Hauling sap

[PoorFarmFarmer]

I'm starting up with 500 buckets this spring. mostly hedgerow trees I have a 35 hp Kubota (no snow blower yet) and I'm wondering what people suggest for keeping the roads clear. I don't want to plow or blow snow every storm. any thoughts? Do snowblowers work with 2 or 3 ft crusted up snow ? hire a someone with a dozer?

[jrthe3]

i would just go for it we have a 30 hp cub 4wd with terf tire and chains it will go threw 3 feet of snow pretty good

[DS Maple]

You can generally dig through a couple storm's worth of snow with a 4wd tractor with a loader on it. I actually wait until the end of February to break all the trails open.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

We always just "broke out" our roads in the sugar bush. It sometimes took a couple of days just to get that job done. Basically we drove through the snow. Drive ahead into your road, as you start to spin or lose forward motion, stop and back up (IMPORTANT! STOP BEFORE YOU SPIN YOURSELF IN:mad:). Then do it again. We have done this through as much as 4 feet of snow. It is best to break through going up hill whenever possible...as you start to churn to a halt it is much easier to back down a hill than up it. It also works well to make your roads during an early thaw. They then freeze in with a good base. We always tried to keep the main circuit road broken open all winter so it was just the various side routes that had to be broken out in late Feb.

[3rdgen.maple]

I use the loader to get through the snow banks and then just do as the rest keep diving over it and packing it down. I will suggest however with the narrower tires on the front and the weight of the loader it is alot faster to do it driving backwards as the rear tires float better and pack the snow down. i use to spend all day driving forward, front tires sink in, back up, drive forward again. Reverse works much better. I should mention I live in the snowbelt and get alot of snow. And this seems to fair pretty well for me. That is until everything melts except the hard packed snow from diving over it and then it is not much fun trying to stay on the tractor path without sloshing sap all over.

[PoorFarmFarmer]

Thanks for all the encouraging words, I think I'll try and get by this year with just the loader, and if we ever have too much snow have a dozer come in. that's what a friend of mine does who has horses (when there's too much to break in)

Thanks

[Haynes Forest Products]

The problem with a dozer is the damage done to the road. How long is the road? Plus you say hedgerow trees so having someone come in and plow high snow banks on each side of the road sounds like a ROYAL pain to get over to tap and haul buckets. I would bribe someone with a snow plow after the storms and keep the road visible with open areas for getting to the trees. Mark out areas that would make good openings for foot traffic.

[homefarm]

i have a 6415 deere and i put a 250 gal tank on the forks in the front and i carry a transfer pump when i go in the back woods to get sap i'll just drive through the sugar bush road up to 2 foot of snow without being plowed pump the sap out into the tank and bring it to the saphouse if theres more snow than that i'll plow it with the bucket dont have a snow blower had one at one time but i find it faster with the bucket havent had a problem so far the way i do it.....chris......

[Russell Lampron]

I always keep the woods roads open all winter by just driving through. No bucket, plow or snow blower. I use an International 454 40hp diesel tractor that is 2wd with agi tires and chains. The differential lock comes in handy sometimes and I always carry a shovel.