FatTire
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,369
- Location
- Colorado
- Tractor
- Kubota L5740, Unimog 404 w/ snowblower, Deere 620i UTV, MX5100 (sold)
New tool/toy this year is an 8-foot SSQA V-plow made by FFC. Now we've had our first snow (16 inches with 1.3 inch water content) and I've plowed 2 driveways with parking areas that total nearly 1/2 mile. Nobody around here had one of these, so I purchased without ever actually seeing one, which was sort of scary. The winter is far from over, but here are my first impressions:
CONSTRUCTION/FEATURES: This is a big, heavy plow. They did not skimp on materials and the unit appears nicely made. It is 32" tall and weighs about half a ton. It is intended primarily for skid steers and is equipped with the standard SSQA. This plow is attached to its skid steer plate using a ball mount that provides free float in 360 degrees. FFC says it is 5 degrees of float. It feels like at least that much. The plow comes with a cycling valve that allows the angling cylinders on both sides to be controlled with 1 hydraulic circuit for 30 degree left, right, Vee, and scoop. It is also possible to stop it in the middle, such as straight. I run it off one of my rear remotes. The plow has a trip edge -- the rest of the plow is rigid.
PROS: I am impressed how easily this plow moves snow with my MX5100. Cutting back a 3 foot bank that was already re-frozen was like cutting warm butter. If you've never used a V-plow, it might be hard to imagine how useful the scoop mode is when clearing a parking area or pushing back a big pile. I have not used the V-position yet. The float is what makes this a good match for a tractor FEL. I drop the plow to a couple inches off the ground, set the curl, drop the FEL a bit more until about half the float is used up, and good to go. 8 feet is a good size for this tractor. Dealers who told me 8 ft is too big were flat wrong, a 7 foot would not cover the wheel tracks when angled.
CONS: As others on this forum have said, having a plow this big on an FEL may not be a good choice for someone with a dirt/gravel driveway and a nice lawn. It took me several attempts to learn to set the curl properly, and meanwhile I moved quite a bit of road base off my driveway. (Ground was not frozen prior to this storm.) As mentioned above, this blade has a trip edge. If you run into a rock 2 feet high, or a curb 7 inches high (if they have curbs where you live) then you are going to bang the plow, and your FEL arms. Also counter weight is a big deal. Currently I have a heavy rear blade mounted, but will soon build a 800 pound 3-pt counter weight. Kind of nice having a rear blade on there, but also makes the unit LONG. Very long. Finally the obvious remaining "con" is cost. I found a nearly 3 year old plow that basically hadn't been used and got a nice discount, but in general you can expect to pay nearly $4k for these. You can get a "pre-owned" straight blade with SSQA for less than $2k.
SUMMARY: This plow is made for moving serious snow, and I'm hoping we get some this winter. (Drifting is assured, but actual snow depth, who knows?) Photos below.
CONSTRUCTION/FEATURES: This is a big, heavy plow. They did not skimp on materials and the unit appears nicely made. It is 32" tall and weighs about half a ton. It is intended primarily for skid steers and is equipped with the standard SSQA. This plow is attached to its skid steer plate using a ball mount that provides free float in 360 degrees. FFC says it is 5 degrees of float. It feels like at least that much. The plow comes with a cycling valve that allows the angling cylinders on both sides to be controlled with 1 hydraulic circuit for 30 degree left, right, Vee, and scoop. It is also possible to stop it in the middle, such as straight. I run it off one of my rear remotes. The plow has a trip edge -- the rest of the plow is rigid.
PROS: I am impressed how easily this plow moves snow with my MX5100. Cutting back a 3 foot bank that was already re-frozen was like cutting warm butter. If you've never used a V-plow, it might be hard to imagine how useful the scoop mode is when clearing a parking area or pushing back a big pile. I have not used the V-position yet. The float is what makes this a good match for a tractor FEL. I drop the plow to a couple inches off the ground, set the curl, drop the FEL a bit more until about half the float is used up, and good to go. 8 feet is a good size for this tractor. Dealers who told me 8 ft is too big were flat wrong, a 7 foot would not cover the wheel tracks when angled.
CONS: As others on this forum have said, having a plow this big on an FEL may not be a good choice for someone with a dirt/gravel driveway and a nice lawn. It took me several attempts to learn to set the curl properly, and meanwhile I moved quite a bit of road base off my driveway. (Ground was not frozen prior to this storm.) As mentioned above, this blade has a trip edge. If you run into a rock 2 feet high, or a curb 7 inches high (if they have curbs where you live) then you are going to bang the plow, and your FEL arms. Also counter weight is a big deal. Currently I have a heavy rear blade mounted, but will soon build a 800 pound 3-pt counter weight. Kind of nice having a rear blade on there, but also makes the unit LONG. Very long. Finally the obvious remaining "con" is cost. I found a nearly 3 year old plow that basically hadn't been used and got a nice discount, but in general you can expect to pay nearly $4k for these. You can get a "pre-owned" straight blade with SSQA for less than $2k.
SUMMARY: This plow is made for moving serious snow, and I'm hoping we get some this winter. (Drifting is assured, but actual snow depth, who knows?) Photos below.
