactly what I took - I went to the dealer, sat on the quads, and tried the controls. In the end, the Yamaha Grizzly seemed to be the quickest and easiest for backing up, as I just need to apply the brake and shift the lever down into reverse. The Suzuki wasn't bad either, but the shift lever is a zig zag, which is slower than the Grizzly. The Suzuki and the Yamaha appear so close in appearance/quality that I'm not sure it would really matter which one I purchased. In this case, the ease of shifting, and the extra comfort on the seat made the difference in favour of the Yamaha for me.

Big Red loses out this time. I love Honda, and I understand why they have the small safeguard lever that reduces the possibility of shifting into reverse while moving forward, but in this case, I'll just have to make sure that I stop properly before shifting (the Yamaha requires me to be at a dead stop anyway). On top of that, the foot shift lever is really less than ideal for getting into reverse. They have the DCT unit, which I tried, but I personally find it a bit fumbly as well - I suppose I could have figured it out, but I'm a bit suspect of using the electronic shift while pushing snow. There have been a few reports of rapid shifting between first and second while the bike is under a load, and I don't want to take that risk, as pushing snow will be the machine's primary job.

 

My father lives in N.W. Montana and he uses a smaller side by side and it works very well. Something to consider. He's got a whack back, so that is a big deal for him, as he's in his 70s. He purposely chose a smaller model so that the plow went beyond the wheels, allowing him to push snow where he wanted more easily. He also does other people's driveways as well.

 

Yes that was all just serious, except that I did have that last aha! moment while shaving, LOL.

Yes, if you sample a few people who's primary responsibility is software related (programming, graphic design, architecture, etc.) you'll find a disproportionate number of people with right-arm pain.

Good job carefully evaluating the ergonomics.

I am very very sick of all of these safety devices, so I know what you mean about that lever. Gotta clamp the handles together on my lawn mower to keep it running, then unclamp it to dump the bag. There are far too many levers protecting us from ourselves.

There are no trivial questions. And now we all have a first-hand evaluation thanks to you. Of course I got me an Ariens snow thrower a few years back so I'm good for now.

 

Get one of these! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ULVA4aucg

Only two possible drawbacks:

1. Not V4 powered
2. Might need a second mortgage

 

I hope I am not to late to steer you toward a Honda.
get the new rubicon with DCT with a warn front mount plow and winch, with power steering of coarse. I bet you if you do you wont take your hands off the bars to do any part of the plowing you need to do. you can override that safety lever by just adjusting the reverse lock out cable. put it in low range if you have a issue with it trying to shift. there is nothing more rugged that a geared transmission in the world of atvs.
ok I am biased as I work at Honda dealer and only drive/ride Honda powersports, yea they might be lacking some features and be "under" powered, but so reliable.