Why should any municipallity be allowed to use tax money to buy equipment,pay wages,ect. so they can compete with private cos. at reduced rates. Just phone a few places that offer snow services & you will find that there is a min. charge. It will usually be 1 hr. & sometimes 2. I'll bet you won't find a graderfor under $100. If you do & it;s around Red Deer let me know who it is & I'll hire them lots if they have all there insurances , liscences , ect.
My 300 yard driveway when cleaned by county is $30 for a flag, but clean it myself with quad unless we get major snow and wind.(creating drifts). Takes grader about 2 minutes,me 30 minutes. Those people of retirement age Free.
Pretty sure our county does it for $20, and uses the flag idea. I think I even heard that seniors get some or all their flags for free. We clean ours with a little john deere 40 unless its really really bad.
The snowblower works fine for me most of the time but as I mentioned every once in a while the snow and wind are just right to make up 4 + foot snow drifts/wind blown hard banks that the 20 horse tractor wont handle quickly or easily thus burning belts. Another factor you have to consider and is one of my concerns after my last boy leaves the farm is the snowblower attachment weighs over 300 pounds so is not easy or fun for a senior to have to put on. I think I have devised a ramp that wil make it a little easier but it is still a big job and if I was in shape to throw 300 pounds around I could shovel the 200 foot driveway by hand. There is only so much exertion at 20 below that is worth while and sometimes it is just better to pay some one.
rob
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