Plowing snow

For 40 years I have been plowing snow with an 8N. At first all I had was a rear push blade but later I got a front mounted Sauder Dozer
blade. This has work well over the years but I am getting older. I need a new truck and was thinking about getting a Ford 250 4X4 with a
front snow plow. Anyone have a suggestions on the type of truck and or snow plow blade that would work good and be cost effective for a 250
foot paved residential driveway?

My apologies in advance, but nothing is going to be "cost effective" for just one driveway, plus you have to mount and unmount the plow each year, and pay to put fuel in that beastie all year long. Why not convince a neighbor what a great idea it would be to buy a new F250 and plow, especially since you would pay him to plow your driveway? Some of the cash you save would pay for a long vacation to the warm and sunny south?javascript:emoticon(':wink:')

(quoted from post at 16:11:16 02/12/16) For 40 years I have been plowing snow with an 8N. At first all I had was a rear push blade but later I got a front mounted Sauder Dozer
blade. This has work well over the years but I am getting older. I need a new truck and was thinking about getting a Ford 250 4X4 with a
front snow plow. Anyone have a suggestions on the type of truck and or snow plow blade that would work good and be cost effective for a 250
foot paved residential driveway?

Click to expand...

Been down this road already. The F-250 will handle everything from a 6' residential to 8' contractor grade and size plow. Go talk to a plow dealer and get some prices to put a plow on that truck. They are going to start around $2K for a manual angle light duty residential plow and go up fast ;-)

TOH

Look at the price of the F250 4X4 and then price out the plow, then add in installation. Then go looking for someone to plow for you. You can pay a custom plower for many years for the cost of that package and all you need to do is make a phone call and write a check. Unless you need the F250 for another reason you can't afford to deny someone else the job.

If you're going to buy a new truck anyway, get the dealer to
cut you a break on selling it to you with the blade installed.
Might even avoid some warranty issues that way. Not sure.

Definitely cheaper and easier to hire it done if I could get it
done when I need it done but most custom plow guys have
business customers and the businesses come first.

I have to agree with RM-MN. Unless you have another need for the truck and/or you just have a lot of cash laying around, hire it done. Some operators want a flat fee for the season others on a per push basis. I built a 654' private road plus cul-de-sac, 16 years ago. I plowed it a few times with my 8N, later with a worn out Jeep 4x4 and then found a guy.
The next few years I paid 2/5ths of the cost of 5 properties. Two years ago I sold one property and now pay one 1/5 of the cost. This year has been great! We had to plow once in November. None since. An average year would have 10 to 14 pushes. Still cheap. And it has been done before anyone needs to leave for work or me to make it to McDonald's for coffee by 6am.

Find a cheap dodge ram and expect trans rebuild if has a unimount western on it 3000 dollars . and expect to mess with plow pump cleaning etc. Or call somebody for 20-30$ to plow every 3-4 inches.I have a dodge 2500 4x4 and plow 10 drives and mine . the dodge truck you can find with 100.000 miles because no body can afford to drive them 9 miles a gallon I have one . ford and Chevy seem to go for more $ iam cheap I have a dodge.

JOHN,
You can always PLOW for garden by keeping the 8N. Pretty hard to PLOW with a TRUCK with some of those expenses involved.snow plow'N snow.

If YOU check with the "OFFICE of AGING", you, too, can submit a form for a heating GRANT.

I use the $$$ that I received for R&R over the WINTER, now. Bring copy of Social Security report.

Check with MR HARTMAN along Rt30 East towards Gettysburg, he has that computer shop. Check out his tractor for snow plow'N.


Hope this helps.

John

good thinking......trucks plow best.
On any truck, ordering both the 'snow plow' package and the 'trailer towing' package will get you some handy options and make the truck more 'heavy duty'.

couple things though......
Owning a on-the-road plow truck will make you a LOT of new friends lol.

No matter how careful you are....snow plowing gives a truck a beating, especially in real snow country.

a F250 truck with a plow is.....Big. Check your plow area to make sure a truck is the answer.

Another option..
When I was working, I always had an old plow truck.
But, it was never on the road. Just sat next to the shop til needed. Usually ugly and no way they would pass inspection to be roadable, but they could move some snow....with heat and a stereo .....and without feeling bad I could say "sorry, it's not on the road", when you hear the inevitable "You have a plow truck?"

the f-250 is more than up for the job, but check were you plow, ive had both my tractor and a plow truck, and with the plow mounted your turn area is huge you may not be able to get into places your N can, unless you need as truck for other use what about a tractor with a heated cab?, it doesn't have to come with it either, they make heater systems designed for hot rods that are small and can be fitted to nearly anything

I plowed snow here in New England for 4 -- 5 years using an old Ford 9N with a front mounted manual angle plow and a rear blade. I had a loader on the tractor and the plow blade would replace the bucket in the winter. Did it work? Yes. Would I do it again after plowing with a plow truck - No. A truck can handle much more snow, you get more speed and momentum, and it's warm and out of the weather.

My first plow truck was a 1994 Ford F350. This was a good plow truck, but unfortunately like a lot of the older Fords up here, it rotted out. In 2008 I bought a new Dodge Ram 2500 Gasser with the 5.7 liter Hemi. This has been a good truck for me. I just put a new 8 foot HD fisher straight blade on it this year. This truck plows pretty good, but gets pushed around a bit more than the old F350. Still it works great. I added about 400 lbs to the rear for plowing. The fisher setup installed was $5,000.00. The actual installation was only about $400.00 of that. I also had a few small extra's added to the package.

I only plow my driveway and around my shop. This adds up to a good bit of plowing. I would not do again with a tractor, and I would not pay anybody for a half a$$ job.

Once I plowed with a plow truck, I would never go back to using a tractor for plowing.

(quoted from post at 16:11:16 02/12/16) For 40 years I have been plowing snow with an 8N. At first all I had was a rear push blade but later I got a front mounted Sauder Dozer
blade. This has work well over the years but I am getting older. I need a new truck and was thinking about getting a Ford 250 4X4 with a
front snow plow. Anyone have a suggestions on the type of truck and or snow plow blade that would work good and be cost effective for a 250
foot paved residential driveway?

Click to expand...

You indicated you need a new truck. What are you going to do with your old one? If you don't need it for trade and it's up to the job have you considered keeping it and putting a plow on it? I considered buying a beater plow truck just to keep our lane open but whenever I look at them all I can see is a fair amount of money to buy constant fiddling and repairs. I've about decided to put a small contractor plow on my Ram 1500 4x4. I use my car for daily driving anyway and it's more or less a work truck already....

TOH

(quoted from post at 15:03:39 02/13/16)

(quoted from post at 16:11:16 02/12/16) For 40 years I have been plowing snow with an 8N. At first all I had was a rear push blade but later I got a front mounted Sauder Dozer
blade. This has work well over the years but I am getting older. I need a new truck and was thinking about getting a Ford 250 4X4 with a
front snow plow. Anyone have a suggestions on the type of truck and or snow plow blade that would work good and be cost effective for a 250
foot paved residential driveway?

Click to expand...

You indicated you need a new truck. What are you going to do with your old one? If you don't need it for trade and it's up to the job have you considered keeping it and putting a plow on it? I considered buying a beater plow truck just to keep our lane open but whenever I look at them all I can see is a fair amount of money to buy constant fiddling and repairs. I've about decided to put a small contractor plow on my Ram 1500 4x4. I use my car for daily driving anyway and it's more or less a work truck already....

TOH

Click to expand...

I went the "beater truck" route for a few years too. Didn't work out for me.
While I agree the truck was warmer, more comfortable and could move
more snow than an N series tractor, it was a single purpose vehicle.

As such, it sat around all year until I needed it or needed to do
the normal maintenance that still has to be done. Oil change, etc.
Then I expected it to start and work as it should? Not happening.
Mice chewed wiring, stale gas, dead batteries, rusted out fuel lines,
rust-stuck brakes, flat tire from setting, hydraulic leaks, etc
It was always needing something.

It was an old truck so fair is fair, but still, setting did it no favors.
I didn't have it licensed for the road, so I had to haul gas for it in cans.
It ended up being cheaper for me to just use the tractors I have.
Others may have better luck than I did. Especially if they use it
for other chores like cutting and hauling wood or something.

How about a JD Gator or similar vehicle with a plow on the front. Can do for less than 15,000 new and have a good multipurpose vehicle to use in the yard, tow a trailer or boat around your property. I found a good used one and thats what I use. My driveway is 1/4 mile long and I just cleared 3' of snow in a little over an hour. Four wheel drive is advised. No tags, no insurance, no state inspection, no vehicle tax, minimal repairs (none so far). F250 cost way too much plus plowing not good for the truck.