advice on type of plow - PlowSite.com™

NCC74656 · #1 10-09-2012, 03:33 PM

hello, this year i may end up doing some plowing with my truck. i operate a series of apartment buildings and we have grown large enough where this may become an issue. I have never plowed before and am very unsure as to what kind of plow to be looking at.

I want to go cheap, craigs list cheap. but i dont know about the mounts, does every MFG of plow have there own mount system and is it able to be adapted? does it differ from vehicle to vehicle or can they also be adapted? should i not care about the mounting system (old vs new) as far as locking in pins or having an auto mount pickup thing? what are the advantages/disadvantages to getting a hydraulic vs mechanical system?

what kind of issues might i run into having the extra weight of the plow on my truck? i drive a dodge ram 2500 cummins (single wheel) with 315/75/16 tires and a 4" thuren lift. the truck currently weighs 8,350Lbs

thanks.

Holland · #2 10-09-2012, 04:02 PM

Treat your plow purchase like you would your truck purchase. No you dont need a new plow, but a good used brand name plow will be your best bet. Find a brand with a local dealer, you will need parts, you will have breakdowns, no matter what you buy. Find a plow designed to work with your truck. DONT COBBLE SOMETHING ON IT. Just like with buying your diesel pickup, a good used plow will cost you more upfront, but you will also hold a better resale value and in the long run it should cost you less. Talk to a local dealer, they usually have plows in inventory and can assist you in getting the correct mounts and wiring, especially since you are unsure about what to purchase.

NCC74656 · #3 10-09-2012, 04:18 PM

i find your post some what ironic considering i cobbled my truck, lol. bought it from a farm, rebuild the trans, installed a D80 from a 95, D60 from a 01, the cab from a 1500 01, ect... but i will stop by a local shop and see what they have. i suppose my goal in all this would be to not spend more than 2500 if possible...

GSS LLC · #4 10-09-2012, 04:23 PM

You are like me, functional and cheap. I buy used, all used. you will want to find something with mounts that fit your truck, should be plenty of them for sale. i would say stick with a 7.5" plow that way doing stalls is easy. put wings on it for doing the main drives. just search c-list for a setup that fits your truck. boss/western are the most durable and dependable, meyers had lots of problems on the older units. but most of all, get what you can get parts for at a dealership thats close to you.

i have everything from western cable operated units to western ultramounts and boss rt2 straightblades.

4k- with mounts
http://omaha.craigslist.org/pts/3291199031.html

3k with mounts
http://omaha.craigslist.org/pts/3307048672.html

BAM! 1500 WITH MOUNTS WIRING AND CONTROLLER!
http://omaha.craigslist.org/for/3287572340.html

BAM BAM!! 1500 WITH MOUNTS AND WIRING AND CONTROLLER
http://omaha.craigslist.org/grd/3249487255.html

NCC74656 · #5 10-09-2012, 04:25 PM

oh, i also wanted to ask about the V plows and the straight edges. the plows have lateral movement, angle of attack, and a horizontal pivot as standard or do some plows not come with such things?

as for the V plows... are they worth it?

GSS LLC · #6 10-09-2012, 04:31 PM

V PLOWS are great for picking up windrows. but i dont own one. all straight blades, for under 500 you can get a set of wings to put on a straightblade, thats what i do. other than that, busting drifts is handy with a v plow, but how often do you need that?

NCC74656 · #7 10-09-2012, 04:39 PM

i dont know how often i would want to bust a drift. i do know we are buying about 5 new buildings a year and more and more come with parking lots...

i live in st. paul mn, our craigs list seems to have fewer plows on it. you linked to some plows for 3rd and 4th gen rams, will those fit on a 2nd gen do you know?

M.A.H. · #8 10-09-2012, 08:29 PM

Cobble is my middle name

If I were you I would try finding a blade and pump used. Then just buy the matching frame work for your truck with the right mounts on it for the blade and pump new. Controls and plow lights can be bought off CL or e-bay or a dealer. I don't have a preference on plow brands, they all suck when they break

and they will break. Just make sure you have some spare parts on hand (springs, pins, bolts, hydraulic lines, swivel fittings, etc.) and a dealer close by if you need more parts quick.

Best of Luck to you

NCC74656 · #9 10-09-2012, 11:39 PM

ive been looking into the western plows, i have found some good used plows for 1500-2K in the straight edge market but the brackets to mount to the rams seem to be 1K in and of them selves. it seems very hard to find plow mounts for rams, are they not used much for such work?

how hard is this plowing on the trans? should i expect a lot of repairs or breakdowns? the trans in mine is a 47RE wich i just rebuilt a few months ago to all steel parts, billet shafts, kevlar bands, HE clutches and kolene steels. billet servo's, accumulators, and a tripple disk billet TC. will that hold up to plowing?

do you guys do anything with your tires when plowing? like running at a lower PSI or chains or studs? the diffs in my truck came with a factory track lock rear and it has a ARB in the front, id like to invest in what ever i may need now before i find out i need it and am stuck some place...

thanks

NCC74656 · #10 10-09-2012, 11:43 PM

oh another question. my truck currently has a plow power hookup and a large bar hanging down in the front of the truck. how can i identify if this is part of a mounting system and if so what brand it may be?

95HDRam · #11 10-10-2012, 02:42 AM

Oh yes the 2nd Gen Rams are used a lot for plowing because of the heavy front axle. As far as the mount on the truck it could be a number of things being an old farm truck but a few pics would go a long way in us figuring out what it is and yes the mounts are not cheap but talk to a local dealer and you might be able find something.

Your 47RE will hold up fine with the mods you have done. Just be sure to have a large trans cooler. Repairs and breakdowns will happen with any truck and trans since they are in constant abuse while plowing. I flush my Chrysler 518 Trans every year and also have a lock-up TQ to keep down on heat build-up. I will do a basic internal fresh up after this year with 5 Seasons since done and no issues.

Having a good A/T Tire not too wide and running normal air or slightly above PSI will work best. Running low tire pressure will just put more stress on the front end with the weight of the plow. Your goal is not to float on the snow but cut through it and a smaller foot print will acheive that. I personally do not run chains or studs on my tires since we do not have the constant need for them in Indiana. That will be a personal preference on if you think you will need the traction.

Hope some of this helped and best of luck.

NCC74656 · #12 10-10-2012, 10:24 AM

ill take some pics when i go out to the truck this morning, this is a picture of my tires. the trans TC i have is also a locking TC but i dont have a manual lockup on it, perhaps i could install one. i have 2 trans coolers for it, one is in the front stock location and the other is under the bed of hte truck with an electric fan on it. i also run line pressure gauges and temp gauges in the cab for the trans.

i seem to have failed at making a thumbnail, ill fix it later. the tire is 36X11"

95HDRam · #13 10-10-2012, 10:50 AM

The TC is not a must I run the crap out of my truck and do a lot of commercial lots. With the dual cooler setup you will be fine for what you are going to be plowing. With the tires run good PSI and you should be fine. If you are careful and try not to get in a hurry it should be a good setup for you.

SNOWDUTCHESS · #14 10-10-2012, 11:02 AM

Most Plow manufacturers have on their websites a "Plow Selector/ Quick Match" or something of the sort. If you run your truck info through this match the selector will tell you what models of their plows you can put on your truck. This is important for weights. Also good and used are good things but stay away from old. Old style in some plows means you can't get parts anymore. Such as the Western Unimount plow (pin hook up) they have discontinued that plow for awhile now and last year was the the year that I could not order from Western some of the peices to make the mount. Yes you can go with an ultramount mount and conversion kit along with new wiring but if you are going to drop 1500 to 2500 on retro fitting an old style plow to your truck - why not spend more on a newer style plow and just buy a mount and vechile wiring harness.... PS when you are buying used ... make sure they give you all the wiring harness in the engine compartment & control and take the mount anyway.

NCC74656 · #15 10-13-2012, 10:19 AM

here are pictures of the bar under my truck: http://imgur.com/a/ElK7a

95HDRam · #16 10-15-2012, 05:06 AM

I really can't tell if that is an under frame for a plow or not. I know Curtis and Blizzard used a bar close to that but am not sure since I have never owned one. There should be some sort of reciever brackets coming out the front of the vehicle as well. That could just be an extra frame support bar that the previous owner installed since it looks like a piece of square tube attached at the sway bar mounts. My plow mounts does use those attach points but also has a frame that mounts to the side of the frame as well.

bigthom · #17 10-28-2012, 12:03 PM

i agree with many of these comments. do not just cobble a plow on there cuz it wont help u in the end. buy a good brand name plow for you specific truck. i did a lot of home work before I got mine. I was a western man for years. i never had good luck with meyer and not a fan of boss ( dont like plow mount height. dont like the direct lift incase it breaks i wanna be able to short chain it. ) i love my fisher plow. i have used western, blizzard, boss, meyer, hiniker, even snow way. i like my fisher for a few reasons. most apply to a v plow. 1 easy hook up. 2 fastest v on the market 3 trip edge works in any position 4 chain lift (like I said b4 if something does break i can still make it home easy. 5 double acting cylinders 6 smaller plugs ( never had good luck with boss or blizzard plugs in the cold) and the fisher xtreme v doesnt arch when it lowers. so if u pull up to an object or wont arch out and hit it as u lower. kinda nice. obviously everyone has different opinions but these r just mine. if you are gonna do aparment lots i would highly suggest getting a v plow. u can swing plow into better areas and hold snow better.

NCC74656 · #18 10-28-2012, 12:42 PM

i think a V plow may be a bit out of my price range. i was looking at buying an ultra mount for 300 on craigslist and then finding a western plow for either uni or ultra. a straight edge i think.

Willybak · #19 10-28-2012, 01:41 PM

Going it on the Cheap.

I know what you mean... every little thing you do seems to add to the cost of doing business.

Here is one guys novel solution to the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZvE...eature=related