# Please vote - 45 pound plastic vs snowbear plow for Grand Cherokee?



## cappaj1 (Jan 30, 2002)

Anyone know anything about the Solotec brand personal snow plow? It looks like a plastic v shaped plow that just attaches to the bumber of a car or suv, weighs about 45 pounds and it only costs a little over $400. There video at http://www.solotec.com/action2.html looks like the thing really works!

I'm almost ready to buy a snowbear plow - http://www.snowbear.com/snowplow_features.html -that bolts to my suv and has at least up and down electric control and manual tilt side to side. But it costs about a grand new. It weighs over 200 lbs.

If all I'm going to do is plow my own driveway and then remove it each time anyway, is this Solotec thing worth a shot? Or should I stick with the heavier, more functional snowbear.

I know most you guys plow for a living so either one is sort of a joke, but as i respect your opinions, please vote for one or the other for a poor soul like me who doesn't have much money, or a good back. Thank you.


----------



## bubble boy (Aug 8, 2001)

will this ever end? buy the snobear and be done with it. good luck.


----------



## casey (May 14, 2001)

I bought & used a snobear for 10 min. POS. It ranks high on my all time dumbest purchases.
Buy a freakin' good snowblower instead of a fake plow.


----------



## Mick (May 19, 2001)

I don't know anything about the Solotec. I checked the vehicle application for it and there was an asteric beside Jeep Grand Cherokee. The footnote said you may have "special" large tires. If you do, it states that you should choose another vehicle for this plow. So check out real careful how this will work on your Cherokee. Second, they sell replacement blades for that plow for $40. Since they so prominently offer replacements, I'd suggest buying a couple of replacements if and when you get the plow.

Maybe somebody else has some experience with this.(?)

Good Luck


----------



## pelican briefs (Feb 4, 2002)

*snowbear plow*

I know how frustrated you must be getting, but putting a plow on a jeep with no frame is a lesson in futility. I've heard of guys plowing with two wheel drive with about 700 lbs in the bed, chains, and a running start. Try checking out whatsthebest-lawnmower.com and go to the forum, much helpful info. I use a snowblower now, and they can move alot of snow in a small time frame. You sound young and healthy, for about a grande you can buy a new ariens, and get a 3 year warranty, and you know it will work for you. Good luck....Leo


----------



## phillyplowking1 (Dec 19, 2001)

im with casey buy a snowblower


----------



## BOSS Adam (Jun 13, 2001)

Try the search feature type in snowbear:

here is one of the links from the search

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4033&highlight=snowbear 


I would go with a snowblower instead of the snowbear to like casey said


----------



## Pelican (Nov 16, 2001)

What's that saying about a dead horse?


----------



## digger242j (Nov 22, 2001)

> What's that saying about a dead horse?


"The more you beat a dead horse, the worse it stinks."

(I think that's the one you meant.)


----------



## bubble boy (Aug 8, 2001)

snobear, snowblower, shovel with two feet and a heartbeat, who cares anymore.


----------



## Ohiosnow (Sep 20, 2001)

Come on guys he wants to be a plowhead but doesn't have the right equipment.


----------



## columbiaplower (Feb 16, 2000)

snowman back plow? think of that?


----------



## Pelican (Nov 16, 2001)

Hadn't heard that one Digger, but it works better than the one I had in mind...


----------



## Manx (Jan 2, 2002)

Buy the Snow blower
If you ever sell or trade your truck your out of the money
the snow blower will last for years to come
and it will all ways have resale
the time you mess with them make sift plows you could have the 
drive done
just buy a nice big one


----------



## thegrasscatcher (Jan 22, 2002)

Im getting one of these for my wife's focus as a joke!!!! Man.. i knew I could find something to waste my hard earned money on. hahaha.. she'll probably get a good laugh out of it. And it will look good on my web site.

Wally


----------



## wxmn6 (May 23, 2001)

Everyone is saying to you to go with a snowblower. For the third time, I am telling you that you are much better off with snowblower. And I am not going to repeat why you should go with a snowblower. Just buy a snowblower and be done with it. No worry about getting up at 2am to clear the driveways, no worry about breakdown, no worry about wasting money. Your jeep is not designed for snowplowing, and the cheap lightweight snowplows like snowbear is not going to last very long and would be a waste of money. For now, just get a snowblower, then in future when it's time for you to get a new vehicle, you can get the one that is designed for snowplowing.


----------



## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

*SNOW BLOWER*

Just buy a darn snow blower! Then, you can tell everyone how you put 300,000 miles on it.


----------



## Hmebuildr (Jan 16, 2002)

you know that by the time this gets all sorted out it will be spring anyways. Go with a snowblower


----------



## Evan528 (Jan 12, 2000)

One of our local news stations does a report called "can you beleave it" where they test products and rate the results. A couple of weeks ago they tested this plastic v-plow your speaking of on a mini van (lol!). Whatta joke...looks like the same material a little tykes toy is made of! The news was enthusiastic about this plow and even made a joke by putting a "Joes snow plowing" sign on the side of the mini van and saying "you can even make extra money with this plow after you do your own drive! I thought oh great! Im gonna see Honda acords trying to plow drives with this! ROLFLMAO


----------



## matthew Urban (Oct 27, 2000)

Snowblower!


----------



## Tommy10plows (Jan 1, 2001)

*grand idea for a cherokee*

No matter how hard you beat a donkey, you are not going to make it a race horse.


----------



## digger242j (Nov 22, 2001)

> No matter how hard you beat a donkey, you are not going to make it a race horse.


As discussed above, especially a dead one....

You guys are all forgetting though, snowblowers don't have cupholders.

And cappaj1, I hope you don't feel like you're being ganged up on, but in effect you're asking professionals to endorse your purchase of amatuer equipment, or worse (if that's possible), asking professionals to endorse your purchase of professional equpment after having stated that you fully intend to put it to use in a less than professional manner. Go tell a carpenter that you have some screws to drive and you need his advice on whether to buy the Estwing 24 oz. framing hammer or the $1.98 one that's in aisle 6 at the grocery store. Chances are his answer will be some variation on "neither".

(I feel it only fair to recognize that, throughout the beating you've been taking here you've never failed to express your gratitude for the advice being offered. If nothing else, you're a true gentleman and I wish you well.)


----------



## casey (May 14, 2001)

You could leather wrap the blower handles, attach a portable cd player & heater to the frame & pretend you were plowin' with your Grand.


----------



## cappaj1 (Jan 30, 2002)

i already have a snowblower. i want to push snow from inside a heated jeep that i already own. if i could, i'd trade two snowblowers for one 200 lb snow plow.


----------



## oldmankent (Mar 2, 2001)

*Which Plow?*

Alright, cappaj1, you obviously have a thing for plowing. It happens. I'll give you an answer that you really want. I was looking at a snobear plow too for my truck just to do the driveway. Almost as ridiculous an approach as yours. I watched the plastic plow video. They were plowing an inch or less of snow. that things won't push any snow when you are trying to plow 3-7 inches. It will just ride up on top and you'll have to go back and forth cleaning off a half inch at a time. If you're set on a plow get the snobear, it at least has some weight so it will scrape somewhat. Remember snow is not always nice powdery stuff. It is more than often iced up chunks. I'd also alternate the angle of the plow every other time you plow so as to beat up your vehicle evenly on both sides. Hopefully you can develop a system where you can leave the plow at one angle for the whole driveway. good luck, Nick.


----------



## HandyHaver (Oct 14, 2000)

easy solution and cost effective:

You say you already have two snow blowers, bolt them babies to the front of that jeep and you will be living large!!!


----------



## DaveK (Jul 9, 2001)

Lighten up on him a little.  

He isn't asking what is the best way to plow snow. Or even what you guys would use. He wants to know what plow to put on his Grand Cherokee. All he is going to do is plow his OWN driveway. 

Just be glad that he doesn't own a Ferrari. 'Cause then this thread would seem ridiculous.


----------



## cappaj1 (Jan 30, 2002)

I'll stop bugging you guys. I tried. I appreciate every one of the posts. To the jokers - you are 100% right not being able to recommend an amatuer plow from a pro's perspective. i didn't realize this site was for guys who plow for a living. i thought it was for anyone with a plow, even poor guys who can't afford the heavy stuff, or who want lite plows for their own driveways. I now understand how much of an idiot I must have sounded like. I probably do the same if the roles were reversed. Especially if I depended on snowplowing for income. Even so, the critical posts were handy.

I admit to rolling on the floor after reading a couple of the cupholder/leather seat posts. A couple of you guys could probably make some money at a comedy club if it stopped snowing.

So here goes the horse, one more time, before falling back down for good. Most of you are right, a plow should NOT be mounted on a unibody vehicle. I knew that the first time I asked somebody locally about it. But I'm stubborn so my peice of crap grand cherokee is going to get one. If it weren't for most of you, I probably would done it differently. Tried something too heavy. Or rushed out to attack 10" of hard snow at 20 mph, catching something and ripping the blow bolts from the unibody, or worse yet, the unibody itself. I still might end up with the neighbors 'floor rolling' after looking out and seeing my Jeep doing a wheelie over top of the plow! Without the 'scare tactics' (cracked windshields and such) I probably would have tried to help out others if asked to plow their driveway too, and drove around with the thing on the expressway. and blah blah blah. Now at least i'll take it slow and careful and stay on the city streets if i drive anywhere with it in a pinch. AND I too, if ever asked will recommend anyone out there against it. I'll tell them to relax, save their time and let a pro do it right. 

So thanks again - big time. If I post again it will be after Financing a deisel RAM for 40k with a big plow aleady on it and writing some contracts of my own. Then I return and post some questions you will FEEL like answering for a change.


----------



## digger242j (Nov 22, 2001)

> If I post again...


Be fair now...You owe it to us, even us jokers, to let us know what kind of results you get.



> ...it will be after Financing a deisel RAM for 40k with a big plow aleady on it and writing some contracts of my own.


Do that and it'll just *prove* that you're a glutton for punishment.


----------



## bubble boy (Aug 8, 2001)

i must say you're a good sport.

good luck.


----------



## Hmebuildr (Jan 16, 2002)

even after all the jokes about plowing with your jeep you still act like a gentleman. I wish you luck in your quest to find a plow for your vehicle.


----------



## HandyHaver (Oct 14, 2000)

good luck on your quest. The advise (along with the jokes) are from a good group of proffesionals out here on this forum. Most advise against what you want to do because it may damage your jeep or possibly do harm by causing an accident and they will tell you like it is. Some of us are one truck shows (like myself) and others are running fleets with the heavy stuff. I have gotten a wealth of knowledge out here and have learned that if the majority rules against it, it may not be a good idea. Oh and if your going to invest in a truck, make it a Ford!!

Mark


----------



## JustUsDe (Aug 14, 2003)

*Well?*

Did the snow-bear ever make it on the Jeep? Where's the pictures?

Ray


----------



## snowjoker (Feb 6, 2003)

Is'nt Jay's Jeep a unibody???? He has a 6.5 Western on it. cappaj, it is your jeep do whatever you want to it . I am not making any reccomendation ,but good luck with your decision.


----------



## micah79 (Aug 31, 2003)

I saw a guy last winter plowing a party store with a Subaru Impressna (can't spell it right). Anyways you get the picture awd economy car plowing snow. I just sat there and watched. It looked like he did ok. I would have stayed til the end so I could have bid the contract when he broke in 2, but I didn't want the lot anyway. It was too small for a full size truck. I would have shoveled it myself if I were the owner. Anyways, I saw the infamous plastic plow on a 4 banger car.


----------



## 90plow (Dec 22, 2001)

I believe Jay's jeep was one of the last "real" Cherokees ever made with a full frame and there fore he can put the plow on it.
I say let the guy buy it then he'll learn the hard way like everyone has to. Good luck buddy.
Eric


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

I know there are plenty of Cherokee's around with plows on them. They are built on a unibody chassis like the Grand Cherokee. Would I do it, no but many do with out problems. I would bet the mount for a Cherokee could be made to work on the Grand. Get a plow from the want ad and make it work. 
Or just hire someone to do it.


----------

