# What size Avalanche Otimus pusher should I run on my loaders?



## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

We have Doosan DL220 wheel loaders this season. They are about 160hp and weigh around 27,000#. We have run the Doosan DL200TC in the past at 142hp and 26,000# and rubber edge 16' pushers with 3' tall and deep end plates (5.34 cubic yard capacity) seemed to be as much as this thing wanted in front of it with wetter and heavier snow. SO...does a metal edge and something that adjusts to the ground push easier? I have narrowed the new pushers down to the Avalanche Optimus but not the size. The 14' with 44" tall and deep end plates is 6.98 cubic yards and the 16' with 52" tall and deep end plates is 9.76 cubic yards. I'm worried about getting the wrong size pushers and being pissed that I cant get it across the lot or that it laughs at it and I could handle the extra yardage. Anybody have experience with the Optimus and can give insight would be helpful too. Appreciate any feedback you can offer.


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)




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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Call Avalanche? 

They have a sizing chart as does ProTech for reference. 

I only have experience with a 10' MP pusher on a skidsteer, but Herm Witte said his operators noticed a difference running the MP LiveEdge over a rubber edged pusher--easier, less fuel.


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

I talked to Matthew at Avalanche and didn't really get a definitive answer. I looked at their site as well as Pro-Tech and Artic. Avalanche said 16' which is almost 10cy so about double the capacity of what we have been doing in the past with only a slightly larger loader.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I wouldn't hesitate to put a 16' Liveboxx/Sectional on a loader that size in central Ohio unless you're pushing long long runs.


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Agreed 16' minium unless you have areas that 16' won't fit for you. You can always take smaller bites, you can't add extra width... Well I suppose you could with a torch and welder....


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

John_DeereGreen said:


> I wouldn't hesitate to put a 16' Liveboxx/Sectional on a loader that size in central Ohio unless you're pushing long long runs.


We are an hour north of Columbus and typically get more snow than them with lake effect off of lake Michigan. Have several lots in the 6-1o acre range and push an average of 500' to get across the lot. The concern is the 1-2" an hour rate of snow we get occasionally and trying to push 4"+ of accumulation off of lots this size


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

Ajlawn1 said:


> Agreed 16' minium unless you have areas that 16' won't fit for you. You can always take smaller bites, you can't add extra width... Well I suppose you could with a torch and welder....


We run 16' now and seems to fit in almost all places. The thing that concerns me is the volume. Going from 6 cubic yards capacity to 10 cubic yards capacity. Wondering if a metal and adjustable edge will have less drag than a fixed rubber edge?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Absolutely the drag will be reduced. Significantly. 

Send me a pm on what you're being quoted for the Avalanche pushers.


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

John_DeereGreen haven't heard back from you?


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

Any of you guys have experience with AMI or HLA? Seems like same products from different companies that are 40 miles apart from each other...weird. Seems like a decent product.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Be sure and buy extra cutting edges, I've more then a few broke on these pushers. Also the wing pins


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

Ajlawn1 said:


> Agreed 16' minium unless you have areas that 16' won't fit for you. You can always take smaller bites, you can't add extra width... Well I suppose you could with a torch and welder....


What are the dimensions of your 16' artics that you run on your 930's?


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

1olddogtwo said:


> Be sure and buy extra cutting edges, I've more then a few broke on these pushers. Also the wing pins


And when you buy an Arctic make sure to get a a "Few" dozen blocks....:waving:


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

The Optimus with the steel cutting edge seems to move easier than a rubber edge acrocc the parking lot. I have one right next to my protech and it seems easier to push on my old trojan.


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## Maclawnco (Nov 21, 2002)

Avalanche and metal pless appear to be competing products. Just wondering if avalanche comes with a super high end cutting edge? Paul's said metal pless' edges are good for 500 hrs. Knowing what we spent to put edges on our sectionals at 75 hrs, that's worth real money right there


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## Jason Johnson (Jan 19, 2009)

Maclawnco said:


> Avalanche and metal pless appear to be competing products. Just wondering if avalanche comes with a super high end cutting edge? Paul's said metal pless' edges are good for 500 hrs. Knowing what we spent to put edges on our sectionals at 75 hrs, that's worth real money right there


He said the same thing to me. I haven't heard a lot about the Optimus edges from anyone. I'd like to know more on the reliability and life of the units and how they compare.


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## Maclawnco (Nov 21, 2002)

Herm up in Grand Rapids has 2 or 3 years on a 16ft live box. We only have 3 pushes on ours. Who has the most hours on their live edges Paul? Anyone up in Canada that can speak to this?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Maclawnco said:


> Herm up in Grand Rapids has 2 or 3 years on a 16ft live box. We only have 3 pushes on ours. Who has the most hours on their live edges Paul? Anyone up in Canada that can speak to this?


Someone over in Chicago tested one a couple tree years ago, during the bad winter. Seems like they had over 250 hours on it with very minimal wear. I want to say 1/4" or less, but I could be mistaken.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I think I remember seeing Chad say his skid box had 300 or so and the edges still looked close to new.


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## Neige (Jan 29, 2008)

Metal Pless LiveEdge is the only articulating cuting edge plow in the market. It is what sets us apart from all the other sectional type plows out there. It is the reason you will get the cleanest scrape and therefore save you the most salt. With our carbide insert built into a CHT400 cutting edge, you should see 8 times longer wear life then from a standard cutting edge found on most plows. Remember that is not only a savings in wear parts but also time of changing out the cutting edges. To date of all the LiveEdge plows sold to commercial snow contractors, not one has had to replace the cutting edges do to wear. We have had 5 cutting edges that had been tweaked and needing replacing. So as you can see Metal Pless is not into selling parts, but building premium quality, long lasting plows.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

John_DeereGreen said:


> I think I remember seeing Chad say his skid box had 300 or so and the edges still looked close to new.


I've got 2 seasons on mine, 1 good, the other horrible. All salted pavement, granted it is a skidsteer so it isn't getting up to speed, but it has virtually zero wear as well.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I've got 2 seasons on mine, 1 good, the other horrible. All salted pavement, granted it is a skidsteer so it isn't getting up to speed, but it has virtually zero wear as well.


Have you had to replace any Blocks???....Oh sorry wrong pusher....lowblue:


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Defcon 5 said:


> Have you had to replace any Blocks???....Oh sorry wrong pusher....lowblue:


I don't think MP is selling blocks as a profit center........


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I don't think MP is selling blocks as a profit center........


I understand now how Olddog affords a new pickup every year....


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