Snow plowing truck attributes

We have been in north central Wisconsin for 3 years now.
So after getting another 9" snow dump two days ago and another 10" forecasted I am reconsidering our snow removal system. We are using a Polaris Xpedition 325 with a manual plow, the novelty of it is wearing off. And as others pointed out getting the face full of snow is getting old. The machine does well although we sometimes go through once with the plow up and then a second time with it down - again this stops being fun and turns into work.

We could get chains for the Leyland but the bucket on it is warped/ crooked so I can see where the end results could be frustrating and not appropriate for small snow falls. Plus my wife does not feel comfortable driving the tractor.

So I am asking what attributes make for a good plowing vehicle (truck/ jeep / etc.). Differential gearing? Wheel base? Manual vs. Auto tranny? Etc?

Thinking we could pick up a used vehicle for a decent price and be better prepared for more proficient snow removal.

Please keep in mind that I have never won the lottery and recently had to quit a 'dream job' because of a dire financial situation. So we are digging ourselves out of debt (again) and purchases need to be reasonable and justifiable (I believe I have already justified this purchase! ).

 

winter is over so now is the time to buy.
Buy a truck with a good heater/defroster

 

Up here in NH it's easy to find a decent plow truck with plow for less money than a brand new plow setup alone costs.

I use a 93 Ram W350 w/Cummins to plow but that's way overkill. The truck is my dream truck/toy all summer and pulls plow duty in winter (helps me justify owning it that way).

I would look for a 95-2000 Chevy/Ford/Dodge 1500/2500 regular cab with a 350 (or brand equivalent) engine, auto tranny and a decent plow already installed. I've only used Fisher but there's a lot of good plows out there.

If you don't plan on ever going on road with it you can find a killer deal on a truck that won't pass inspection...but take it from me, if you have a truck that's only used 3-4 months a year for plowing then sits the other 8 months it's going to develop serious problems. My last truck was a plow-only truck and every winter it got harder and harder to keep it going. Now that I have a plow truck I drive year round it's constantly being used/maintained so it works when I need it.

I'd stay away from a smaller thing like Jeeps...it really helps to have some weight behind the plow when you're moving a decent amount of it.

 

take it from me.
No truer words have ever been spoken.

 

I bet bocefus78 will have some good input here...

 

We don't have inspections in Wisconsin. Seriously. Where he's at, there's not even emissions tests. I'd actually search out a used plow truck that won't pass emissions/ inspection from an area that has emissions testing/ inspection.

Yes, you really do want a heavier truck. A Jeep with a plow or a utv with a plow isn't ideal.

I know a guy that uses solid old truck chassis' and ours newer rust free cabs on them. He's up near the op's town.

 

If you are only doing your drive, and no intentions of plowing for profit, just pay a guy in firewood or cash, or something. Stay in bed, drink coffe, fool around with the wife, whatevs. You'll be warm and dry, out maybe $100 and happier in the long run.

Once you get out the calculator, vehicle cost, plow cost, maintenance, insurance, plates, etc all add up quickly.

The minute you think you will make money with a rig like this, you are wrong. You need better more reliable equipment to take on contracts. Mucho mucho more dinero.
this is ONLY For your driveway.

For instance.
$2500 beater truck
$2500 plow
$500 per year liability only insurance
Plates ( don't know wi plate costs)
Annual maintenance $500 or more. Probably more


$6000 will pay a pro to plow the big ones many many times. Keep the atv and plow and do the small snows yourself.

One of the best driveway rigs I saw work was a 95 4.3liter s10 with a small body lift and bigger tires. 7 foot blade. Little thing could get into the tightest spots . The only reason it was still alive was because it was mechanic owned and operated. His costs weren't realistic for the average homeowner.

 

Look for something with an auto locking rear diff
Other bocefus78 had a good idea

 

I love my Bronco as a driveway rig. Find a 5.8 equipped one and add 3-400lbs of weight in the back along with winter tires. My other favorite was a Jeep Cherokee classic with a 6.5' blade.

However, as mentioned, you don't want to let it sit. So ultimately, pick a vehicle that you will want to drive regularly.

 

If you have the time to keep up with the snow fall and never push more than 12-16" ,,, most any 4x4 will do. On the occaision when you can't keep up ,,, a set of tire chains all the way around is gold .
There's a few things in life that are the biggest waste of $ and time and plowing snow is one of them for me. Do it the best and cheapest way you can.

 

What's your driveway? What's your regular vehicle? Have you ever priced a plow of your drive? I once asked guy that plows neighbor, he said 75 a push, anything over 3 inches. Most guys here run a circuit, so if you need to be open by x expect to pay more.

If you got a 4wd maybe put a small plow, 6.5 footer for winter???

 

First, you guys are awesome with the quick and solid advice / opinions.

So much more to digest now as I see the advantages to all that was offered.

Is there really such a thing as "overkill"?

^^^ this is sounding VERY much like the voice of reason.

My intent was just for plowing.... ^^^ I have enough stuff to keep up on with maintenance.

Driveway is gravel and a large loop with a rise on the north side of the loop. I would guesstimate that it is about 800' total length.
Have a 95 F150 - 2wd = no way
97 Jeep TJ 2.5L with manual 5 speed transmission = manual, short wheel base.... meh
08 Honda Element = just recently got it and am rather impressed with its ability in snow, but now way is this a plowing vehicle!

Looking at all the cards on the table, I think sticking with what we have may be the smart thing to do. Maybe add a windshield or wear my full faced motorcycle helmet with the atv.

There is a guy down the road that has plowed once for us when we were away and arriving late after a 10" dump. His price is beyond fair and as a bonus he used to plow it for the previous owner so he is familiar with the lay of the land.

 

The Jeep TJ would be perfect. I strongly considered building a Jeep with a GM LS engine and a turbo 400 as a dedicated driveway rig. Ya know, because the powerstroke Bronco wasn't short and powerful enough.

 

Give him a shout and see if he'll do it!

 

that lil 4cyl may not like the extra work of pushing that snow
i had a 4cyl in my yj that i wheel, was such a dawg. ended up doing a 4.0 swap

 

That's easy to fix...with a Cummings

 

I probably wouldn't consider doing a route with it, but your own driveway, plowing with the storm should be fine. Just no dropping the blade until the clutch is out!

 

If I were to ever do it again, and didn't have an entire low mileage donor, I would definitely have gone with a 12 valve.

 

Dude. You just answered your own thread lol. My voice of reason is from 15 years of plowing for a living and paying the associated costs in doing so as an owner operator. Don't buy anything for only your own drive if you have a reasonable plow dude who knows your place. Plow trucks drain Money faster than boats.