How To Turn Your Earthmovers into Snow Removers

Have you ever thought about adding snow removal to your list of services? It’s easy to do with the right attachments for your equipment.

Snow Removers 600x400
Caterpillar Inc.

If you put some or all of your equipment into hibernation for the winter, here’s something to consider: Motor graders, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders and skid steer loaders make excellent snow removers — if you equip them with the right attachments. Here’s a look at seven work tools that could help you add some seasonal (and profitable) snow-removal business to your portfolio:

  • Hydraulic Brooms: Are you based in an area where snowfall is fairly light? Hydraulic brooms are ideal where accumulations rarely top two inches. Because you can use them to clear snow as soon as it lands, they’re also a good choice for busy, high-traffic sites like malls or hospitals where the goal is to keep people safe as they walk through parking lots or in and out of buildings. Brooms also are friendly to concrete, blacktop and other hard surfaces.
  • Buckets: Here’s an attachment you likely already have on hand. Buckets offer a cost-effective snow-removal solution when you’re working at a smaller site that doesn’t require you to remove massive piles of the white stuff. Since they allow for precise placement, buckets work especially well when you can load snow onto a dump truck for transport.
  • Angle Blades: Blades are a smart snow-removal choice for both small and large applications. Choose a smaller blade if you’re planning to focus on clearing areas like driveways and sidewalks; go for a larger model if you’ll be working on roadways or more expansive open areas.
  • Snow Wings: The snow wing is a common snowplowing tool configured on a motor grader. It is a moldboard that normally mounts to the machine’s right side. It can be used alone or in conjunction with the motor grader moldboard to move snow off the road or other surfaces and to provide a wider cleared area per machine pass.
  • Snow Pushers: With a box-like design that moves snow by pushing it straight ahead, snow pushers can capture, contain and displace large volumes of snow in a single pass. That makes them particularly well suited for big spaces — roads, parking lots, airport runways and other sizeable, paved surfaces.
  • Snow Plows: Best suited for roadways, snow plow attachments use a windrowing action to remove snow. Cutting edges penetrate the snow as the blade follows the contours of the surface.
  • Snow Blowers: Similar to the machine you may use at home, blower attachments gather and throw snow from paved surfaces — perfect for driveways, parking lots and sidewalks. An added bonus is that a snow blower gives your machine operator the flexibility to deflect snow straight ahead or off to one side.

You can find snow removal attachments online, and your Cat® dealer can offer expert advice on which is the best fit for your equipment and local snow conditions. Be sure to check out these tips on what to know before choosing snow-removal attachments, too.

Not sure if branching out into snow removal is the right move for your business? You don’t need to make a long-term commitment. Consider renting an attachment or two for a season and trying it out. Chances are you might already have a built-in customer base — just take a look at past projects and see how many have parking lots, roadways or common areas that need clearing. Your past clients may be thrilled to give the job to someone they already know and trust.

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