Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Best Snow Plowing Machine: Tractor, Quad, or Truck?

[Dusty1]

Thanks Tbenn, experience here is the best teacher. I assumed I would get more tractor votes considering this is "tractorbynet.com". If I would have posted this on a Ford truck forum I would just assume I would get more truck votes.

 

[Dusty1]

Wow, that truck pick is absurd! I actually had my eye on an old diesel city plow truck, I could use it around here as a dump truck, plow with it in the winter, and then pull my tractor with it. Only problem is then I have 1 more mechanical mouth to feed around here.

 

[MogginMike]

Wow, that truck pick is absurd!

Yep, they're interesting beasts. I have one with a FEL, as well as your standard PTO & 3 pt hitch out back. And she'll do 45MPH down the road.

-mike

 

[bdeboer]

Tractor for drifted areas and moving piles. I would like it better if I had a taller snow blade similar to a truck plow for deep snow instead of standard TSC grader blade or box blade.

Beater truck w/plow for long straight stretches of driveway, although it is another mouth to feed. I also use it to keep a couple of rental properties plowed out.

The tractor also comes in handy when the beater truck gets stuck in the drifts to pull it out.

 

[Dusty1]

Moogin, so you own one of those? With a front end loader? Wow, I bet that thing is you're daily driver. What is it? Looks like an old WW2 vehicle.

 

[LBrown59]

Hey guys, so I have been reserching a bit on snow plows, and for argument's sake I would like to see who has tried the different methods? (note, I did not include dedicated snow blowers in this discussion, but feel free to add your input) So far in my reserch I have come up with a few pros/cons.

Tractor

Pros:
​

• Lots of torque and weight for traction, can plow through anything, can employ different methods and/or attachments to get the job done, will last a very long time.

Cons:
​

• Slow moving (comparitavely to other methods),expensive attachments, and not as common or easy to do jobs outside the home i.e. contracted out.

Truck

*Pros:
​

• Fast, very mobile, easily contracted out, capable of handling a decent amount of snow

Cons:
​

• Large amount of wear/tear on machine (unless sizable or using a dedicated machine), only plows 1 way (no attachments like tractor).

!

* Truck comes standard with a heater.

 

[dodge man]

I think for big open flat areas, such as parking lots, its pretty hard to beat a pickup truck. I know that Dodge says you should have a 3/4 ton truck with a "plow prep package" on it, which is probably heavier front springs and such. Plowing is hard on a truck and I see a lot of people using a 1/2 ton around here. I own a BX2350 and I can't imagine plowing my drive with my truck. The truck just doesn't turn sharp enough, but your drive might be different. Plows for trucks aren't cheap, if you already have a tractor, you may already have the equipment you need. The only thing I really needed to add to mine was a rear blade, and I probably would have bought one anyway. I know someone that uses a 4 wheeler and it works well for him. My experience with a 4 wheeler is they are about useless in deep snow, but we don't get a alot of deep snow around here.

 

[MogginMike]

Moogin, so you own one of those? With a front end loader? Wow, I bet that thing is you're daily driver. What is it? Looks like an old WW2 vehicle.

Mine's a 1976 Unimog 406, imported by Case. Here's a video from the dealer I bought it from: YouTube - Unimog/Case 406 Inventory

 

[Patches]

"Wheelers useless in deep snow;" ya, unless they're on tracks. Those things will go where a snowmobile won't. I HAD a 500 Polaris on a Boivin track system, with a 4' plow and you would not believe the snow "piles" I stockpiled: 10' is not an exageration. You build them like you would with a dozer,building a ramp and pushing the snow up the ramp, dumping off at the top. Very slow clearing a large area that way, however. That's why I no longer have it

 

[beenthere]

"Wheelers useless in deep snow;" ya, unless they're on tracks. Those things will go where a snowmobile won't. I HAD a 500 Polaris on a Boivin track system, with a 4' plow and you would not believe the snow "piles" I stockpiled: 10' is not an exageration. You build them like you would with a dozer,building a ramp and pushing the snow up the ramp, dumping off at the top. Very slow clearing a large area that way, however. That's why I no longer have it

I've done that (when needed) pile-building with my 7' Western blade too. Just keep going up. Snow packs and carries the weight of the tractor no problem. Not often needed, or desired around the house, drive, sheds. Plenty of room to push snow and wing it back.