I know that this isn't a towing question but I don't know where else in this forum to post this question. I have had 2001 3/4 ton For a year and need to find and attach a plow to it. I live up a fairly steep driveway in the mountains and I have a 8 unit apartment building in town which I need to keep plowed. Do any of you have any experience with attaching a plow to your rig and know of / recommend any specific manufacture or can give me a heads up on any problems I might run into? thanks

 

You can get lots of opinions on this. Personally I run a Curtis "hitch-n-run" 8' blade and it works just as good as any other 8'. I've had it for 5 or 6 years now, its a all in one type unit where the pump and all hydraulics are mounted to a quick mount frame. So all that bolts to the frame of the truck is the mounting plate/bar thing. It is pretty easy to set up/install with the right kit, obviously making one from a different truck won't be easy. Just now I'm having problems with the multi-pin plug on it (controls all movements and lights) as the pins are starting to break off, other wise no problems.

Plowing can put a little extra wear on the transmission/clutch and front end parts, but I still get good miles out of anything I've had to replace with good maitenance. I sure do miss the auto for plowing though, rowing the 5speed gets old after a few hours in a snow storm.

Extra weight in the bed helps, but you can get away without it. I usually run about 1/2 ton of weight if it's gonna be a good storm. And again, maitenance is key on the truck, keeping trans fluid clean and bands adjusted, watching temps, cleaning salt off truck frequently as well as greasing all the joints. Other then that, the Cummins makes a great plow truck, very little throttle is needed even if you don't get to the lot right away and there's almost a foot on the ground. Good luck, I'm sure others will chime in on other blades, I know western/meyer and fisher all make a decent product.

 

Lots of good info in the previous post.


I have a Unimount western 8.5 pro plow straight blade, and for you to do just a few lots, any straight blade will do fine for you, and I agree that you want one that when you disconnect it from the truck, everything stays on the plow so your truck doesn't have a big shiny nosepiece added to it all year long. The Ultramount will be good choice for you, but I'd try to find one on a vehicle so you can see it work, because it can cost you upwards of $1000 in parts alone to get one back in good working order.

You need a truckside specific mount to fit your truck, which can be expensive. I like Westerns, but all plows have their issues. Go to www.plowsite.com and read up on the different types of plows out there. There are a few goose egg type plows out there, but most will do what you want them to do, as you're not going to be using it very often.


My next plow will be a boss VXT 8.5, as it's more versatile and can get into tighter places than a straight blade can.


Used plows are all over CL and the net. Finding one that isn't too rusted and beat up is key. It's actually the wrong time of year, as you're going to pay a premium for it now, vs during the spring / early summer where they were being given away.

 

I run a 8' snow dog hd straight blade. been good so far. The weight on the front really takes it off the rear end, so i put 800# or so in the bed.

 

Not to hijack, but I have a question while on the subject. I have the truck in my sig with the Buckstop front bumper. Is there an easy way to mount a plow to it?

 

More than likely no. The plow must mount to the truck frame, You need certain mount height to make the plow work properly. Coloradotom I would say go with something you can get parts fast and easy for. Dealer support will be your most important thing on getting a plow. I can say anything western and fisher will be the easiest to get parts for and very reliable. Boss Is also top notch... I have worked on Curtis plows but they are not field serviceable because the pump is buried inside the framework. I am not a fan of Meyer so... Cant say i have heard too many bad things about Snowdogg.. I run Blizzard on all my trucks.. but im more for productivity because its how i pay the bills in the winter time .. anymore questions feel free to ask away..

 

Great minds think alike

We have an outfit here that remains open all night long during snow events. Should a problem develop, I can take a 35 minute ride, and even @ 2:30am in the morning, have it fixed by them.


Having a dealer backup plan is critical

 

Wow, I don't know of anything like that off hand around here (open to public anyways). My backup plan is a come-a-long in the back seat to keep the blade up if anything goes south.

 

We run two Boss V-Plows here. One on an auto F-250 and one on a 6.7 Cummins. I wouldn't hesitate to make Boss my next purchase. We also have dealer that will stay open all night during storms. I can't remember using him at 2:00 AM, but it is nice to know the service is there. Make sure your electrical systems are in good order prior to hooking up a plow. Batteries, cables, and connections take some serious load running the hydraulic pumps.

 

all of my plows are western unimounts. Most of the name brand plows are as good as the next, and in fact theres really only a couple of companies that make them, and they are released under different brand names. Fisher, western, blizzard, etc are all made by douglass dynamics, for example.

Two biggest reasons I use the western uni's. One, close by dealer support available 24hours in an event. Second, is the chain lift system.

The difference between a chain lift and hydraulic is just that, the hydro lift system has a cylinder attached to the a-frame of the plow, and to the light tower. The chain lift system has the same hydro cylinder, but it simply pushes an arm attached to a chain instead of a direct connection to the plow. The reason I find this beneficial, is that in the event of a plow failure, hydraulic failure, etc, you can just run the plow up on a pile of snow, hitch the chain further up (short-chaining) and you can get home or to the shop. With a hydraulic system failure, you have no way of raising the plow to travel.

 

The way they draw power I would think that for someone doing a lot of plowing a second electrical system for the plow would be beneficial.

 

You are correct to a point. I put a Leece Neville on my truck. But the factory dodge charging system is pretty decent. IF when your plowing you don't have happy hand syndrome.. which is when you excessively use the plow. If you run anything other than a Blizzard you will be able to let the plow ride up the pile which relieves a huge amount of power needed to lift the blade. No need to turn the plow straight at the end of the run either, when your wind rowing.. your just wasting your reserve amps in the battery. What is your location Coloradotom? If your near Bailey I know a Boss plow dealer up there..

 

I have been nothing but happy with my 9' Boss straight blade. I plow a Pepsi bottling plant with my truck and 3 skid steers (bobcat S185's). The plant is open 24/7. So I am there for days at times, until its done snowing and the lot is clean curb to curb. My Boss has never let me down, and can take a beating. I also seems I can stack snow higher in piles with my Boss Vs. my old Western. Plus I like the fact it has a lift ram instead of a chain like the Westerns have.-(Personal preference)

Whatever plow you choose, I suggest spending the extra money and going Commercial grade instead of the homeowners edition.
I also chose Boss because there is a dealer about 1.5 miles away from my house, and their other location right across the road from where I plow.