# VEE blade vs straight blade plow



## F350plowing (Oct 11, 2009)

Is the VEE blade better than a straight blade? and why?


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## B.Bells (Oct 9, 2009)

F350plowing;828215 said:


> Is the VEE blade better than a straight blade? and why?


I'd say depends on where you live and the conditions you get most of the time. I LOVE straight blades. can do alot with them at the same time has a down fall compared to the v-plow, but the v-plow can have its own issues. its personal preference mostly IMO


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

one glaring advantage of the straight blade would be simplicity. fewer fragile parts to fail.

on the other hand, the only way to contain snow and actually transport it is with a vee. a vee will also push thru deep drifts that a straight blade wouldnt touch...

my take? for all around versatilty...Id rather have the vee with a straight blade backup


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## F350plowing (Oct 11, 2009)

i was thinking the vee for the scoop position more than the vee position


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

F350plowing;828223 said:


> i was thinking the vee for the scoop position more than the vee position


absolutely, thats why i want one


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## Silverstreak (Oct 25, 2007)

had a v but went back to a straight blade (i keep the v on a backup truck)

i didnt like how it wouldnt do a perfect clean sweep, left a smear of snow on one side or the other, unless i had it in full scoop, but even then i hated it cause of the extra work to straighten it out and push against and over a curb...it did help out in apt. complexes where id be trying to scoop away from rows of cars, but on wide open lots, much faster w a straight blade


its mostly cause my conditions are a lot different than anywhere else....if southeast pa was battered by 8" + storms more often, im sure id only have v plows as opposed to straight blades


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## jimspro (Oct 9, 2009)

I run 9 trucks, had up 12 at one time, got my first v-blade in 2001, got a western v, loved the advantage with the v, like plowing thru 5'high drifts, and saving time with the scoop mode, had electrial problems with the western though, In the past 4 years got 3 new boss v-blades and just love them, no real problems, easy on and off. and have a dealer in the area that is open during storms all night long if there is a need for help. If you have dual wheels, make sure you get a big enough one so the tires aren't cutting the snow bank.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Love my V plow. When my truck went down a few years ago I used my friends truck with the straight blade I actually forgot how to plow with one.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

F350plowing;828215 said:


> Is the VEE blade better than a straight blade? and why?


Every situation is differant. IMO a Vee blade is the best for a "One Man Band" versitile and much more effecent for clean up. 
If all you do is straight "drag and push" drives a rear plow or Hiniker "C" blade would be the best choice. 
If you are sub contracting and working only in big lots a straight blade will work just fine. Straight blades are the simplist to use maintian and repair, many people have pushed snow in all conditions and all types of jobs very successfully for many years with nothing fancier then a standard straight blade.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

Our 8.6" straight blade moves far more snow on a standard parking lot with the turkey wings installed than this POS problem plauged V plow ever thought of. The V is nice, for the cool factor since other guys with straight blades always say they want one, but when i go to replace this one, i'll be getting another straight blade with expandalble wings instead...you make the plow realy small when it's in V mode/containtment mode so your losing 2' per pass....whereas the straight blade we run with turkey wings...essentially box plow is the full 8'6" and captures much more snow than the V in scoop mode.

Glad i got to use the V plow, but like i said, for the lots that we have i wont be buying another one ever again.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Like Basher said, every situation is different. I love my V and worth every penny. Does it justify the price difference?- In my situation it does, with plowing smaller lots with lots of turns and no where to really put the snow. I like the fact it piles snow a bit higher in these small lots. One other thing, I like the stainless steel factor. I dont need to worry about rust which leads to failing parts after a while.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

IHI;828363 said:


> Our 8.6" straight blade moves far more snow on a standard parking lot with the turkey wings installed than this POS problem plauged V plow ever thought of. The V is nice, for the cool factor since other guys with straight blades always say they want one, but when i go to replace this one, i'll be getting another straight blade with expandalble wings instead...you make the plow realy small when it's in V mode/containtment mode so your losing 2' per pass....whereas the straight blade we run with turkey wings...essentially box plow is the full 8'6" and captures much more snow than the V in scoop mode.
> 
> Glad i got to use the V plow, but like i said, for the lots that we have i wont be buying another one ever again.


What kinda plow are you using? I'm interested in upgrading and had almost decided on a vee....but the trail left from a vee would drive me crazy...I was under the impression that the Boss plows had addressed this problem.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

mcfly89;828395 said:


> What kinda plow are you using? I'm interested in upgrading and had almost decided on a vee....but the trail left from a vee would drive me crazy...I was under the impression that the Boss plows had addressed this problem.


Mines a western, the older uni mount that i've had to have both angle cylinders replaced, lift cylinder rebuilt/repacked, replaced the rubber beetween the wings to stop snow from going between them on a push, wiring harness on truck replaced, wiring harness on plow replaced, controller replaced, and even at that i still have to get out at least 1-3 times per storm and jiggle the connections between plow and truck or use a small screwdriver and open the male ends a bit for better contact...even though both sides were brand spanking new last season because i got tired of doing just this....i smear it full of plenty of dielectric grease to try and keep moisture out, plows are kept inside during the summer with cylinders in closed position.

Meanwhile the old uni mount straight blade just keeps on pushing snow without issue which increases productivity too....but we've used both trucks seperately on a H shapped parking lot we had that we were required to place snow in one section only so ALL the snow had to be moved and placed.....the stright blade with turkey wings was on average 20 minutes faster overall than the V blade i run on my personal truck..mainly due to the fact the straight blad with box ends on it is wider overall and has better containment. I'm still in debating mode of putting pro wings or something similar on my V plow to make it more effeicent since when in scoop mode the overall width is just too narrow for cleaning up windrows/spill over on longer runs...and does'nt compare to the straight blade with turkey wings.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

IHI;828403 said:


> Mines a western, the older uni mount that i've had to have both angle cylinders replaced, lift cylinder rebuilt/repacked, replaced the rubber beetween the wings to stop snow from going between them on a push, wiring harness on truck replaced, wiring harness on plow replaced, controller replaced, and even at that i still have to get out at least 1-3 times per storm and jiggle the connections between plow and truck or use a small screwdriver and open the male ends a bit for better contact...even though both sides were brand spanking new last season because i got tired of doing just this....i smear it full of plenty of dielectric grease to try and keep moisture out, plows are kept inside during the summer with cylinders in closed position.
> 
> Meanwhile the old uni mount straight blade just keeps on pushing snow without issue which increases productivity too....but we've used both trucks seperately on a H shapped parking lot we had that we were required to place snow in one section only so ALL the snow had to be moved and placed.....the stright blade with turkey wings was on average 20 minutes faster overall than the V blade i run on my personal truck..mainly due to the fact the straight blad with box ends on it is wider overall and has better containment. I'm still in debating mode of putting pro wings or something similar on my V plow to make it more effeicent since when in scoop mode the overall width is just too narrow for cleaning up windrows/spill over on longer runs...and does'nt compare to the straight blade with turkey wings.


enlighten me, got any pictures of these "turkey wings"


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

IHI;828363 said:


> Our 8.6" straight blade moves far more snow on a standard parking lot with the turkey wings installed than this POS problem plauged V plow ever thought of. The V is nice, for the cool factor since other guys with straight blades always say they want one, but when i go to replace this one, i'll be getting another straight blade with expandalble wings instead...you make the plow realy small when it's in V mode/containtment mode so your losing 2' per pass....whereas the straight blade we run with turkey wings...essentially box plow is the full 8'6" and captures much more snow than the V in scoop mode.
> 
> Glad i got to use the V plow, but like i said, for the lots that we have i wont be buying another one ever again.


Good to see I was 'cool' back in '90 when I got my first V-plow. And all those darn moving parts that constantly broke and didn't allow me to be at least 25% more efficient than a straight blade.

And then it's really cool how when you're traveling in the V position so much weight is taken off the front axle because the plow doesn't hang out so far.

Or how I can travel down the road legally with a V when you can't with an 8.6' plow with wings.

So I agree, it would be silly to get a V over a regular straight blade, unless you want to be legal, be more efficient, and you don't care about the cool factor.

I'm sure that's why all plow manufacturers have V plows in their lineups, so they can sell to the cool crowd.


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## purpleranger519 (Jan 1, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;828431 said:


> Good to see I was 'cool' back in '90 when I got my first V-plow. And all those darn moving parts that constantly broke and didn't allow me to be at least 25% more efficient than a straight blade.
> 
> And then it's really cool how when you're traveling in the V position so much weight is taken off the front axle because the plow doesn't hang out so far.
> 
> ...


Couldn't agree more on the V taking the weight off the front axle. I gotta have that cool factor though... Going to have to look into that at SIMA next year.


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

F350plowing;828215 said:


> Is the VEE blade better than a straight blade? and why?


A lot of people forget one amazing feature that's built right into most of today's Vee plows.

If you watch the wings as they move forward from the Vee position or back from scoop, the moldboards will actually FORM A STRAIGHT BLADE!

If (This takes a lot of practice) you take your hand OFF the controller at the right moment, the plow will actually STAY STRAIGHT! And you can plow with it!

WHOOOAAA!! I know, right?


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## Eronningen (Dec 20, 2008)

Before I owned a V plow I talked like "IHI". I'll neve buy another straight blade after running a V for a full year. We run 4-5 trucks, the rest having straight blades and I can out perform all the straight blade trucks by 30% or so. The straights all have wings too. V's don't need to be fully scooped as many of you refer to which would cause a loss of width. You can have it at any degee of scoop and move a bunch of snow. When I see guys bashing V''s and saying they can move moresnow with their straight blade and pro wings I think its humorous


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

wait, so you're telling me that a "vee" plow can also be a straight plow........no way! i thought you could only use it in the scoop position and lose 2'. guess if i was cool enough to use a vee plow, i'd know that, oh wait, I do, and i'd never go back, the myths about v's just arent true anymore. boss it up!


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Eronningen;828582 said:


> You can have it at any degee of scoop and move a bunch of snow.


thats a really good point, I very often do that on 1'' plows, just barely put it in the scoop


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

Eronningen;828582 said:


> Before I owned a V plow I talked like "IHI". I'll neve buy another straight blade after running a V for a full year. We run 4-5 trucks, the rest having straight blades and I can out perform all the straight blade trucks by 30% or so. The straights all have wings too. V's don't need to be fully scooped as many of you refer to which would cause a loss of width. You can have it at any degee of scoop and move a bunch of snow. When I see guys bashing V''s and saying they can move moresnow with their straight blade and pro wings I think its humorous


Well I thought that too, which is why I wanted to see these turkey wings. I mean seriously, if someone knows a better way than a vee I'd love to see it. Cuz right now, personally, I'm leaning toward a Boss vee. Do your vees still leave the trail down the center?


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

Eronningen;828582 said:


> Before I owned a V plow I talked like "IHI". I'll neve buy another straight blade after running a V for a full year. We run 4-5 trucks, the rest having straight blades and I can out perform all the straight blade trucks by 30% or so. The straights all have wings too. V's don't need to be fully scooped as many of you refer to which would cause a loss of width. You can have it at any degee of scoop and move a bunch of snow. When I see guys bashing V''s and saying they can move moresnow with their straight blade and pro wings I think its humorous


And don't EVER let anybody see you plow with a big Vee in shallow scoop mode with a pair of wings bolted to the ends!

They would probably accuse you of witchcraft.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Eronningen;828582 said:


> Before I owned a V plow I talked like "IHI". I'll neve buy another straight blade after running a V for a full year. We run 4-5 trucks, the rest having straight blades and I can out perform all the straight blade trucks by 30% or so. The straights all have wings too. V's don't need to be fully scooped as many of you refer to which would cause a loss of width. You can have it at any degee of scoop and move a bunch of snow. When I see guys bashing V''s and saying they can move moresnow with their straight blade and pro wings I think its humorous


See, you just want to be one of the cool kids. 



mcfly89;828589 said:


> Well I thought that too, which is why I wanted to see these turkey wings. I mean seriously, if someone knows a better way than a vee I'd love to see it. Cuz right now, personally, I'm leaning toward a Boss vee. Do your vees still leave the trail down the center?


There is a better way than the V. That's why I have one that won't fit on any of my trucks.

I'm a rebel, and wanted to be cooler than the cool kids.

PS I've gone back to ALL straight blades.


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

Mark Oomkes;828597 said:


> See, you just want to be one of the cool kids.
> 
> There is a better way than the V. That's why I have one that won't fit on any of my trucks.
> 
> ...


A 20 foot pusher box IS straight!


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

I bought my Vee two years ago. I originally bought it to increase the number & type of accounts I could handle, and speed up plowing. The cool factor was just a total bonus. I mean, guys are talking about it, asking questions. How does it work? Does it go up and down? Can you switch from Vee to Scoop to straight? All this without leaving the truck? They are amazed. I finally decided to get pics of me standing in front of my Vee plow. Now I just autograph them for my admirers. I had to, I was loosing so much time I would have been better off with the old straight blade. I also got mine in SS for increased service life and reduced maintenance. You wouldn't believe what happens to some guys when they see the SS.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

OMG, I decided I'd just call my local Boss dealer (Scotts power equipment in St Louis) and see what it would cost me to upgrade my old Meyer stuff. I told him I had a 99 F350 SD 4x4 Reg cab Long bed with a v10. I asked for an out the door uninstalled price on a 9.2 standard V. so he's obviously hunting and pecking all this information into his supercomputer and says to me "well it says here that the 8.2 is the biggest...o wait here it is 9.2 VXT." I repeated that I just wanted the standard V and didn't think I'd be opting for the XT. so he pauses for a moment and then says"well in here it's saying that is the only one that will fit your truck"

so i say, the xt that is taller and heavier than the standard V but the same in almost every other dimension will fit, but the smaller lighter V plow wont? "well yeah but...hangon lemme ask my manager how to get it up on my screen so I can get you a price.

........

"sorry for the wait" no problem, while I'm waiting can you tell me about the smartlock cylinders? "ummm what?" Smartlock cylinders "Ummm I'm not sure let me ask my manager"

.........

"ok he said he's not sure but I'm sure we could find out"

Tell ya what, I'm gonna save us both a lotta time here *click*


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;828597 said:


> See, you just want to be one of the cool kids.
> 
> There is a better way than the V. That's why I have one that won't fit on any of my trucks.
> 
> ...


Blizzard power plows and speedwings soooooo do not count as straight blades!


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

terrapro;828710 said:


> Blizzard power plows and speedwings soooooo do not count as straight blades!


I'm going to start referring to the XV as two small straight blades.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

LOL at the "cool" jokes:laughing:

I rarely plow in full scoop unless i have a small spilloff i want to clean up with no worries.`I think i basing my experience with the V plow in comparison to my straight blades that i use Turkey wings on. Yes, when comparing a straight blade ONLY vs a V then the effeicency factor is obviously going to the V since you can contain and that's where speed/effeicency comes into play and makes routes faster. So without getting all worked up, i can see how the sarcasim is oozing here LOL!!

BUT-
I plowed for 2 seasons on my first plow which was a 7.5" straight blade, I was going to buy pro wings but there were far more guys giving kudoo's for turkey wings in place of pro wings...so i just bought the turkey wings, and to be honest have not looked back, they are amazing....so amazing i would tend to think this is why all the "pusher boxes" you see on heavy equipment are of similar design.....otherwise, why the heck would you box in the sides at all if box plows sucked, and just put a big stright blade with some lil scoop wings on the outside edges?? because they dont hold nearly as much snow as box blades do....and that's what my straight blade is essentially-a box blade, and it holds/carries more snow than my V, i've timed our lots after i got profecient with my V so i could have an apples to apples head to head contest, and unless you guys are just beating the snot out of yoru drivetrain powershfiting from reverse to drive while holding the pedal to the metal...i promise you you take a 8'6" V blade and put it head to head with a 8'6" straight blade with turkey wings/box ends...the V is going to lose the battle.

I said they both have their place, i'm basing my opinions here on the fact i dont run a straight blade only, i run a boxed in straight blade so please understand that before making funnies, i should've made that more clear so my opinions would've been taken more seriously, I do love driving down the road with the V laid back, cuts the wind better, better air flow across the radiator, narrower, etc...i like i dont have to get out and drop the end plates on the plow when i get on site, i just hit a button to scoop/vee. but like i said, when the time comes i wont own another V, i would prefer to get a wideout instead and see how those work compared to my boxed in straight blade.

This was taken 10yrs ago i think when i first got them and installed them on my old 7.5 plow


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

So you have 
Vee Blades; examples Boss Power Vee, Snoway Mega Vee
Expandable Wing Blades; examples Dizzard 810, Western wideout 
Straight Blades, examples Fisher Speedcaster, Meyer ST-90
Backdrag Blades, examples Hiniker C-Blade, Daniels Pull Plow
Gay Blades, examples Rock Hudson, Jim Neighbors


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

basher;829061 said:


> So you have
> Vee Blades; examples Boss Power Vee, Snoway Mega Vee
> Expandable Wing Blades; examples Dizzard 810, Western wideout
> Straight Blades, examples Fisher Speedcaster, Meyer ST-90
> ...


Don't forget Zorro the Gay Blade.:laughing:


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

IHI;828403 said:


> Mines a western, the older uni mount that i've had to have both angle cylinders replaced, lift cylinder rebuilt/repacked, replaced the rubber beetween the wings to stop snow from going between them on a push, wiring harness on truck replaced, wiring harness on plow replaced, controller replaced, and even at that i still have to get out at least 1-3 times per storm and jiggle the connections between plow and truck or use a small screwdriver and open the male ends a bit for better contact...even though both sides were brand spanking new last season because i got tired of doing just this....i smear it full of plenty of dielectric grease to try and keep moisture out, plows are kept inside during the summer with cylinders in closed position.
> 
> Meanwhile the old uni mount straight blade just keeps on pushing snow without issue which increases productivity too....but we've used both trucks seperately on a H shapped parking lot we had that we were required to place snow in one section only so ALL the snow had to be moved and placed.....the stright blade with turkey wings was on average 20 minutes faster overall than the V blade i run on my personal truck..mainly due to the fact the straight blad with box ends on it is wider overall and has better containment. I'm still in debating mode of putting pro wings or something similar on my V plow to make it more effeicent since when in scoop mode the overall width is just too narrow for cleaning up windrows/spill over on longer runs...and does'nt compare to the straight blade with turkey wings.


You didn't buy the wrong plow...you bought the wrong brand. No secret the old Uni vee's liked to eat cylinders faster than big Bubba at a pie eating contest. But has nothing to do with the OP's question anyway.

What does any of your incite have to do with the original posters question? He asked the difference between a vee and a straight. Don't see anywhere he asked about add on wings.

You want productivity? Put the Turkeys on the vee...then scrap the straight.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Those turkey wings (I can't believe I just typed that) are really going to put a lot more load on the truck when windrowing. You're really running a pusher there, which needless to say is a completely different animal than a straight blade. So it has nothing to do with the OP's question. As far as your setup carrying more snow, that's debatable too. I would be willing to bet the area inside a scooped V is just about the same as your rig. 

For all around versatility, I would still take a Vee. Add some angled wings to increase productivity.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

B&B;829098 said:


> You want productivity? Put the Turkeys on the vee...then scrap the straight.


If you consider a Mega Vee with A set of 45 degree scoop wings can hold 5.2 cubic yards of snow, a 3/4 ton pick up better have a ***** pot load of ballast/torque (make it both) on board to move that much wet heavy snow.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

B&B;829098 said:


> You didn't buy the wrong plow...you bought the wrong brand. No secret the old Uni vee's liked to eat cylinders faster than big Bubba at a pie eating contest. But has nothing to do with the OP's question anyway.
> 
> What does any of your incite have to do with the original posters question? He asked the difference between a vee and a straight. Don't see anywhere he asked about add on wings.
> 
> You want productivity? Put the Turkeys on the vee...then scrap the straight.


I bought the truck and it came with the V....and hence basically rebuilding/replacing all the main pieces other than the A frame and mold board, so i did'nt have much choice. And your right, my inital post did'nt have the needed value since i took for granted (been using my "box plow" for too many years and i just consider it a straight blade since essentially that's what it is...but like i said, so many years with the side plates i forgot how ineffeicent straight blade alone really is since i have'nt had to do it in over a decade. 
And for the record, i'm still on the fence about getting some sort of wing's on my V, I just got too used to how long lots took with the straight blade/turkey wing combo, i get/got frustrated when i did the same lots with the V and kept seeing the clock tick by and i was still on site.



2COR517;829139 said:


> Those turkey wings (I can't believe I just typed that) are really going to put a lot more load on the truck when windrowing. You're really running a pusher there, which needless to say is a completely different animal than a straight blade. So it has nothing to do with the OP's question. As far as your setup carrying more snow, that's debatable too. I would be willing to bet the area inside a scooped V is just about the same as your rig.
> 
> For all around versatility, I would still take a Vee. Add some angled wings to increase productivity.


LOL, who wind rows with a box plow?? kind of defeats the purpose of the plow design, everything we do with that truck is straight blading since it bunches all the snow up in front of the truck....we've had snow piled higher than the hood half way through the push it containes it that good...depending on snow consistency.

There's nothing"debateable" about space for carrying snow...honestly, slow it down and use some common sense before posting something just to spite me. 
8' 6" STRAIGHT BLADE with box sides nets you 8'6" of plow surface to catch snow, and that's just the width. NOW factor in the box sides with will allow the blade to carry more snow since it cant spill off as quickly as it can with pro wings and NO wings.

and your telling me you honestly think a 8'6" V blade....closed up so it's in a scoop position to contain snow...what happens to the plow when you close it up??? IT GETS SMALLER....i'm serious, go measure it for yourself, kind of simply math really. So say you juuuuust scoop the V plow enough to help it contain a wee bit more snow, you may have just lose 6" of total width...okay, not that is debateable...BUT you have to factor in there's nothing on the leading edge of the V plow blades to contain the snow once it cannot carry anymore...it just natureally spills out in droves. The box sides stick out 12" roughly from mold board, the V plow has nothing...and you think it's going to carry a similar amount of snow???? you SERIOUSLY think this?

I mentioned before about an ugly H shaped lot we have, the box plow is 20 minutes faster than my V on this lot where all the snow has to be placed in the back of the property in one of the H legs....and i/we dont plow like we're possessed either so that 20 miutes was at our typical pace.

Wow...just wow.


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## Eronningen (Dec 20, 2008)

mcfly89;828589 said:


> Well I thought that too, which is why I wanted to see these turkey wings. I mean seriously, if someone knows a better way than a vee I'd love to see it. Cuz right now, personally, I'm leaning toward a Boss vee. Do your vees still leave the trail down the center?


I have an 08' model Boss and it has not left one center trail ever


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

There is no denying a straight blade with forward canted add on wings can carry a lot of snow, but it is not a versatile as a Vee. When I want it to my Vee Blade works just like a 8' 6" straight blade. Add a pair of 9" 45 degree scoop wings and it is 10' with windrow control and can be adjusted to a smaller more encapsulating unit for more control or smaller loads depending on snow type. The Vee allows me to gather snow in parking lots during the day with cars moving and deposit it in predetermined areas. It is the duel purpose M/C of the plow world. You can do everything with it, though it does some things better then others.


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## Eronningen (Dec 20, 2008)

One other thing..... When I got my first V I was amazed at the productivity over the straight blades with wings. THAN, I had a pair of the Boss wings installed on my V and its another half better yet. The Boss wings are a full height extension, not like the pro wings (which I do have on all my straight blades and they are a great addition.) As confident as you are with your box plow thing, I'd still go head to head with ya and be confident in the V. 
The versatility of the V is whats nice. With or with out the wings it will cut a curb perfectly. Will that box plow? I have always assumed if you angle away from a curb with a box plow like that you will have a triangle area not getting cleaned. Your other alternative is to go at it straight for 10 feet and pull away, get rid of the build up and go back at it. (I'm talking sidewalks near buildings with an edge.)


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## PTSolutions (Dec 8, 2007)

60% of the time vee's save 30% time


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

Eronningen;829310 said:


> One other thing..... When I got my first V I was amazed at the productivity over the straight blades with wings. THAN, I had a pair of the Boss wings installed on my V and its another half better yet. The Boss wings are a full height extension, not like the pro wings (which I do have on all my straight blades and they are a great addition.) As confident as you are with your box plow thing, I'd still go head to head with ya and be confident in the V.
> The versatility of the V is whats nice. With or with out the wings it will cut a curb perfectly. Will that box plow? I have always assumed if you angle away from a curb with a box plow like that you will have a triangle area not getting cleaned. Your other alternative is to go at it straight for 10 feet and pull away, get rid of the build up and go back at it. (I'm talking sidewalks near buildings with an edge.)


That's why i'd like to get wings on the V...just like you said, it makes it "better" and that's all i'm after since time is money. The H shape lot mandates we go every inch, no question, many times i have the one truck stationed there all storm, non stop to keep everything clear for all the clients going in and out since they know paying us is ALOT cheaper than paying lawsuits for slipping customers...but even on an average snow of say 2 visits....that's an additional 40 minutes i'm saving using the box plow over my V...now take that over the average 10 events and that's over 6 hrs a year i'm saving on fuel, man hours...and 6 hours is just averaging the 20 minutes saved per push based on 10 storms...but in reality with average snow of 2-5 inches and us having to have each inch removed the time adds up ALOT faster obviously, but just saying it for sake of arugement...if wings on my V could make it gain that 20 minute time difference back, then i'm all for it.

As for the sidewalk deal, take a look at the first picture i posted, there are containment chains for the wings because if you hit something (on my full tilt plow) the wings ride up in the brackets they float in and once in a blue moon you do catch an object that immediately folds the blade over and the plates pop out, and the chains make sure they stay with the blade vs you running them over...BUT the added benefit many talked about when i was first looking to buy these things, they leave the chains loose and there's enough slop in the plow side brackets it allows the plates to fan out, and once you get the plates fanned out and snow in the blade it holds them out and you can scrap a sidewalk everybit as good with the plates as you can with a typical plow set up....or if you wanna chain them tight to the mold board, like you said, you can run straight down them too....the only thing we dont do is windrow...there is no need to, we straight blade to wherever the snow needs to go and that's it, pretty simple...actually ALOT easier for a novice driver since there's no need for forethought/setting yourself up if the snow is deep like you'd have to do with a straight blade and windrowing.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

IHI;829241 said:


> I (been using my "box plow" for too many years and i just consider it a straight blade since essentially that's what it is...
> 
> 
> But it's not. Especially for this discussion
> ...


Crazy isn't it? LOL

So, I have a Fisher XV. 8'6". According to Fisher's website, the scoop width is 7'1". That's 85 inches in case you don't have a calculator handy. Using the Pythagorean theorem, I can calculate the depth of my vee. (Remember it's at the shop) Looking down on the plow----I have a 42.5" front leg (half the scoop width) on my triangle, and a 53"
hypotenuse (the blade section). This results in a depth of 28" - This would be the distance from a line connecting the leading edges of the blades to the hinge. Using the standard formula to calculate the area of a triangle - 85" (Base) * 28 (Height)/2 = 1198 square inches of area contained by the blade. If I install 9" wings, I gain 765 sq. in.

Now let's look at your setup.
102" wide by 12" deep (VERY generous by my observation) = 1224 sq. in.

So - without the wings, I have 97.88% of the area you have. Add my wings, I go to 160% of the area you have.

So, I have to admit, you are correct. It's not debatable. It's a fact. My 8-6 vee will hold as much as your 8-6 pusher. Before I put wings on. It's no contest after that, eh?
And I don't think even you would argue the Vee is superior for stacking.

Now, I'm not knocking your setup. It works well for you in the lot you plow, so that's great. There's no arguing a pusher is the correct tool in certain situations.


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## northernsweeper (Aug 26, 2004)

I run a couple of boss 9'2" v plows and an 810 blizzard and an 8611 blizzard. All have their benefits and drawbacks. Both brands carry a lot of snow. The boss plows stack higher than the blizzards but the blizzards scrape much better than the v plows do. Buyers has a SNOW DOG SS v plow this year that has a 70 degree attack angle on it,so it may scrape better. Its the VX series. In my area they are about 1000.00 cheaper than either the boss or blizzard and the snow deflector is standard....not an OPTION. I may have to try one for my next plow.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

OK, the horse is dead, full rigor has set in and possibly even some decomp, can we put this discussion to an end now?

A V is best if you are by yourself, plow in heavy snow and\or drifting areas, have to open up drives on an irregular basis. 

Straight blades have their place, but in overall efficiency the V is more productive. 

PS Never knew those were called turkey wings (an appropriate name) but over in Holland, dang near everyone has them. Never could understand the purpose, since probably 80% of plowing is windrowing and this pretty much eliminates efficient windrowing.


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## purpleranger519 (Jan 1, 2006)

its still kickin...........


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)




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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

Mark Oomkes;830003 said:


> PS Never knew those were called turkey wings (an appropriate name) but over in Holland, dang near everyone has them. Never could understand the purpose, since probably 80% of plowing is windrowing and this pretty much eliminates efficient windrowing.


Box plows are very effecient, otherwise pusher boxes would'nt be such a hot item, you push the snow to the destination and your done. You can only windrow so much before the row gets to big to do anything with on a decent snow fall since you get to a point you can only take a half blade otherwise the front of the truck just slides over or it spills over the leading edge and creates yet another pass you have to go back and clean up...basically doing the lot twice chasing trail offs. either that or every Western i've ever owned just does'nt angle as far as your plows do since i know when i windrow it's good to a certain point, and then the snow is just too deep you cant push it anymore effectively and basically turn your run of the mill 8'6" blade into a 4' blade, not much work getting done like that...whereas the turkey wings aka box plow you push straight forward and your done, back up and do it again, done...gotta make turns and place the snow somewhere? just drive over to the spot, done. no chasing snow.

the ones we run are removable, so if we're in transit they'er in the truck bed, if we want to double up the trucks and make a 16' wide V running side by side...they stay in the bed of the truck, but on the big lots that i need max effeciency and the truck is all alone-they're mounted.

Different strokes for different folks, every sitution is different as is our way of handling it with the tools we have in our arsenal. I'm sure when electric saws and air nailers first hit the market there were also nay sayers, but once they used them and seen how much faster things went, it sold them....before i got into snow removal i wondered why some guys had plates welded to the sides of their plows...now i know, it makes a typical plow turn into a snow moving monster.


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## Brad3403 (Sep 8, 2008)

ProSeasons;828558 said:


> A lot of people forget one amazing feature that's built right into most of today's Vee plows.
> 
> If you watch the wings as they move forward from the Vee position or back from scoop, the moldboards will actually FORM A STRAIGHT BLADE!
> 
> ...


HAHAHAHAHAHA................:laughing:


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## smenchhofer (Dec 8, 2006)

Last year we went through the same ordeal. Straight vs V. We were all set to purchase the V but our dealers stated a scoop plow moves more snow than a V. After careful consideration we went the scoop route and have been pleased with the ressults. It all depends on individual circumstances. 

V's have a coolness factor? Are you guys for real?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

smenchhofer;831302 said:


> V's have a coolness factor? Are you guys for real?


Oh yeah. All my purchases are based on coolness. Like tires. I know that boring old dedicated snow tires with studs work the best, but I would rather have big knobby treads with a neat design carved in the sidewalls and cool white letters on the side.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

smenchhofer;831302 said:


> V's have a coolness factor?


 a step above Bimotas, trophy wives, and a weekend on Bocha Grande.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

2COR517;831327 said:


> Oh yeah. All my purchases are based on coolness. Like tires. I know that boring old dedicated snow tires with studs work the best, but I would rather have big knobby treads with a neat design carved in the sidewalls and cool white letters on the side.


You've been through my area i take it? every season the snow virgins bring out the latest trucks, the latest plows, the biggest rims and tires they can fit, or they opt for the rugged mud coutry tires with huge knobs, zero sipping and try to run that stuff during the cold months and bid prices well below market value...and for some reason disappear before next season...only to be replaced by the next set of virgins hoping to cash in on the white gold and even lower prices per push than before

Most of you guyz know the drill and how the story goes every season:realmad:


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

IHI;831441 said:


> You've been through my area i take it?
> 
> Hey, ******** are everywhere.....
> 
> or they opt for the rugged mud coutry tires with huge knobs, zero sipping


Nothing cracks me up more than a set of diggers on a plow truck.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

2COR517;831448 said:


> Nothing cracks me up more than a set of diggers on a plow truck.


How about a 2004 dodge durango with a 22" set of Wagon Wheels mounted with Band-aids pushing a Snowbear.:laughing: I need to take Pics the next time its around.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

IHI;830278 said:


> Box plows are very effecient, otherwise pusher boxes would'nt be such a hot item, you push the snow to the destination and your done. You can only windrow so much before the row gets to big to do anything with on a decent snow fall since you get to a point you can only take a half blade otherwise the front of the truck just slides over or it spills over the leading edge and creates yet another pass you have to go back and clean up...basically doing the lot twice chasing trail offs. either that or every Western i've ever owned just does'nt angle as far as your plows do since i know when i windrow it's good to a certain point, and then the snow is just too deep you cant push it anymore effectively and basically turn your run of the mill 8'6" blade into a 4' blade, not much work getting done like that...whereas the turkey wings aka box plow you push straight forward and your done, back up and do it again, done...gotta make turns and place the snow somewhere? just drive over to the spot, done. no chasing snow.
> 
> the ones we run are removable, so if we're in transit they'er in the truck bed, if we want to double up the trucks and make a 16' wide V running side by side...they stay in the bed of the truck, but on the big lots that i need max effeciency and the truck is all alone-they're mounted.
> 
> Different strokes for different folks, every sitution is different as is our way of handling it with the tools we have in our arsenal. I'm sure when electric saws and air nailers first hit the market there were also nay sayers, but once they used them and seen how much faster things went, it sold them....before i got into snow removal i wondered why some guys had plates welded to the sides of their plows...now i know, it makes a typical plow turn into a snow moving monster.


Box plows are efficient? You're kidding me. Guess I better go get some.  Mine are all over 10 years old, wish I would have known that when I bought them.

You missed the point of my post, again.

I give up.

PS There's a way around the problem of plowing lots twice and chasing trails all day long. Which happen with box plows as well.



smenchhofer;831302 said:


> V's have a coolness factor? Are you guys for real?


You betcha, that's why I have a V sitting in my yard that can't be mounted on any of my trucks, just so I can be cool.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

Mark..why you "giving up"...explain yourself? i'm curious.

since conerting my straight blade to the box set up I prefer it in that configuration over a standard striaght blade since it is far more effeicent on our lots vs the typical "windrowing" pattern. And ever since i got this truck with the V on it i can count on one hand how many times i windrow with that....personally on all our lots i hate windrowing, it seems like for me/us it's a never ending saga of "chasing our tails" so to speak...since like i said, depending on the storm and depth of lot you can litearlly only windrow to a certain point and then you can no longer go any more...even when cutting it down to taking a half blade to cut down on leading edge spill over. Personally i dont like taking half blades and i dont like going ove the lots twice....i prefer to push straight and mover over...then repeat, but again, that's just me and what i've found on my lots.

If you have some super secret method to plowing that allows one to windrow a 4-6" minimum snow on a lot that's 1/8-1/4mile wide i'm all ears since that would make my life easier i think, but we've never been able to windrow lots like this so i'm sincerely all ears as to how one can do this effectively and effeciently!! Right now we attack these lots either starting at oppostie ends and working towards eachother, OR we simply go mirror to mirror and both our blades angled at eachother and make a "16' V plow" ...we've got the experience to do this without tearing up my trucks, but it makes me uneasy still since there's that "what if" factor.

So dont get mad, post up some advise on how to windorw large lots with major snow on the ground.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

IHI;833652 said:


> Mark..why you "giving up"...explain yourself? i'm curious.
> 
> since conerting my straight blade to the box set up I prefer it in that configuration over a standard striaght blade since it is far more effeicent on our lots vs the typical "windrowing" pattern. And ever since i got this truck with the V on it i can count on one hand how many times i windrow with that....personally on all our lots i hate windrowing, it seems like for me/us it's a never ending saga of "chasing our tails" so to speak...since like i said, depending on the storm and depth of lot you can litearlly only windrow to a certain point and then you can no longer go any more...even when cutting it down to taking a half blade to cut down on leading edge spill over. Personally i dont like taking half blades and i dont like going ove the lots twice....i prefer to push straight and mover over...then repeat, but again, that's just me and what i've found on my lots.
> 
> ...


Depending on how long the push is, a 1/4 mile lot is way too big for a truck. Pusher on a loader is far more efficient.

As for truck plows, there is one type of plow that will allow you to plow that 4-6" snowfall without chasing trails all night. And it is a variation of a straight blade.

If you have to push all the snow to the end as you say you are doing, you are either:

#1 Beating on your trucks unnecessarily because these lots are too large for trucks

or

#2 Working inefficiently. Windrowing is the fastest method of clearing UNLESS the snow has to go to one spot in which case refer back to #1.


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## IHI (Nov 22, 2003)

I understand what your saying, but what i'm getting at, some larger lots, or really deep snow falls you simply cannot just windrow the entire thing, it gets too deep to be able to take a full blade worth like when doing the inital path or 1-2" depths...to a point until the windrowed gets too deep since it pushes the front of the trucks over and/or just spills off the leading edge.

Yes windrowing is fast on small falls, but eventually you HAVE to start stright bladeing to get the huge windrow back down to a workable level to continue the windrowing again...so you save a ton of time clearing a lot to open up, say, 80-100' but then you now spend a bunch of time working the windrow back down so you "stuck" for lack of better term, working that big long windrow and pushing it to the end of a lot, so any time saved initally for that first 80-100' path is no being lost working down the windrowed pile. This has been my experience anyhow with them on the bigger snow falls and bigger lots, so "I've" found "for us" it's just easier to push the snow straight ahead and move over, that way i'm dealing with that piece of real estate i'm making a path on one time and then we're done with it.

I'm not arguing with ya, believe me, i'm just trying to see what i've been missing all these years with trail and error on our lots and how we attack them, in the big picture, "for us" i've been able to take on more lots due to expediating time on site to the lots that used to kick our azz and take forever, 5yrs ago the route we had took 8-10hours to complete on an average snowfall of 1-4" and after experimenting with the box plow, the V plow, windrowing vs straight blading with our containment devices on the plows we were able to knock off 2-3 hours off our route (depending on snow depth and obstacle courses left in the parking lots) so i was able to take on more work due to this fact which is what we all strive for. Now i'm looking to get a blazer or shortbed truck with plow and back blade and maybe give resi's another shot, i vowed years ago to never plow for the public ever again, but memory is short and i would like to try that market again since we have our big commercial lots whooped, i wanna add more headache to the plate


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