First of guys, dont worry, this is not another thread about the "infamous" snowplow prep. package .

Lately Ive been getting to thinking about putting a plow on the truck. Ive got a few questions for you guys first though..........guess I'll get right to it.

1. for a truck like mine (04.5 3500 SRW 4wd) what would be the best all around plow? I really like the Boss V-plows but I'd imagine they ain't cheap.

2. could someone give me some ballpark prices on what it would run me.

3. for you guys that have plows on your personal trucks, how do you go about getting contracts? The only plowing Ive ever done has been for work on their property so Im pretty new to this.

4. I understand I probably wouldn't make a profit on the investment in just one season, but is it worth it overall?

Any advice ya'll can give me would be great, especially anyone in the VA/MD area. I haven't really decided if this is something I should do or not so I thought I'd ask you guys first

Thanks again,
Jeff

 

o cmon, no one?

 

When I plowed I used a 9 foot Fisher on a 3/4 ton truck. It worked fine and was in great shape when I sold it.

I advertised in the local paper for plow contracts. But I got more from word of mouth.

You can make money plowing, but I made alot more when I sold the plow and bought a backhoe. Depends on where you are.

Put more $$ away for maintenance than you think. Tires, U joints and ball joints will wear faster.

You won't get alot of sleep when it snows. I'd go for 36 to 40 hours after a big storm. Catch an hour sleep here and there. Drank lots of coffee and smoke alot. Then fix all the stuff that breaks the next day, getting ready for the next storm.

Trans service 2x per year. I plowed 250k on a E4OD and it never failed.

I'd never go back to it. Ever.

 

When I pushed i ran a 8`6 meyer plow with wings , so it was 10`6 wide . THE BEST WAY TO GET CONTRACTS IS WORD OF MOUTH ,YOU CAN ALSO DRIVE ARROUND AFTER A STORM . ALOT OF PEAPLE WATE TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO FIND SOMEONE TO PUSH. GOOD LUCK.

 

Thanks for the responses guys, good info.

Would anyone out there mind sharing what the typical initial cost would be (PM is fine if you prefer). How long does it typically take to break even? I know it varies by location so take in to account Im in VA, we get snow every winter but not like ya'll up north. Im not really considering this as a get-rich scheme.........just want to make sure Im not throwing money away

thanks again
Jeff

 

You got to shop around your area for plows. Then call your insurance agent. Advertising is cheap. That will probably be your inital cost. How much you work is how much you will make. I made good money but work suicide hours. Others want to sleep every night. Can't do that when the lots have to be cleared by 6 or 7am.

 

I paid 3800 for a new 8'2" Boss V-plow with the snow flap. I'll have mine paid off this first season even though we didn't get as much snow as we normally do here in Wis. As far as brand... I love my Boss and wouldn't go with anything else. It's built like a tank and is a breeze to take off and on.(plus the color matches my truck perfectly!) I have a '03 3500 SRW auto and it handles it well. I make sure that I am easy on the tranny though. Boss actually doesnt even recommend a plow on my truck because of the diesel, so I just bought the bracket for the gasser and it worked fine. The guy that I bought it from said he sees that alot.

 

Since the thread got bumped I figured Id make a comment. All I can say is Im extremely glad I didnt go ahead and get the plow. We only got one minor storm this year (melted the same day), If I had dropped the money Id be kicking myself in the butt for the next 8 or 9 months, lol

thanks for the responses though
Jeff

 

You might also want to sign up on www.plowsite.com

I had a Blizzard 810 on my 1st gen. Worked great with how the wings go out about 1' each side making it a 8' (tucked in) to 10' (extended). They would also pivot forward about 10* or so. Great plow.

Glad I didn't have it this year on my 3rd gen though. Just wouldn't have paid for itself.

 

I run a 9" Fisher Xblade on my 04.5 2500. Handles the plow good, pushes nice and the X blade is solid, I love it. I plow for the town, initial cost of my plow with cutting adge and deflector was just under $5K and it was paid off the first season. This year sucked but I still made around $4K so far. To hell with driveways though, if you can't get the time off to push for the town state or a local company don't bother. Driveway people are a pain, the timing, they want you back everytime us town guys go buy, and they ***** about their lawn in the spring... no thanks. It's not all it's cracked up to be though. The first year it's cool, then you get one or two big storms and your whole attitude changes to get me the hell out of this truck, I could be in bed right now.

 

I would look at the western pro plus plow! it is a resl HD plow, its what i have