Yay! Figured I'd start a general thread for snow plow discussion, tips, tricks and a one stop shop for guys looking for snow plow info. Seems like there is a quite a few users on here who plow. Might as well have a big ole' conversation about it.

If you got pictures, post up pictures, specs, plow type, whatever.

Me: 02 250 CC/SB with a 7', 6" Western Poly UniMount. I have the non-plow prep springs and I have to say, with a little ballast which I run for traction this truck handles it very well. I am looking to upsize the springs and run a 9'2" Boss V-XT this coming season.

To be honest, I have no real knock against the Western. It's never left me down and out or anything. It's a pretty simple plow that's held up through some pretty nasty stuff. Only problem is even with Pro Wings, it's still too small and does not have the great of a carrying capacity. Besides, if I don't run the wings, the plow barely cuts a wide enough path for the truck. It gets worse at angle and it can't hold snow straight worth sheit, as expected.

To start off, how many of you guys run 9' and bigger plows on SRW trucks? I've only ran the V-XTs on DRWs with V boxes in the rear, but I'd imagine if I equipped the truck with the proper snow tires and a good bit of ballast, it wouldn't be any worse off. I also have a Det Tru Trac in the rear to help. How about you?

 

Great Idea! I run a diamond plow and it works great
Rob

 

It seams a bit warm out (today especially) to be talking plow talk. But I'm still in.

My trucks got an add-a-leaf up front to help handle the weight of my Fisher 8' HD with a homemade rubber foil & 6000K HID's.

 

Where do we start...

My primary driver is a 2005 F350 Crew Cab SRW V10 that runs a Blizzard 8611lp (8.5' hydraulically expanding to 11'). With the deflector and carbide edges it comes in around 1250lbs. This truck runs an all stainless buzz box spreader that can run bulk salt, or bags (opens and dumps up to 42 bags at a time). This truck has all the goodies, backup cameras, GPS, nav, DVD, 2 2-way radios, laptop, remote start, air bags on all 4 corners, on-board compressor, many many LED lights, upgraded plow lights, etc. It's my mobile office, and runs primarily a commercial route and a large high-end apartment complex. This truck is an amazing testament to "Built Ford Tough"! It gets it's butt worked off, yet keeps begging for more. It's overloaded on a regular basis, yet is the most reliable truck I've ever owned.

Next truck is a 2003 F350 chassis cab dually V10. This truck runs a blizzard 810 (8' hydraulically expanding to 10'), and a 3 yard air-flo all-electric stainless spreader. Did the F650 dash on this truck, GPS tracker, sho-me lightbar, rear LIN6 amber and TIR3 amber, whelen dominator in the grille, and airbags on the front axle. The rear platform, bumper, and headache rack I custom built to save weight and cost. This truck mainly runs commercial accounts and is our primary salt truck.

Next up is a 2001 F250 extended cab 5.4. This truck currently runs a Blizzard 800HD (8' straight blade) with down pressure mod (excellent for backdragging driveways). This truck does mainly residential accounts, 1 commercial lot that's about an acre, a 16 unit townhome, and a quadplex. It also has a small tailgate spreader, sho-me lightbar, and front airbags. It's a nice truck, but sees only a couple thousand miles a year. This truck and the 2003 are parked in the pole building up north 7 months out of the year...

My dad's route is done using his 2001 F250 extended cab PSD and a blizzard 810. His truck is very similar to my 01 extended cab, and also has a diesel tank in the bed for the bobcat, small tailgate spreader, etc.

We also have a bobcat 853 that mainly gets used for snow relocation and big snowfalls, but it doesn't have a regular plow route, just too much of a PITA to drag it around in a storm, and trucks are faster for most of what we do. Dad owns the bobcat, but strangely enough, I get more use out of it, LOL.

I also have 2 sidewalk crew trailers (enclosed), a 12' and 16'. These are pulled with employee vehicles. These trailers are outfitted with snowblowers, push spreaders, lots of shovels, and an ATV set up with plow and salt spreader.

We're almost entirely snow, I do about 4 hours a week of mowing in the summer, and that's it... I hate mowing but love snow, so I've built my business around that attitude, and it's worked out well. All of my employees have regular full time jobs, but like playing in the snow for extra income. My dad subs for me with his 01 PSD, and does auto repair year 'round.

I'm hoping to add a new SD next year (the 2011's are saaawwwweeeet), but I pay cash for everything, and just don't have enough set aside yet... Plus, with the 05 being so damn reliable, and treating me so well, it's hard to think about "replacing" it and bumping it town the totem pole into employees hands...

Couple pics...

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/z...g?t=1277762840


There's mine...

 

Mine's the filthy one:

 

I run a 8.5C Meyer w/ wings. It is 10'2" total and I havw no problems with my SRW truck. I run about 800 pounds ballast and it handles just fine. I also have a non snowplow prep truck with the powerstroke. I am looking to upgrade to a Western V this winter.

 

Ihave a 2006 f-350 harley davidson edition diesel with eight whelen strobe lights and atomicled roof lights that strobe,with a 8.5 fisher stainless steel x blade. And a 2006 f650automatic wth a cat 230 hp with a 10 foot fisher, and a bobcat with a snow bucket an a snowblower.

 

Damn Wizard, you got a real setup there! How do you like that expandable wing plow? I've heard a lot about them but prefer a V blade myself.

Here's one for y'all; what brand of tires are you running?

 

Love 'em! Bought my first Blizzard 4 years ago after always having Westerns, and have never looked back. Closest thing to an 8611lp in carrying capacity is a boss 9'2" Vee with wings. The versatility of being able to have an 8.5-11' blade or anything in between is a real time saver. It's all about getting more done in less time, which is what made vee plows popular in the first place. The only place a vee really dominates anymore is breaking through deep snow drifts, which we don't have much of a problem with here in the metro.

I run BFG AT KO on my SRW F350, and the F250 has procomp all-terrains which suck compared to the BFG's. The dually has uniroyal something or other, they seem to do ok. Dad's truck has BFG Commercial Traction TA 235's which do pretty well due to being tall and skinny. Looks like crap though. My expy (doesn't plow) has Michelin AT2's on it, them are some sweet tires!

 

Nice lookin' truck. I'd rather have a filthy Fisher than a clean Meyer...

 

........

 

Here's my ride.

 

and the strobes in the grill.

 

I also run the BFG's All Terrain. Very good snow tire...