2017 New Years Challenge

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by RHClarke

... The M37 ran like a dream in the deep snow - unlike driving in sand, I found that increasing the tire pressure (50 pounds) makes running in the snow easier.

...

The tire pressure trick is one thing I noticed on working half-tons on the Prairies. The smart farmers never put wide all-terrain tires on their farm trucks. One daily chore of every rancher is to count cattle. They choose high ground clearance springs and skinny conventional winter tires to get around the trails and in the pastures. There is less snow to push away, and it packs down firmer.

Edit - one other thing you will always find in a working truck is a centrefire rifle. One old timer I knew said he was checking cattle and suddenly they all crowded around, complaining about something. He stepped out with the rifle and spotted a black bear circling in the forest fringe. The game laws allow landowners (the key difference) to dispatch nuisance animals harassing livestock. I forget if he got off a shot, but he encouraged us to shoot any bears we saw on his pastures.

[Jes Andersen]

Out here in logging country, the common tire used on pickups in the bush is a 10 ply 750 x 16 radial. I got a couple of almost new ones from the tire shop that had changed out all 4 for a customer. They went onto my Case 580CK front end where they are up to the challenge of an heavily loaded front bucket. They choose these tires over wider because of profile and the ability to get our wet snow on the way to the worksite.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Well my New Years Drive for my HUP was a little later than planned.



Link to YouTube Video

Cheers Phil

PS Can not seem to get the Youtube Embed to work

[Grant Bowker]

Phil,
It's good to see that you are back to enjoying a gentle drive in the countryside.

[Bob Carriere]

The whinning of the gears, the buzz from the fan and the smell of not completely burned gasoline....... like fine wine!!!

As the recent 35 cm / 14 inches finished falling...????

Cheers

[r.morrison]

HUP and an ASS KICKIN' SNOWBLOWER!!! Great to see and hear from you. Glad you're back on your feet. I owe you an email, which will come soon. Are you sure you don't live on THIS side of the border??
Take care AND no shovelling snow! Robert

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Yes we had a little snow all in under 12 hours, at times visibility was down to under 500 feet snow fall rates of 3-4 inches an hour. As you can see in the video snow was up middle of the wheels or knee deep 16 - 20 inchs.

Plowed after I played, then the wind started blowing (35+MPH) I'll be plowing again today lots drifts. Wednesday temperature high near 50F (10C) Thursday 17F (-8C) Friday low 4F (-15C) with 20 MPH wind so strange weather.

Cheers Phil

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

As some of you may have heard we had another Noreaster roll through New England over the weekend. So we went from bare ground two weeks ago to more than 2 Feet (60 CM). When it left hear it went up and became a pretty good Blizzard up in Nova Scotia.

Well today I had to get my wife's car into the heated shop, so I took my Pattern 13 C60S Radio Truck Beauty out for a short low speed spin. Spin is the operative word here because that is what the rear tires did as soon as they hit the smooth plowed drive. OK on flat ground but truck came to a stop on the hill on our dirt road 10% grade even with the road sanded those fully inflated military non-directional tires could get no grip. Punched in the clutch and reached over to engage front axle. Once in gear truck started up on the grade and climbed the hill.

Funny in unplowed snow the trucks have no problem plowing snow with the axles in fact when my little 1/2 plow truck can not push heavy snow I often take one of the trucks out to break trail. But once you smooth the snow out and pack it down the military tires are all done.

One more truck to go.

Cheers Phil