Snowplow Buyer's Guide

Oct 12, 2012

Hot Blades for Winter

New plows make blazin’ snowy roads a breeze

By John Tiger

In many parts of North America, 2011-2012 was tough going for the majority who plow snow. Little to non-existent snowfall in many parts of the Midwest and Northeast made it rough on those who depend on Ma Nature’s falling white powder to fuel their bank accounts in winter.

Nevertheless, winter 2013 lies straight ahead and havng the right equipent for the job will maximize profit potential.

Making the most of plowing time while minimizing down time is the name of the contractor’s survival game.

Although last winter was slow for snow, plow manufacturers looking for a competitive edge were still developing, fine-tuning and building plows to help contractor’s be more profitable. Here’s the latest scoop:

V = VERY EFFICIENT

The V-plow continues to be the hottest setup due to its versatility and efficiency, with most of the major manufacturers either introducing a new model or making improvements to recently-introduced ones.

The hot trends that continue into this season include more compact, lighter-weight models for new model pickups.

Improved features range from flared blade wings that throw and deflect snow further, to enclosed hydraulics that help keep snow and ice away from hoses and fittings to better-reacting trip edges and moldboards that don’t fully transmit the potentially damaging jolts to the pickup frame when hitting under-snow hazards.

V-plows are becoming so popular that many of the manufacturers are now fielding models specifically for half-ton pickups.

Fisher Engineering’s new XLS plow, designed for half-ton pickups, is a very unique plow that features a straight blade with extendable, adjustable-angle wings.

These smaller plows making these versatile plows are ideal for operators who use lighter-duty trucks for residential or light commercial snow clearing.

IN THE WINGS

Plows with adjustable wings are also rising to the top when plowing efficiency and speed are paramount concerns.

Fully adjustable wind plows can be used in just about any degree of any configuration, making the plowing results infinitely customizable for each operator’s situation and plowing preference.

In short, these plows make for quicker work of just about any job because they can be configured on the fly, from the cab, to match the boundaries and parameters of any lot or driveway layout.

Operators can adjust width in straight-blade mode, then adjust to use as a scoop or containment plow.

Extending the wings can cut plowing time dramatically by effectively moving a lot more snow with each pass.

Although these heavier plows may cause concern for some pickup frames, they scrape the pavement cleaner than a lighter-weight unit would.

TRIP VERSATILITY

A straight or V-plow with a trip bottom-edge provides more than versatility and easier plowing performance.

Plows with trip mechanisms also provide a great measure of protection for the truck frame and body because it won’t allow the shock of hitting an immovable object (curb, divider, rock, etc.) to the truck frame and body.

Some are available in stainless steel, which extends life and provides an extra measure of durability and good looks.

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Pickup-bed and trailer-hitch mounted sand/salt spreaders continue to be very popular ways to aid traction on residential driveways and smaller parking lots. These units are economical and relatively easy to mount and use.

The trick to these units is maintenance; keeping them clean and operational takes some effort between storms and before the spring put-away season comes.

Most plow and plow parts suppliers and dealers have access to very competitive and well-designed/built spreaders that really add ice and snow control versatility and effectiveness to a pickup with a plow.

On many steep driveways, you’d better have a sander/spreader or you’re not going to get the plowing business; it’s guaranteed that the guy with the sander will get the job.

HOT FEATURES

A plow is a big investment – with an installed cost well into the thousands, it’s probably the biggest investment you’ll make short of the truck itself.

So it pays to look carefully at the different brands and models available for your truck or fleet and note particular features that will make your investment last.

A few key questions to ask when you start shopping for that next plow:

What is the blade and trip edge/moldboard made of? Clearly, corrosion is a concern for anyone looking to keep the same plow for many seasons. Stainless steel is the best choice as it resists corrosion longer, but it’s expensive.

Carbon steel has been used in plow construction for decades and remains the most economical choice.

How is it coated to keep rust at bay? Most manufacturers use a powder coat finish, while some use EDP (electro-deposition coating, which is an electrically charged dip coating process) with powder coat on top.

How it’s prepared before painting is also important; shot-blasting before paint helps seal the surface and enables the steel to accept paint better, so it stays on longer. It’s worth checking.

What’s the mounting system? Today’s plows all use a variation of a quick-mount hitching system, and in today’s world it’s a necessity.

Spending more than a few minutes mounting and disengaging a plow is money lost.

Check each manufacturer’s mount/dismount system in person to determine if it’s cumbersome or easy to use.

How does the plow lift? Chain lift plows are considered old school because they’ve been around forever, but they lift higher than those lifted by hydraulic arms, allowing you to stack more snow due to the extended available height.

Are the hydraulics, hoses and cylinders protected? Hydraulic lines, fittings, manifolds and cylinders are the most often damaged parts of a plow. Employing a cover keeps these parts semi-protected (no plastic cover will keep the ice and snow chunks completely away, but it’s a good first line of defense).

If you have those questions and concerns answered, then the hardest part of purchasing the next plows for your fleet and corporate operation is over. The buying is easy.

DEALER’S CHOICE

In speaking with commercial plow operators, no matter the size of their operation they all agree the dealer is as important – perhaps more so – than the plow itself.

Benefits such as 24-hour service in the busy season, a healthy stock of repair and replacement parts, knowledgeable “get-it-done” mechanics and a willingness to stand behind their products are just a few of the stand-out qualities good dealers have. Many noted that while price is important, especially in this economy, it’s more important to have a dealer willing to go the extra mile than it is to save a few hundred bucks on a new plow. An owner-operator from upstate New York summed it up best: “If you’re commercially plowing, when you need parts you don’t want to wait three days … find a reliable dealer that opens 24 hours during storms and has a large stock of parts inventory. That’s more important to me than the brand of the plow or the price; they’re all going to have problems at some point, don’t believe anyone if they tell you different.” Duly noted!

SNOW PLOW PRODUCT SHOWCASE

BUYERS PRODUCTS

This Ohio-based company is a serious player as a plow and sander/spreader manufacturer as well as a big player in the towing, tool box and commercial truck equipment market (see buyersproducts.com). Buyers R & D department has been hard at work designing several new products for 2013:

VMD SERIES: Buyers’ new SnowDogg VMD Series medium duty V-plow is specifically designed for half-ton trucks and SUVs. These plows feature a streamlined new design for better visibility and maneuverability with the same hydraulics and hinges as Buyers’ larger VX plows that fit 3/4-ton and larger trucks.

The VMD plows are stainless steel and feature a 70-degree attack angle and 35-degree vertical travel. It has a contoured lifting frame; this combined with its new trip edge design gives the VMD plow better ground clearance. It has a quick attach/detach mounting system with over-center linkage that’s operated by locking pins with foot pedals.

The in-cab digital controller gives one-hand operation and can be used while wearing gloves. Brian Smith, marketing manager at Buyers, says, “The VMD medium duty V-plow is designed to give our customers the same quality and plowing capabilities as our large, HD SnowDogg plows but on smaller trucks and SUVs.”

SNOWDOGG TRIP-EDGE MUNICIPAL PLOWS: This new trip-edge plow keeps snow in front of the plow while providing smooth tripping action. It’s a new addition to Buyers’ line of full-trip reversible plows, which are available in standard rolled carbon steel or optional stainless.

Buyers’ plows are built with laser cut sheet steel assembled with continuous welds for increased strength, rigidity and longer life. These new trip edge plows are available in three sizes: 42-inch height by 10-, 11- and 12-foot lengths. SALTDOGG SHPE6000 SALT SPREADER: This new salt spreader is designed for 1/2-ton pickups but features a heavy duty hopper molded from polycarbonate. Carrying 6 cubic yards of material, the hopper is carried by a stainless steel frame. There’s a large-diameter auger that covers the length of the hopper floor for continuous material flow.

In-cab controls independently operate the auger, a spinner and a material vibrator. The auger and spinner are powered by separate, ultra-quiet 12-volt DC direct drive motors. These units can be used with either a salt or sand material, or even a mixture.

SALTDOGG SHPE2250 SPREADER: This new heavy-duty spreader is designed to fit most standard pickup beds. It features a 3/4-horse auger motor and 1/2-horse spinner and vibrator motors.

The hopper is 2.2 cubic yards and fits all 8-foot truck beds. It also features molded forklift slots for easy installation and removal.

The spreader has a variable output width from 5 to 30 feet and a material flow rate of 3.2 cfm (salt) and 2.3 cfm (sand/salt mix). The spinner chute is designed for easy cleaning, and the separate chute mount converts from standard length chute to an extended one.

MEYER PRODUCTS

Meyer (meyerproducts.com) is an 86-year-old company that built their first plow on a farm in Newburgh, New York. New for 2013 is the Super-VLD — a lighter-weight version of their Super-V2 plow.

The 582-pound Super-VLD is designed expressly for smaller half-ton pickups performing light commercial and residential plowing. The 7.5-foot blade can be configured in three modes; v-plow, scoop and straight.

The moldboards features bottom-trip wings that trip independently in any configuration while dual-acting cylinders lock the blade in any position, so back-dragging snow can be achieved easily.

There’s a pistol-grip electronic controller that mounts in the cab, same as with the V2. The Super-Vs are powder coated for corrosion resistance and feature the Meyer EZ-Plus mounting system for quicker mount/remove operation.

DOUGLAS DYNAMICS

Douglas Dynamics is the parent company for the well-known brands Blizzard (blizzardplows.com), Fisher (fisherplows.com) and Western (westernplows.com). Though these companies still maintain separate locations and plants, they produce very similar products.

This year, the Big Three are hyping their adjustable-wing snowplows. Blizzard’s is the Power Plow, Fisher’s is the XLS, and Western’s is dubbed Wide-Out.

These three plows use fully adjustable wings that extend straight outward from the main plow board to extend its effective width from 8 to 10 feet.

The wings also feature an adjustable angle, each operating independently. The result is a plow that’s very adaptable and adjustable to work well in a variety of conditions and configurations.

For windrowing, the plow’s wings can be adjusted outward with one cocked forward to keep snow directed inward toward the moldboard, thereby reducing cleanup time and the number of passes needed to clear a given area.

The wings can both be cocked forward to use the plow as a scoop.

Douglas claims these adjustable wing plows in scoop configuration are considerably wider than the largest V-plows in scoop mode. The in-cab control unit features a handheld push button control or a joystick as an option.

THE BOSS SNOWPLOW

The Boss (bossplow.com), designed and manufactured in the Yooper – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – introduces the new Power-V DXT for the 2012-2013 season.

This is a unique plow; it features a dual trip design, meaning the lower wear edge trips as well as the entire plow moldboard. This enhances protection to the plow, plow frame and pickup frame if a hard object is struck at plowing speed.

The moldboard itself is fully welded and cross braced to minimize twisting and distortion. The blade is a 45-inch unit with flared wings and an exaggerated curl design to keep snow on the blade. The steel is zinc-primed and powder coated for longer life.

The attachment system is called SmartHitch2 and it features a quick attach/detach mechanism completed in three steps with no lifting or manual positioning.