# Boss Wings vs Blizzard Wings,.. some (un)biased observations



## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Well,... here it is, almost mid-December, and we don't even have a foot of snow yet,... it's starting to look like one of those years when we just may not get much, even in Alaska, but things could change,... it's a long time until April. In any case, we got about 4" yesterday, and since I recently acquired a Blizzard 860 SW, I decided that today was a good day to scrape out my driveway and do a side by side comparison of this new Blizzard to my 4-yo Boss 9'2" V-blade w/Boss wings. Since I have read many different opinions on here and elsewhere concerning the pros & cons of V's vs straight blades, I took some pictures along my driveway of how they both did,.. side by side,....


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Now some may say that this isn't a fair comparison,... but it's all I have, so that's all I can compare. The Blizzard 860 SW has wings that can be pinned back which makes it a 9'9" straight blade, so it's only 3" shorter than an 810 that's fully expanded,.. which is close enough to be fair (I think,... ). The Boss is 9'2" when straight, and right at 11' with the wings attached.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Right away it is apparent that the Boss isn't just quite a bit wider, but it's also taller


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Both trucks are early '90's Chevys,... although one is a dually,.. they both have the 5.7 gas engines,.. so that's pretty equal,...


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

I really don't know what is better, but this will be interesting because I already own a boss, but whenever I see a Blizzard I really like the look of it and have been considering it on our next truck someday.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Both have very effective back-up lighting,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Other comparisons,.... the light towers are about the same angle from the trucks,... but the Blizzard has about an inch more ground clearance for the A-frames,... (both plows are set to optimum factory-recommended truck-frame heights)


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

But one of the more amazing things that I didn't notice until I actually set these plows side by side,.. was the difference in the wings,.... what was immediately obvious, was the difference in the wing "curl",... look at how much more curl there is in the Blizzard wing than the Boss wing,....


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

A view from the back side,.. again, showing how the Boss is taller, but the Blizzard has more curl. Also,... the Blizzard wing itself is about 5" longer than the Boss wing,... (19" vs 14", measured on the cutting edges),... so that would indicate that the Blizzard wing could hold a greater amount of snow against the front of the blade before it spills over the front,... all other things being equal,.... ( I know,... my Boss wing-outer frame is bent... I don't know how that happened,.. I never hit anything,.. actually both wings are,... more on that later)


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Now, in my opinion,... blade curl can be good,... or it may not be all that big of a deal. What I was seeing as I used the Blizzard,.. is that the snow "rolled" at a much slower speed,.. and this tigher curl was throwing the snow more "forward" than the Boss did,... for sure "rolling" the snow takes less power & is generally more efficient than "sliding" or just pushing a static pile,... but the Boss rolled as well... at my normal plowing speed. As you can see,... the compound angle that the Boss wings are made at, will give you a full-height and full forward-facing "grab" at deep snow, where the leading edge of the Blizzard wing is entering deep snow at an angle. (Again, this may not be a big deal)


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Next I put the Boss in full-scoop position, (as the SW is always in unless angled all the over either way), and this was a big difference, in several ways. I already know from past years that if I have a full load of snow with the Boss wings on.... I better have a little speed going, or I just can't hardly push that huge pile of snow that this V-plow with wings can contain,... I would say without fear of exaggeration, that it is at least double, compared to what this Blizzard could hold. The other thing that becomes very obvious, is the ability to stack snow as well. The Boss in scoop, with wings, is holding snow maybe as much as 2 feet farther out in front of the truck, and therefore would have that much more "reach" going up a pile, assuming that both plows lift the same height.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

ooooops,.. forgot the picture with that post,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Another view,.. from above,... of both plows in "scoop",...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

So,... how did they do,... going side by side? My driveway is almost a mile long out to the highway, so I had several places I could push to & compare what they both did. Again, 4" or so isn't all that much of a test,... but it's a start,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

I already knew exactly how my Boss does,... how much I can take per pass,... how it windrows,... how it throws snow,... but when comparing it to the Blizzard,.. I would say that the snow coming off the Boss tends to rise more "up" on the plow, and more snow appears to fly off the top of it than the Blizzard, under the same conditions.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The Blizzard, on the other hand, most definitely was throwing snow more "forward" than the Boss,... and the tigher curl seemed to let me plow more right to the edge of the leading wing without any spilling off the front than compared to what I do with the Boss. As a matter of fact, every time I stopped to take pictures or just look at what was happening, I saw that the snow would "fall forward" off the moldboard on the Blizzard,... it wasn't doing that at all on the Boss,... as you can see...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The Blizzard plow felt like I was always taking too big of a bite, but nothing ever spilled over the front. I plowed the left side all the way out with the Boss,... & the right side with the Blizzard.


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## ford6.9 (Aug 17, 2006)

Always enjoy your post, look forward to seeing this unfold. And all those pictures make a great morning wakeup.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

So,... how "clean did they leave my road? Well, trying to see a winner here is a little tougher,.... this is what they looked like from the rear of what they both did,.... (reverse lights on for camera's sake.. trying to get more contrast)


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The end results, in reality, are both very acceptable. One factor for me, is that in most years, my problem is that towards the end of the winter, I can barely get the snow over my berms without going 40mph,... so the fact the Blizzard throws snow more "forward" than "up", compared to the Boss, may not, in fact, work out to be a benefit,... that's still to be seen,... my best & most honest assessment of this little experiment I did today,... is that the "finish" with the Blizzard is probably a little better,.... but on rougher driveways, which most of mine are, since I have no pavement, that finish is not attainable like it would be on pavement. It also appeared that the Boss plow left a little more "chatter" on the edges than the Blizzard,... but only a perfectionist would quibble about that. (no doubt due to a slightly different attack angle of the cutting edge). The Boss weighs about 300lbs more than this Blizzard, so the fact that it scrapes at least as well, or even better, would attest to a better or more efficient attack angle, at the least,... Boss job is on the right,... Blizzard is on the left...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

So,... until we get more snow... more things are still to be learned... Blizzard on the left,... Boss on the right


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

So, in conclusion to this little test,... I feel like now with these plows, I have the best of both worlds,... I think the "winged" straight-blades are the most efficient plows of this type,... and I have many cases & plowing jobs that I used to turn down in past years before I got a V-blade, that I can do now, that no straight blade can do. So, even tho I didn't prove anything, hope this shows or helps those of you who may not be sure of which type of plow may be best for you. There will be more to come later,... if we get more snow,.... :salute:


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## BETHELSKIER (Feb 1, 2007)

Great comparison. You have some nice country up there to live and work.Happy plowing


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

What I noticed are the windrows.

The Boss seems to stack it almost like a wall and the Blizzard is thrown more over. If you continued with the same width it seems the Boss would be pushing against that wall before the Blizzard.

/| <--- Boss side. Blizzard side ----> /\


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

That is a great post.

I have a Western MVP with the wings. My question is, if you were to take the trailing wing off the Boss do you think it would move the snow better to the side and not stack up in the blade? I have not tried this as I have only had one large lot to clear from side to side but I think that is one of the advantages with the Blizzard, the fact that the trailing wing goes straight with the blade.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Great post AL Boss.  

For weight comparison, you should have the plows weighed on a scale while attached to the truck. That would be interesting to see with 2 direct lift mounts.


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## Tractor Plower (Feb 1, 2007)

Awesome post Alaska!
I love both your plows, the new rig looks great. Personally, I'm partial to the V with wings. Around here you get some pretty mean drifting on country laneways that would bury a straight blade. 
-Miketymusic


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## Mark Witcher (Feb 21, 2004)

cet;454891 said:


> That is a great post.
> 
> I have a Western MVP with the wings. My question is, if you were to take the trailing wing off the Boss do you think it would move the snow better to the side and not stack up in the blade? I have not tried this as I have only had one large lot to clear from side to side but I think that is one of the advantages with the Blizzard, the fact that the trailing wing goes straight with the blade.


You hit the nail on the head. With a fixed wing on the trailing edge it doesnt let the snow slide off the blade. And the center hinge on the V blades also causes the snow to back up on the blade, not alowing a full width pass with out spill over. 
A more realistic and fair comparison is the Blizzard 810 against the Boss 9.2. The Blizzard wins hands down. I have both plows.The 810 is actually taller than the boss at 31 inches. And the Blizzard 8611 is even better, which I also have and its height is 35 inches. The only advantage the V plow has is for busting a road through a long 3 foot drift. But after the first pass the V advantage is gone and is now a disadvantage for remainder of windrowing.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

REAPER;454874 said:


> What I noticed are the windrows.
> 
> The Boss seems to stack it almost like a wall and the Blizzard is thrown more over. If you continued with the same width it seems the Boss would be pushing against that wall before the Blizzard.
> 
> /| <--- Boss side. Blizzard side ----> /\


You're right,... I think the Boss does make a more vertical windrow,.. even with this little amount of snow, but I think in reality, that that is a good thing,... at least in my situation, because I can still throw snow out of the road when the banks get even twice as high as the plow,... as seen in this photo from a year or two ago on the same driveway. I need to drive at least 15mph to get it over my banks when it gets like this, but because the Boss tends to throw it more "up" than "forward" as compared to the Blizzard,... would this new Speedwing be able to clear my driveway as well with 6" of fresh snow, with the banks this high, or would it be trying to "jam" a good portion of it straight into the bank, and therefore keep carrying it forward and spilling off & around the front? I don't know,.. hopefully I'll be able to tell later this winter,... if we get enough snow.... :salute:


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

cet;454891 said:


> That is a great post.
> 
> I have a Western MVP with the wings. My question is, if you were to take the trailing wing off the Boss do you think it would move the snow better to the side and not stack up in the blade? I have not tried this as I have only had one large lot to clear from side to side but I think that is one of the advantages with the Blizzard, the fact that the trailing wing goes straight with the blade.


I actually did do that,... I did take the trailing wing off the Boss before I went down the main part of the road, even tho I forgot to mention it. I too, figured that would make things as even as I could.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Mark Witcher;455199 said:


> You hit the nail on the head. With a fixed wing on the trailing edge it doesnt let the snow slide off the blade. And the center hinge on the V blades also causes the snow to back up on the blade, not alowing a full width pass with out spill over.
> A more realistic and fair comparison is the Blizzard 810 against the Boss 9.2. The Blizzard wins hands down. I have both plows.The 810 is actually taller than the boss at 31 inches. And the Blizzard 8611 is even better, which I also have and its height is 35 inches. The only advantage the V plow has is for busting a road through a long 3 foot drift. But after the first pass the V advantage is gone and is now a disadvantage for remainder of windrowing.


Well, what do ya know,... you're right,... here I was thinking that the 810 & the 860 SW were basically the exact same plow,... only spring-loaded wings vs hydraulic wings. But the SW, pinned back, is about 3" shorter (not a significant difference) than an 810, which I knew, but the 860 SW is listed as 29½" tall, vs the 810 at 31" tall,... and the Boss 9'2" is listed as 30" tall. So, in reality, the Boss is closer to the SW than the 810, but ½" isn't enough to be a factor, if that's all there is. But these plows sure appear to be more than just ½" different in height,... so I went out & took a real-life measurement just now,... the 860 SW, sitting on flat ground, right next to the Boss, measures 28½" tall, with brand-new cutting edges,... the Boss measures 30½" tall, with 2-year old cutting edges,... which is a 2" difference, which is more in line with what my eyes tell me. I almost got an 810,.. but just didn't want another ½-ton plow hanging off the front of this other truck, so that's why I went with the SW. Now I wonder just how high is an 810.... because when I saw the 810 & the SW sitting side by side at the dealer, I didn't notice that one was 2" taller than the other... But in any case,... the difference of an inch or 2 in height I don't think would affect the performance of a plow nearly as much as blade curl and/or attack angle on the cutting edge.

As far as the only advantage of a V-blade being to bust thru drifts, and then everything else is a disadvantage, see the above photo & see if you would think that a shorter, and more forward-throwing blade would be an advantage when windrowing a driveway that has snowbanks twice as high as your plow,... none of my other plows were,... (Western, Fisher, Snow-Way),.... if one can't get at least 95% of the snow off the road... then the road gets narrower & narrower as the winter goes on.... :salute:


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## TEX (Nov 24, 2003)

thanks for the great write up and pics. great job. keep us posted.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Ab, you would notice a difference between the SW and 810. Last year I had been plowing with my truck with a 8611 LP--same height as an 810--and was having some issues of getting the snow over the top of banks that were 4-5' high at the edge of a lot. One time I was in my 550 with the full size plowing and did the same lot and didn't have any problems. Those extra couple inches really make a difference, more than I would have guessed. 

And yes, the SW does look rather short compared to an 810 or LP. 

Mark W, good point on the hinge, nobody seems to grasp that concept.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Nice thread. I think a V plow has to be a benefit in Alaska. How much snow do you get in a year?


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

you know i think that comparing these two plows is like comparing a GM to a ford, no matter what you tell someone about ether product some people are just brand name loyal. i still think that the advantages of a v with wings will always out weight any blizzard.
you can break in easy, stack higher, and hold more. and the only thing blizzard owners can say is they can wind row easier cause they dont have a center hinge. ive never had a problem windrowing.

Alaska i had a pic of your truck sitting on a road with no snow with the plow straight across. you posted it here a while back. that was my desktop background for the longest time. great comparison. love the trucks.


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## Jerre Heyer (Mar 19, 2002)

Alaska, Awesome write up. Love the side by side picts. Wish you would have opted for the 810 or better yet the 8611LP. Have done the same thing you did with the LP and a Boss 9.2 W'wings and a 9.6 Fisher with wings. BOAT LOADS of snow movement is the best example.

I clear an 1800' plus drive with my 810 and LP. 4-6' banks become the norm later in the season. Speed is the key to throwing it up and over with the Blizzards. Once you get into the deeper snow a snow foil for the front will do wonders. Only run it along the main moldboard on the SW. We use a piece of 3X3 angle Iron and a 10 or 12" X 3/8 or 1/2 rubber flap. Leaving the wing section un covered on the trailing edge causes a funnel effect to throw it up and over.

I've got a couple of LP's up here running wings on the wings. 14'+ with scoop makes for a big rig and the Diesel becomes a near necessity at that point.

The pitch on the boss wings makes them cut in very nice but I like to lay the trailing one back when banking and that's what the SW was developed for automatic operation the way the Power plow's got used.

keep the picts and commentary coming.

Jerre


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Alaska, Great pictures. Nice trucks too. Alot of good info here keep it coming.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

JD Dave;455686 said:


> Nice thread. I think a V plow has to be a benefit in Alaska. How much snow do you get in a year?


Well,... it varies a lot,... right around where I live we don't get that much,... maybe 4-6 feet, but 50 miles (75km) south of me it may average 40-50 feet,... (record is just under 1000 inches). On the rare occasions that we get 2'-3' in one dump, a V-blade is so much faster to bust into someone's yard with, or open a trail down someone's driveway,... you can do it with a straight blade, I did for many years, it's just slower,... always have to be careful that you don't get a pile of snow in front of you so big you can't move it. The deal around here is, that there's quite a few people that leave for the winter & come back in the spring, and call & want their place opened up,.. with the whole winter's snowfall to be moved. It's not enough business to have a loader, etc, just for that, but I couldn't possibly do those with a straight blade,... Blizzard or anything. But a V-plow can do it,... so for me it's an extra $1-2k worth of jobs that I can take each year now that I was turning away when all I had was straight blades.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Thanks for the unbiased comparison.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Jerre Heyer;457645 said:


> Alaska, Awesome write up. Love the side by side picts. Wish you would have opted for the 810 or better yet the 8611LP. Have done the same thing you did with the LP and a Boss 9.2 W'wings and a 9.6 Fisher with wings. BOAT LOADS of snow movement is the best example.
> 
> I clear an 1800' plus drive with my 810 and LP. 4-6' banks become the norm later in the season. Speed is the key to throwing it up and over with the Blizzards. Once you get into the deeper snow a snow foil for the front will do wonders. Only run it along the main moldboard on the SW. We use a piece of 3X3 angle Iron and a 10 or 12" X 3/8 or 1/2 rubber flap. Leaving the wing section un covered on the trailing edge causes a funnel effect to throw it up and over.
> 
> ...


Thanks,... well, for some reason I was under the impression the the 860 SW & the 810 were virtually the same plow when I bought mine,... I just didn't feel at the time that an extra $900, double the amount of hydraulics, and over 200lbs heavier was worth 3 more inches of length. I know that this SW is not the best plow for a dually, but after using it for a few days now, I'm liking it more & more,... the wings are just always exactly how you want them to be, with the simple control of a straight blade,... and it's wide enough that I'm not really running over my berms, etc., even on inside corners. I've never lost a major component (engine, tranny, T-case, etc) in any the Chevy's I've plowed with,... the only issue I've had is broken frames (and that's a BIG issue, if it gets out of hand). So, I just didn't want to break this new truck in half too by hanging another 1000lb plow on the front,... I'd love to try a 810LP,... but if I do,.. it's going to be on something more than a regular pickup I'm afraid. :waving:


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

ServiceOnSite;457628 said:


> you know i think that comparing these two plows is like comparing a GM to a ford, no matter what you tell someone about ether product some people are just brand name loyal. i still think that the advantages of a v with wings will always out weight any blizzard.
> you can break in easy, stack higher, and hold more. and the only thing blizzard owners can say is they can wind row easier cause they dont have a center hinge. ive never had a problem windrowing.
> 
> .


I agree,.... it is apples & oranges, but that's ok,.... threads like this are just for our entertainment,... I mean, if someone disagrees with anything, that's fine,... it's not going to affect me in any way,... this is what I got, so that's it. Not like I'm trying to sell anything, or talk anyone into anything,... just trying to make interesting reading,... thanks!



SnoFarmer;458339 said:


> Thanks for the unbiased comparison.


Thanks,... but you know,... in all the time you've been on here & plowing,... I don't recall seeing your truck in action,... maybe I missed it,... but surely you have a scoop shovel or something you can compare a Boss V-blade to,...  :waving:


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## mulcahy mowing (Jan 16, 2006)

great post:salute:

look forward to more pics of both plows in some real deep snow you get up there!

good luck hope you get some more snowpayup


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

ServiceOnSite;457628 said:


> you know i think that comparing these two plows is like comparing a GM to a ford, no matter what you tell someone about ether product some people are just brand name loyal. i still think that the advantages of a v with wings will always out weight any blizzard.
> you can break in easy, stack higher, and hold more. and the only thing blizzard owners can say is they can wind row easier cause they dont have a center hinge. ive never had a problem windrowing.


IMO and experience, you're wrong. It has nothing to do with brand loyalty to me. Want proof? I have a Fisher, Western, Boss, Monroe, Viking-Cives, Daniels and Blizzards. And some ProTechs. Sort of hard to say I'm loyal to any one brand, wouldn't you say? This is currently what I own, have also had Meyer and Polar in the past.

What it has to do with is the ability to move snow as efficiently as possible. I could care less who makes a plow, as long as it's reliable and efficient. Right now, Blizzards are the only ones that can back that up. Fisher and Western are on their way with the XLS and Wideout.

As for experience, I started plowing with a V-blade in 1990. According to your profile, you would have been 7 at the time. Used V's exclusively (on trucks) until 3 years ago until I got over my paranoia of too many moving parts, not tested enough, crappy local dealer and bought my first Blizzard. After the first storm with it, I was ready for a second. Couldn't find one, so I had to wait. Within a little over a year, I had 4 because of how efficient they are. I have documented proof that they are faster than a V. Just like the V will cut time compared to a straight blade.

As I said, there are people who need a V, like Alaska Boss, the guys in the mountain states and nsmilligan in Nova Scotia. Even what SnoFarmer is doing, he needs one, I won't dispute it. I will always have 1 V in my fleet for the exact reason of breaking open drifts in a blizzard. But I have yet to find anything that my Blizzards aren't able to move. That's fine if you think it won't work for you, but I'd bet good money you're wrong.


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Alaska, Have you had anymore snow since your last post? Is the blizzard still working out for you?


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Quality SR;479217 said:


> Alaska, Have you had anymore snow since your last post? Is the blizzard still working out for you?


Not really,... maybe 2-3 inches,.. this is about the least snow we've had here in decades, as far as I can remember,.. by this time in January,... seems to be like that across most of Alaska this winter. Biggest dump was about 3"-4",... everything else is dustings. Both plows are ready & waiting,.... now it's about -30°,... so at least we have some pretty scenery,.... :salute::salute:


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## gene gls (Dec 24, 1999)

Alaska Boss;479516 said:


> Not really,... maybe 2-3 inches,.. this is about the least snow we've had here in decades, as far as I can remember,.. by this time in January,... seems to be like that across most of Alaska this winter. Biggest dump was about 3"-4",... everything else is dustings. Both plows are ready & waiting,.... now it's about -30°,... so at least we have some pretty scenery,.... :salute::salute:


Do you usually plow with out any weight in the bed?


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

gene gls;480252 said:


> Do you usually plow with out any weight in the bed?


No, not usually,... only if I'm doing light-duty stuff on my own road and I don't happen to have anything in it at the time. If we get a good dump where I'm plowing most of the community, I'll load up my ballast (grader blades cut to fit cross-wise behind the rear wheels in the bed). On the flatbed, I may just strap a 4-wheeler or something on the back, (since the SW isn't so heavy) ,... but haven't been able to put it to any great test yet,.. :crying:


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

Alaska Boss;454477 said:


> Now some may say that this isn't a fair comparison,... but it's all I have, so that's all I can compare. The Blizzard 860 SW has wings that can be pinned back which makes it a 9'9" straight blade, so it's only 3" shorter than an 810 that's fully expanded,.. which is close enough to be fair (I think,... ). The Boss is 9'2" when straight, and right at 11' with the wings attached.


THATS THE BIGGEST FRIGGIN PLOW I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A REGULAR TRUCK...11'..MAN...THATS HUGE!!!!

great post BTW..very nice read...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Dissociative;480555 said:


> THATS THE BIGGEST FRIGGIN PLOW I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A REGULAR TRUCK...11'..MAN...THATS HUGE!!!!
> 
> great post BTW..very nice read...


Where you been? Have you ever heard or seen Blizzard plows before?


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;480559 said:


> Where you been? Have you ever heard or seen Blizzard plows before?


Mark, i think he was talking about the 9' 2" V with wings. Do you run all blizzards and V's? How do they work for you?


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

*Boss vs Blizzard update*

Well, I thought I would just update this thread rather than start a new one,... and add a few more photos of comparing a Boss 9.2 V-blade with the Blizzard 860 Speedwing. Here we are, right at the door of March, and we still have not had a 6" snowfall yet for the entire winter,.. unbelieveable !! But, all the 2" - 4" snowfalls have started to add up, and although we are still below our average/normal snow totals for this time of year, a few more observations can still be made when comparing these 2 plows,... even if they haven't been put to the test yet like I was hoping,... but we still have more than a full month of winter remaining,.... 

So far, the Boss has had no problem anywhere on any roads,... I haven't even used the wings all that much this winter.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

I've been trying to use the Blizzard for most of my jobs this winter,... since it is on warrantee, I figured if something is wrong with it, I'd like to find out before the plow parts go on my nickel,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The wings on the Boss, even without deep snow, can really cut your plowing passes in half when clearing wider roads, as a full blade-width can be taken every time,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

But as the snow banks are getting higher, the ability of the shorter and tighter-curled Speedwing to windrow is becoming strained,... and this was the main test that I wanted to see with this plow,... at what point could I no longer maintain the full width of a road or driveway because I cannot get all the snow off of it any longer,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The stacking ability of this new Speedwing has surprised me,... it can actually stack snow higher than I anticipated it would,... again the forward-throwing curl and the wings are what sets it apart from a regular straight-blade....


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

The plastic cover that protects the hydraulics must be made of the toughest plastic there is,... I have had this cover come off 4 times this winter,.. and ran over it with the truck 3 of those times, and it's not even distorted. I have used bungee-cords now to help try & keep it in place, and so far so good,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

But with each new snowfall,... I am having to run this plow faster & faster down my own driveway in order to keep it open at full width,... and I think I am close to the point that it can't go much higher than it is right now,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

What I see happening is that this plow, with it's tight curl, is throwing the snow so hard forward, that before it can go higher than what my banks are now at this point, it's boiling over the top of the plow & carrying most of the snow forward until it's pouring out around the front,.. which is causing me to have to make several passes over the same areas to recapture what I'm losing,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Of course, outside corners do the best, since the snow is being thrown out & away from the truck harder,... but even here, it appears that I'm reaching the limits of what I can do without driving at speeds that exceed safe & comfortable operations,...

For sure, the Boss is not struggling yet with getting the snow out of my road at normal plowing speeds. So, in conclusion to this point, the Blizzard Speedwing has been everything I hoped it would be in simple, fast, effecient snow removal, but in deeper snow areas, it seems to be reaching it's maximum windrowing abilities before the Boss V-plow has. I have had my Boss since 2003, and I have never yet to date, had any problems keeping my driveway opened to full width during those years,... and this would be the least amount of snow that we have had since that time. With snowbanks about twice as high as the plow right now, if we were to suddenly get a 2-foot dump, I'm not convinced that the Speedwing could handle it,... if it happens, I will be sure to try,.. and record the results!


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Once again, nice job of comparing the 2, AB. Very fair and accurate IMO.

And beautiful pics as always.


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## pieperlc (Jan 4, 2005)

AB- You mention that you've reached safe plowing speeds. I was just wondering what speed you were going and what you consider safe? I have a feeling "safe" is relative and you would get a lot of different answers if you were to take a poll. Great posts as well, you do a great job at being impartial.


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## JDWalkbehind (Oct 14, 2007)

Wow. great thread. I was woundering did you add any suspension parts to either truck? They both seemed to sit nicely with the plow on. Also what kind of tires do you have? And how do you like them? Thanks! Your fleet looks great.

nick


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## Jerre Heyer (Mar 19, 2002)

Awesome picts. Makes me think of my driveway on a normal winter. You might want to think about a side wing for shelfing and banking back those sides. That's what I ended up doing before I put the snow blower on the front of the truck.

The ability to throw up and over is compromised by the curl of the Blizzard but at 3' plus I'd say you've got some good windrows.

Keep the feedback coming.

J


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

pieperlc;530524 said:


> AB- You mention that you've reached safe plowing speeds. I was just wondering what speed you were going and what you consider safe? I have a feeling "safe" is relative and you would get a lot of different answers if you were to take a poll. Great posts as well, you do a great job at being impartial.


For sure, "safe plowing speeds" is a relative term, and it's different even for me depending on where I am. But on my own driveway here for example, "safe" is mainly determined by how much snow is flying over the plow & onto my windsheild, and whether or not I can even see where I'm going or what I'm doing. I don't have to worry about hitting anything per se, but speed multiplies damage, as we all know. The main thing that happens, is if I can't see, I end up digging/driving too hard into the banks, and all it takes is a split second and the whole truck is jack-knifed in the driveway. The maximum speed I can usually go, is around 25 mph, or I'm in a non-stop white-out. Also, even at that speed, in places the plow will tend to jump or glide off the ground when hitting bumps, etc. I just don't like running my stuff right to the edge of out-of-control speeds no matter what.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

JDWalkbehind;530620 said:


> Wow. great thread. I was woundering did you add any suspension parts to either truck? They both seemed to sit nicely with the plow on. Also what kind of tires do you have? And how do you like them? Thanks! Your fleet looks great.
> 
> nick


Both trucks have timbrens and cranked t-bars and the heaviest-duty shocks I can find, but that's all. Tires are studded BF Goodrich Commercial T-A, and have excellent traction & tire life. On the regular truck, they're 245 75R 16's,.. the dually has 215 85R 16's. :salute:


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;530489 said:


> Once again, nice job of comparing the 2, AB. Very fair and accurate IMO.
> 
> And beautiful pics as always.


I agree. Nice job, keep them coming.


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## Quality SR (Oct 25, 2006)

Alaska, How did both plows hold up? Which did a better job?


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## F250 Boss v (Feb 1, 2008)

Alaska, I was wondering how long does it take you to put on the wings on the boss, -and to remove them? Is it "easy" to do, or a pain? I've been thinking of getting some for my 8'2" poly V. Thanks, -and great job!


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Quality SR;555314 said:


> Alaska, How did both plows hold up? Which did a better job?


They both did well this past winter, but our winter was one of the least snowy winters we've had here in decades. The new SW I think does a little better at scraping snowpack and leaving a nice clean finish, but the Boss will windrow higher banks, and for sure is best for breaking into deep snow areas,... and one can plow a little more aggressively when tackling big, deep jobs. The Boss kinda had the winter off, because I wanted to put the SW thru the wringer this winter while it was still under warranty. If I could only have one plow, I'd have to take the Boss for my area & my jobs, but these two together make a great combo, IMO.



F250 Boss v;555324 said:


> Alaska, I was wondering how long does it take you to put on the wings on the boss, -and to remove them? Is it "easy" to do, or a pain? I've been thinking of getting some for my 8'2" poly V. Thanks, -and great job!


Taking the wings off & on is a cinch,... they just slide in & snap into place,.. and pop right off,... the biggest pain is just carrying them in & out from the back of your truck,.. they're heavy! But they have to be, or they wouldn't hold up. I made a few modifications to mine shortly after I got them, which was needed, and I've had to weld on them several times, but that's to be expected eventually. I was worried mostly about tearing the thick rubber edges off when hitting something at -48°, but that has shone to not be a factor. Many times I have run mine with just one wing on one side, but they are worth having, both for faster clean-ups, and increased stacking heights, unless neither of those things are real issues with you, and with some guys & their situations, it's not. I would think any Boss dealer should have some plow around that you could go look & see for yourself how they attach & dismount. If time = money for you, then in the long run, they're worth it.


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## Eyesell (Nov 7, 2003)

Man I had to resurrect this thread as I was wondering if I should get wings or not. I can't thank you enough for the time you spent putting this together, a lot of great info, especially for those who are in my situation.

Thanks again, great reading !!


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## c.schulz (Dec 21, 2004)

Eyesell;624728 said:


> Man I had to resurrect this thread as I was wondering if I should get wings or not. I can't thank you enough for the time you spent putting this together, a lot of great info, especially for those who are in my situation.
> 
> Thanks again, great reading !!


Second That!!! Thanks Alaska

Chris


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## Ford445 (May 26, 2006)

Absolutely a great thread, awesome job Alaska! It was an excellent un biased comparison of the two plows. Our village crew uses the blizzards on the streets, they have beat them badly, but they love them and they have held up to their abuse. I havent seen many guys using the blizzards in our steep and narrow drives we have around here.

I agree with you though, I think each type of plow has its application, a lot of that depending on where you live/work. 

Nice Job!


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Eyesell;624728 said:


> Man I had to resurrect this thread as I was wondering if I should get wings or not. I can't thank you enough for the time you spent putting this together, a lot of great info, especially for those who are in my situation.
> 
> Thanks again, great reading !!





c.schulz;625061 said:


> Second That!!! Thanks Alaska
> 
> Chris





Ford445;625436 said:


> Absolutely a great thread, awesome job Alaska! It was an excellent un biased comparison of the two plows. Our village crew uses the blizzards on the streets, they have beat them badly, but they love them and they have held up to their abuse. I havent seen many guys using the blizzards in our steep and narrow drives we have around here.
> 
> I agree with you though, I think each type of plow has its application, a lot of that depending on where you live/work.
> 
> Nice Job!


Thanks. It did take a lot of time to do this,... I spent the better part of a day setting up the photos and plowing situations, but I wanted this comparison to have some real & actual value to guys planning on spending a lot of money on a plow, so they could make the best choice and be happy with their decision. I've gotten info like this myself from this forum, so the least I can do is give some back,.... hope it helps, and good luck in your choices! :salute:


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## Double C (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks for the time and effort you put in this! Really enjoyed it!!


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## progressivelawn (Oct 16, 2008)

that blizzered is slick i tell you


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## BMWSTUD25 (Aug 21, 2008)

Alaska Boss,

Just wanted to bring this back to the top for new people to read and wanted to know personally now the post is a year old what the current state of them is and any new opinions or thoughts you had.
Thanks, Kyle


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

BMWSTUD25;742230 said:


> Alaska Boss,
> 
> Just wanted to bring this back to the top for new people to read and wanted to know personally now the post is a year old what the current state of them is and any new opinions or thoughts you had.
> Thanks, Kyle


Well, the current state of both plows is that they both still perform their jobs well. The Blizzard has had more problems and issues to deal with, (to fix and modify) in the past year, but that's how the Boss was too, during the first year. I've had the Boss long enough now to know exactly what it can do, and what to expect in all snow circumstances. And for me and my area & plow jobs, if I could only have one plow, I would have/pick a V-plow hands down. For charging into narrow & deep snow driveways, etc., a V just can't be beat. And for stacking snow, a V-plow with wings is probably going to be as good as you can get for a pickup, without battering hard into your piles,...


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

And the Blizzard 860 Speedwing has continued to perform as well or better than I had hoped it would, despite having some issues to deal with (which I will lay out and describe soon in the Blizzard forum). It stacks almost as high as the Boss, it scrapes better, and I think I can truly say that I have never really wanted or needed the position of the wings to be any different than what they always are automatically. And to always have those in place, with the ease & simplicity of the controls of a plain straight blade, is about as comfortable & efficient a way to move snow as there is, IMO. The 860 SW has proven to be a wide enough plow for a dually truck, and at less than 800 lbs, is not going to cause any undue wear & tear on a 1-ton. The only real drawback this plow has (for my situations) is it's limited ability to windrow snowbanks,... the tight/forward curl of this plow keeps it from throwing snow any higher than about twice the height of the blade. My driveway is at this point right now,.... any more snow here, and the SW would just throw & carry it forward and not be able to get it out of the road anymore. But it grabs and holds a full blade of snow without spilling really nice. The conclusions I came to last year I would still hold to now,... I'll never own or plow with a plow that doesn't have wings,... both plows have a specific purpose, and together, they make a great pair,... and I'm not sorry I bought either one,... and the best testimony to a plow's performance,... is if you'd buy it again,.. and I would. :salute:


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## BMWSTUD25 (Aug 21, 2008)

Thanks for the update!


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## jgoetter1 (Feb 23, 2007)

Thanks for the very informative and entertaining post. For me, I'd choose the blizzard mainly because its built so strong.


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## blizzardsnow (Feb 3, 2009)

This thread is great. What a fantastic comparison. 
We run blizzards done here, but I don't very often have to worry about the height of the snow bank. We also do mostly medium to large commercial lots where I think the Blizzard shines. I have on several occasions cussed as we dug a truck out of a driveway because we couldn't charge through the 3' tall drift. If we pick up anymore residential (long drives, etc) we will need to put a V in the fleet.


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## procut (Dec 1, 2004)

Just wanted to say great thread! - Thanks for the info and pics!


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## Case580M (Jan 31, 2008)

Alaska Boss;454477 said:


> Now some may say that this isn't a fair comparison,... but it's all I have, so that's all I can compare. The Blizzard 860 SW has wings that can be pinned back which makes it a 9'9" straight blade, so it's only 3" shorter than an 810 that's fully expanded,.. which is close enough to be fair (I think,... ). The Boss is 9'2" when straight, and right at 11' with the wings attached.


Great Writeup...

Curious about a few things though. You show 9'9" on the 860SW and say its only 3" shorter than the 810. In actual a 810 would be 17" wider than the 860?

Blizzard says the 860sw is only 8' 7" wide 29 1/2" tall & 810lbs

Blizzard says the 810pp is 10' wide, compact 8', bucket 8' 9" and is 31" tall & 924lbs

Boss shows the XT @ 108" w, 29" tall & 931lbs with undercarriage. They show the VXT at 32" tall.

How wide is the Boss when in scoop position?

In this area the Boss VXT is around 8100.00 installed the 810pp 6100.00 installed


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## slongfellowii (Dec 29, 2004)

I think the SW is measured in the bucket position and it is 9' 9" when the wings are pinned back manually.


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## Alaska Boss (Oct 8, 2005)

Alaska Boss;454477 said:


> Now some may say that this isn't a fair comparison,... but it's all I have, so that's all I can compare. The Blizzard 860 SW has wings that can be pinned back which makes it a 9'9" straight blade, so it's only 3" shorter than an 810 that's fully expanded,.. which is close enough to be fair (I think,... ). The Boss is 9'2" when straight, and right at 11' with the wings attached.





Case580M;848810 said:


> Great Writeup...
> 
> Curious about a few things though. You show 9'9" on the 860SW and say its only 3" shorter than the 810. In actual a 810 would be 17" wider than the 860?
> 
> ...


Yeah, I think you just didn't read my statement carefully (in red). The 810pp fully expanded, but wings NOT angled forward is 10' wide,... and the 860 SW w/wings pinned back makes that plow a 9'9" wide straight blade, which are, for all practical purposes, the same. (3" inches aren't going to make much difference in real-life plowing). All the other specs I listed come from the company's own listings, other than what I measured myself. The one thing about plow heights when I measured them myself, on flat ground, was that the Blizzard was a little shorter than what was claimed, (with new edges), and the Boss was still a little higher than claimed, (with 2-year old edges). Not that an inch or so is going to make all that much difference either, but just some observations,... :waving:


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## phillyplowking1 (Dec 19, 2001)

i have a couple sets of the boss wings i only used them a couple times but when i did they were awsome


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## R&R Yard Design (Dec 6, 2004)

Philly, would you be looking to get a pair off of your hands. 
Let me know


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## nascar (Nov 11, 2009)

Awesome comparison. Great information and lots of things to think about. I just bought my firt plow,a BOSS 8.2 VXT, I hope it is everything I think it will be.


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## RobE (Feb 22, 2010)

any updates?


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