New Snow Plow for the 4060

Fxfymn · Dec 16, 2016

When I bought the 4060 I moved my existing plow mount for a Meyers 7 1/2' blade from the 3430 to the 4060, but I really wanted to go to a bigger blade if I could find one. Well..an 8 1/2' Meyers Xpress mount blade that is in really good condition popped up on CL and I was able to snag it for $450.00, so a totally new mount system had to be fabbed up.

The Xpress system was made by Meyers for a relatively short time and was originally designed as a wireless controller which allowed the operator to mount the plow without leaving the cab. The wireless part was a failure, so they went to a wired controller, but the system was still pretty complicated, so they moved on to a new design.

I had to cut the old mount off of the brush guard and add the "V" shaped piece I made from 2 1/2" pipe. The base piece is 2 1/2" square that I made up from 2" x 1/4 angle because that is what I had on hand. I took the electric pump off and converted the hydraulics to run off of the loader valve and used the third function valve to operate the mounting cylinder. I also added a holder for the hydraulic hoses to keep them out of harms way.

Basically the plow mounts by using a hydraulic cylinder to clamp on to the plow mount and then it is secured by a pin in case of hydraulic failure. It is really easy system to mount, but the blade is heavy and the mount is quite complex. The up side is it stays level as you swing it from side to side.

To mount the blade I drive up to the blade and connect the hydraulics. The mount cylinder is then opened and the tractor is driven forward until the mount is over the top mount piece. The hydraulic cylinder is then closed and the blade clamps on to the tractor.

The blade is controlled by the loader valve. I lift the blade with the loader lift/float function and the power angle is run by the curl functions.

The pics were taken before I finished the final paint work.

beenthere · Dec 17, 2016

Nice build, and can see the quick hydraulic hookup will be a real handy feature.

And having a front plow close to the front of the tractor is a great way to go..

:thumbsup:

BrokeFarmerJohn · Dec 17, 2016

Slick set up you built, next you can stop by and teach me how to build one for my JD lol, would love to have a plow on mine.

Fxfymn · Dec 17, 2016

Slick set up you built, next you can stop by and teach me how to build one for my JD lol, would love to have a plow on mine.

Actually if you can find an older "Classic" blade it is quite easy to fab amount and if you are not a welder I don't think it would be very expensive to have done.

LD1 · Dec 17, 2016

I like the way that single bolt-pivot setup is that allows the plow to tilt.

Never seen that before, only ones that are slightly more complex. I may have to copy that for my tractor plow so getting the a-frame perfectly level each time would no longer be critical. Looks easy enough. And if something like that works out, I may do the same for my truck. Cause the main drawback of meyer plows have always been that they mount the sector / a-frame so low on the plow. That in order for it to be level, you dont have a lot of ground clearance.

carlhwv · Dec 17, 2016

I had a nice plow I inherited that fit the quick attach on my FEL. Worked well but I found it hard to maneuver in the area need to work. I wonder how much easier it would be having on the way yours is mounted.

amhicks21 · Dec 18, 2016

Thats a really cool mounting setup. Nice job! I put together a frame mount plow this fall and i was curious about the hydraulics. I kept mine using the factory electric over hydraulics so the plow could be sold as a normal truck plow if it didnt work out the way i hoped. Ive got to use it these past 2 weeks and its been working great except that the alternator has a little bit of a hard time keeping up if im really working the plow and the lift is a little slower than i'd like. How's the speed on the loader attached hydraulics? I wouldve guessed the loader hydraulics would be fast and jerky without flow control valves. About how much do you have into the lines and fittings? im thinking maybe i could just leave the electric unit in place and plumb to the loader so if it did get sold i could just hook it back up as original.

Fxfymn · Dec 18, 2016

It is pretty quick, but because I use the loader valve I can feather it if I want.

I found the quick connects for about $13.00 each plus freight. Hoses run about $30.00 each. Discount Hydraulic Hose 701-06-06S 701-06-06S | 3/8" Female Coupler x 3/8" NPTF Female, Steel. I also tried the electric pump and also found that the tractor's electrical system was not up to the task.

Looking at your picture it appears that the pump is a completely separate unit from the pistons. That would be an easy change to make. Put quick connects on the existing hoses to add the longer hoses and you will not make any real changes to the blade if that is a concern.

I do remove the loader when I mount the plow, a task that usually takes less than five minutes.

I have tried a variety of configurations over the years. After trying them I think a tractor mounted blade run by the tractor's hydraulics works best. The hydraulics are reliable and the tractor is maneuverable. When I had the blade mounted on the loader it had a tendency to "push" the tractor around when I hit a snow pile due to the long length creating a "lever" effect. Once I put the blade on the tractor that stopped.

Are the front fenders from Kubota? I really like those.

Fxfymn · Dec 18, 2016

Cause the main drawback of meyer plows have always been that they mount the sector / a-frame so low on the plow. That in order for it to be level, you dont have a lot of ground clearance.

When I did a little research on the blade I found that this style had the highest mount height of any Meyers setup; 12" off of the ground.

My blade was bought at a State of Maryland auction by the guy I got it from. When I asked my local Kubota/Meyers dealer about the blade he basically said nice blade, but no one wants them because they are orphans. My bet is if you keep an eye out one will pop up at a good price.

LD1 · Dec 18, 2016

Fxfymn said:
When I did a little research on the blade I found that this style had the highest mount height of any Meyers setup; 12" off of the ground.

My blade was bought at a State of Maryland auction by the guy I got it from. When I asked my local Kubota/Meyers dealer about the blade he basically said nice blade, but no one wants them because they are orphans. My bet is if you keep an eye out one will pop up at a good price.

The old school ST and C plows, probably barely have 6" between the a-frame and the ground. And with cutting edge wear, it gets worse

Fxfymn · Dec 19, 2016

Here is a link to chart of the various Meyers mounts and their proper installation height. Correct Meyer Plow Mounting Clevis Heights - Meyer Plows.info

LD1 · Dec 19, 2016

Maybe they are counting on alot of slop.

But I assure you, with a tight plow, 11-1/4" ain't gonna work on a Meyer classic.

With a brand new cutting edge installed. And a floor jack in the shop til the A-frame is perfectly level, pin centers are 8-1/2 to 9".

To run them at 11-1/4 puts the plow pitched downward by 2-1/4 to 2-3/4". If plow is tight, when angled, the near edge will be several inches off the ground while the far (leading) edge digs in. And the bottom edge (underside) of the angle iron that makes up the A-frame....Is 4" lower than the pins.

Now account for a few inches of edge wear, and it's a mess. End result is very little ground clearance

Fxfymn · Dec 21, 2016

I installed a lot of Meyers blades back when Capt. Marvel was still a Lt. and we used 9" as the height if memory serves correctly. That was for the original style with the angle bar that the blade pinned directly to.

The chart is for the newer styles for trucks equipped with air bags.

LD1 · Dec 21, 2016

Fxfymn said:
I installed a lot of Meyers blades back when Capt. Marvel was still a Lt. and we used 9" as the height if memory serves correctly. That was for the original style with the angle bar that the blade pinned directly to.

The chart is for the newer styles for trucks equipped with air bags.

Not sure what the truck has to do with it. The plow dont care if the truck has air bags. Alot of guys, myself included, run a classic meyer plow on a newer truck. And unless the plow is very sloppy in all the pivots, if the a-frame isnt level, you wont have a level blade when angled. I have cut the pin-tabs off of several meyer plows and had to raise them (lower the a-frame) because the truck mounts are just too high.

Its just meyers design. Where the sector and a-frame pin to the plow.....its just alot lower than alot of other designs. Sit a meyer classic plow next to a boss, curtis, etc. Put blocking under it so the a-frame is level, and notice how much lower everything is on the meyer plow.

I like how your plow is able to pivot. Wouldnt have to worry about having the a-frame level, and could cheat some more ground clearance out of it. The biggest issue with the meyer classic plows, when raising to push snow over a curb or parking block....its easy to get hung up.

ovrszd · Dec 21, 2016

Looking at your pics, do you have 3rd function on your FEL controls? Question being how you are running 3 cylinders?

It appears when the plow is lifted it's being carried on your grill guard? With the load on the two small latch pins? Did I miss something??

Thanks for posting the pics. I've never saw a plow hookup like that!!!

Fxfymn · Dec 21, 2016

Looking at your pics, do you have 3rd function on your FEL controls? Question being how you are running 3 cylinders?

It appears when the plow is lifted it's being carried on your grill guard? With the load on the two small latch pins? Did I miss something??

I do have a 3rd function, but I do not use it for the blade. All snow plows use a single action cylinder, so one cylinder is hooked to each side of the curl function and the lift cylinder is hooked to the float position of the loader control. When it goes to float it lets the fluid back through the same port it uses to lift the cylinder.

The load is carried on the brush guard, the same as it is with the Meyers supplied guard. I do not understand what you mean by "two small latch pins" as it is carried by the 2" pipe that is shaped like a "V" in the pic of the brush guard. I used a similar arrangement for the past 15+ years without issue.

Not sure what the truck has to do with it.

When the builders started supplying air bags on new trucks the plow vendors had to come up with a mount that fully detached from the truck so the air bag sensors would not be blocked when the blade is not mounted. That is why Meyer did away with the old curved 2x2 tube lift cylinder mount that was permanently mounted to the truck and was used for years

I do not care for the Meyers design because it is easy for the blade to trip when stacking snow which allows the snow to fall back on the blade and "trap" the blade in the pile. A bottom edge trip like Fisher uses keeps that from happening. I went with the Meyers because the price was right.

With either blade if the lift cylinder is properly set up it should lift the blade enough to clear obstructions like curbs, but on any plow the frame will eventually strike the curb.

ovrszd · Dec 21, 2016

Fxfymn said:
I do have a 3rd function, but I do not use it for the blade. All snow plows use a single action cylinder, so one cylinder is hooked to each side of the curl function and the lift cylinder is hooked to the float position of the loader control. When it goes to float it lets the fluid back through the same port it uses to lift the cylinder.

The load is carried on the brush guard, the same as it is with the Meyers supplied guard. I do not understand what you mean by "two small latch pins" as it is carried by the 2" pipe that is shaped like a "V" in the pic of the brush guard. I used a similar arrangement for the past 15+ years without issue.

When the builders started supplying air bags on new trucks the plow vendors had to come up with a mount that fully detached from the truck so the air bag sensors would not be blocked when the blade is not mounted. That is why Meyer did away with the old curved 2x2 tube lift cylinder mount that was permanently mounted to the truck and was used for years

I do not care for the Meyers design because it is easy for the blade to trip when stacking snow which allows the snow to fall back on the blade and "trap" the blade in the pile. A bottom edge trip like Fisher uses keeps that from happening. I went with the Meyers because the price was right.

With either blade if the lift cylinder is properly set up it should lift the blade enough to clear obstructions like curbs, but on any plow the frame will eventually strike the curb.

What hydraulic circuit is used to latch the plow to the tractor?? You have three circuits on the plow. So I asked about 3rd function on the tractor because you would need 3 circuits there. Unless you couple/uncouple a circuit after you latch the plow to the tractor. Maybe I didn't understand something.

What I mean by the two small latch pins is that your grill guard is foldable. The 2" V pipe in the pic is welded to the brush guard. So when you lift the plow you are putting pressure on the "fold" function of the grill guard which is held in place by two small pins. Did I miss something??

LD1 · Dec 21, 2016

First I have ever hear that airbags were the reason for the change. Not disputing what you heard, jus I have never heard that. And it doesn't really make sense.

Maybe old cars have airbag sensors in the bumpers, but for the most part that is a big misconception.they use an accelerometer in the BCM. And the tubular hoop part is removable anyway. They even make brush guards that utilizes the mount. I really believe the change has more to do with ease/speed of hookup. And keeping up with the competition.

Regarding the low mount height. When the plow is raised, the back of the A-frame where the pin mounts are...Don't raise much, as it's near the rotation point. Some Meyer plows have the angle iron....On the vertical leg under the mounting pins....Cut at an angle. Some do not. Those that do not are the issue. Several lots I plow, require plowing the snow up and over parking blocks. When the plow touches the parking block, raise it 6-8" and keep pushing the pile back. If you don't, you will run out of room before winter is over.

Well, the A-frame acts like a funnel and will raise the plow up and over as you push. If you go too far, the A-frame will drop over the back side of the parking block and hang you up. Especially if the angle iron of the A-frame isn't cut off on an angle.

Fxfymn · Dec 22, 2016

I agree about the newer air bags, but any accessory that impacts how the sensors and crush zones work would open up the after market vendor to legal issues, etc. Simply put, a rugged steel frame mounted to the front of a truck will cause a higher resistance to impact and transfer that energy to the passenger compartment instead of crushing to absorb the impact.

I don't disagree about the mount height. I think we are saying the same thing in different ways.

Fxfymn · Dec 22, 2016

What hydraulic circuit is used to latch the plow to the tractor?? You have three circuits on the plow. So I asked about 3rd function on the tractor because you would need 3 circuits there. Unless you couple/uncouple a circuit after you latch the plow to the tractor. Maybe I didn't understand something.

What I mean by the two small latch pins is that your grill guard is foldable.

I do use the third function to attach the blade, but I could have used the loader valve and simply detached it after it was attached if I so desired.

I added two clevis pins to the fold down guard so I don't rely on the latch pin to carry the load. (Only one on my guard) I'm pretty sure it would have worked without them, but I did not like the movement the original pin allowed. I do consider this to be the weak point in the entire installation and I'm going to keep a close eye on it to make sure it holds up. My dealer insists the guard should carry the load and I cannot detect any deflection in it when I raise the blade, but it just seems sketchy to me.

I considered making an entire guard to replace the factory guard when I had the blade on. But that meant I would have to remove the factory guard and install the new one every time I mounted the blade. My next option is to reinforce the vertical pieces of the guard by welding a piece to the back of the vertical members since I'm pretty sure any failure will be a buckling of the vertical members. I also considered using a slide in mount like Meyers does, but it moved the blade further out and I'm not sure it would have been that much stronger.

Like most amateur engineers I tend to over build what I do and I really tried to resist that tendency when I did this. Time will tell if I'm right or wrong.