first plow vehicle?

[DanG]

I was just curious to see what some of you guys started with and have used over the years.

Being from upstate new york and country(farm) boy at heart heres what I started with and have used over the years.

I grew up with a homemade "doodle bug" model A with a flathead 4cyl. and 10.00x20.00 truck rear & tires on it.
It had a slightly angled 2 way plow on it and no type of cab at all. Used to freeze!!!
Also had a wheel horse tractor with blower.
I used the Model A to do all of our neighbors with.

Used a Farmall 560 gas with 2 way plow on the front on the farm I worked on to remove snow. Also used a backhoe or loader at times to move piles if needed.

First "real" plow truck was a 1977 ford bronco 302 3 speed on the column.
1974 dodge power wagon w/rack body 318 auto with 8' meyers(Blew and burnt it up)wasn't pretty.....was a beast thou

1979 dodge power wagon short bed 318 with tailgate sander(took plow off other truck) never plowed as well as the 74
(sold truck and plow for 200.00 after it got T-boned and totalled out plowing one night) kept the sander and just gave it away
1987 S-10 2.8 auto with a western uni-mount 6.5' (bought the plow off of a wholesale truck at the dealer for$500)(junked truck)

1994 dodge power wagon 318 auto with a sno-way 8' and daniels pull plow on the back(use now if needed)

1997 S-10 ZR2 4.3 auto(use now mostly)(I took the plow off the 1987 chevy) had to modify the frame mounts to get it to fit

I know I'll catch flack for not using the full size dodge with the back blade, but for the majority of the jobs I have it's overkill

 

[Psyclopse]

I started out with a shovel back when I was 13. I made enough money that winter to buy me a bicycle and a lawn mower. The next summer I mowed my butt off and bought a snow blower the following fall. That winter, I made enough money to buy a riding mower. I was a pretty sharp kid (I wonder what happened).

By the time I was late 14, almost 15, I had two riding mowers, 4 push mowers, two snow blowers and a bunch of shovels. I had other kids in the area clearing snow and mowing yards with my equipment. I split what they earned 50/50 (since it was my equipment).

On my 16th birthday, my dad brought home a car- a 75 Chevy Malibu Classic. He thought I was too young for a 4x4 (which I wanted). Ithought I got ripped, because my dad don't just buy our first cars and give them to us, he buys what he thinks we should have, and then we have to pay him back (loose your job, loose your car). I had a hard time trying to figure out how to move all the equipment I had aquired by then in a car. What I did was buddy up with a friend with a truck. He was pretty lazy and didn't want to do anything that involved labor, so I paid him $50 each week to drive my equipment and "employees" from place to place (I ended up raising his payment to $75 when I had a surge of new winter clients that year).

Shortly after my 16th birthday, I bought a plow real cheap- I can't remember for the life of me what brand it was (Western, I think) and it came with the mounts, which dictated what kind of truck to get. It was July when I got this, so it was cheap. That fall (1987) I had saved enough to buy a 77 GMC, and I put the plow on. Dad threw a fit, because I wanted to get rid of the car to buy a trailer to haul my equipment on, so he said that if I used the truck and plow all winter with no accidents and I keep insurance, he'd leave me alone and let me do what I want. Next spring I got my trailer.

After I graduated in 89, I sold everything and went into the Marine Corps. I did well there, but after a back problem, they wanted to discharge me. After 5 years, I had a choice- take an Honerable Discharge and go home, or try to fight it out and end up with a Medical Discharge. I chose the Honorable. Before I left, I would catch all the new people (we called them boots) who came from northern states. They'd show up with their trucks and quickly learn that plows aren't really needed much in North Carolina. I brought home 3 complete snowplows with vehicle mounts and a slew of extra parts- all of which I got for under $1000 total.

These days, I still do alot of plowing in the winter time, but I don't do much lawn care outside the apartments I manage. I only work an average of 4 hours a day 4 days a week at this complex (not including plowing) and I still average a paycheck equal to $9.00 per hour/40 hour week. It's enough to live on, and it creates a TON of extra time for me to do other things. I usually spend that extra time rebuilding theft-recovered trucks to resell and woodworking. I am thinking hard about opening my own snowplow/parts/repair shop. Where I live, I would have this market cornered- the only place that sells a plow in this county is Lowes, and they look like a very light duty job.

I currently have 3 trucks with plows, with a fourth under construction. I am still doing the same thing I did as a kid- let my buddies plow with my trucks and split the money 50-50.

 

[cowboy]

DAN

how was the 74 Dodge? That is what Im starting out with W200 w/ 318

Cowboy

 

[Tommy10plows]

first plow vehicle?

My first was a 46 willys cj2a, 4 cyl, L-head, NO HEATER with ONE vacuum windshield wiper. go up a hill and you loose it. it had a myers 6.5' plow and by my good fortune a Monarch Hy-Lo belt driven pump mounted on the 6 volt generator. After breaking a few of those Gates # 2210 belts, I got smart and got a longer belt to go all around the water pump, generator and Hy-Lo. That unit NEVER failed me. I continued to use Monarch products over the years, valves, rams, etc. on all my other jeeps and pickups. Most of what I used was belt driven, although I had some combo electric hydraulic monarch units. They are the best to deal with, just call Grand Rapids and you get a live body.

however, I have also used GM power steering pumps with homemade brackets to provide my hydro power. I had a frined who had a 55 CJ and he used a set of convertible top lift cylinders and the electric pump to raise his plow!

PS. Also owned a 49 CJ 3A with had a Hand operated (as in you pump it by hand)pump in the cab located between the front seats. Every time you wanted to raise it it was 11 pumps! You guys are spoiled !!!
Replaced it with a Monarch unit!

 

[NEAL]

First of all this is Neal's wife Tammy, I bet most women don't reply to these! We'll Neal's first truck was a 1976 Chevrolet 3/4 Ton pick-up w/ a 7 1/2 ft. Western, then came a 1978 Internatonal Scout w/ a 345? i think w/ a 6 1/2ft. Western, then his 1987 Full Sz. Blazer he has talked about on here before 350engine with the 2" suspension and 3"body lift on it and a 7 1/2ft.Western Pro plow that I know he misses and so do I! And he has put a blade on just about everything possible!...lol And after we sold it my cousin had a 1988 s-10 blazer we bought and later we found a 6 1/2 ft Western for $500.00 he put it on that then it was a piece of??? then he put it on our 1994 S-15 Jimmy but the plow was so dang ugly we took it off and sold it for $600.00! So our next step will be a new plow for the Jimmy or a different plow truck. That's it for me! I bet your glad!...lol Tammy

 

[GeoffD]

When I started plowing I was working at my dad's company.

Age 15 first plow truck. 1977 ??? F 350 4x4 9' fisher plow.

Age 17 1981 ??? F 350 Dump Body, V-box and 9' Fisher

Age 22 1986 F 350 Dump Body, V-box 9' fisher

Age 24 1988 GMC 1500 9' fisher ( the one year I had to try a chevy, 1988)

Age 25 1989 F 350 Dump Body V-box 9' Fisher plow. Gave the GMC to an employee.

Age 26 1990 F 350 Pick Up 9' Fisher Plow

Age 30 1995 F 350 Pick up 9' Diamond Plow.

Age 35 2000 F 350 Pick up 9' Diamond Plow.

 

[plowking35]

Started with my dads 1969 c-30 rack body with 7.5' meyer
Next was a 1988 k-5 blazer with 8' fisher
Then 1986 K3500 GMC with same 8' fisher, later replaced with a 9' fisher and then a western v plow
Currently a 1998 K-3500 with the western v plow.
Now those are my personal trucks, we have others that my employees drive.
Dino

 

[John DiMartino]

I started with a 1970 toyota landcruiser/7 ft meyer plow,manual sterring,manual brakes,3 on the tree with a high 1 st gr,had to use low range everywhere,but it pushed great.I put that same meyer plow on my 77 landcruiser after the 70 died.I eventually parted out the plow after the blade ahd been repaired 3 times,it broke the 4th and i sold it for parts.I had a 77 W30 Dodge Powerwagon,cab&chassis with a heil tow boom on it,and an 8 ft Fisher.I had a 77 Chevy Suburban,and 81 GMC Suburban both had meyer 7 1/2' that broke 3 times in 2 yrs,i replasced them with 7 1/2 Fishers,belt drive hydro's.In 93 i bought a 92 GMC 1500 Z71,and a new 7 1/2Minute mount Fisher,I sold the truck,but still use that same plow to this day,That plow has been on my 94 Z71 excab stepside,my 96 Ram 2500 Diesel,and its now on my 89 GMC 2500.I have another 7 1/2 minute mount now with no truck,yet.I have a 91 GMC 2500 excab SB,with a 7 1/2 Western pro-plow.My 84 S10 was retired this year from plowing-it was a great plow truck,I had to fabricate new push plates in order to put the 6 1/2 minute mount on my 95 S10 Blazer.