Can You Remove Snow From Your Lawn With A Mower? Here's What We Found
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
If you live in a cold region like the Midwest, it's easy to get tired of the back strain that comes with shoveling snow after every winter storm. The solution to saving your muscles might be sitting in your garden shed. You can make a homemade snowplow with special attachments for your riding lawn mower. Just know that there are pros and cons of doing so.
Similar to how you can transform your lawn mower into a salt spreader by attaching a fertilizer or grass seed dispenser to the back of your tractor, several brands offer special snowplow blades or snow-blowing attachments that usually connect to the front of the tractor. Brands like John Deere and Cub Cadet sell a whole range of products for many different models of lawn mowers. Upgrading your lawn tractor for winter use offers a convenient all-in-one solution, especially if you don't want to worry about storing and maintaining both a snowblower and a lawn mower.
But one downside to doing so is the cost. These attachments aren't cheap. Brand-name snowplow attachments range from $487 to $825. Special snow blower attachments cost even more, typically $2,050 to $2,649. You can find cheaper generic versions, of course, but it's still an investment. Then again, homeowners pay anywhere from between $300 and $1,800 for a snow blower, so snow removal might always cost more than we want.
You can turn your mower into a snowplow, but should you?
When deciding whether use your mower to remove snow, keep in mind that it does require hands-on work. You'll need to remove the mowing deck before you try to remove snow. Otherwise, you could damage the mower blades or get stuck in the snow, given the deck's low clearance. It's also a good idea to add chains to the tractor tires to give them more grip.
The labor of switching out the attachments isn't the only downside to using your mower for extra winter duty. Plowing or pushing snow can put wear and tear on the vehicle, easily wearing out the transmission faster than cutting grass. That's why it's best to use a riding mower to clear the driveway of moderate snowfall while maybe keeping it in the garage for serious blizzards.
The agility of your tractor might also be a factor in deciding whether to use it in winter. Snow removal accessories can easily add two feet of extension on the front, making tight turns difficult. This could be a problem in narrow spaces. While using your mower in the snow has both pros and cons, only you'll be able to decide which option works best for your yard, budget, and storage space. And keeping an eye on your winter precipitation predictions is a good idea before you drag out the snowplow attachments.