Tips for Plowing Snow with Your ATV Snow plow

Tips for Plowing Snow with Your ATV Snowplow

Clearing snow with your ATV snowplow can become one of your favorite Winter pastimes, giving you the chance to get outside and have some cold weather fun. An ATV plow is effective because your machine is compact, maneuverable and agile, especially when it’s fitted with our top-performing Master ATV tires. Using an ATV snowplow or a UTV snowplow can make short work of up to 8 inches of light, dry snow that could take you hours to move off your driveway and sidewalks with a shovel. And it’s capable of pushing and shoving a smaller accumulation of heavier, icier snow too.

Here are some tips to make moving and hauling snow easier.

When facing a snowstorm, start early. If you’re expecting heavy snowfall, you can do yourself a favor by plowing with the storm, rather than waiting for 8-10 inches of accumulation. The deeper and heavier the snow, the harder it will be on your machine.

Plow following the slope of your driveway. That way you’ll make plowing and snow placement easier. If your driveway has a slope away from the house, plow downhill. Make your first pass right in the middle of the driveway with your blade angled to the side, then continue making passes to that side until all the snow is moved. Make smaller passes as you go if necessary, to avoid stress on your 4 wheeler with plow. Then reset the blade angle and plow the other side. If your driveway is longer and curved with varying slopes, plow it in sections, changing the blade angle as needed.

Think ahead about snow placement and move the snow to the lowest place. When possible, don’t put snow on the high side because if it melts then refreezes, you’ll have a slippery, dangerous sheen of ice on your driveway. You’ll also want to push snow as far out as possible, so you won’t run out of room on top or at the back of the pile during subsequent snowfalls.

Don’t ram into hard-packed snow mounds. Plowing snow drifts that are too deep or too heavy can damage your equipment. Instead, plow deep drifts at an angle taking smaller bites and going back over the area a few times.

Be cautious of landscaping features and items beneath the snow that can damage your snowplow blade and your ATV. You may want to place poles to mark certain areas and permanent obstacles like retaining walls and garden beds before the snow starts to fly, so you’ll know where they’re located once they get buried.

Following these tips will make using your ATV and ATV plow kit easier and more efficient, so much so you may actually start looking forward to snow removal chores. For further information regarding using your ATV snowplow, check out  our Treadworld Toolbox article titled What to Know about Your ATV Snowplow. And don’t miss our complete line-up of Master ATV tires and UTV tires for top traction and maneuverability in snow and all conditions.