plow setup; opinions please
#1
09-19-2000, 09:27 PM
Join Date: Jun 2000
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#2
09-20-2000, 12:13 AM
Tirofog:
I personnally think the Moose 60" plow is about the best one out there. I looked at several different brands, and the Moose is just plain built tougher than the rest. I'm not saying the others are bad by any means, just that I think the Moose is that much better. Also, going with the 60" is the better way to go because when angled, it will push the snow far enough out to the side that it will clear your tire path. The 50" plow, when angled, will not, and you'll end up running over the snow you plow through, having to do it again. And, the AC 500 has plenty of power to take care of that kind of work, so overall, I think you'll be very happy with that setup. I have talked to a few guys here local that use their plows not only for winter snow removal, but also quite consistantly during the spring and summer months for a lot of ground work and gravel moving, clearing stalls, barns, etc. When they're moving all the extra rock and dirt, debris, they remove the stock scraper blade on the bottom edge of the plow, and replace it with a 5/8" thick plate from the larger full sized truck plows, only cut down to size. This helps to reduce the wear from the rock, gravel. From what they say, and what I've seen of them, it seems to work very well this way.
Anyhow, I think you'll be just fine with that set-up. Take care,
Mike
I personnally think the Moose 60" plow is about the best one out there. I looked at several different brands, and the Moose is just plain built tougher than the rest. I'm not saying the others are bad by any means, just that I think the Moose is that much better. Also, going with the 60" is the better way to go because when angled, it will push the snow far enough out to the side that it will clear your tire path. The 50" plow, when angled, will not, and you'll end up running over the snow you plow through, having to do it again. And, the AC 500 has plenty of power to take care of that kind of work, so overall, I think you'll be very happy with that setup. I have talked to a few guys here local that use their plows not only for winter snow removal, but also quite consistantly during the spring and summer months for a lot of ground work and gravel moving, clearing stalls, barns, etc. When they're moving all the extra rock and dirt, debris, they remove the stock scraper blade on the bottom edge of the plow, and replace it with a 5/8" thick plate from the larger full sized truck plows, only cut down to size. This helps to reduce the wear from the rock, gravel. From what they say, and what I've seen of them, it seems to work very well this way.
Anyhow, I think you'll be just fine with that set-up. Take care,
Mike
#3
09-20-2000, 10:51 AM
Tirofog:
I have the 50" Moose plow on my 500 auto and use it with the Warn 2000 winch to raise and lower. It is a nice plow and well-built. I have used it to move some rock and dirt and works pretty well for that. Here are some hints:
Make sure the feet on the bottom on the plow are tight, they tend to vibrate loose.
Consider replacing your winch cable in the winter with a short piece for using with the plow. After repeatedly raising and lowering the plow, you tend to kink the spool of cable underneath. At the least, pull out all your cable and respool it every once in a while so you're not putting pressure on the same point all the time.
Make sure when you get the mount kit, that you get one for the automatic and not the manual. They are different. When I got my plow, I had to wait for Moose to produce a kit for the auto.
I put about 100 lbs of ballast on my back rack to counteract the weight of the plow when raised. Without it, you get a little spinning action from your rear tires when backing up (it's a heavy plow).
As an aside, Cowboy, I haven't had any problems running over snow with the 50" plow. Unless it is extremely wet, you can get it to "roll" up and off the blade. Most of the time this rolling effect will throw the snow 2 or 3 feet. The only advantage I see for the 50" blade is if you're doing sidewalks and a 60" blade would cut into the grass on the sides of the walk. When I bought mine, they didn't have a 60", and I didn't want to wait to get one in, so I went with the 50.
The automatic is great for plowing snow. I think you'll be pleased. Good luck!
I have the 50" Moose plow on my 500 auto and use it with the Warn 2000 winch to raise and lower. It is a nice plow and well-built. I have used it to move some rock and dirt and works pretty well for that. Here are some hints:
Make sure the feet on the bottom on the plow are tight, they tend to vibrate loose.
Consider replacing your winch cable in the winter with a short piece for using with the plow. After repeatedly raising and lowering the plow, you tend to kink the spool of cable underneath. At the least, pull out all your cable and respool it every once in a while so you're not putting pressure on the same point all the time.
Make sure when you get the mount kit, that you get one for the automatic and not the manual. They are different. When I got my plow, I had to wait for Moose to produce a kit for the auto.
I put about 100 lbs of ballast on my back rack to counteract the weight of the plow when raised. Without it, you get a little spinning action from your rear tires when backing up (it's a heavy plow).
As an aside, Cowboy, I haven't had any problems running over snow with the 50" plow. Unless it is extremely wet, you can get it to "roll" up and off the blade. Most of the time this rolling effect will throw the snow 2 or 3 feet. The only advantage I see for the 50" blade is if you're doing sidewalks and a 60" blade would cut into the grass on the sides of the walk. When I bought mine, they didn't have a 60", and I didn't want to wait to get one in, so I went with the 50.
The automatic is great for plowing snow. I think you'll be pleased. Good luck!
#5
09-20-2000, 01:59 PM
TCat:
That's interesting you mention that. I wonder if these guys have their plows angled steeper than normal or something? Our local Honda dealer runs a lot of plows on the 450ES models, and won't run a 50" plow at all because it rolls back into the tracks. He won't even stock a 50", you have to special order it. Course, he is pretty set in his ways, and believes there is nothing better than the Honda 450ES, maybe he's also stuck with the 60" plow in his head. I can see what you're talking about though with a little more speed, it should throw it out a little farther to the sides, which makes sense. And, you are right about the grass/sidewalk thing with the 60". Though, all the guys here just through the snow out into the street, then the big boys come get it, so it works out well that way. I guess they would each have their advantages-50" would be lighter in weight, but the 60" would give a wider swath. Personall preference???
Thanks for the info, I haven't seen a 50" used properly I guess, only the 60's. Glad you don't have the rolling into the tire problem this guy has. Too bad they won't let you "experiment", or maybe even a rental unit. That would be the best way to decide which plow would be best for each individuals specific needs.
Take care,
Mike
That's interesting you mention that. I wonder if these guys have their plows angled steeper than normal or something? Our local Honda dealer runs a lot of plows on the 450ES models, and won't run a 50" plow at all because it rolls back into the tracks. He won't even stock a 50", you have to special order it. Course, he is pretty set in his ways, and believes there is nothing better than the Honda 450ES, maybe he's also stuck with the 60" plow in his head. I can see what you're talking about though with a little more speed, it should throw it out a little farther to the sides, which makes sense. And, you are right about the grass/sidewalk thing with the 60". Though, all the guys here just through the snow out into the street, then the big boys come get it, so it works out well that way. I guess they would each have their advantages-50" would be lighter in weight, but the 60" would give a wider swath. Personall preference???
Thanks for the info, I haven't seen a 50" used properly I guess, only the 60's. Glad you don't have the rolling into the tire problem this guy has. Too bad they won't let you "experiment", or maybe even a rental unit. That would be the best way to decide which plow would be best for each individuals specific needs.
Take care,
Mike
#6
09-20-2000, 02:58 PM
Cowboy:
I kind of wish I would have waited and gotten the 60" plow. Maybe I'll upgrade! I plow my church's 100 x 400 parking lot with it, and the extra 10" per pass would come in handy. Still only takes me about 20-30 minutes. I used to plow it with a tractor and 8' blade. I can plow it in about half the time with the Cat. Manueverability and speed count for a lot!
Sly -- I don't think the winch is all that slow. The manual lift would be faster, but I didn't think the hassle of mounting it would be worth the advantage of lift speed. I haul my plow and Cat in my truck between places to plow, so I have to remove/replace the plow each time I move. The winch setup is very fast to take on/off.
What I plow has long runs where I'm not constantly raising/lowering. If you plowed something more compact, I could see the manual lift being handy. Also the remote angle adjuster some offer would be handy. I usually change angles once or twice when I plow, so no big deal to me.
I kind of wish I would have waited and gotten the 60" plow. Maybe I'll upgrade! I plow my church's 100 x 400 parking lot with it, and the extra 10" per pass would come in handy. Still only takes me about 20-30 minutes. I used to plow it with a tractor and 8' blade. I can plow it in about half the time with the Cat. Manueverability and speed count for a lot!
Sly -- I don't think the winch is all that slow. The manual lift would be faster, but I didn't think the hassle of mounting it would be worth the advantage of lift speed. I haul my plow and Cat in my truck between places to plow, so I have to remove/replace the plow each time I move. The winch setup is very fast to take on/off.
What I plow has long runs where I'm not constantly raising/lowering. If you plowed something more compact, I could see the manual lift being handy. Also the remote angle adjuster some offer would be handy. I usually change angles once or twice when I plow, so no big deal to me.
#7
09-20-2000, 03:26 PM
TCat:
Yeah, that's amazing what the speed and maneuverability of the atv's can do compared to a tractor. Sounds like you're running 3' narrower blade, compared to the tractor, and still doing it in half the time! Do you plow much as a business, or just for yourself and church? I imagine a person could probably make some money on the side with the plow setup on a quad. I know in my area, most people are fairly lazy, and would gladly pay somebody to clear even an inch of snow from their driveway and sidewalks. Granted, you might not make as much using an atv as you would the old fashioned way with a shovel, but you could do several times more area in a lot less time, which could lead to an increase in profit margin. Sorry to get off on that tangent there, but I was just kind of thinking of ways the 'Cat could help to pay for itself, other than the normal work I put it through. I would think a guy could at least pay off the cost of the blade itself fairly quickly in only part of a snow season. Sorry, just thinking out loud I guess.
Aren't those manual/hand lifts for the plows something like $80-100 more money than the winch mount?
Mike
Yeah, that's amazing what the speed and maneuverability of the atv's can do compared to a tractor. Sounds like you're running 3' narrower blade, compared to the tractor, and still doing it in half the time! Do you plow much as a business, or just for yourself and church? I imagine a person could probably make some money on the side with the plow setup on a quad. I know in my area, most people are fairly lazy, and would gladly pay somebody to clear even an inch of snow from their driveway and sidewalks. Granted, you might not make as much using an atv as you would the old fashioned way with a shovel, but you could do several times more area in a lot less time, which could lead to an increase in profit margin. Sorry to get off on that tangent there, but I was just kind of thinking of ways the 'Cat could help to pay for itself, other than the normal work I put it through. I would think a guy could at least pay off the cost of the blade itself fairly quickly in only part of a snow season. Sorry, just thinking out loud I guess.
Aren't those manual/hand lifts for the plows something like $80-100 more money than the winch mount?
Mike
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#8
09-21-2000, 12:11 AM
Cowboy:
No, don't really plow as a business. I bought the plow with the quad in the beginning as a economical backup for the tractor. We have to plow out about a half mile to get out to our road. When it's 10 below out, the tractor doesn't always want to start. I plow out for my church and for friends if they're snowed in.
The hardest part for me in trying to plow for a lot of people is the time involved in loading and unloading the quad and plow. I either haul the quad on a trailer or in the back of the truck. Both ways I have to take the plow off in order to load/unload it because of the approach angle. Not a huge deal, but lifting that plow a dozen or so times in and out of the truck would get old. The best thing would be to take the quad to town after a big snowfall and just go house to house.
My job also is dictated somewhat by snowfall, so I have to be on the job and don't have time for early morning plowing. I'm an engineer for my county and oversee clearing of 900 miles of road each snowfall. Makes plowing with a quad seem like child's play sometimes.
Sorry for the long post, and the off-tangent. I think a plow is a good investment and I've had good luck with the Moose.
No, don't really plow as a business. I bought the plow with the quad in the beginning as a economical backup for the tractor. We have to plow out about a half mile to get out to our road. When it's 10 below out, the tractor doesn't always want to start. I plow out for my church and for friends if they're snowed in.
The hardest part for me in trying to plow for a lot of people is the time involved in loading and unloading the quad and plow. I either haul the quad on a trailer or in the back of the truck. Both ways I have to take the plow off in order to load/unload it because of the approach angle. Not a huge deal, but lifting that plow a dozen or so times in and out of the truck would get old. The best thing would be to take the quad to town after a big snowfall and just go house to house.
My job also is dictated somewhat by snowfall, so I have to be on the job and don't have time for early morning plowing. I'm an engineer for my county and oversee clearing of 900 miles of road each snowfall. Makes plowing with a quad seem like child's play sometimes.
Sorry for the long post, and the off-tangent. I think a plow is a good investment and I've had good luck with the Moose.
#9
09-23-2000, 09:55 PM
I've been pricing Moose 60" plows around here & found a Shop who will discount a 60" plow, Push Tube & bottom mount 15% Total around $310.00. Is that a good deal? What advantage is there to the Country Design plow? The only thing I can think of would be for faster clearing of bigger areas & it would push more snow before going over the top of the blade. I have to clear a 400' asphalt drive that is about 12' wide & a big concrete pad driveway (48' by 48'). Another thing, how much ground clearance will I loose when I mount the bottom mount. I'll remove the push tube & blade for hunting, but would like to leave on the bottom mount out of laziness I guess. Thanks for any help, I can't wait to try my Cat Plow out when the snow flys. Lance
