So lot of good advice already given. I’ll give you my experience after plowing about 35 driveways for about 10 years with a pickup, including several that were gravel. With 35 driveways that typically had to be knocked off in 3 hrs, I needed efficiency while not sacrificing a clean driveway that so many expected. And just for some context, that 3/4 ton truck with an 8’ HD Fisher plow, hardly Ever tore anything up, including lawns, co pared to the Jeep I have today with a plastic 6.5’ homeowners plow, that today I just do my own driveway with, I think you can translate some of my p/u experience to your tractor, though you do need to consider how far out that plow sits on the loader arms As well.
Back then, a Fisher Plow never scraped as well as a Western. It had everything to do with attack angle. So what others said about that is right on.Assuming it’s the same today see if you can see the Western vs Fisher attach angles. Yours is likely to scrape more aggressively with that angle. My little Jeep will rip up older asphalt no problem with a LIGHT plow.
I nearly always floated my blade, but that was on p/u. Other wise, I’d need a lot more time to plow, and frankly would have caused more lawn damage as I was trusting my touch repeatedly. Only time I didn’t float, was in beginning of season on gravel drives, I basically needed to create a a nice frozen layer on the gravel, then future plows were easier. The loader arms do present another animal, but constantly adjusting is of lot more work than float, so I’d consider trying the next item.
My game changer was a polyurethane edge. Yes, they are pricey, but they wear better than steel. I used one for 4-5 yrs, doing 35 drives, and just finished breaking a full edge ( it was 1.5” wide I think due to weight if plow). And, I coukd still flip it for another edge if needed.But, you literally may need to break in an angled edge or it can be cut in or routed in. I went to parking lot and drove backwards for awhile To get angle starting to wear in. When square and fresh they chatter, but once an edge is in, they work great. I could fly over gravel drives, no problem. Almost no ripping of lawns. And hit something, hard, and it absorbed the shock. A poly edge on a Fisher HD however being about 1.5” wide, did a terrible job backdragging. I added a swinging backblade to the plow, but again, I needed efficiency for all those drives. I would seriously consider that for your setup seeing how massive that blade is. I actually still have my edge, PM me if interested.
one last comment and each situation may vary. i never had good luck with shoes, same for many other residential plowers. Maybe it was the Fisher attack angle, but it rode up on snow too much, leaving too much behind.
on your crowned driveway, definitely take it in at least two passes, one each side. Consider a poly edge.
Back then, a Fisher Plow never scraped as well as a Western. It had everything to do with attack angle. So what others said about that is right on.Assuming it’s the same today see if you can see the Western vs Fisher attach angles. Yours is likely to scrape more aggressively with that angle. My little Jeep will rip up older asphalt no problem with a LIGHT plow.
I nearly always floated my blade, but that was on p/u. Other wise, I’d need a lot more time to plow, and frankly would have caused more lawn damage as I was trusting my touch repeatedly. Only time I didn’t float, was in beginning of season on gravel drives, I basically needed to create a a nice frozen layer on the gravel, then future plows were easier. The loader arms do present another animal, but constantly adjusting is of lot more work than float, so I’d consider trying the next item.
My game changer was a polyurethane edge. Yes, they are pricey, but they wear better than steel. I used one for 4-5 yrs, doing 35 drives, and just finished breaking a full edge ( it was 1.5” wide I think due to weight if plow). And, I coukd still flip it for another edge if needed.But, you literally may need to break in an angled edge or it can be cut in or routed in. I went to parking lot and drove backwards for awhile To get angle starting to wear in. When square and fresh they chatter, but once an edge is in, they work great. I could fly over gravel drives, no problem. Almost no ripping of lawns. And hit something, hard, and it absorbed the shock. A poly edge on a Fisher HD however being about 1.5” wide, did a terrible job backdragging. I added a swinging backblade to the plow, but again, I needed efficiency for all those drives. I would seriously consider that for your setup seeing how massive that blade is. I actually still have my edge, PM me if interested.
one last comment and each situation may vary. i never had good luck with shoes, same for many other residential plowers. Maybe it was the Fisher attack angle, but it rode up on snow too much, leaving too much behind.
on your crowned driveway, definitely take it in at least two passes, one each side. Consider a poly edge.
