plowing

lots of snow this year .. just curious if anybody plows with theyre tacoma. how does it do plowing?

 

I see quite a few of them where I live. I'm surprised because i would think they would get more of a beater truck for plowing....

 

There is a thread on here about a member who bought a sno-way plow and he did a bit of a review. Sold me on it. Once the truck payment is gone I'll be getting a sno-way. I'm tired of spending 2.5hrs blowing my drive with a walk behind and coming in frosted like a cake.

 

isnt it hard on the truck?

 

I'm not going to pretend to be a plow guy. But to me if I'm only plowing my drive, and maybe a friend's once in a while (not a commercial deal) and I'm plowing with the storm (not major accumulation) and I'm not slamming into big frozen piles I would think the damage to the truck would be minimal if anything.

The Sno-way 22series is a poly skinned blade. Blade, mount, and hydraulics weigh in at under 300lbs.

 

Yes and no.
The weight of the plow is hard on the front suspension, but actually using the plow isn't hard on a vehicle unless you're using it harshly. If you plow with storms (plowing whenever you get 5-6 inches of snow on the ground) instead of waiting until the end when there's a foot or more of snow it's easier on the truck. Also, if you're not using the truck to slam the banks back then you're not stressing the frame.

However, I'm an advocate of plowing with an older vehicle. They're generally built heavier, cheaper to repair, and you can usually pick up a truck that'll plow your driveway for $2k or less, with the plow already installed and functioning.

This is the one I use:




I got it last January for $2000 after I got quoted $4500 by the local snoway dealer to install a light-duty 6 foot unit on my Tacoma. This one has an all-steel 7.5 foot plow that still works like new. I can push an incredible amount of snow with it, and if something breaks I can just weld it back together or buy a new piece at the local NAPA instead of having to wait for parts to ship in.

 

I've considered buying an old truck with a plow like you're saying, but that is also added insurance/registration. Would also be useful for hauling fire wood in instead of my truck, but if I'm going to have a 'farm' truck, I may as well sell my Taco and buy a Matrix or Corrola for the everyday driver and save a good amount of money on gas.

In my township (state?) it's illegal to have an unregistered vehicle, started as a law for blight but unregistered plow trucks have been gigged by the township in the past. Also if you want to be a nice neighbor you need those pieces to get down the road.

 

This is true. However, registering mine costs me about $35 a year, and I pay less than $100 for insurance for it for the year. And if I do eventually break something then the parts for a 30 year old Dodge are a LOT cheaper then for a 2010 Tacoma, haha!

 

Absolutely parts would be cheaper.

I'm not sure how the market is in your neck of the woods to get that clean of a truck with a clean working plow for $2k, but here, it seems a $2k truck would have cancer all over and 4 tires with the belts showing and a plow with questionable hydraulics. At least that's what my bro-in-laws truck was like for that price ha.

 

The trick is to buy one during the spring or over the summer. The prices on old plow trucks spike a LOT as soon as the weather starts cooling off. Around here a truck that costs $2000 in the spring will sell for $3500 once the first snow falls.

 

I wish I could find a truck like that without the plow for 2000 dollars! Bring that truck out here to ohio without the plow and you'd get more like 4 or 5 for it.

 

I have an 89 Toyota pickup with an even older Fisher speedcast plow (like the one on the dodge above) that I use for my driveway. I seem to have to put 100-150 bucks a year into it and I've been plowing with it for 10 years. It hasn't even been registered since 2006. Nor has it had an oil change since then. And I beat the crap out of it. Pushing banks back (especially this year) backing into snowbanks, trees, etc. And lots of high-rpm tire spinning when I get stuck. 10 years of this.... Still works just as well as it did when I started plowing with it 10 years ago.

BUT! Having another truck around is kind of a PITA. I've been considering either a Meyer or Fisher homesteader for my Tacoma. But I would have to change my plowing style for sure. Plows for newer trucks aren't as beefy as they were for older ones. And I actually care about my Tacoma.

 

There are two types of plow drivers the one's welding their trucks/plows back together and the ones still out there plowing. It is pretty easy to beat up a truck and plow if you plow at 40 MPH. I have a tractor and a 5' snow blower on the back and a plow on the front so I have no need for a plow but there is a guy in Conway NH with a Tacoma who has had the same truck and plow for years and every thing still looks pretty new.

 

Lol. I'd spend the extra $2k profit on gas getting it out there, haha!
Actually, it doesn't do that bad on fuel. During the summer when it's not carrying 600lbs of counterweight in the bed and a 500lb parachute on the front I get 16-18mpg with it. 225 Slant Six w/an NP435 4 speed manual transmission and manual hubs.
Of course, the top speed is about 55...

The Fisher Speedcasts were great plows. Mine's been in use since 1986 or 1987 (according to the manufacturer's plate on the back side of the blade) and it still plows like new. Looks like it's been repainted a couple of times, but the steel itself is still solid as can be after almost 30 years of use. There's times I wish I had a V-Plow instead, but I think it'd be hard to beat a Speedcast for durability.

It's definitely easy to beat up on a plow truck. Definitely just as easy not to beat on them, haha! I'm the latter; I plow with the truck and stack the banks with the Kubota rather than try to slam them with the Dodge.

 

damn.. nice pretty power wagon.. nice to have one around. My brother got an old dodge that dated back in70's still in use for his ranch.. tough mule.
I will down the line get an older truck for plowing and hauling firewood. for now I got a atv with plow works well and snowblower can blow snow.

 

Thanks! Since it's an '84 it's just a Power Ram instead of the Power Wagon branding, but the parts are all the same.
I had a snowblower at the old house, but the new place has a gravel driveway and I was worried about chucking rocks. And I've got a Kubota B7200, but it's a cold-blooded grouchy bastard to start when the temps are really low. The Dodge cranks slower the colder it gets, but it always starts. Only ever had to give it a shot of alcohol in the carb to motivate it once since I've owned it, and that was when it was -10 (and snowing sideways, and dark, of course ).

 

welcome.. yeah with snowblower.. it can be a deadly weapon. LOL it can shoot out 45 feet of small rocks if not carefull. Lucky I use mine on lawn and paved blacktop driveway.

 

Old Power Wagons or Power Rams are great trucks - overbuilt and pretty simple . Buddy has an old ugly '70 Dodge with a 440 big block , that thing is a tank . Homemade blade that must weigh around 1500lbs - will go places the township trucks can't reach and he's contracted to help them out . Few years back , we "warmed" up the motor a bit with a cam and some flow work - pulls like an idiot but needs 93 octane to run right . Otherwise , never really put a dime in it and it's been used as a plow rig for most of it's life . Keep that old Dodge in good shape - their value is going up fast since you can't buy a solid , simple hd truck anymore .
Sarge