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  • too big of a plow?

    my buddy has a 8.5' Western Ultramount off a 2000 F250 Diesel he had. He offered it too me, but I'm wondering if it is too big of a plow for my truck: 1999 F250 Regular Cab 5.4 Gas. Most gas trucks I've seen for sale have 7.5 or 8 foot plows. I'm still debating whether I want to plow for myself or continue working for a company like I have in the past (money vs. headaches of customers calling vs. beating up the truck). So what do you guys think?
    oooooooooo yyyyeah
    some people pay to get a tan. I get paid to tan.

    living the life of a rockstar


  • #2
    I have a 9' SnoWay on the front of a Chevy 2500 4x4. No problems. Of course, I don't live where you live either.

    I doubt the extra width would cause problems. Not sure of the weight difference between them though.
    a.k.a.---> Erich

    www.avalawnlandscaping.com


    Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
    Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

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    • #3
      hmmm. I was at a dealership once, and they said for gas trucks, 7.5 feet best because of the amount of snow being pushed, something about it too much for a gas trucks suspension and too much engine strain.
      oooooooooo yyyyeah
      some people pay to get a tan. I get paid to tan.

      living the life of a rockstar

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      • #4
        Like Scaper said. No problem.

        Plow in 4WD LOW. It won't hurt the truck any more than a 7.5 foot plow. IGNORE salesmen, especially those who are full of crap, like the one who told you that line.
        Woody

        "Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty." ---Benjamin Franklin

        "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." ---Abraham Lincoln

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        • #5
          it won't put more strain on the transmission though by moving that much more snow? I'm not concerned about the motor, its transmissions that scare me.
          oooooooooo yyyyeah
          some people pay to get a tan. I get paid to tan.

          living the life of a rockstar

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          • #6
            Originally posted by highlander316
            hmmm. I was at a dealership once, and they said for gas trucks, 7.5 feet best because of the amount of snow being pushed, something about it too much for a gas trucks suspension and too much engine strain.

            salesman: "you need a bigger truck with a bigger engine for that"
            translation: "i work on commision and want you to buy more than you need"
            Thomas Huxley - "All truth, in the long run, is only common sense clarified."

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            • #7
              Heck, I wouldn't even worry about putting it in low gear.


              Trucks have been using 7.5' plows for decades. Yet decades ago the hp ratings were 25% less than they are today. I think the 5.9L in the Dodge 2500 and even the 3500 in 1997 had only 230hp and 300 lbs of torque. GVW was only 8800 with that 1 ton! Yet all the 1 tons needed the 9' plows to clear the dually tires when you plowed. No issues.


              One extra foot isn't going to strain anything that much more than the 7.5' plow.






              Having said all of that, you may still have tranny problems, but it won't be the extra 1' that does it.

              I don't plow like some of the people out there. I have seen some real crazy guys slamming piles of snow at high speeds and many other crazy things. Some common sense and you will be just fine.
              a.k.a.---> Erich

              www.avalawnlandscaping.com


              Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
              Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

              Comment


              • #8
                To AVOID transmission problems, only plow in 4WD LOW!!!!

                The reason is this. In LOW, the transmission itself is put under FAR, FAR LESS STRAIN due to the reduced gear ratio. Just like when you ride a 10 speed or a mountain bike, when you put a big load on it (like going up a steep hill), it will be FAR easier on your legs in FIRST gear than it would be in 10th, or 20th.

                ALSO... The transmission will upshift real fast (when the transfer case is in LOW), spending VERY little time with the clutches unlocked. And, once shifted all the way into high gear, the torque converter will lock up, which will ELIMINATE THIS MASSIVE SOURCE OF HEAT. An unlocked and heavily loaded torque converter will generate huge amounts of heat, and it is THAT HEAT which will kill your transmission.

                The ONLY "drawback" to plowing in 4WD LOW is that you will use SLIGHTLY more gas.

                Now I know Scaper will chime in and talk about how they always plow in high and haven't had ANY problems. But, where Scaper lives, there is VERY little snow compared to around here. There are areas close to me that AVERAGE well over 120 inches of snow per year. What Scaper calls "a plowable event" we would refer to as "a dusting." And no, I am not kidding. Where Scaper is averages LESS THAN 20 inches PER YEAR! Meanwhile, the whole of Northeast Ohio runs 30 to 40 inches, Cleveland runs 50 to 60 inches, and east of Cleveland runs 70 inches and up. I have seen years where we get 180 inches of snow in a season in the highlands of Geauga county.

                Be smart, save your vehicle, and plow in LOW. Or be a dumbass and take your chances plowing in high. Hey, it's your vehicle.
                Woody

                "Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty." ---Benjamin Franklin

                "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." ---Abraham Lincoln

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                • #9
                  Woody, don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with you AT ALL. I'm just saying that I don't plow in LOW.


                  But as mentioned, I go slow, I come to full stops before switching gears, wait for it to engage, then give it gas. Most times locking it in first gear. On many of my lots I do my best to drive in circles pushig snow to the sides, then clean up corners at the end. Keeps from more shifting. I really baby the pickups when plowing. Many people don't, even if they think they are!

                  The only time I plow fast is when I am using a skid steer......then watch out!





                  P.S. we get our fair share of 3"-6" snow falls. Not much last year but the year prior gave us one snow fall that went up in the 30" range (one event). My skid steers were going non stop!
                  a.k.a.---> Erich

                  www.avalawnlandscaping.com


                  Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
                  Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Welcome to the highlands of Northeast Ohio, especially the primary snowbelt located in eastern Cuyahoga, northern Summit and Portage, northwestern Trumbull, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties. Give me time and I'll pull up a snowfall map from a "snowy" year.

                    Map courtesy of ODOT (The Ohio Department of Transportation).


                    Woody

                    "Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty." ---Benjamin Franklin

                    "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." ---Abraham Lincoln

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                    • #11
                      No offense Woody, but I don't get the fact that it shows only 20 inches for my area. Yes, there are years where we don't get much, like last year. But in general, we get over 20" of snow. It might just be my immediate area though. Ohio Valley stuff maybe? I know that when we go out plowing I might go just 10 miles north and they have less snow and sometimes 15 miles south and they have hardly no snow. Oddly enough, 15 miles south is where they take the daily readings for Cincinnati......at the Kentucky airport!

                      No, I'm not saying we get anywhere near the snow they get up north. I did go to Purdue University!
                      a.k.a.---> Erich

                      www.avalawnlandscaping.com


                      Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
                      Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I See where you are coming from Woody BUT, I do not plow in low either and I am in the 100+ inch range in NYS. I do however switch it down if it is a heavy wet snow and the snow isnt coming off the blade well. Also if I get a steep gravel driveway, drop it down. You can keep the RPMs up and momentum going. I would say that I am 80% in high, and 20% in low. One thing I do make sure the guys do is make sure the tow/haul button is on so the auto trans shift properly under strain.

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                        • #13
                          Here you go. This one is for Scaper. How about 68.9 inches of snow from ONE storm? November 9-14, 1996. Scaper, you guys don't even get that much snow in an entire year of blizzards. No offense man, but until you have actually SEEN a winter of 180+ inches of snow, it is hard to imagine. By the way, Cincinnati has a record snowfall (24 hours) of 14.4 inches. Ha ha ha ha! That's like a "light frost" around here. As a matter of fact, Cincinnati's SNOWIEST year on record was 1977-1978 when the TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR was 53.9 inches! Hell man, we can do that in just a few DAYS around here.

                          http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999BAMS...80.1107S

                          Of course you realize I am just razzing the hell out of you Erich!
                          Woody

                          "Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty." ---Benjamin Franklin

                          "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." ---Abraham Lincoln

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