Winter can be mean, but with grit, ingenuity and snow pushers, it’s possible to keep ordinary life functioning. Airports, parking lots and sports arenas need to be kept clear as well as streets. For heavy-duty snow removal, containment plows and bobcat snow pushers are up to the job. Snow pusher manufacturers have introduced innovative new designs like the steel snow pusher and the bucket clamp to make the job easier on the machinery and the operators.
Heavy snow can hurt the economy
Anywhere north the 37th parallel, snow can be a big problem. Record highs in Salt Lake City, Utah, Anchorage, Alaska, and Denver, Colorado, have exceeded eight feet of snow for the season. Some winters are snow-ier than others: 2015 was a bad one. At the beginning of March, the NOAA’s National Snow Analysis reported that nearly two-thirds or 63.4% of the U.S. was covered with snow.
Heavy snowfall takes its toll of the economy. Factoring in damage from snowstorms and blizzards, the cost of clean-up, and the losses due to the shutdowns, the economic cost of heavy snowfall can really add up. Consider the following:
- The cost of snow removal: in 2014, New York City spent $130.7 million on snow removal. That’s in addition to the amounts spent on private snow removal services, which came to $11 million in 2011. And in Canada, snow removal costs $1 billion each year.
- Damages caused by heavy snow and snowstorms: As of 2014, the list of culprits responsible for weather-related damages in the U.S. was headed by thunderstorms with winter weather in second place. In that year, 15 percent of all insured auto, home and business catastrophe losses were due to severe winter weather.
- Business losses due to snow: Heavy snow means business losses due to shutdowns. In New York City alone, it is estimated that a single day’s shutdown can total up to $700 million in economic costs. This includes $152 million in lost retail sales.
- Delayed and cancelled games and flights: To be perfectly honest, most people probably don’t mind missed work days quite all that much. But delayed flights and even worse, cancelled games? Not so good.
Snow pushers to the rescue
Snow pushers are the workhorses of the snow removal industry. They are different from plows: snow plows just move the snow off to one side. Snow pushers are used to contain the snow and move it to another location. This makes them suitable for clearing large lots and spaces more than one acre in size, like runways, industrial facilities, and parking lots. With innovative designs from snow pusher manufacturers, snow removal becomes much more efficient.
New designs improve productivity
New designs from snow pusher manufacturers for blades and clamps are highly effective, while reducing the number of moving parts that can break down with heavy usage. The biggest containment plow has a blade 30 feet in length and can contain up to 57 yards of snow. Sno pusher owners report that their productivity improves by up to 500% compared to using regular blades or buckets. The new bucket clamp connection makes it easier for operators to attach sno pushers while giving them much more control.
Once the snow stops, sno pushers can also be used for other tasks, such as moving light materials like water, mud, sludge, silage, manure, and grain. Sno pusher manufacturers offer strong warranties, extensive dealer networks and excellent service. They maintain full inventory year round, so you can use the quiet season for maintenance and evaluation of equipment.
