Plowing with a Truck Issues / Effect on Truck's Value

[LD1]

the truck that didnt plow should Not NEED ball joints, wheel bearings, u joints etc... Lol

Its not that it should not need it, it just shouldnt need those items as soon.

The more you use something, the faster it wears out. Plowing uses the brakes MORE, and you are articulating the steering and suspension ALOT more per given mileage.

Similar to city driving vs highway driving. A car with 100k on the clock and all city driving is going to either have had those parts replaced more frequently, or be closer to replacement than a highway mile car with the same 100k

 

[Jstpssng]

I would agree that it depends on the user. A friend of my father's plowed driveways all of his life. His last truck was about 3 years old when the tranny went. He had it towed back to the dealer, where they found that his tranny cooler had never been installed as part of the plow prep package.

One feature which is appearing now and should have been standard on all trucks since ATs were invented is a tranny temperature gauge. I've never had a plow, yet this would have saved me at least one rebuild. (oops)

 

[Bota4me]

Its not that it should not need it, it just shouldnt need those items as soon. The more you use something, the faster it wears out. Plowing uses the brakes MORE, and you are articulating the steering and suspension ALOT more per given mileage. Similar to city driving vs highway driving. A car with 100k on the clock and all city driving is going to either have had those parts replaced more frequently, or be closer to replacement than a highway mile car with the same 100k

your right LD1. I was making a joke about it for the most part. My friend plowed with a 1500 chevy and i would help him fix his truck about every week lol. But if you take your time and dont pound the truck you can plow with minimal extra wear.

 

[LD1]

I plowed for 4 years with a 03 Silverado 1500. In those 4 years I went from 48000mi to 90000mi. It was also my daily driver (though I had a back up), and also towed my Kubota frequently with it.

I did brakes once, thres once, and wheel bearings once. That's it aside from normal maintenance (oil, filters, etc)

And that was plowing commercially with a 7.5' blade + wings. Granted, we don't get a ton of snow, but 6 or 8 good events a year.

So yea, who's driving has alot to do with it.

I know some people that are harder on vehicles than me. And they never haul, tow, or push anything.

 

[Sprinklerman]

It all depends on the driver . I have been plowing 30 years , the only major repairs I have had were the ring gear bolts fell out on the front axle on a old dodge half ton pick up , and a throw out bearing went on a 3/4 ton chevy I had . I plow with a ford excursion and have 120,000 miles , just normal maintenance items . Sure the rust gets to them a little faster , but the truck is a moneymaker , 3k every 12 hours plowing . The truck value may drop , but the money it makes is far greater

 

[MossRoad]

I am curious what impacts plowing with a truck has on a truck's mechanicals and resale value. Alignment? Tire wear? Frame? ...?

If I was looking for a used truck to NOT plow with, I wouldn't purchase one that has been plowed with. I plowed with 3/4 ton pickups for 6 years at the airport. Those trucks took major beatings just doing the access roads, parking lots and roads between the hangars. At the end of the season they all needed major repairs to steering and suspension parts.

My neighbor has a small snow plowing business. Just a couple of accounts. He uses a less than 10 year old Tahoe. He upgraded the front suspension to heavier components. Just doing a couple businesses, he's not seeing that much damage. But two winters ago, we had heavier than normal snowfall and very frequent. He wore out quite a bit of parts that year.

Plus its hard on the electrical system raising the plow over and over again. We, and he, always needed to upgrade the charging systems on the plow trucks. Batteries tend to go bad sooner as well.

 

[Piston]

Salt on the roads does a lot more damage to the truck than plowing does.

As mentioned, it all depends on the operator.

Take a a guy who doesn't know what he's doing, or doesn't care, and put him in an identical truck as a guy who knows how to operate a plow truck.

One guy will blow through a transmission every other year, break his front windshield after any heavy snow, and have all sorts of snow dents all over the truck.

The other guy, you'd never know it was a plow truck, and he'd be on the same tranny after 200k miles.

You can't do much about long term affects of salt though.

 

[Garandman]

So, take a plow truck like mine, after a season, and replace the wheel bearings, ball joints, u-joints, brakes, tires if needed, etc. And give it a good underside bath and how is it any different than a truck that dont plow?

What kind of mpg do you get plowing?

That's an indication of how much harder you've worked the entire drive train than hauling air like most pickups.

 

[LD1]

Hard to think in terms of mpg while plowing. Cause I can spend 20 hours pushing and maybe only put on 200 miles.

Instead I like to think in terms of gallons per hour. In which case I run right around 1.5 gal/ hour.

In contrast going 60 mph and getting 20mpg is burning twice the fuel per hour.

 

[Garandman]

In contrast going 60 mph and getting 20mpg is burning twice the fuel per hour.

Yup, and while plowing you are getting 10mpg, an indication of how hard you are working the truck. Which is why plow trucks have lower resale value....