Tomorrow i'm going to trade a rust Dana60 axle for 92 F150 with 8ft plow that runs and i figure since i'll have a plow, might as well use it come winter to make some cash, but i've noticed that everybody i know who would pay to have driveway plowed don't have nice paved driveways, so before i dins out hard way weather or not i'll be screwed, i'll ask.

Will plowing a dirt/gravel driveway screw up truck an/or plow?

I'm guess if i take it easy, i'll be safe but never know.

 

It won't hurt anything on the plow. Better put some airbags in the coils of that F150 before plowing though.

 

Well that works for me.

The guy i'm doing trade with said he just installed new coils, shocks & added air bags cause he couldn't drive around with plow cause every time he hit a bump the wheel wells would munch on tires which i'm guess he had original 92 springs up front.

Thanks for info Fireball 440

 

Heck no, I used the snow plow on my 74 bronco to push piles of dirt and gravel in my back yard with out issue.

 

I kind of figured i'd be good to go but my buddy Ray screwed his plow truck up after plowing a couple dirt/gravel driveways last winter but i think it was his lead foot & lack of plowing know how that did messed up his truck.

 

You'll need to be more mindful of the lane you are plowing, simply so you don't end up grading it at the same time. Also be aware of how litigious this society is, insurance is a must but it would probably also be so expensive you can't afford it.

 

The local Boss Plow sales guy i talked to said i should adjust skid ski's so plow sits 1/4" - 1/2" off ground when plowing dirt & gravel areas to prevent digging/grading and plowing dirt & gravel along with snow into pile. He also said to watch out for ice layers cause it can have same affect of plowing to curb.

Insurance is going to be next step up from basic coverage, my insurance agent says i can get plow trucks coverage but it wouldn't be cheap.

 

When plowing a gravel driveway, you can't just drop the plow and push. You have to raise it up an inch or so or you'll scrape all the gravel off and when spring comes the owner will have a nice pile of gravel where you push the snow and they won't be too happy about having to spread the gravel around again.

 

Those skids you mentioned will be just what you need. I always like to leave a good half inch of snow. Leaves some good traction and usually doesn't get as muddy.

 

Depends on cutting edge,I work for highway dept. in winter and if I have a new metal edge, it works better after being slightly worn doing pavement first. The shock and vibration can break a lot of plow lights if dirt has rocks,frozen ruts. Some roads I can't plow when they get muddy, sometimes have to backdrag some. I have unearthen rocks on unfrozen roads . Driveways that you are going to take on should be maintained and in reasonable shape . I would check them before snow arrives and maybe use stakes to mark ditches and open culverts, other obstructions[ Exposed water well heads,ledge, landscape timbers] Establish a policy of how much you charge the customer for long storms and how many times you have to go back to replow,don't wait if storm is going to be over 12-30 inches to do at once. Your plow package should include oil cooler, heavy alternator and some packages have a second battery,the electric hydraulic setups now can use a lot of electricity. I still prefer the underhood hydraulic system found on older trucks. In some states,like NH,you have to carry a permit for plow lights[revolving,strobe] mounted on roof or vehicle,the permit has to be shown at time of vehicle inspection,permit is free for now. I have a copy in my office. plowking

 

I don't know what kind of gravel drives you guys plow, but around here if it's (unfrozen) gravel it's rough, uneven, not graded, has ruts and holes and rocks... there's no way you can hover the plow a half inch off the surface. Raising (dropping?) the skids can help, but not much - if the skids are running in a rut then you'll be digging up gravel. All that supposes the gravel surface isn't frozen, of course. Around here, pretty much from mid-December to mid March the ground is frozen and the gravel drives are like asphalt. For those late storms that come in after the ground has thawed? I will do all I can simply to avoid plowing that - kick it into 4wd and wait a couple days, it'll be gone...

plowking - I didn't realize you needed a permit for the yellow strobes. I scoot over the border into NH for one plow job. I don't even have a yellow light as 99% of what I'm doing is on private property. It's my understanding you only have to have the yellow light while actually plowing? Been meaning to get one though, although I'm not sure that I'll need a NH permit...

 

Welcome to FTE, I spend almost as much time here now as I do on HCS.

 

my drive is just gravel and after the first time i plow i remove the skid shoes off the plow. the main thing when plowing is dont go nuts drive slow and youll avoid busting somthing either your plow or truck or somthing buried in the snow like a sepitc vent or well cap

 

I don't think gonna be doing plowing this winter. The plow needs new hydraulic ram, the guy said dealer said it was just fine, guess dealer didn't care to give it a real checking.

 

If you aren't registered in NH,your lights aren't visible when off or you use a removal magnet light,you might be ok,this permit was started because of emt's ,volunteer firefighters, etc. responding to calls in their own vehicles . The state of NH wants to know why,how ,where you need the lights for. When a NH registered vehicle shows up at the inspection station with a magnet light or permanent light on vehicle, there had better be the emergency light permit in the glovebox. I got mine from my insurance company if needed.Should be able to print it online from registry or DOT in NH. plowking