snow plow debate

[bruce]

everyone has a thought on what is the best plow, i have a 2007 f-250 and was thinking of buying one maybe a western pro plus 8 ft

 

[titan]

I used to plow my 300' driveway with one of those electric winch-driven plows that you can buy at Canadian Tire or Wal-mart.It worked well for my own personal use and the price was right too.I wouldn't use one if I was trying to make a living at snow removal though.

 

[Harley]

It really depends on how you are going to use the truck. Personally - I'd really wouldn't put a plow on a truck that I would have to drive the rest of the year. If you are only doing your own driveway with the F-250 - that should be OK, because you know the driveway and areas you can push to - if you think you might do a little more than your own (friends, relatives, neighbors, etc, etc.) - I wouldn't do it if the truck was your daily driver.

And it also depends on the amount of snow you get in the area as to which is the best to get if you decide to go that route. The difference between plows for their particular purpose could go on as long as an endless debate of Ford vs. Chevy; Cat vs. non-cat stoves; or tastes great - less filling.

 

[MrGriz]

Ahh, the Western vs Boss vs Meyer vs etc... It's just like Harley said.

Are you looking for something to just do your driveway or are you going to try to pick up a few bucks when the white gold comes down? Does your F-250 have the plow prep package?

I've used a number of Boss and Western plows over the years and I have to say that I prefer Western to Boss. I know that there are a number of other good brands out there, but those are the two big players in my area and the ones that I have experience using. I would say that you are looking in the right direction with the Pro Plus. For the small difference in cost, the Pro Plus is put together much better than the Pro Plow. I would also say that 8' is the minimum for your truck. That will just cover the wheel width when angled fully. Depending on what you will primarily be plowing, you may want to go for the 8'6".

I also like the Ultra Mount system on the Western better than Boss' system. The drive in mount is super easy to hit; with just a little practice and you can hook up in under two minutes. Drive in, pull the locking pin and rotate the shoe up (repeat on other side), plug in two connections and you're off making money. The receiver brackets are removable so you can take them off during the off season to reduce the weight on the front end and increase clearance. With them off, the mount almost disappears under the front of the truck.

One area that Boss has on western is response time. The Boss moves a bit faster than the Western, but once you get used to it, it's not a big problem. Western also uses one "brain" for their straight blade and MVP and the same unimount system for each. That means that if you ever want to upgrade to the MVP, you can do it without swapping out all the wiring and the bracket. Just drive up, install an adapter to plug the controller into and you're off.

No, I don't sell plows or have stock in Western. Just passing on my experience with both. BTW, is your F-250 a gas or diesel?

 

[elkimmeg]

Western plows are decent plows I have always used fisher 30 year now. Never fond of Meyers plows bu many have had sucess with them as well.

I have plowed with Chevys and fords I prefere the solid front axel over twin I beam suspension a lot less repairs from plowing u-joints always wear out with the ford I beam after 3 years I have spent 3500 on axel front repairs I went back to GM and solid axel

 

[Shak]

You should consider looking at a Curtis Plow. I don't sell them or have any financial interest in the company, but I did sell Chevy trucks for several years and have had most brands of plows installed for customers. The Curtis had the easiest and fastest mounting system and I found they scraped cleaner than most. All of the customer feedback I received was excellent.

 

[mayhem]

The long and the short of it from my perspective:

The best brand plow is the one thats sold and serviced locally.

All the major plow manufacturers make a good quality product. Fisher, Western, Boss, Curtis, SnowWay, etc are all more than adequate and they all make a plow that will fit your truck just fine. Sure they all have their own unique features that make them better than their competition, but what it really boils down to it they're all pretty reliable, they all ballpark in the same new price range for a comparable setup for your truck and they all have some sort of quick mount system that will allow you to leave the plow, frame and lights at home when you're done clearing your driveway...every one of them also has detractors that say their mounting system is crap, or that using a chain to lift to mortarboard is bad...or not using a chain is bad. Everyone that plows has their persoanl favorite brand, but in the end result, they're all good.

You're just doing your own driveway so frankly I wouldn't even consider buying new...a new setup from and manufaturer is going to run you at least 4 large...you can probably get somehting nice thats a few years old for between 2 and 3 grand.

The key thing with a snowplaow is to check in your area and find out what brands have local service...sooner or later it will break on you...you mgiht blow out a hydraulic hose, snap a spring, have an electrical problem...whatever. The biggest issue is being able to get it repaired quickly and properly, otherwise its just a very expensive lawn ornament that gets buried in the snow waiting for parts.

Check your manufacturer's links at the top of www.plowsite.com and look for the brands that have local sales and service...pick the one that has the color that you like from there. One of the bottom-most forums there is a for sale section...check it out because there are alot of guys selling plow setups right now, some might be ring in your neck of PA and you could get a nice setup for a decent price.

 

[bjorn773]

I have plowed with my Snoway and 1/2 ton Chevy for 11 seasons now . Last year I finally had to replace the lexan blade. I chose it due to the lighter weight and less stress on the suspension when not plowing. The down pressure feature is awesome for backdragging which I do more than I care to. I used it to plow commercially for about 7 years and lighter duty for the last 4. I realize they don't have the resale of a Western, but mine has operated flawlessly for many years.

 

[MrGriz]

One thing I sure wish the Western had is a down pressure system. It seems like I get stuck back dragging quite a bit also and the down pressure sure would help.

Mayhem nailed it with the local service and support. I don't care if you're just plowing your driveway, being down waiting for parts just plain sucks. Even if you can work on the plow yourself, finding the parts you need at 1:00am in the middle of a snow storm can be tricky.

 

[unit40]

I use an 8 1/2 fisher V-Plow. I think it is the balls. It goes on a 2500 HD x-tra cab.

 

[bruce]

thanks for the comments, i have the chance to join a crew plowing a development with blacktop roads,if its a go with good pay i want to try, this is all new to me but everyone in the pocono's run western, i looked at used but i only have a 3 yr window on my model 05-06-07 or you have to buy new mounts and addaptors
yes i do have plow prep
its the gas 5.4 triton
has anyone installed there own? how hard is it?

 

[elkimmeg]

I have installed mine and tranfered mine from truck to truck making the necessary cuts and welds to adapt to changes to model frames differences. Never installed a quick mount system guess it is too modern for me . Work: better have some serious metal drilling bits to attach the frame and push plates to your frame it is not an easy job.

 

[Shak]

The push plates are the inexpensive part. Upgrading the wiring harness for an older plow to a newer truck can be costly.

 

[mayhem]

For self install, make sure you get the correct truck-specific parts and its a fairly simple weekend warrior job. Took me about 6 man hours to go from nothing on my 00 Silverado to a Fisher MM1 installed and all features running properly. If I had to do it again I could easily cut that time in half.

Make sure to check the manufacturer's website for the right plow for your specific truck...if you go too big you're gonna mess up your truck.

If plowing commercially as a subcontractor you're typically the one who is on the hook to provide equipment, insuruance and maintenance...all the owner wants is for oyu to show up when you're needed and to pay you a gross wage out of which you're responsible for your own taxes. Make sure to check on a million dollar liability policy for commercial activity and to factor in your costs when negotiating a wage...be careful of accepting an offer of $30 and hour to use your own equipment and insuruance...it sounds like alot more than it really is.

 

[bjorn773]

I personally prefer to install my own. Being a career auto technician, I have seen many electrical nightmares from installers trying to cut corners to get it out the door and make a buck. After a couple seasons the scotch locks and butt connectors can turn pretty green and cause a lot of headaches. I always solder and shrink tube my connections, it saves a lot of headaches in the future.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have nothing to contribute since I use a snowblower on my 400' driveway and 3-car garage turnaround (which is by far the more work intensive part).
However, this Simpson's episode, when Homer was Mr. Plow, and then Barney became the Plow King was truly a riot:

 

[titan]

Here's the real deal; OSHKOSH.