up, have tweaked moldboard designs and offer sectional con- figurations.


Independent and Group Effort Sectional moldboard designs consist of several pieces that,


together, form one big surface area, allowing large amounts of snow to be removed in a single pass. What’s special about these is the way the sections operate to also provide precise, efficient removal. Just about every pusher on the market offers a trip-edge fea-


ture. As an obstacle is encountered, the pusher “trips” or lifts slightly to clear the object without damaging the pusher. The drawback? When the pusher lifts, it misses a whole pile of snow, making re-plowing imminent. Sectional moldboard pushers offer the same concept, but on


an individual basis. Rather than the whole pusher width tripping, only the individual section encountering an obstacle trips, leav- ing virtually no snow behind and eliminating the need for fol- low-up plowing. Not only does this reduce fuel and labor costs, but plowing a clean lot the first time also will eliminate any liabil- ity issues and costs resulting from slip and fall claims. In addition to providing better clearing performance, the


individual tripping action helps prevent damage to the pusher and machine if a small obstacle is encountered. But what about larger, rigid objects like curbs? To avoid significant damage, con- sider a pusher with mechanical side panels.


Panel of Experts Most containment-style plows are built with side panels, or


wings, attached to both ends of the moldboard. The panels keep snow contained, eliminating excess amounts from rolling off the sides. But fixed side panels pose major challenges. Imagine a loader plowing full speed in a large parking lot


using a model with fixed side panels. The snow is deep and blow- ing every which way, so the driver can’t see that he’s fast approaching a concrete median. When he eventually hits it, something has to give – either the pusher, the machine or the operator is going to absorb the impact. To address this serious problem, some manufactures offer


pushers with mechanical side panels, which respond to impact from major obstructions such as curbs and medians. Rather than hitting bigger objects head-on, mechanical side panels are designed to lift up and go over, clearing even tall obstacles. The benefit is three-fold, as it reduces damage to the machine and the pusher and limits injury to the operator.


Features designed to enhance safety are certainly a top prior-


ity. But other advancements have been made specifically with the operator in mind.


Get Hitched For facility managers that plow their own snow, the


machine’s cab becomes like a second office. Depending on the lot size, or number of lots to be plowed, these individuals may spend hours in the cab, making it imperative to look for features that enhance comfort along with performance. Snow pushers are picked up and dropped down multiple


times during a job. Typical hitch designs force the operator to manually adjust the pusher each time it’s dropped, making for a time-consuming process. Newer “drop-and-go” hitch designs do this automatically,


hence the name. This hitch design ensures that the pusher will lie correctly each and every time, extending product life and ensur- ing a clean surface. But one more factor plays a significant role. The pusher cut-


ting edge affects not only performance of the machine, but also the total lifecycle cost of the snow pusher, and should be careful- ly considered.


Cutting Edge Counts Every snow pusher has cutting edges. Designed to scrape


and clean away compacted snow and ice, they add the all-impor- tant finishing touch and further reduce the need for re-plowing and salting. Steel cutting edges prove to be more effective and more


durable than rubber options. On the downside, replacing them can be significantly more expensive. But in combination with sectional moldboards, steel cutting


edges are very effective and can be replaced in only one section, rather than across the entire length of the pusher. This significant- ly reduces maintenance costs. Clearly, it’s not just one feature that will be the key to pro-


ductive plowing, rather the combined efforts of several. In the grand scheme of things, each feature is just one piece of the total puzzle. The key to snow removal is efficiency, both in terms of the


pusher and the machine. And a snow pusher with the right fea- tures will lead to both.


Randy Strait, President of Arctic Snow and Ice Control, can be reached through www.arcticsnowandice.com.


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