RTV 500 v-plow options

[aczlan]

Yep, he has replaced the push tube at least once. I have both the bent push tube (which doesn't really cause any problems...I'm using it now) as well as the replacement tube DIXIEDOG bought. Come warmer weather (when I dismount the plow). I'll beef up the push tubes.
View attachment 351957View attachment 351958

Hmmm, would it be worth buying one then, or would we be better off to just make one (perhaps a little bit shorter) that doesn't rotate as rotation would be unneeded with a V plow? The local fab shop could probably come up with something for $200ish (or a bush hogging of their empty field ) if I could get dimensions... Thinking something like this:

From left to right in the above picture:

• Orange = Mount points to RTV
• Red = Heavy wall tube sized so that each one is the half difference in width between the RTV mount and the blade mount
• Green = Flat plate to mount stuff to (could also be a tube or heavy angle)
• White = Mount points for the trip springs
• Blue = Mount point for the winch to lift the blade
• Yellow = Mount points for the plow

Aaron Z

 

[RoyJackson]

Hmmm, would it be worth buying one then, or would we be better off to just make one (perhaps a little bit shorter) that doesn't rotate as rotation would be unneeded with a V plow? The local fab shop could probably come up with something for $200ish (or a bush hogging of their empty field ) if I could get dimensions...

Aaron Z

I'd price the tube first. You might find it cheaper to buy one from the manufacturer and beef it up.
If you look at my side view picture (quoted in your post #21), you'll see the gusset furthest from the camera is buckled. IIRC, DIXIEDOG told me that's the weak point of the design. It wouldn't take much to beef up that gusset.

 

[aczlan]

I'd price the tube first. You might find it cheaper to buy one from the manufacturer and beef it up.
If you look at my side view picture (quoted in your post #21), you'll see the gusset furthest from the camera is buckled. IIRC, DIXIEDOG told me that's the weak point of the design. It wouldn't take much to beef up that gusset.

The price I have found for the tube has been $200. My other nefarious thought is that if I could shorten it a little, I could mount hydraulic rams or electric actuators on there and have a power angle plow, but every way I look at it, it would be at least $800 more just in parts ($300 for a pump, $300 for a valve, $200+ for hoses, connectors, etc).

Aaron Z

 

[Tkblacktail]

I'd price the tube first. You might find it cheaper to buy one from the manufacturer and beef it up.
If you look at my side view picture (quoted in your post #21), you'll see the gusset furthest from the camera is buckled. IIRC, DIXIEDOG told me that's the weak point of the design. It wouldn't take much to beef up that gusset.

So true!

The original Warn tubes/arms that came on the mount I had on my Honda Rancher were curling up like an old pair of cowboy boots :laughing:.

I straightened them out (made a wooden jig to hold them onto the log splitter), then I welded 2"x2"x2' of angle iron to the bottom of both arms; fixed it!

Seeing my ATV to RTV snow-plow conversion from this end; if I was starting from scratch, It would be quicker and cheaper to buy a pre-fabricated blade mount; the pivot assembly alone would take hours & hours to make in the fab-shop.

Lastly, I do not expect curling since my rear mounting point is right under the front bumper; there is no place I can see to mount "mid-ship" on the under side of a 500.

 

[aczlan]

Seeing my ATV to RTV snow-plow conversion from this end; if I was starting from scratch, It would be quicker and cheaper to buy a pre-fabricated blade mount; the pivot assembly alone would take hours & hours to make in the fab-shop.

In my case, I will be getting a V plow, so (from what I see) the pivot assembly is unneeded (ie, this part: Push Tube for UTV never needs to pivot like a straight blade would).
I suspect that we will get one, reinforce the gussets, see how it holds up and build something else if it breaks.

Aaron Z

 

[Tkblacktail]

In my case, I will be getting a V plow, so (from what I see) the pivot assembly is unneeded (ie, this part: Push Tube for UTV never needs to pivot like a straight blade would).
I suspect that we will get one, reinforce the gussets, see how it holds up and build something else if it breaks.

Aaron Z

No pivot makes this project a snap! I'd use 1 1/2" thick-walled piping for the arms and weld 1/4" thick vertical tabs onto all four ends (rectangles and a brace onto the front where they meet the blade, triangles onto the back where they meet the mount); easy!

I'd throw a midway cross member (maybe diagonals) and a cross member near the blade for a snatch block's and springs' points of attachment.

The mounting plate; I'd go with a pre-fab because of the tabs have to be square.

This is all crazy-talk; their ain't any snow in NY....

Good luck

 

[DIXIEDOG]

In my case, I will be getting a V plow, so (from what I see) the pivot assembly is unneeded (ie, this part: Push Tube for UTV never needs to pivot like a straight blade would).
I suspect that we will get one, reinforce the gussets, see how it holds up and build something else if it breaks.

Aaron Z

You will still need to pivot the plow to control your spillage, the V-plow gives you the ability to break into iced up banks or roll heavy snow out the sides....or scoop the snow spillage up quickly but most of the time you'll be using the plow in the straight position and you'll want the ability to pivot in deeper storms. My $.02



That said with a RTV 500 you want to be somewhat cautious about beefing the push tube up too much as well...even with the push tube having some give I bent the frame on my RTV500 plowing with it.....they are fairly robust but you will bend it....I bent my frame the first season. It's also not a matter of removing a few bolts and putting a new front frame on with the RTV 500....the frame is not designed to be serviced like Gators (other brands?) so when you bend the frame you'll need to come up with a way to reinforce that as well. If the frame itself was a lot stronger I'd say reinforce the tube like Roy plans to by adding a couple gussets to the push tubes but I know I damaged my frame on my RTV 500 in short order and with a lot stronger mount it would have been worse. Luckily for me when I traded the RTV 500 in there wasn't a huge impact on value with the damage.


As for price of the push tube assembly I think they run around $100 with shipping but it was the end of last winter when I ordered the last one so it may have changed. (Just the tube no pivot or lock assembly included....that would get swapped from the old one)

 

[aczlan]

You will still need to pivot the plow to control your spillage, the V-plow gives you the ability to break into iced up banks or roll heavy snow out the sides....or scoop the snow spillage up quickly but most of the time you'll be using the plow in the straight position and you'll want the ability to pivot in deeper storms. My $.02

Good point. Wont be a problem once I get around to adding the angle cylinders/actuators but could be problematic until then

That said with a RTV 500 you want to be somewhat cautious about beefing the push tube up too much as well...even with the push tube having some give I bent the frame on my RTV500 plowing with it.....they are fairly robust but you will bend it....I bent my frame the first season. It's also not a matter of removing a few bolts and putting a new front frame on with the RTV 500....the frame is not designed to be serviced like Gators (other brands?) so when you bend the frame you'll need to come up with a way to reinforce that as well. If the frame itself was a lot stronger I'd say reinforce the tube like Roy plans to by adding a couple gussets to the push tubes but I know I damaged my frame on my RTV 500 in short order and with a lot stronger mount it would have been worse. Luckily for me when I traded the RTV 500 in there wasn't a huge impact on value with the damage.

So you damaged the RTV frame? Sounds like I should go hydraulic and put in a bypass valve so that the wings will fold back if I hit something hard enough. Planning on having a piece of rubber stallmat for the cutting edge, so that should help with not snagging things

As for price of the push tube assembly I think they run around $100 with shipping but it was the end of last winter when I ordered the last one so it may have changed. (Just the tube no pivot or lock assembly included....that would get swapped from the old one)

Ah, adding the pivot/lock assembly adds another $100 to the price.

Aaron Z

 

[RoyJackson]

Ah, adding the pivot/lock assembly adds another $100 to the price.

Aaron Z

If you keep an eye on Craigslist, or use SearchTempest to cast a broader net, you may find a used UTV plow for a very reasonable price. Before I bought DIXIEDOG's Eagle Plow, I found a few and looked at one the came off a Yamaha UTV.
DIXIEDOG posted about buying a BOSS plow and we made a deal on his Eagle Plow...we were bought happy for the deal.

 

[aczlan]

If you keep an eye on Craigslist, or use SearchTempest to cast a broader net, you may find a used UTV plow for a very reasonable price. Before I bought DIXIEDOG's Eagle Plow, I found a few and looked at one the came off a Yamaha UTV.
DIXIEDOG posted about buying a BOSS plow and we made a deal on his Eagle Plow...we were bought happy for the deal.

I have kept an eye on CL for a while, but no UTV V plows...

Aaron Z