Snowplow question

Actually a few questions:

I'll likely buy a driveway truck, either for this winter or next. The kind of 4X4 pickup that will start and run a snowplow but won't be legal for road use.

Since I've never operated a snowplow, I am starting to look at the different trucks available. What strikes me about some of them is that the plow seems to stick out much farther from the front than on others. Is this to be avoided? I'd like to see the plow closer to the front bumper, to keep the weight more evenly balanced. Seems the rear end will be considerably lighter, the farther away the plow.

Also--no matter the distance between the plow and the front of the truck, is it advisable to load up the bed with some weight when plowing?

Thanks for any advice.

when you turn the plow to the side it will just miss the front bumper and you want the weight on the front end as it gets the most traction and when you turn the plow to the side you need the weight on the front so it don't push you off the road.plowed snow for 45 years had all DODGE trucks with manual trans and [[real snow tires]] NOT all season

also i would rebuild the front axles every year [new U joints on axles and drive shafts ] never had a brake down in the winter. snow plowing is hard on any make of truck really helps if you can park them in a heated shed at night so they can melt of. had all gas engines 5.2 318s

I did exactly what you're considering for a while. Didn't work out.
The truck was always in my way during the summer and almost
always full of mice chewing the wiring, seats and everything else.
When I wanted to use it for snowplowing, I had to fix it first.
Setting around doing nothing turns even a reliable truck into a not
so reliable truck. I sold it to a guy who would use it more often.

But to answer your questions, yes, I always used some weight.
Even though the front wheels are doing doing most of the pulling,
if you drop them in a ditch or get them in a snow bank, you'll be
glad you had a little weight on the rear.

The blade needs distance from the front of the truck to clear when
angled. The newer models tend to set closer because of the way
they mount it seems, but the old style has worked for many years.

just fill the bed with snow for balance and traction

As mentioned in another thread, I started using a JD 4010 with FEL and 3-pt 2-stage snow blower when we moved here. Our snow was normally dry; not the wet, sticky stuff other areas usually have. The snow thrower would throw it, but sure took a lot of engine power, which equals a lot of gas. Also kept having a heck of a time trying to get the tractor started in cold weather (we get into the -40'sF).

Eventually we bought a 2001 Dodge 1500 (half ton) extended cab 4x4 with auto trans. It has the 4-wheel shift on the floor - no push-buttons here! I normally plow in 4-hi, saving 4-lo for when I rarely get stuck. I'm using brand new all-season tires, so good tread. Rubber is a bit harder than I'd like and tread not as aggressive, but gets the job done.

No garage here. Truck sits out in the cold all winter long. Starting last season, I now keep a battery tender on it to keep the battery fully charged. Starts like a dream, keeps the wind off, and I'm done in a fraction of the time the tractor would take - and MUCH less gas used!! I can sometimes go all season in the Dodge with what the JD 4010 took in gas for one snowfall.

My plow is a Western poly plow with Ultra Mount hitch. Bought it used. Have had it for several years and has only required replacing the angle cylinders so far.

We have one spot in the driveway that's almost a 90-degree corner, and very sharp, with deep ditches close on all sides. It's possible to get a semi and 48' trailer in, but just barely! The county always had trouble getting the grader through that spot while plowing, and the snow berm they'd leave behind would often drift into something even they were not capable of handling. I've dug out through 6' to 8' snow drifts 2 times, and that 2nd time was enough! I now won't even let them in the yard. They can only put snow to one side, and it happens to be the side that causes drifting to be worse when windy.

I use no ballast in the rear of the truck. As mentioned, 4-lo will usually get me out of any stuck situation. If not, our other truck can get us out no problem. If I added ballast, that could change things. Also, I got stuck in 4-lo one time so bad that not even the 2nd truck could get the plow truck unstuck.

Keep in mind, we rarely have more than 8" to 10" of snow at one time. But, we have long, narrow areas to plow, so have learned tricks to be able to "work" the snow to the end where I pile it up. My plow with mount can build snow piles 6' high. ...Almost forgot, being a 1/2-ton truck, I had to add these to the front to enhance suspension and better handle the weight of the plow:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TNDRIE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My CPA has a long gravel drive. He hires a guy with plow on truck to push snow.
Then in the spring after the snow melts he calls me to remove the gravel the
guy pushed in his yard. Plows on trucks push more than just snow if you have
gravel drives.

I use a 7 ft blade on the back of Jubilee. I attached a 3 inch pipe to the
bottom of the blade. If I hear the pipe hit gravel, I pull up on blade, so I
push just snow and leave gravel in drive, not the yard.

I think you'll find those plows that stick out further have greater angle range. A lot of the plow trucks around here have gone to <a href="https://www.bossplow.com/en/products/truck-equipment/power-v-xt-plow">a plow that's hinged in the middle so it can be used as a vee-style plow</a>. They can also reverse the vee when they're piling snow.

For just a driveway I'd go with a tractor and blade,loader would really be a good addition.Tractor can get in nooks and crannies a truck can't.

Thanks for the replies. Right now I have my Massey with FEL and yes it's gravel driveway about 1/8 mile long. I like the idea of doing the snow removal myself as I don't want my driveway removed at same time. But it's possible having a plow truck sitting unused for most of the year may become a real headache as someone pointed out. Fortunately it's relatively level with only gentle slope so I can use the Massey for now--with chains and ballast on the Back. In my area we can get anywhere from one inch to three feet over the course of the winter and since the driveway isn't really that long it may make more sense to stick with the tractor. That is, until that deal on a used plow truck looks too good to pass up...

For us, having a plow truck adds another level of security. If our primary truck should break down in any time of the year, can always take the plow truck. Only takes a few minutes to mount or dismount. Also, if we have to drive in blowing-snow conditions, the plow truck might be the only one that can make it into town.

We came home from out of town one time driving a 3/4-ton 4x4. There were drifts we almost couldn't get through with that truck, and it had excellent tires! Up here, gotta be prepared - especially when town is so far away.

I would think a 4WD tractor would go a lot better than a truck to town of course it'd be a cold ride without a cab.

Not when town is 50 miles away! *lol*

I would think a 4WD tractor would go a lot better than a truck to town.

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I would completely disagree with this statement.

I have plowed snow with everything from a garden tractor to an articulated loader. Virtually each removal device has a circumstance where it is the best thing for that specific instance. Taken as a whole, a pickup truck with attached plow is the most versatile, efficient and safest of them all.

Since I retired from commercial snow plowing, my pickup gets less than 2000 miles per year and is often stored outside. I have yet to have rodent problems, but, yes, I do have to move it around once in a while. I keep it plated and insured to use year around, drove it today, in fact.

To the OP, the newer plows stick out farther also due to the way the plow frame mounts to the truck- most disconnect the majority of the frame, lights and pump with the plow. I have used ballast in the bed of the truck, but it was more to level the truck to compensate for an extra-heavy plow. Typically, the weight of the plow combined with the motive force of the front axle in 4X4 mode is more than enough for traction. Shopping plow services now, you may find it economically advantageous to hire it done.

When we had 28" of snow at one time back in 2010 pickups with snow blades were useless.

Having moved snow with a large assortment of equipment I'll stick with a tractor with heated cab and a blower. When I had a pickup with plow the truck (3/4 ton) really didn't like a plow that much. And really? A truck is designed to carry of pull things, not push. When I worked as a mechanic here in MN the bulk of our expensive work (front axles and transmissions) in the winter were plow trucks. Seems there was always one in the shop.

The biggest advantage to a tractor mounted blower is not having to worry about where I'm going to stack snow.

Rick

Thanks for the replies. If I find a rusty old plow truck that works, I will most likely buy it if I can get it cheap. I don't live in the snow-belt, but we can get severe winters here with a lot of snow. It just depends on what Mother Nature has in mind. The good thing about Maryland is that our state vehicle inspection program kills vehicles like this--makes it too expensive to fix something with rust or some mechanical defects or cracked windshield, mirrors, and so on. As a result, the only buyers interested in such a vehicle would be those looking for parts or something to park in the driveway in the event it snows.

(quoted from post at 22:10:59 09/09/18) When we had 28" of snow at one time back in 2010 pickups with snow blades were useless.

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We woke up to 46" one morning. Pretty much everything except crawlers and skidders were useless.

"I have yet to have rodent problems"

You have far better luck than me. Maybe because I live, essentially,
in the middle of a bean field. Some years, it's a corn field.
Anyway, this one was so infested that in the summer I actually
had snakes in the truck trying to feed on the mice. Even found
mayonnaise packets from fast food restaurants in it. No idea
where those packets came from. We don't use them.