[Tim1075]

How many of you guys plow with 2wd trucks? How do they perform? What modifications do you make to the truck (chains, weight, ect)?

 

[John Allin]

Big trucks only in 2WD.
One ton and smaller - all 4WD in my market.
2WD trucks make great sidewalk crew trucks.

 

[GeoffD]

F 550 and smaller all 4X4, the only way to go.

My F 650s and F 750s, 2wd with on spots.

Geoff

 

[slplow]

I had a 1982 chevy 2wd 1 ton dually with a 8ft fisher.It was great in parkinglots with the v box in the back , no chains and for the three year i owned it i never got stuck.

 

[Tim1075]

I notice around here i see a lot of older trucks (racks, dumps) to be 2wd. Most of the new trucks i come accross are 4wd.

 

[thelawnguy]

I took a picture of an 8wd today and will post it when its developed.

Its a Mack twin screw tractor with a Mafia block lashed to the fifth wheel, they plow a parking lot with it.

The city plows with Ford twin screw garbage trucks.

 

[Chuck Smith]

I don't know about Ford and Dodge, but Chevy didn't offer a 4x4 one ton dually until 1977. Even at that, sales of 4x4 models were slow...

In 1977 only 60,779 one ton trucks were made, and only 8% of them 4x4. That's 4,800 4wd 1 tons. Not many compared to 110,416 1/2 tons made that were 4wd, and 12,054 3/4 ton trucks that were 4wd.

In 1978 only 68,010 1 ton trucks were made, this, vs. 540,968 1/2 ton trucks, and 176,735 3/4 ton trucks. No percentages for 4wd models were given in the book I have for 1978.

Don't want to bore you all, just making a point that 4wd wasn't common on 1 ton models until later years. I had a friend that plowed in 1996 with a 95 Ford F-350 12' rack body, 2wd. In the middle of the winter, in the middle of a storm, he was out buying chains for it. He got tired of getting stuck. Needless to say in the spring, he traded it in on a 4wd rack body. He thought like most other landscapers, "I don't need 4wd" when he bought it, and maybe wanted to save on cost. WRONG. You don't need it if you don't want to plow. Yes, you could have a V box on the back, and ballast at all times. But who wants to increase fuel consumption, as well as wear on the truck, just to not get stuck?

~Chuck

 

[Snow Pro]

I had a couple of 1988 F-350's with 10' contractor beds that were 4x2. No problemas mon! Only once I remember having a problem with one of them. That was pushing uphill on ice. I skidded and had to manuver the truck around...no towtruck needed. I just went at it from a different angle and got it done. I should tell you this is Chicago and we don't get a lot of wet heavy snows.

 

[UNISCAPE]

WE PLOW WITH A 1981 INTERNATIONAL RACK TRUCK WITH A 14' BODY
SINGLE AXLE. WE FILL IT WITH SNOW AND IT PUSHES THE 10' WESTERN PLOW ACROSS A LARGE PARKING LOT NO PROBLEM!!!

 

[Snow Pro]

We plow with a '93 IH 4600 with a 16' dump body...no problem. Never been stuck, and we don't have to put anything in back.

 

[SLC1]

We plow with a 1981 Ford F-800 10' Fisher Plow and 8 yd sander and have never had any problems with it in the snow. I also have a friend who has a 1999 Chevy C-3500HD 2wd and a 9' plow he only keeps it in large lots and does not let his employees drive it but he says he does not have any problems with it, but personally I would never buy a 2wd drive truck unless it was a large one.Just my two cents

 

[GeoffD]

Depends on the amount of hills, and snow on the roads too.

If your out and flat land OHIO, i am sure 2wd would be fine.

Geoff

 

[Snow Pro]

I'd never buy a 4x2 anymore now that I'm seriously into the snow plowing business. It doesn't really cost more when you figure in how much money you could make with it and the extra resale value.

 

[Lazer]

2 things:

1.) Truck weight: Heavy trucks (generally dually's anyway) can get by fine with 2wd.

2.) Start/Stop frequency: If you're plowing private roads or large lots where you're going forward for long stretches 2wd works pretty well.
If you start/stop constantly like I do with short driveways, 2wd is useless.