Plowing with a..........

[bassNspear]

1/2 ton pick up. Wondering what your experiences are with it. Im thinking of putting a 7.5 foot blade on my F150.

Thanks

[bottom-bouncer]

If your going to use this for a comercial aplication you will destroy the truck! I was thinking of doing the same thing though with a half ton use air bags in the front to help support the weight! I would think that as long as your just using this for your personal driveway or to maybe plow a spot on the lake you would be fine!

[Scott K]

Not recommended. If the blade will only be on for plowing your driveway, or for a short amount of time, then taken off for normal driving, it would work. If you plan on using it for plowing all over town and not taking the plow off, dont do it.

[bassNspear]

why would you guys not recommend it for bigger lots?

[deadeye]

Your bearings, ball joints, steering components, differential/axles, frame and suspension are not made to carry a extra load on the front. Half tons are made to have a moderate load on/in the back end of the truck but the front end should not really have anything "extra" on it.

My vote is get a $500 3/4 ton or bigger rust bucket just for plowing. That way you don't end up in a mess when your nice truck has springs break or the differential explodes.

[bottom-bouncer]

The only reason I dont just get a 3/4 ton beater is I am running out of places to put my stuff. to much more and the neighbors are gonna start planting tomatoes!

[bottom-bouncer]

I was thinking about one of the new poly plows I really dont need anything special just going to do my drive and the in-laws drive!

[deadeye]

In that case I'm sure you would be fine. About the time you start doing more than a couple driveways you will start to notice that your asking a lot from a half ton. I have seen those poly plows and I bet that would be the best bet if your going to run a half ton.

I will try to take a pic of a jeep in my neighborhood that does driveways for people here. He's running a 2 door cherokee and it makes me cringe when I see him plowing. It literally drags the front end on the ground when he backs up after pushing up a pile. He gets the job done but he spends a lot of time fixing stuff. Even with heavy springs it is just miserable.

[bottom-bouncer]

I plowed for a number of years. Plowing is just plain hard on equipment. When I still had my 1-ton I took the plow off as soon as I was finished plowing. I would see the guys driving around all winter with the blade hanging off the front of the truck and watch it bounce around going down the road and wonder if they knew how much stress that puts on everything up front.

[Hafnutz]

My F-150 owners manual specifically tells you not to put a plow on it. Best advice is to get an old 3/4 or 1 ton and use that. If you plan to use your everyday driver for plowing it just doesn't work out.

[fish with teeth]

old boss had a 7 1/2 foot poly plow(sno way i think) on a expedition as a back up truck. that thing was awsome. it had a down pressure button on it that was good for scraping. but it was so hard on it that i cannt believe the truck didnt just quit. like was said before good for personal use but not for alot of driveways or commerical. its just to hard on the front end, the drive train, and the thinner frame rails. just my opinion.

[klecker]

A lot of the poly plows dont have much of a wieght differnce compared to steal cause they have allot more steal bracing. A poly plow for a 1/2 ton is made to plow your drive way. On larger lots they will fall apert as fast as your truck. They are made for light duty use.

[bassNspear]

sounds to me that i shouldnt be putting a plow on my truck!

Thanks all for the infomration!

[Tom7227]

The only reason I dont just get a 3/4 ton beater is I am running out of places to put my stuff. to much more and the neighbors are gonna start planting tomatoes !

So plow their driveways a few times and I bet they quiet down real fast.

[LwnmwnMan2]

I plowed with a '95 Dodge 1500 with an 8' blade for 6 years commercially.

Sold the truck in 2004 with 150k miles on it for $7500 without the plow.

We had put a set of Timbrens on the front end.

If you beat the truck, you'll destroy the truck, whether it's a 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton or larger.

If you're carefull about what you're doing, you'll be fine.

Yes, things will wear out slightly faster, but your front end isn't going to drop to the ground as soon as you mount the plow.

As far as the poly plow, if you look at specs, alot of them are as heavy if not heavier than their steel counterparts.

[Early Riser]

I had a plowing run of 12 gravel/rock driveways up to a mile long that I did with my 1984 1/2 ton Chevy - on the north shore between Hovland and Grand Portage for over 7 years. Talk about moving tons of snow!!! I also did my friends saw mill yard from time to time as well, along with the church parking lot in Hovland when needed. I had a regular size Meyers plow and that thing was practically bullet proof. I hooked it up around deer season and didn't take it off until the end of April. I drove this truck daily all winter including to my day job and to all my fishing holes throughout cook county that I hit twice almost every weekend.

I agree that if you don't beat on things and don't hit things too hard it can be done successfully with a 1/2 ton. The only things I had to do to my truck was to replace the clutch fan with a direct drive for cooling, and take out the automatic locking hubs and replace with manuals. I did not have one major problem with my set up in all those years. Maybe the trucks were built tougher back then? I also don't know much about Ford 1/2 tons and their capabilities for plowing.

[Scott K]

Lets just say it can be done, we all know it can be done, but it is hard on a 1/2 ton, and it isnt ideal on one. I wouldnt have any problem putting one on a 1/2 ton truck, but I wouldnt plan on using it as an everyday driver, if you put many miles on it. I also would believe the older trucks would hold up a bit more

[bassNspear]

after reading it looks like its best to not plow with a 1/2

[bassNspear]

seems like its going to destroy the truck, and not be in good shape within a few years. Seems like its better to have a 3/4 ton or bigger?

[Early Riser]

One of my neighbors in Hovland was a logger and he had a heavy duty Fischer plow on his early to mid 70's vintage 1/2 ton Ford that he used to plow his timber landings, his driveway, his family's driveways, and the church. Like my truck his plow stayed on from November through April and traversed the back roads for all his weekly ice fishing.

My guess is that they don't make 1/2 ton trucks solid enough anymore for plowing a moderate amount of snow...too bad.

When we can move back up there I guess I will also be looking at the super duty Fords with a solid front end and axle.