ATV Snow Plow Advice

[BizCT]

9 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

https://westernplows.com/products/defender/

Biz checkout this plow setup.
I did the atv setup for many years and for 4000 this blows it out of the water. Start your truck while inside.....let it warm up.....go out in a sweatshirt and have fun clearing the driveway.

It's nice and light and goes on and off so easy I wouldn't go any other route. You won't be disappointed and if you decided to get a new truck you just buy another mount.

Here is a pic of mine on my Titan.

Also a pic of a 400 grizzly I had with a plow.....did a decent job but it was a pain.

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Thanks, but $4K seems crazy for me though. Some winters I don't even use the snowthrower once. it could take 15 years to make the $4K back?

[BizCT]

37 minutes ago, Otto said:

Just for your spreadsheet comparison add a column for a local plow service.  May work out in the end to be cheaper and you won't have to worry about a huge dump of snow, which seems to be more common than not.  In CT, I would ask for a per time price, not a seasonal price.

Good point. the driveway was redone this past summer, so I was worried about destroying it with some random plow guy. But then again, I guess its the same as me plowing it?

[Otto]

Yea, they would be liable for any damages, unless they write it into their contract.....

If you do get an ATV plow, you can add a rubber strip on the bottom of it to protect the surface.  That's what I use on my tractor plow.  It's like a giant squeegee. 

When I moved a few years ago, I kept the plow service for one year.  The next year I bought a plow for my tractor for the same money, so I always feel I am saving money and keeping my driveway clear on my terms.  Sometimes, he would not plow until after 11am from an overnight snow. 

[BizCT]

8 minutes ago, Otto said:

Yea, they would be liable for any damages, unless they write it into their contract.....

If you do get an ATV plow, you can add a rubber strip on the bottom of it to protect the surface.  That's what I use on my tractor plow.  It's like a giant squeegee. 

When I moved a few years ago, I kept the plow service for one year.  The next year I bought a plow for my tractor for the same money, so I always feel I am saving money and keeping my driveway clear on my terms.  Sometimes, he would not plow until after 11am from an overnight snow. 

Thanks. I'm told it's a 6-8 hour job to install the plow. Maybe $1,600 all-in (parts/labor). I didn't realize it was that big of a job.

[Moho81]

My problem with a plow service is you never know when they will come by to take care of your driveway. So if its a bad storm they might not be there until late. I have heard you can write in the contract that the driveway needs to be plowed by a certain time but I don't really know how well that works.

Ideally that's the way to do it, just let someone else deal with it. Unfortunately I am to cheap/dumb/proud/stubborn to let that happen. 

[sbuff]

Fire up that ariens and rock and roll 

[Jeremy K]

54 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Good point. the driveway was redone this past summer, so I was worried about destroying it with some random plow guy. But then again, I guess its the same as me plowing it?

Oh man ,that potential plow guy has no idea what he's getting into LOL 

[mlammerhirt]

Thanks. I'm told it's a 6-8 hour job to install the plow. Maybe $1,600 all-in (parts/labor). I didn't realize it was that big of a job.

Holy Jesus 1600.........if I remember correctly it's a mount that attaches to the underside of the atv....guessing to the frame. The plow then attaches to those with quick release pins. The front floats and is only held by the winch cable.

Here is a setup for 500 all in. Maybe an hour labor in the summer

https://www.morris4x4center.com/warn-atv-all-in-one-plow-system.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA9OiPBhCOARIsAI0y71Ae0PIpTtJboAkJX1Uje5JU1AvvsxHJAGQ-2uFCx12aJRhg3B-a69MaAj-mEALw_wcB

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[Just Lucky]

51 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Thanks. I'm told it's a 6-8 hour job to install the plow. Maybe $1,600 all-in (parts/labor). I didn't realize it was that big of a job.

I paid 1200 in 2017 for my plow and winch set up. It is a quick connect set up, with the synthetic cable. 1600 sounds fair.

[Buckmaster7600]

I plowed for 2 storms with an atv. I couldn’t sell the plow fast enough! Went back to using my small tractor. That short of a blade at any angle makes it feel like you’re not moving any snow. I see a lot of people doing it but I’d almost rather shovel!


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[chrisw]

Thanks. I'm told it's a 6-8 hour job to install the plow. Maybe $1,600 all-in (parts/labor). I didn't realize it was that big of a job.

The complete plow package is probably $1000 of that but install is pretty easy. Get a quick mount for the front frame if possible, mine goes on and off in literally 10 seconds and you don't need those stupid push tubes. If you want I'll take a picture of my setup. I'd guess it took me 20 minutes to install the mount.

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[grampy]

I had a plow put on my Honda Rancher when I lived up on the hill. It was just ok. Be sure in the beginning, you push the snow back far enough to accommodate future snow! Or you will run out of room! Deep heavy snow was the hardest to push, and was a PITA. The next year for winter, I bought a dedicated plow truck!! Much faster, easier, and WARMER!!!!

[New York Hillbilly]

On 2/2/2022 at 10:28 AM, Biz-R-OWorld said:

The current owner does it that way. He offered to sell me his ATV with plow,

Hey Biz. Not sure if this info helps at all, but I bought a new Polaris Sportsman 450 last year with the same plow setup. Love it!  I have done our driveway over the years with 2 different snowblowers,  also my Ford 2120 tractor with the bucket, and at one point with a old Ram lot truck with a plow. My ATV handles it with no problems at all, and is actually fun for me. 

I bought the one with power steering in case my wife needed to plow our very long and wide driveway while I was away for work. She actually enjoys it too! 

Being small, it is easy to keep in the garage where it remains clean, out of the way, and ready to take care of business when called upon. 

Congrats on the new house. 

 

[GreeneHunter]

When I first bought my ATV (7-8 years ago) it had a Plow attached and I thought it will be lots easier then Snow Blowing , well after one season I took the Plow off and tuned up the Snow Blower and have not used the ATV for anything other than dragging dear or working in my woods .  The Snow Blower does a much better / cleaner job than the ATV , as a matter of fact the ATV Plow is for sale if anyone wants to come pick it up !

[Moho81]

I used the snowblower the other day because I was to lazy to move vehicles out of the garage to get it out and you know what sucks about using the blower instead of the plow? All the wind blown snow right back in your face! You don’t get that with the plow.


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[grampy]

Not the blower, or my ATV will touch the solid two and a half inches of hard packed ice and sleet now in my driveway. Can't even shovel it, as it's like concrete! Oh well, it'll melt at some point....... Nothing I can do with it, never seen anything like it!

[wolc123]

23 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

I used the snowblower the other day because I was to lazy to move vehicles out of the garage to get it out and you know what sucks about using the blower instead of the plow? All the wind blown snow right back in your face! You don’t get that with the plow.


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There is a lot more that sucks about snow blowers.  The biggest problem I have with them is that they only work well on light, fluffy snow.  Then you got those damn shear pins.  
 

My favorite combo, for clearing snow from our driveways, is a 4wd tractor with loaded, unchained R-1 tires, front loader and rear (backward facing) plow.   I love clearing and moving snow with that rig.

 I have plenty of room for stacking snow.  a few times, I made sledding hills for the kids in the front yard, when the snow piles got too big at the end of the driveways. 

I’d certainly go with the atv plow in Biz’s case.

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[WNYTRPR]

My ATV plow now sits off in the woods .Very easy labor wise to install it all .For $1600 I’d be buying a new snow blower.This is what I use now ,much better 

[Buckmaster7600]

For those of you that like using a wheeler with a plow, what did you use before going to the wheeler?

I can see where they beat a shovel but I absolutely hated using the wheeler to plow!


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[Wildcat]

This is my new snow removal rig…. I was a little skeptical of the front drive rear mount blower, but it works great!!

[WNYTRPR]

1 hour ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

For those of you that like using a wheeler with a plow, what did you use before going to the wheeler?

I can see where they beat a shovel but I absolutely hated using the wheeler to plow!


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Shovel lol 

[sbuff]

4 hours ago, grampy said:

Not the blower, or my ATV will touch the solid two and a half inches of hard packed ice and sleet now in my driveway. Can't even shovel it, as it's like concrete! Oh well, it'll melt at some point....... Nothing I can do with it, never seen anything like it!

We got 13inches of snow compacted to 3inch of solid snow concrete . I give up trying to clear it

[WNYTRPR]

One thing I regret is not getting the cab for my tractor .

[DirtTime]

4 hours ago, grampy said:

Not the blower, or my ATV will touch the solid two and a half inches of hard packed ice and sleet now in my driveway. Can't even shovel it, as it's like concrete! Oh well, it'll melt at some point....... Nothing I can do with it, never seen anything like it!

Same here. Two days of 40*+ temps to soften the ground, a day of rain, then more or less a full day of sleet. Not even putting rock salt out there, won't do any good- just melt the top then tonight it will freeze up again and just make it worse tomorrow.

[Otto]

2 hours ago, WNYTRPR said:

One thing I regret is not getting the cab for my tractor .

I regretted it too, so last year I bought a “Cover MY Tractor” soft cab.  It works great!  They sent a heater with it but I never installed it.  Plenty warm out of the wind and blowing snow in just jeans and a winter jacket.