# Good idea plowing with Half ton truck?



## NaturesEnemy1 (May 29, 2009)

I own a lawn care company and i use a 2005 GMC Sierra Z71 to pull my trialer and equipment. This is my everyday vehicle as well. I don't plan on making a living off of snow plowing in the winter time, but my customers continue to ask me if I will be plowing in the winter time. I understand that half ton trucks really aren't built for plowing, i imagine that it reduces the life of the truck. But in this part of Ohio we get a heavy snow two or three times a month. Do the pro's out weight the con's of putting a plow on my half ton truck? Can these half ton trucks with-stand the riggors of snow plowing?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

This has been discussed many times. You can do some searching, or just scroll through the forums. Dozens, thousands, even hundreds, plow with half tons and have no ill effects. Others won't plow with anything less than a one ton diesel. 

If you're doing a few drives, then you are probably OK. Heavier/commercial and I would be looking for a 3/4 ton myself. If you are going to run a bed sander, a half ton isn't going to cut it.


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

The 1/2 ton will do just fine I have used one for manny years!


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## pmorrissette (Sep 15, 2008)

I have a '92 half-ton GMC with a 7.5 Meyer setup. I do my driveway, along with my brother's and 3~4 friends. When we get a really big dump, I actuall plow the street before the city plow comes along (they are very slow getting here). It works great, but I really take it easy when I plow.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Check the snoway forum there sre some pics of that truck with a 26 series on it.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

I'd agree on searching. We don't mean to sound like @sshole's who don't want to help out a new member of the board, but it does get annoying retyping the same info 8x a year. 

I also plow with a half ton, works good and takes a lot of abuse. Before next winter though I'll be rolling in a newer diesel. Probably will still plow with my 1/2ton though until it no longer moves or the body rusts off. Save the abuse from the newer truck unless it's needed as a backup.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I would bet 1/2 the plow trucks I have ever seen are 1/2 ton Chevy's. As long as you don't go real heavy or wide on plows you should be OK. Or you don't try to haul 2 pallets of salt while plowing.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

MickiRig1;782120 said:


> I would bet 1/2 the plow trucks I have ever seen are 1/2 ton Chevy's.


Are you getting ready to try a Chevy?


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

If you have a CC consider Blizzard, they offer a 8 foot blade in a mid weight. everyone else is limited to a 7'6" You need at least 8 foot of blade for a Crew Cab to be efficient


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

Nah, latest FORD plow truck candidate is sitting in the driveway. The old one too.
A brother in-law has had a Chevy and now a GMC 1/2 tons for plow trucks. They have their own unique problems at times. But also some of the same ones FORD has.


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## tuna (Nov 2, 2002)

basher;782141 said:


> If you have a CC consider Blizzard, they offer a 8 foot blade in a mid weight. everyone else is limited to a 7'6" You need at least 8 foot of blade for a Crew Cab to be efficient


What does the cab have to do with blade width?


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Well Flounder, it's a wheelbase issue. longer wheelbase, slower turning ratio. TOGA TOGA TOGA


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## tuna (Nov 2, 2002)

basher;782183 said:


> Well Flounder, it's a wheelbase issue. longer wheelbase, slower turning ratio. TOGA TOGA TOGA


A half ton Chevy crew cab has short wheelbase,does not need anything bigger than a 7,6.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

tuna;782258 said:


> A half ton Chevy crew cab has short wheelbase,does not need anything bigger than a 7,6.


Ex cab short bed has a longer wheelbase than a reg long bed. Crew cab is even longer. Long bed and you keep adding. There's a few crew cab long beds with plows around here. The difference in a 7.5 vs 8 is not that much, only 3 inches per side. Even if I run my 8.5 XV in a dogleg, I still can run over my windrow.


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## tuna (Nov 2, 2002)

A half ton crew is only built with 1 bed length 5'8" so we are not talking about a long truck here.I don`t know the exact wheelbase for each model But I do own a 2005 Sierra 1500 crew cab and can tell you that it is not much longer if any than a reg cab long bed or an Ext. cab short bed.Either way there is no 1/2 ton that needs an 8 footer to get the job done which is the point of this thread.


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## cmo18 (Mar 10, 2008)

I have a dodge half ton regular cab short box...worked great the past 5 or 6 years...even plowed 2 or 3 storms with a 9 ft!..excellent driveway truck however you do feel underpowered sometimes. I run a 7 1/2ft blade and going around turns or when angled you get a lot of snow under yourself and will get stuck. Running an 8ft would be wise.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

chris_morrison;782289 said:


> I have a dodge half ton regular cab short box. I run a 7 1/2ft blade and going around turns or when angled you get a lot of snow under yourself and will get stuck.


Or at least have to go back and deal with the snow you've run over and packed down.


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## Plowinpro03 (Dec 18, 2007)

Well, i plow with a 1500 tahoe?...my friend has been plowing commercial now with his seirra 1500 for a few years..go easy and it'll do fine.


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## larold83 (Jan 1, 2009)

i have a 85 heavy half ton camper special its just go the extra leaf up front and rear but this has beena plow truck sinse its been new. third motor they finally got smart and stuck the 350 in her this is a solid truck there are signs of being a plow truck for this many years but nothing a welder can't fix


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## BOSSMAN21 (Dec 11, 2008)

I used to use mine plowing. I have an 2003 Chevy 1500 Z71 and had a 7 1/2 foot boss. I took it off because I wanted to Keep my truck nice. After the first year plowing my brake pads and routers were gone and the ty Rods were completly shot. Not a big deal but that is just to give you an idea of what happens to the 1/2 tons.


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

My tie rods on my 3500 are completely shot now after 1 season of plowing.... But the tie rods on my 1/2 ton thats been plowing for 4 seasons are still in great shape.......... Its all operator IMO not truck....


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I would think it would depend on what you are plowing. Big parking lots with long straight pushes and reverse's. Are probably a lot easier on the tie rods then drug stores and gas stations. Rolling terrain vers flat, climbing piles etc.


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

true true, but its the other way around for me... I do HUGE parking lots with my 11'4" plow... Windrows up to the mirror sometimes... I think busting thru and getting to where you need to go and when back dragging you get these huge piles then you have to drive thru them to plow them away is where i think i did them in... There's alotta stress on em doing stuff like that...


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

The load of 5.4 Cu yards of snow in a "snow pusher" puts a lot more stress on steering components then a straight blade.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I would bet the same tie rods are on a one ton too. Ford tends to stick with parts across the board. Chevy can't be much different. We spank trucks and stuff wears out or breaks It's a fact of life with plow trucks, get used to it.


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## chcav1218 (Jul 31, 2008)

just take care of the truck and it will do fine


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

Like I said 1/2 the plow trucks in this country are 1/2 ton Chevy's! They must do the job or there would not be so many.


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## the new boss 92 (Nov 29, 2008)

i have no complaints, if you plow at a good pace and don't ram curbs or speed bumps, wait for a complete stop before switching gears, you will be fine. but if you plow like an animal then you will have problems after and during winter. also keep your front end greased, watch your fluid levels and maintain the truck you shouldn't have any problems. i have 312,000 on my truck and have no problems this season(08-09).


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

the new boss 92;783570 said:


> i have no complaints, if you plow at a good pace and don't ram curbs or speed bumps, wait for a complete stop before switching gears, you will be fine. but if you plow like an animal then you will have problems after and during winter. also keep your front end greased, watch your fluid levels and maintain the truck you shouldn't have any problems. i have 312,000 on my truck and have no problems this season(08-09).


Big differance between 92 and 06-09 1500 trucks


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## the new boss 92 (Nov 29, 2008)

basher;783613 said:


> Big differance between 92 and 06-09 1500 trucks


yea, i'm saying in general take it easy on you equipment and you will be fine. i see a bunch of people running half tons storm after storm and they seem to be holding up fine.


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## sven_502 (Nov 1, 2008)

I would buy a 7'6 blade and get wings for it for light snows. I have a 7'6 on my yukon, which is the short wheelbase, I believe equivelent to a regular cab short box, so the shortest one possible, and I STILL run over the snow with my tires and get stuck the odd time, so wings would be good. I would also run lots of weight. Stuff to consider though would be things like what gear ratio does your truck have? Mine has 3.42s so thats pretty much a death sentence, but if you've got 3.73s or 4.10s, less work for the tranny. Also a 2005 would have tow/haul mode, then you take it easy and you should be fine. My neighbor used to run a 1/2 ton chevrolet 350 gasser and he got 450,000 miles out of it before it finally collapsed around the ORIGINAL engine. Thats plowing commercially too and landscaping by summer. So obviously they can carry their weight.


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## Skid Mark (Feb 6, 2009)

my personal veichles an 04 chevy avalanche z71 has a western midweight on it with timbrens too and i also tow my bobcats around with it i can tow 12,000 pouynds nut much but its all i need for my personal veichle


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## Skid Mark (Feb 6, 2009)

:salute:my personal veichles an 04 chevy avalanche z71 has a western midweight on it with timbrens too and i also tow my bobcats around with it i can tow 12,000 pounds nut much but its all i need for my personal veichle its comfortable too:salute:


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

basher;783613 said:


> Big differance between 92 and 06-09 1500 trucks


I think 03-07 are the best trucks ever built.... I cant imagine loading up my dads old chevy the way we load our new ones without bending the frame or something stupid...


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## bru z71 (May 10, 2009)

oo i agree my old man had a 1995 ford econoline van i cant tell you how many times we loaded that thing to the brim with wood so much f.... times ussmileyflag


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