Snow plow for my truck

[Ken]

Although I really don't want to I have to put a plow on my 09 GM 2500 with a 6.6 Duramax.  The local reputable choices are Meyer, Fisher and Boss.  I have over 4 miles of road to keep open this winter at my logging site. The Meyer is a bit cheaper but Fisher seems to be quite common.  What are your preferences and anything in particular I should look for.  I suspect I will end up with a 8.5' V Plow but open to suggestions.

[sawguy21]

We had good success with Meyer but the Chev srw 3500 took an awful beating, the ball joints and front shocks were pounded out after two seasons. Mind you, the operators were in a hurry to get the job done and didn't take good care of the equipment but all they had to clear was a short runway, ramp area in front of the hangar and access road. 

[dgdrls]

Probably anyone would do,  any chance there is another piece of equipment on site
that could do the job?  what about sourcing out the work?

Just throwing out some Idea's,  Plowing is tough on a truck.

Dan

[Jhenderson]

I've plowed for the last 30+ years. Plowing is only hard on a truck if your hard on the truck. Maint is the key. I sold my last plow truck  with 398,000 miles on it. I've run boss for the last 15 years. Not that their better than any other, but I have a good Boss dealer. Just like buying a saw, purchase from the place that will stand behind the sale and keeps parts in stock. Right now I run a 9.2 VXT. Don't know how I got by all these years with a straight blade. Keeping that long a stretch of road open will be a lot easier with a V plow from any of the top manufacturers. Plows are expensive but so is waiting for someone to plow you out when you've got trucks waiting. A 4 mile road won't be cheap to keep open either way.

[chevytaHOE5674]

What kind of road is the 4 miles? Is is good smooth road or rough bumpy logging road.

I own two plow trucks and never in a million years would I plow our logging roads. Right now we are like 7 miles in on some of the roughest, rockiest, rutted up road there is. I don't care how "easy" you are on the plow truck it's going to take a severe beating. We let somebody else take care of it and abuse their truck, and then they have a grader to wing the banks back when it gets to be too much for a pickup.

Another thing to look at is how long is it going to take you to plow 4 miles of road, turn outs, turn around, etc? In that time how much lost production will you experience when your not in the processor?

[isawlogs]

 I have a 8'2" extreme "V" Boss and would get nothing else, the higher side on the end of the wing makes the snow travel that much further out of the way, with four miles of road you won't regret getting it. The V plows are so much easier on the trucks then the straight blades. I had one on my Dodge, that was hard on the truck, much more then the V, your not pushing a wall of snow the V, it breaks up that wall in two and you can actualy steer the truck in deep snow with it.



 

[snowstorm]

i have 3 fisher plows 2    9ft  and this summer i bought a used f350  with an almost new 9.5ft evtreme vee the stainless version.  i also found a to good to pass up deal on a new Everest 10ft plow for my f550. 5 yrs old never sold from a dealer. $6000 plow paid $1800. the cheapest way to plow 4 miles of woods road find a single axle ih all set up that maybe will not pass inspection any more. with a 10 or 11 ft frink plow and wing. they can be adjusted to plow none frozen dirt roads if needed. a set of chains and all the weight you can get in the body and it will out push any pickup ever made. if we get a winter like last year you will need one with a wing on it. once your snowbanks get 3ft with a pickup you would need to be going 30mph to blow the snow up over the banks . with the pickup if you get a big storm and wind = drifting you are going to be there all night. a 9ft plow angled will clear 8ft a 11ft dustpan and 10ft wing will do 12 to 14ft depending on how far the push arms are extended. when the banks get high pick the wing up 2 or 3 ' and shelf it. thats what i do. i can get them up to 8' high. if you have open areas where it will drift how you shape the bank helps with drifting......you really want to plow with a gm???

[isawlogs]

 I get one of the guys that plow the public roads to come in and wing my road back if needed. Cost a lot less then getting a truck with a wing, but I have to admit that it would be a good way to do it.

If the only option you have is the GM and a plow, get a V plow. and find out who has a wing that can come out and wing your road when you will need it done.

[thecfarm]

The guy that logs for me brought a single wheel dump truck,a big one,not a pick up version,that had a big plow and wing on it. He does have a v plow on his truck,but he choosed to go with a bigger truck. I have no idea how many miles he plowed. He had it for sell the next summer. Job was done.

[snowstorm]

around here there are a lot of fisher plows. there should be the factory is 20 miles away. almost every parts store stocks some parts for them. never used a boss. i knew someone with a myer vee. he had a troublesome winter. cutting edges are all to much money but more so for the vee plows

[isawlogs]

 Most around here with the V plows don't get the original cutting edge once it needs replacing, they get an after market straight blade,it will leave a little line of snow while in V ...  Plow in with the plow in a V formation, and plow out angled and the road is done, if not on your way back in to the machines angle in the other side.

  A good set of ice chains for the truck is also a must, they have saved my butt more then once. Most big brand names make the V now, I bought the Boss because of the higher side wings, but I do beleave Fisher makes them now.   

[Woodhauler]

Fisher Vee plow is the way to go. I have had one for 5 years, same plow. Plowed woods roads, 4 driveways each year and 2 acres on the pond each year! Almost bullet proof! And I'm not easy on it either!

[snowstorm]

ken how much cash dose it take to buy a new plow on your side of the boarder cut? i would buy the 9.5ft vee over the 8.5. i have seen new 9.5' vee;s advertised for $6200+350 to install. that seems like plenty. my fisher has a computer to run it. the hand held controller only has 4 wires hot ground and 2 can wires. its sorta like the computer that runs your harvester head

[Ken]

Thanks for all the replies folks.  I realize that plowing is hard on a truck and mounting a plow on mine is not something I'm excited about but we will be moving several loads a day off the winter block and I can't rely on someone else to keep it cleaned out.  I do have an old, non road worthy F250 with a Fisher plow but the area we will be working is notorious for thievery and I suspect if I left the truck on site the plow would be missing come Monday morning.  The road into the block is flat and quite wide so that is certainly a bonus.  There is a local contractor with a dump truck and plow rigging that I can get to come push banks back when required.
 

Another thing to look at is how long is it going to take you to plow 4 miles of road, turn outs, turn around, etc? In that time how much lost production will you experience when your not in the processor?

If it's anything like the last 2 winters it will be several hours/week.  I do however currently have operators that will hopefully be keeping wood moving.

ken how much cash dose it take to buy a new plow on your side of the boarder cut?

A new 8.5' Meyer V-plow is pushing 8 grand installed.   The Fisher is a few hundred more than that. 

[timberlinetree]

What about a cheap grader. Then you could use it to maintain the road to. Saw one in Maine for 4k and you could sell it when done. Although its nice to plow with a pick up and all the creatcher comferts.

[snowstorm]

ken new fisher 9.5 vee yellow $5650+350 install stainless is 6200. it might be worth the ride over here to buy one

[isawlogs]

I got mine in NH, no sales tax, I could of got it in Vermont but they have sales tax, does Maine have sales tax?

[thecfarm]

Ayup,Maine has sales tax.

[Ken]

What about a cheap grader. Then you could use it to maintain the road to. Saw one in Maine for 4k and you could sell it when done. Although its nice to plow with a pick up and all the creatcher comferts.

That option may work for some but I've got enough junk around me now to keep moving.  Don't need any more headaches.

ken new fisher 9.5 vee yellow $5650+350 install stainless is 6200. it might be worth the ride over here to buy one

With our dollar only at .75 compared to the US dollar the bottom line is not very different.    Would make a nice road trip though

[isawlogs]

 The exchange rate is not at its best, I got mine we where almost at par. I could of got my plow in Vermont but it has sales tax, I opted to go get it in New Hampshire, where there is no sales tax. ( I also had a great visite with Joan ) Knowing that I would have to pay taxes on my way back at the border.... paying once was enough. 

[Hilltop366]

I've had really good luck with my Boss V. It was 6 years old when I got it, I have used it for 3 winters with no issues.

[CTL logger]

I've had a Fisher 9.5' extreme V not recommended for my F 350 srw pick up but I put some weight in back it does just fine. I've had straight western then a 8'2" boss plowing woods rds with the boss I broke the stock cutting edge twice then put the heavy duty one on it was fine. The fisher has plowed every condition imaginable since 06 have only ever put a fuse in it everything else is original and I wouldn't say I go easy plowing nice thing about 9'6" is you stay out of the ditch most of the time.

[snowstorm]

ford says the 9.5ft is to heavy ? it is right at 1000lbs. i was told that there is a lawsuit between fisher and gm. the gm dealers were putting the 9.5ft plow on 3/4 ton gm trucks and fisher says its to heavy

[CTL logger]

ford says the 9.5ft is to heavy ? it is right at 1000lbs. i was told that there is a lawsuit between fisher and gm. the gm dealers were putting the 9.5ft plow on 3/4 ton gm trucks and fisher says its to heavy

That's what the dealer told me snowstorm, it's on a 1 ton crew cab short box wit snowplow prep aMD timbrens in the front. The dealer  wouldn't  install it on my 06 so I put it on myself. I've installed it on my 11 and 14 it takes a couple hours but I've done it enough it's not too difficult.

[snowstorm]

ford says the 9.5ft is to heavy ? it is right at 1000lbs. i was told that there is a lawsuit between fisher and gm. the gm dealers were putting the 9.5ft plow on 3/4 ton gm trucks and fisher says its to heavy

That's what the dealer told me snowstorm, it's on a 1 ton crew cab short box wit snowplow prep aMD timbrens in the front. The dealer  wouldn't  install it on my 06 so I put it on myself. I've installed it on my 11 and 14 it takes a couple hours but I've done it enough it's not too difficult.

nice to see your back. the only front end trouble i have had was the 97 with the ifs front axle.