I am going to purchase a plow for my 2000 Expedition 5.4, and I was wondering what the best plow setup would be to buy. I don't want a super expensive plow but I still want one that will last me a long time. I also want one with the the lights and cradle etc. Has anybody bought a plow application similar to my truck and what was it, did they like it, how much was it etc. Any suggestions would also be helpful.

 

I think your asking for trouble putting a plow on that truck

 

There isn't a recommended commercial setup because you're not supposed to plow with an expedition. The expedition is the equivalent of an F-150 pick-up which is only a 1/2 ton vehicle. Any quality plow setup recommends using a 3/4 ton at minimum with a 1-ton being best for commercial plowing. If however you are planning to use it for personal use only, then you can get away with it. In this case, your choice isn't critical, so you'll just want to shop by price.

 

And realize that while you may in fact have your plow for a long time, you may not have your Expedition to hang it on. That's a lot of weight to hang on there, the baby is going to nose dive as soon as you lift the plow off the ground.

 

I have seen many people that have plows intalled on Tahoes and Expeditions with no problems, they do light duty plowing like what am planning on doing. Is there any medium sized plow that can be retrofitted to fight my Expedition. Is the suspension in the front to soft to handle the extra weight of the plow, and what other problems can it cause?

 

You can fit a plow to your Expy. I would look at the Sno-Way plows, they specialize in light duty plows using plastic moldboards to save wieght.

Still, a decent plow is probably going to run you well over $2000. It is going to wreak havoc with the already questionable ball joints in the front end. The engine, trans and rear end of you truck should be fine and if you already have the tow package an extra trans cooler should not be needed.

So between the up front cost, and the extra wear an tear on suspension and tires, I would be asking myself if it is really worth it. You could pay to have the driveway plowed 50-60-70+ times for the investment you will have. Depending on where you live, that is 5-10 years worth. Or buy a lawn tractor with a blower. It will also destroy the resale value of your truck.

I plowed snow commercially for 15 years. It isn't as glamourous as it seems. To do it right you need a very sturdy truck. I personally would never fit a plow to any truck that did not have a solid front axle. They really are hard on independant front ends.

Yes, you do see plows on smaller rigs. I would bet most of those people eventually realize their mistake though. It only takes one curb buried in the snow to tweak the frame of your truck, I would fight the urge to be a snowplow wanna be I would also dispute the notion that people doing "light duty" plowing are not having problems. If they are not causing damage to their vehicles, they probably are not doing enough plowing to justify having a snowplow on their truck in the first place.

 

I agree with every thing Big Greenle said . The owners manual even says do not plow snow with this truck.

 

so would a plow for the same year f150 bolt right on ?
is the front end the same body wise and suspension wise ?

 

Yes, '97-'02

 

Thanks guys, I was just wondering if it would even be worth it to buy one, but after listening to "Big Greenie" what he said does make sense. Plus I wouldn't want to risk my daily driver for rough duty.

 

Part of the problem is, the plowing bug will get you You will find out how much money you can make plowing and that will goad you into taking on plow jobs. If you had a HD truck I would tell you to go for it, the money is great. The hours generally stink and you cant commit to much if you have a regular job. I used to run my Motel in the summer and plow in the winter. In an average snow I had 14 hrs of work at $100/hr, most of it cash. Unfortunately you cant count on it for steady income every year though. The first year the guy I sold my accounts to made $30k. This year they are going to reposess his truck, no snow=no money.

I would definately just pay someone else to do it.

 

Unfortunately you cant count on it for steady income every year though. The first year the guy I sold my accounts to made $30k. This year they are going to reposess his truck, no snow=no money.


He should go to Cleveland , Buffalo or Rochester for a few weeks and get caught up on his payments. They've been gettig hammered.

 

Why is it that every time you speak, you've done something else for a living? When a woman gets around that much we have a name for it!

 

Shoot, it doesn't seem like THAT many things. I had a lawn care and snow removal business, owned a roof truss manufacturing business, did the motel for a couple years, now back in the wholesale construction goods biz. I did well enough for a period of time that I played A LOT, probably 5 years worth of racing Porsches, off roading Mercedes, extreme mtn snowmobilling, drag racing, and playing with a nice little car collection.

I have to work my way back up now, but all of the recent trials have hopefully endowed me with at least a little extra wisdom. That and a decade or so of top notch experiences makes me come across as a bit of a know it all I guess. I'm just trying to help...really

 

You do more than just try. I'm around often enough to notice.