Snow Ploughs....Am I missing something

johnos1984

To date I have noticed that no snow plough has had the plough lowered fully.

Every one I noticed was raised about 1-2inches above the ground hence only a minor skimming is occurring.

Am I wrong or is this just how its done.

Any I've seen have had rubber liners fitted to stop the road getting damaged but they are not making contact with the ground.

Anyone know more?

MagicMarker

Snow ploughs? I thought they were just a myth!? :eek:

johnos1984

MagicMarker wrote: »

Snow ploughs? I thought they were just a myth!? :eek:

No they only come out in the middle of the day.

You have to be up early late.....well you just have to be up around 1o'clock in the day and you may see them...... alternatively once a problem has occurred then they are visible about 4 hours later.

A rare beast of which little is know about it

bmw535d

the reason they are raised a bit and or have rubber fitted to the bottom is if the blade caught on a raised man hole or big pothole the driver would go out the windscreen, seen it happen in new york.

johnos1984

bmw535d wrote: »

the reason they are raised a bit and or have rubber fitted to the bottom is if the blade caught on a raised man hole or big pothole the driver would go out the windscreen, seen it happen in new york.

Thats most likely the issue but I've yet to see the rubber touching the ground. Any I've seen have it fitted (just like out old yard scraper for cleaning the sheds), its about 3 inches below the blade but still raised an extra 2 inches.

Also shouldn't the driver have a seatbelt on....

But this inch or so which isn't cleared seems to cause problems as it gets driven on by everyone

Stheno

They've been up and down my road in Swords during the day and to be honest they do make a difference, I followed one down to the supermarket earlier and when I got out an hour or so later, they hadn't been back and the road had deteriorated.

Orando Broom

Is it not there to just take the massive excess off so the salt can penetrate to the paving?

johnos1984

Orando Broom wrote: »

Is it not there to just take the massive excess off so the salt can penetrate to the paving?

Never thought of it that way.

Makes sense I suppose

Top Dog

They can't lower them to the ground because of the manhole issue as already mentioned, but also because Irish roads are so crap with bad cambers that they'd be running the risk of gouging huge scrapes into the tarmac on whichever side was raised in comparison to the other.

rex-x

cats eyes

Rockery Woman

Saw the snow ploughs in action today. Hope they didnt decapitate the cats eyes though!:eek:

mantaraver

Orando Broom wrote: »

Is it not there to just take the massive excess off so the salt can penetrate to the paving?

What salt !!! Lol

phill106

speed bumps..

BostonB

phill106 wrote: »

speed bumps..

No better reason to lower it....

gbee

BostonB wrote: »

No better reason to lower it....

No better reason to lower it ~ absolutely!!!!

L1011

Its cats eyes as said above. Countries with recurrent snow problems don't have them, cause you can't plough right down with them.

Even what they're doing has an affect - it grades out the surface so its more consistant to drive on; it means there is less snow for the salt to have to attempt to melt, means there is less for a thaw to melt etc.

Del2005

johnos1984 wrote: »

Thats most likely the issue but I've yet to see the rubber touching the ground. Any I've seen have it fitted (just like out old yard scraper for cleaning the sheds), its about 3 inches below the blade but still raised an extra 2 inches.

Also shouldn't the driver have a seatbelt on....

But this inch or so which isn't cleared seems to cause problems as it gets driven on by everyone

It's not a very good idea to suddenly stop 10+tonnes from 30km/h even if you have a seat belt on. The momentum of the truck would definately damage the truck, more then likely the driver and possibly whatever it hit.

There could be several tonnes of loose salt from the hopper, and possibly even the hopper, all over the road and truck.

jenizzle

Just saw one now on the back of a tractor with sparks flying off it as it was going along the road... no cats eyes here

BostonB

jenizzle wrote: »

Just saw one now on the back of a tractor with sparks flying off it as it was going along the road... no cats eyes here

Not any more anyway....:eek: