setting up a duramax for plowing
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farm boy00
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I bet the old duramax could do it
LD1
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I guess that depends on how many bottoms and how big.
ishiboo
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I hope you didn't buy the Duramax for plowing. A 6.0 2500HD makes a much better plow truck for far less money, both in operating costs and purchase price.
LD1
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Any proof?
I started plowing with a 5.3 gasser chevy. Now plow with a 5.9l cummins. I'd say my operating costs are about the same, perhaps even a little less.
ishiboo
Platinum Member
I agree, a 10' HD is too big unless you're keeping it for one big lot and not doing a lot of transit. The Duramax is really heavy and just about maxxes out the front axle on its own. If you're doing driveways and small parking lots, and moving around, you'll find the 10' is a pain in the ***. Plus you're way too heavy in front.
A dually would not help... no more front axle capacity than the SRW.
ishiboo
Platinum Member
Not sure what constitutes proof, I don't have both trucks and I don't commercially plow, so I don't have A-B testing between the two or documents to share on both
The Duramax is quite heavy and nearly maxxes out the front axle. Plow manufacturers limit them to few HD plows, and being so heavy and close to their max, plowing is especially hard on the front end. The 6.0 will get similar mileage, warm up faster, have cheaper parts and be easier on the truck. It will also open you to far more plow choices. Spend the money you would have paid for the Duramax upgrade and get a pull plow and really increase your efficiency if you have jobs that can use it, or even buy a cheap backup truck/plow that a second person can use for snow events
LD1
Epic Contributor
It allows more weight to be ran for ballast in the bed for traction to be able to push. My DRW comment wasnt about the weight of the plow, it was more about being able to move it full of snow.
Not sure what constitutes proof, I don't have both trucks and I don't commercially plow, so I don't have A-B testing between the two or documents to share on both
You made the comment, not me. So I figured you were basing it on something????
My money is on the diesel getting better economy. Especially pushing snow and even driving down the road with the big air dam up front. My 5.9 cummins in plow trim weighing in at 11.5k and pushing a 8.5'+wings (10' total) and I get 10-12mpg on the road and 1.5 gal/hr plowing.
My 5.3 chevy with lighter 7.5+wings weighs just 7500 ballasted, barley got 10mpg driving, did about the same pushing (but a smaller amount of snow), and didnt have near the pushing power.
Plug the diesel in. In all seriousness though, in a plow event that can last 10+ hours, there is only 1 "warm-up".
All the parts on the trucks are the same except the engine/trans. A case can be made for the diesel being more durable in a hard use environment like plowing. But in either case, engine/trans parts for either aint gonna be cheap.
Not sure what the weight difference is between an 05 duramax engine/trans and an 05 6.0 engine and trans, but I bet it isnt as much as some think. I think it being "harder" on the truck is a bit far fetched.
Most of the guys I plow with, or see plowing, are running diesels. Those that arent are usually just starting out. And FWIW, almost everyone I know that runs a chevy gasser from the late 90's to present has issues overheating on the highway unless they keep there plow LOOOOWWW. low enough they they bounce it off the pavement every bump or expansion joint they cross.
Plowing is plowing. IF you like a gas truck...great. IF you want a diesel, thats fine too. But IMO, the arguments you make for a gasser being better are simply unfounded
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farm boy00
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Not sure what constitutes proof, I don't have both trucks and I don't commercially plow, so I don't have A-B testing between the two or documents to share on both
The Duramax is quite heavy and nearly maxxes out the front axle. Plow manufacturers limit them to few HD plows, and being so heavy and close to their max, plowing is especially hard on the front end. The 6.0 will get similar mileage, warm up faster, have cheaper parts and be easier on the truck. It will also open you to far more plow choices. Spend the money you would have paid for the Duramax upgrade and get a pull plow and really increase your efficiency if you have jobs that can use it, or even buy a cheap backup truck/plow that a second person can use for snow events
Duramax ain't leaving my hands till the day it dies. And this duramax gets better gas milage then my grandma's 6.0 that's same exact body style.
Still not sure if I'm going to plow more then mine and 2 friends. But both their drives are big enough for a 10ft.
I HAVE 2 PLOWS. A 7.5FT AND 10ft
The 10ft is a experiment more then anything cause I traded it for stuff I didn't want. So that's no worry. And I do have parking lots that I might leave the plow at. Not sure yet
ishiboo
Platinum Member
How much ballast do you have that you need a dually for it? A 2500HD SRW has plenty of rear axle capacity for ballast. It's actually the same axle in the 2500HD, 3500HD SRW, and 3500HD DRW. The 3500HD adds a helper leaf, the DRW adds another set of wheels... adding to tire cost and increasing "float". Good for dry traction, what does having twice the rear tire do in snow?
Great for towing a big trailer, an unnecessary cost for plowing. DRW with a diesel gets you 5200 lbs vs 4600 on the SRW gas.Math, plow manufacturers and commercial plowing operations.
I never recommended a 5.3.
I'm assuming it would be plugged in.
The diesel is more durable, but unnecessarily so as plowing isn't that hard on the engine, but just about everything else on the truck. You're right, the rest of the parts are the same price. But realize the Duramax is a hugely expensive add-on to the truck, I think like $8500 IIRC.
Go look at front axle gross weights, and then compare it to what plows manufacturers allow their dealers to install. You can install just about any plow on a 6.0 3/4-ton, you have far fewer options on a 3500HD DRW.
Interesting. That's very different here where most commercial plow operations are running gassers. The ones with diesel duallys are pulling huge trailers with mini hoes and stuff, so the dual-purpose truck saves them money.
I don't know about the older trucks with plows, but between the 6.0 and the Duramax, the Duramax definitely has more overheating problems. Never heard an issue with either plowing, but plenty in 100-110+ heat.
I don't see a lot of commercial plow trucks operating "on the highway" though around here.
The topic was "setting up a duramax for plowing", which I assumed to be commercial since he said he was going into the business. Now the topic is "setting up a duramax for plowing 2 driveways" which is a whole different story. I stick by my guns that the 6.0 is a better choice for commercial plowing. Go talk to your plow dealer or a commercial operator.When you are running a business, what you like and what makes you more money are sometimes two different things.
I love the Duramax. I am on my 3rd and I've been driving them since 2004... a 2013 3500HD SRW Denali with 24,000 miles I bought new. I also love diesels - my daily driver is a 2014 Passat TDI. That doesn't mean it is the right choice for everything. A lot of guys go out and buy a $65,000 Denali 3500 and then use that for roof tear-offs and snow plowing, and wonder why they don't have any money. Or they put on a huge lift kit and huge tires and then go plowing. Same guys that run around everywhere with strobe lights and light bars and everything else turned on like they're emergency workers.
If I was to be in the market for a work truck it would definitely be a 2500HD 6.0. Now, the initial post was that he wanted to set up his truck to get into the plowing business. Now it's revealed to be a farm truck that will maybe do 2 driveways. Throw a home made 16' wood plow on it, who cares? Big difference in the two scenarios