New to Plowing

[dcohenour]

Hi! I really like this forum. I have been reading the messages for a couple of days prior to purchasing my first plow. I decided on a Western 8.5 ft pro for my Chevy 1 ton 4x4. I hope that I made a good choice. I'm getting it from a local dealer so the parts issue should be ok. I need some tips for plowing with a standard transmission. It's all I have to work with so I have to make do with what I have. I'm not a clutch popper, so I think I'll be ok if I take my time. I'm just doing my own place and maybe one other driveway to help with the cost of the plow. Any tips you could give would be great. Thanks for a good discussion!

 

[SlimJim Z71]

You should be fine with a manual tranny. Only problem I've heard of is your leg getting tired after MANY hours of plowing. But if you're only doing a few, you shouldn't have any problems with that. Western makes a good plow. My neighbor swears by them. Good luck, and welcome aboard.

-Tim

 

[plowking35]

The best thing you can do with the stick is to mount the controller to the shifter. It will save you alot of time. Also a good left knee brace will help.
Dino

 

[Veggie Farmer]

When using a stick shift plow in 4 high 4 low is just too slow in reverse. I use first gear but I know some guys who like second, guess your ratios will tell you which gear to use. Be sure to throw your clutch in before you hit the pile & coast to a stop . Once stopped don't try and push it again for that extra foot or two. Take your tailgate out for better vision backing up & its one less thing to fix if you forget to look while backing up.