How about a snow plow thread...

[K_Josh87]

Hey all,

Thought a plow thread might be interesting as most are gearing up for the season... What ya got? What works?? Whats Junk??? Pics??? What are we gonna break this year? Is It going to snow?? Who can't wait to be a sick and tired of christmas songs, annoying drivers, and coffee drinking snow plowing junkie again???

I got a 06 350 crew cab with a 9.5' hiniker vee... I really did not get enough hours on it last year to really decide if this is the best plow in the world or not, but i would say I am happy with it thus far... and they are made right in town, so that was a bigger factor in selling point...

Anyone running a Western MVP? Or Wideout blade? The MVP was my second choice... and some days I wish I gave it a try... may very well be the next one...

Anyways... Share away!!

Day I brought it home...

[leech~~]

How about a is there going to be any SNOW this winter at all thread after this dry summer?

[K_Josh87]

this is a very valid debate... I sure hope so as last year was not very profitable... I am thinking this year will be more average... not great, not terrible, just average... (hopefully)

[LwnmwnMan2]

I've got a 2012, 2011 and 2006 Dodge 2500 all with 8' Boss Vs.

Last year I picked up a 2010 Kubota RTV with a 6.6' Boss V.

90% of the work I do is on contract, so I get paid whether it snows or not. Last year was good for me, not so good for my guys. The year before was good for my guys, but I had to borrow money to keep operating.

I've been trying to get more per time or per inch contracts, but too much of me likes the guaranteed money, so that's the route I go.

Just picked up another townhome in Maplewood and 4 McDonalds in Coon Rapids / Andover area.

I'll be right at 55 accounts this winter, mostly commercial / multi-family properties.

I only run Boss plows anymore. I've had Western, Leo, Hiniker, Diamond (Meyer). I've been running Boss since '08.

[K_Josh87]

I have ran boss vees for another guy, and They are good plows, I don't like that they do not trip just the cutting edge though... maybe they do now I don't know for sure...

I sub contract for a guy, so I am paid by the hour... I have a couple other accts. I run on my own that are low pressure get there when your done with the others kind of deal, but they are by the hour as well... So... If it don't snow, I don't get squat... but truly my investment and risk is pretty minimal...

[K_Josh87]

i'm curious to know what you think of the kabouta, more so the style of machine with that blade on it... loooks slick for sidewalks ans tight areas...

[LwnmwnMan2]

Yes, I had bought the Kubota for an apartment in St. Paul last year, the corner of 280 and University.

It had 6' sidewalk 2 blocks long by 1 block wide with 30 apartments that needed stairs shoveled off at. My guys could take the RTV, shovel the stairs onto the sidewalk, then scoop the snow down to the ends where we could stack the snow. There's heat and air conditioning in the RTV, plus they could keep the shovels and snowblowers in the back.

It was a slick setup, we could keep the unit onsite, so all my employee had to do was drive, park in the underground garage, hop in the RTV, clear everything off, park the RTV in the garage again and leave.

We don't have that account anymore though, so this year I'm going to have an employee plowing regular lots with in around Wyoming. At least clear everything around the buildings, bank drive throughs, sidewalks, etc. Then someone with a truck can come in and clear the rest of the property.

[K_Josh87]

i would think maneuverability would make up for blade size, I could see it being nice for cutting curbs and building edges... Only draw back I see is clearance and weight for pushing, especially heavier snows...

[landscaper]

1999 Ford F450 Dump with 9' Boss V plow

Love my boss plow!! I have ben looking for a nice used Boss V ( or New) Like lwnmwnman2 Has for my John Deere Gator

Lwnmwnman2

Are all your Boss V's "XT"

Also Steel or poly?

thanks

[LwnmwnMan2]

My 2012 is getting a VXT. The other two trucks are just straight V's.

The one on the Kubota obviously is an XT.

I've had an XT before and didn't like it. I bought another one because of the deal I got off of C's list a couple of weeks ago.

They are all steel.

There are alot of plows for sale with minimal usage last year.

[chad austin]

I've been plowing for the same guy for the last 17 years, started with a 8' western straight blade, the next year went to a 8'6" western straight blade then moved on to a western V and I am now running a 8-10 blizzard and absolutely love it. Plows are like trucks, everybody has their favorites.

[K_Josh87]

I had one of my customers at one time trying to talk me into one of those blizzards... I didn't think they looked to bad... buy the time i bought one the following year he had quit selling them (which would have been very inconvenient as i think the only place to get parts is an hour or more away...)

The sales points I liked on the hinikers where they went to a heavier fork for the truck side mount ( lighter ones had a tendency to snap),

i like the ease of attachment

Blade was around 100-150lbs lighter than the Western MVP and I did not want to beef up front suspension or block it...

Trip clearance was higher than the Western

I have ran BOSS plows for another guy... and he was sold on them... but they seemed to be running back to his shop often to put parts on... But there where also a couple ram rod operators... I also did not think there mount was as easy to deal with... But I did not deal with it much as we always left the plows on his truck...

Also, a couple guys I know best that I am plowing with also have hinikers, making chances greater to have a spare part if needed in the middle of the night...

Chad, is that blizzard basically like westerns wide out plow? where it extends out wider?

[chad austin]

Yeah they are,do the westerns 45 at each end? Blizzards are more popular out east and alot of them in the U.P. of MI. I plow mainly large commercial lots and at the end of the route I go help the residential (townhomes) guys out. With that being said the blizzards in my opinion are a great option for both wide open areas as well as close quarters.

My brother runs a hiniker - nice plows

Buddy runs a boss - junk

Used to run a leo plow - tougher than any truck you can attach it to lol

[MuleShack]

I've been running Boss Poly Pro's for the last 11 years. Had Westerns on for 7 years before that but back then the hydros were so slow on that I didn't like it.

I haven't had any problems with my Boss's, well I burned a pump out on a 6 year old plow last year but I think it was low on fluid.

Looked at the Blizzards for the next plow but unsure about the moving parts with the wings sliding out if that causes undue repairs if you hit a curb to hard?

[chad austin]

I've been running the same blizzard plow since 2004 and the only problem I have had with it is a solenoid needed to be replaced about 2 years ago. For anyone looking for a plow I would suggest looking around in your area to see what is available and more important than that, what places/parts are available at 2AM.

Muleshack, that was a major concern when I first started using the blizzards as well. I will tell you this, I am usually pretty good about being careful when plowing but I have smoked my fair share of curbs and like I said above, minimum repairs.

[K_Josh87]

curbs and more often manhole covers have a tendency to sneak up on a fella from time to time...

The bosses just didn't seam to be the cats meow to me... But I wouldn't say my hiniker is without issue either... I know they corrected a couple of there key issues... but time will tell... Had a light with water in it this fall when I washed it up and went through it, Hiniker switched that no questions asked... only other issue I found where all 4 nuts on my wing cylinders where missing, glad I caught that... But thats negligence on the assembly side of things from the place I bought it... They heard how unhappy I would be if one of those popped off and went through my mouldboard or through a cooler on the truck...

So, I hope the plow holds up... Hopefully I actually get to put some hours in behind it... last year I wasn't too nuts about snow season after two years of getting walloped... now I am itchin for it...

[LwnmwnMan2]

On my Boss plows, I've hit manhole covers hard enough where I've broken a headlight, as well as split my head open from hitting the top of the inside of the cab.

Never had any issues.

I'm not sure what the issue with hooking them up, especially the V plows. Drive into them, flips two levers and hit an electric switch to lock in the light tower.

Anyways, just like everyone likes a different truck, equipment will almost always be personal preference.

What I will say though, is if you are on the north side, Plow World in East Bethel and Countryside in Ramsey are open during snow events 24 hours. Are there any others anywhere in case we break down, we can reference this post?

[K_Josh87]

Thats why I like the idea of the independent trip edges... they trip at any time, not just when the blade is in straight function... I only dropped his BOSS plows a couple times a season, so it most likely was more that I wasn't used to it, and actually never really shown how they are supposed to work... I will say the trip edge is much nicer to run than the full trip plow though... you don't feel anything in the truck... much easier on things...