Cheap dedicated plow truck?

[coss]

I live in the mid-Hudson valley, and we get somewhat more snow than you do in NW NJ, but as a ballpark comparison, the areas are close enough. I agree with other posters that you have 2 options:

1. Build up your free truck: I would guess you will spend $700-1000 to get up and running. It will probably last 5-8 years, after which time it'll be worth only what you can get for the used plow. It should work fine for 8" of dry snow and 4-5" of wet stuff. You might need to get up in the middle of the night to plow the first portion of a storm so you don't get snowed in. Every 3 years or so, you might need to hire someone with a bigger rig to bail you out or move back the banks when you get multiple storms without a melting spell in between. You will be warm and toasty inside the truck. I don't know anything about NJ law, but unless your homeowners policy covers your liability, you should buy an insurance policy.

2. Buy a used tractor with a back blade on a 3 point hitch: You can expect to spend $1500-2500, with maintenance costs of, say, $200/year, coming in bursts after you get lulled into a false sense of security because nothing has broken in awhile. It will last pretty much forever, and it will never decline in value unless you trash it. It will be more reliable and will hold its value better if you store it under a roof, so it would be wise to include that expense in your calculations. You can freeze you butt off. It will handle about the same snow depth as your truck, so ask yourself how you will feel getting up at 3:00 am to sit on an open tractor in 31F freezing rain or -5F heavy wind. You probably won't need an insurance policy.

If I were you, I think I'd try the "free truck" option, and if you have a fatal event like a blown transmission, you will hopefully be a few years down the road and you'll have enough money saved up for a reliable tractor or replacement truck.

 

[LD48750]

I live in the mid-Hudson valley, and we get somewhat more snow than you do in NW NJ, but as a ballpark comparison, the areas are close enough. I agree with other posters that you have 2 options:

1. Build up your free truck: I would guess you will spend $700-1000 to get up and running. It will probably last 5-8 years, after which time it'll be worth only what you can get for the used plow. It should work fine for 8" of dry snow and 4-5" of wet stuff. You might need to get up in the middle of the night to plow the first portion of a storm so you don't get snowed in. Every 3 years or so, you might need to hire someone with a bigger rig to bail you out or move back the banks when you get multiple storms without a melting spell in between. You will be warm and toasty inside the truck. I don't know anything about NJ law, but unless your homeowners policy covers your liability, you should buy an insurance policy.

2. Buy a used tractor with a back blade on a 3 point hitch: You can expect to spend $1500-2500, with maintenance costs of, say, $200/year, coming in bursts after you get lulled into a false sense of security because nothing has broken in awhile. It will last pretty much forever, and it will never decline in value unless you trash it. It will be more reliable and will hold its value better if you store it under a roof, so it would be wise to include that expense in your calculations. You can freeze you butt off. It will handle about the same snow depth as your truck, so ask yourself how you will feel getting up at 3:00 am to sit on an open tractor in 31F freezing rain or -5F heavy wind. You probably won't need an insurance policy.

If I were you, I think I'd try the "free truck" option, and if you have a fatal event like a blown transmission, you will hopefully be a few years down the road and you'll have enough money saved up for a reliable tractor or replacement truck.

If you don't need insurance for a tractor, why would you need insurance for a truck that never leaves the property?

I have been running a dedicated plow truck on my property for the last 25+ yrs and recommend it over an open station tractor.
I have both & the tractors are for warm weather use & mowing the grass. ( & getting firewood from out back)

 

[3930dave]

-Weld up spiders in the rearend
-Fill all four tires with liquid ballast
-Fit v-bar chains to all four tires
-Build a weight box out of lumber that I can load with rocks, concrete, etc...that would be secured between the cab and the rear axle
-Fit/adapt a cheap plow

I think this truck will push what you want, as long as 4 Low is available. Stick to a narrower plow if you can.

I'd actually start out with less traction. My guess is the transmission will be the weak link; if you want/need more than one season out of this setup, you don't want to be able to push 3' of wet snow with this truck. If it doesn't already have a good sized Aux transmission cooler, add one, they aren't spendy.

Unless you've driven a spooled truck before, I'd hold off welding the spiders. With the ice we get here, an always-locked rear may give you too much push under certain conditions, even with 4wd. If ice-storms are rare, or you don't have close quarters/narrow roads to navigate, Spark On.

For that truck I'd start w/o chains and go with the tallest, narrowest, cheapest ZigZag snow tires I could find - typically what you'd see on an old off-road work/plow truck in Vermont. I'd add ballast weight to the bed, and start plowing with that.

Rgds, D.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I agree with not welding the spiders... until using it a bit, an open diff with chains on all 4's will be a good start. Welding spiders makes them brittle, and they can break. (Been there, done that, mud truck adventures...)

X2 on the extra Auto trans cooler too... Trans temp gauge would be cheap insurance, 210° and up is killing your trans. Ask me how I know... more BTDT!

 

[Groo]

I am thinking I need to beef up the front end of the 1 ton I plow with. better be some tupperware nothing plow on that truck.

how about a 4 wheel with a blade or blower?

 

[Tomtint]

For a small 1/4 mile driveway it will be fine. Provided you are only moving 6" of light snow and it's not 12" of heavy wet snow. Look for a light weight Polly blade and not a heavy steel one. I think you will be fine.

 

[LouNY]

An S10 used with a bit of caution will do the job, chains are a great asset on a plow truck. I have maintained a 1/4 mile steep hill driveway for many years, I've always had a tractor or two to use,my Oliver 1550 on chains with a loader had more difficultly plowing or using the back blade than my plow trucks, going down hill couldn't stop without using the loader bucket as a brake as well aas the tractor brakes. I used every thing for plow trucks from scouts to K30's most of mine where K20's with chains ( V- bar reinforced). on all 4 wheels. My current setups I end up using my new tractor with a 8 ft blade on the loader frame the most ( Branson 8050 cab and heat, chained on the rear all winter, all four if ice storm forecast), my plow truck is an K2500 with a sander in the bed and rear chains the 2000 Chevy hasn't got room for front chains.
Chain that S10 use a 6 1/2 foot plow, use low range, add weight to the bed and it will just walk right thru the snow, be sure to mark out any places you don't want to get into with snow on the ground as it will look a lot different snow covered, push back further than you think you need to.
Luck Lou

 

[RjCorazza]

I have an old f150 that I have considered using as a dedicated plow truck (on property) in the past, but I have 20 driveways that I plow now. As others have commented, keeping an unregistered plow truck running may prove problematic. I'm sure you can find a light 6.5' plow that will work, a little weight and chains and you're good to go.
Running a blade on gravel is not my favorite activity, and tractors have a definite advantage. My "go to" implements are a reversed back blade and clamp on skids for the loader bucket.... but we're not talking tractors...

 

[joeu235]

Being from Texas, it took me some time to figure out what you meant by a plow truck. I was originally thinking you were talking about pulling a disc or grader blade and I was thinking you were crazy.

 

[GLyford]

I like the light-duty truck idea, but I have only this additional comment...any vehicle that sits here accumulates yellowjackets.

Either keep it in a shed where they won't go, or park it where you won't need to go near it in the warm months, and hope they stay out of the cab where the heat gets turned on.