Do homeowners buy snowplows to plow their own properties?

[Djwshady]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

I bought an old 7.5' Fisher plow in reasonable shape and welded a QA plate to the A-frame. I live in NH on a large gravel driveway and it's worked great. I probably have $500 into all of the materials.

 

[5picker]

Here's me...

 

[I Piddle]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

I bought a plow for my truck back in 2000. I paid $2500+ for it. Every time you get a new truck you have to buy a new mount. $1000+ for the mount. You can take all of that money and put it into a tractor and snow plow and buy a cab for the tractor if you want. A lot better investment. Unless you want to make money plowing driveways. That would require a truck mount.

 

[Diwali]

Interesting topic but living on an island off the Welsh coast in the UK means snow is fairly rare and can be cleared with a child’s beach spade.
But good luck with your search.

 

[jedjoe]

I have learned to use the FEL on my tractor pretty efficiently. I have a 700 ft driveway and a large parking area in front of my house and a gravel barnyard to plow. It's not as efficient with lower snowfalls (under 6") because I can't diagonally "push" the snow as fast as a plow. But when the amounts are higher, I like being able to lift and bucket the snow onto edges. I once tried using a grading blade (driving in reverse), but found the blade not tall enough to push enough snow.

In the end, it's a matter of amount and efficiency. After years of practice, I've found the FEL solves my snow needs best

 

[bartjoebob]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

I went with a rear snowblower. Our
plow guy moved and apparently was giving us a great price. The new company came in and milked us. They were supposed to make a single pass every 6" and ending up coming 3-4x per storm. We spent $1000 plowing that year and it wasn't even a bad winter. The blower cost about $2500 and we are heading into year 4. I guess it's paid for itself not factoring time. The other thing to consider, I could sell this rear blower for $2000 in a heartbeat. I repaint each year and stored in a carport so it's in mint condition

 

[dboreham]

Where I live in southwest Montana most rural homeowners do their own snow removal, or work with a neighbor to do so. I have a 1t pickup with plow, a skidsteer with snow blower and a walk-behind 32" tracked snow blower. Some people use ATVs and tractors. The truck/plow is best for longer, straighter driveways and roads (we have 1 mile subdivision road). It's not ideal and would be expensive for a short driveway, and particularly one that has tight curves. An ATV+blade or a big walk behind snow blower would work better there.

 

[jeffgreef]

Stork's plows in Penn. buys used plows, refurbishes them and sells them for a lot less than new. I got a Western "pro" model from them, and even with shipping to Calif. it was around $3500 or more, then a local shop installed for $800 or so. I have a half mile of gravel road that occasionally gets heavy snow, and it's nice to have a real tool.

 

[lahoyer]

I was just pricing out a snowplow for my truck, and the price came to around $5200 for an eight foot steel plow and stuff.

Does the average homeowner or backyard farmer spend that kind of money on snow removal stuff, or is the purchase of plows limited to people who do this to make money?

Do people spend $5000 on accessories for a tractor or is that too much money for most tractor folks?

Would like to hear people's experiences here.

Thanks

You spend what you can afford! I can't afford a used $50,000 tractor backhoe, so that kind of work, I hire out.

 

[kenmbz]

I use a Snow Sport, a plow specifically for homeowners, no hydraulics, no electric connections, the frame is a tad bit heavy and unwieldy, but I am 66, 6' and 200 lbs and can handle it. You will need a front hitch, they are not bad price wise, a little tricky to install, but I did it. I have a 1000' long gravel driveway, and that plow does it just fine. I am outside of Philly, we occasionally get a heavy snow, but I just keep up with it. Its much better to plow in the heated cab of a pickup than the seat of a no cab tractor. I have a compact JD 1170 with a 7 foot steel blade (on the back) that I use when the truck can't handle it. But I rarely use that after I got the Snow Sport.

View attachment 706020

I put a SSQA adapter on my tractor and use this same plow at an angle- was able to cover the many snow events 6-12" each for the 700' and two driveways. ANd it's light enough to move around by myself for storage.