Snow Purchased an inexpensive Meyers Snow Plow for my Branson.

[Zork]

I just wanted to show you all this and get some comments. This is a seven-foot model from an F350 that I purchased on the cheap and hastily installed. The electric lift works but I used the bucket instead with the upper mount secured to the bucket, I regret drilling the rear plate. With this current mounting design, I found the bucket could be lower than the plow if I was not careful. I will make a plate to increase the strength of the base of the bucket, and lock the A-frame so it is rigid to the bucket and remove the upper support. This upper lift support blocks the view somewhat and makes this rig look even more like cocka-doodle-doo.

If I had plowed when I checked at 1AM, with the 12 inches of powder, it would have done fine. However, when I got out to plowing at 10 AM after humming let it snow, let it snow for several hours, it was 14 inches with about 8 inches of hard pack underneath and it did not do well because the blade kept coming up and then I would slip. I do not have any ballast in the tires (which it needs) and it did OK downhill but was lacking uphill in our last snowfall. I only had one chance to use it this winter but I think it will do fine with some more weight.

What say you all?

 

[KennyG]

Long term I would like to have a plow for my tractor. In thinking about it, I have always assumed that the A frame has to be more or less level when the plow is down to keep the plow level when you angle it. With your set up you could have quite a variation in the A frame angle. How did this work for you when you angled it?

 

[Zork]

I used it fully angled because I did not have the pump installed, or a tractor remote. As long as my bucket was level the angle of the plow picked up pretty level with the ground, as apposed to one side high and the other low because it was lifted along the axis of the pivot pins (typically on trucks). The big problem was the variation of height between the bucket and the edge of the plow, due to the fact that this setup permits my bucket to float and the A-frame to lower; as opposed to a rigid connection at the bucket. This caused my bucket to drop and actually touch the road surface and angling up the face of the plow. Temporarily, I thought about putting the lift chain in a pipe or using some tubing to make the whole connection rigid.

I had a set up like this on an old Powerking in the late 70's and when the plow was rigid with the bucket and it worked well for the tractor's size.

 

[Zork]

Something I forgot to mention. The bucket base has been reinforced with 1/4 inch steel flat plate where each of the three holes were drilled. This 1/4 X 3? stock was welded from the bottom because the bucket seemed too thin at this location. Whatever thickness it is it is the same thickness and tied into my cutting edge and runs from front to rear.

 

[Zork]

The base plate that I plan on using for the bucket will go from left to right to provide additional rigidity and prevent damaging the base. Maybe my best bet is to remove the upper support and use some angle stock to the upper edge of the top of the bucket.