Municipalities are accountable for maintaining clear roads, highways, and common areas to uphold commerce, public safety, and services amidst excess snow accumulation. The selection of snow removal equipment, including snow blowers and plows, is therefore a critical decision that can impact the effectiveness and output of municipal and county workers responsible for keeping public areas cleared of snow.
Today, innovation in snow removal equipment and attachments is enabling municipalities to keep public areas clear and safe with significantly less equipment, labor, maintenance, and repair.
“A self-contained snow blower with its own engine can cost three to five times more than a snow blowing attachment, when you factor in the purchase price and maintenance,” says Jerry Holman, President of SnowWolf Plows, a Minnesota-based manufacturer that offers various snow removal accessories such as snow blowers, plows, and pushers which are compatible with skid steers, compact loaders, wheel loaders, front-end loaders, tractors, and other machinery.
Rudimentary snow blowers may be sufficient for fresh or day-old windrows, but are not designed to handle icy, old snow with grit, salt, and other debris. More rugged snow blowers, such as the OEM’s AlphaBlowers combine a hydraulic drive with an aggressive open ribbon design that prevents jamming in snow drifts and piles.
Snowplow attachments are also critical for clearing roads, highways, parking lots, and other government owned facilities. However traditional attachments such as fixed box snow pushers are bulky and limit the ability to easily maneuver skid steers and payloaders. They also do not accommodate variations in the height or contours of the surface, leading to inadequate clearing.
For these reasons, a growing number of municipalities are turning to a unique AutoWing attachment from SnowWolf that allows operators to switch between angle plowing, wide-angle plowing, pushing, and back dragging on the fly. A key feature of the AutoWing design is the ability to extend and retract its side wings independently, depending on the width of the road or the amount of snow cleared. This allows operators to efficiently clear wider swaths of snow without manually adjusting the plow’s position, increasing productivity and reducing the need for additional passes.
Another unique aspect of the AutoWing is that it only requires one hydraulic circuit for efficient operation. No additional wiring is necessary and there are no specialized controls. The attachment can be angled left or right with a standard control feature on the joystick. The user-friendly design simplifies operator training.
Municipalities can also benefit from utilizing the OEM’s ActivEdge, an innovative design involving multiple cutting-edge sections with individual adjustability and adaptability. The floating cutting edges allow for more precise snow removal even on varied surfaces. This minimizes the need for excessive salt or deicing agents and makes it much easier to follow the contours of the pavement.
To improve safety and performance further, accessories such as tires specifically designed for snow clearing like WolfPaws are also available. The increased traction not only reduces the risk of accidents but also prolongs the usable life of both the attachment and vehicle.
For more information, call SnowWolf at (800) 905-2265; email [email protected]; visit www.snowwolfplows.com.