got called into work today. This don't happen very often, I guess I get something called "double time" (trying to be funny there, OT is an extreme rarity for me at my job, and Sundays are double time.... worked a little over 7 hours....) They woke me up at 7 with 3 dead plow trucks (2 of which I could do nothing with, because I can't get fan clutch parts for an International 7400 on a Sunday) the other one was a nasty drippy combo of hydraulic oil and cold melty snow, a hydraulic hose that controls plow swing left to right had blown.... takes longer to fish it out from the bundle, fish the new one back in, and tie it all up out of harm's way, than to make the hose.... and 3 others had come in with various issues, while I was there...... twice, I asked how things were going on their side, and all was good... for about 2 minutes after I asked/ before another one came in with an issue.
I told them I'd be in as soon as I could get 2 vehicles dug out and defrosted here at home, and my driveway clear because (I thought anyway) my wife was supposed to go to work.. she didn't. NO OT any day of any week at her job.
I had more traction trouble than ever with my Ariens GT19 and snow blower, had to get off and push with the wheels going more times than any time since I have had it... I think there was ice under the snow. The snow was definitely heavy "heart attack" variety today. I got my 2 driveways clear and left. but since the plow had been thru, I couldn't quite tell where the edge of the driveway was, and ran the tractor right down in the ditch.... I had to snatch it out with the Durango..... then did the other driveway. While I could keep it moving along it cleared things fine, ate and spit out all I could throw at it. I have 11 discarded brake rotors hanging on the 3 point, plus cast iron weights on the wheels, and V tread tires. always went thru anything it needed to before this storm.
My MTD 2 cycle paddle blower was about worthless today, I did the front porch with it, every time I would stop moving to take the next swipe it was plugged. spent more time unplugging it than blowing snow with it. I have had better luck with wet and heavy, with the paddle style ones that have the vanes that go the whole width of the machine rather than ones with a rotating chute.