Snowsport HD snowplow review

probably the reason the OP went with this plow, less invasive and can be taken off if there is an issue. A real plow would have wiring and more permanent frame mounting (more work to take off if an issue arose).

I think most people who put a plow on understand the issues, but its their choice and theyre not taking it out in commercial apps.

 

Thanks for choosing our plow! We hope it gives you many years of service.

 

I've been through the owners and warranty manuals and have not seen anything mentioning plows. Can you provide a reference.

 

i cant, i remember reading it someplace have no clue where, might just be my imagination too. i know thats its commonly a 'disclaimer'...

 

What brand front hitch is on the truck, and does it allow you to keep the front skid plate?

 

It's a curt hitch and does not interfere with the skid plate that comes with the off road package. Might interfere with the decorative chrome skid plate that is an option but I'm not sure

 

The off road comes with two skids, one thats angled on the front which most people have. The other is for the engine thats parallel to the ground a little further back. I am interested in the front skid which the instructions say to remove, but not sure if it can be put back on after installation.

 

Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes I still have the front angled skid plate with the hitch. I can't remember 100% certainty but I believe I took it off to install the hitch and the put it back on.

 

Perfect, thanks for your help

 

I absolutely do not recommend anyone to use any type of plow on our tacomas.
It puts way too much stress on the frame & other parts.
The taco is not a work truck. As a example, I can not put my 4 wheeler in the bed without bottoming out. This is an example of how light duty they really are.
Don't get me wrong I love my truck, but I understand it's limitations.
I make these statements from decades of plowing experience.

 

The plow in this thread is certainly not commercial, and not any worse than towing. If you slam a bank with this, it's the plow not the truck that's gonna be sorry. This plow is light duty do your own driveway type of stuff. Me for instance am just trying to shave some time off my clearing. So I understand your concern and agree, just wrong thread to discuss it

 

That doesn't actually show it reacting to obstructions. It shows it NOT reacting to obstructions. Cute that they have a few specially crafted obstructions to cause the plow to bounce up, but the problem is when the leading edge of the blade *hooks* on something that is immovable, and shaped in a way where the plow can't bounce up from it.

This is why a professional type of plow has trip springs. Trip springs allow the plow (or just the blade) to dump over when the leading edge hooks onto an immovable object.

As a simple example, imagine something that you obviously intend NOT to do; driving straight in to a road side curb. The curb is perpendicular to the road surface, which means that the hit will not impart a lifting force on the plow. That means that the plow *will not* bounce up and over it.

Without trip springs, you need to be *incredibly* careful about operating that plow so that if you do hook something like that, there isn't enough inertia to cause any damage. Without trip springs, if you hook something, one of two things (or both) will happen; 1) your vehicle will come to an instantaneous stop, 2) something will break.

 

LOL. Sounds like you have broken springs.
Tacoma certainly is a work truck, and a minimal load like a 4 wheeler will have no impact at all on it.

I've been plowing with mine for years, and with a professional grade hydraulic system.

These trucks are IDEAL for plowing.

 

Yep, if you break something BY snow plowing, its your responsibility. Magnusson-Moss warranty act applies.

 

I can't speak specifically to offroad or that specific plow, but the instruction manual for my commercial plow (arctic) involved removing the splash pan. Instead, I modified the splash pan to allow the push bars to pass through it. Its better not to open the front end up for debris and salt water to splash over the front of the engine.

 

I have not had a single problem after four years of plowing and I install it in the late fall and remove it in the spring. Its a truck, not just a ride at the mall. This truck works very well pushing snow and I do recommend plowing with a Tacoma.

 

Your plow's headlights seem not to be all that useful...
But that's some nice snow you have there.

 

Next time I will turn them on for you

 

LOL. I just mean that they aren't any higher up than your truck's lights, which makes them redundant.

 

you make a good point. I never really thought about it. I actually unplugged the harness on the lights control side and use the trucks headlights because they stopped working one night on the road. I can see better with the trucks headlights on than the plows. but the plow works very well and I have saved thousands each year with it. I am very happy I invested four years ago