# Snow Bear and Lights



## ck76239 (Oct 14, 2004)

Hi Guys, I'm just about ready to purchase a Snow Bear plow, and I have a few questions for some of you Snow Bear Owners.... I've read a lot of posts about the snow bear, and it seems to me that 50% of praise the Snow bear for what it is, and 50% flame the snow bear for being cheap and not so rugged, which I'm not too worried about, because the amount of plowing I will do is very little...

Well, I've decided to purchase the snowbear because I want to save myself a lot of time snowblowing my driveway and my in-laws driveway... I do not have extra time in my day to go around making money plowing other people's driveways... Like I said, I only wish to plow mine and my inlaws... and the snow bear seems like a good solution, and it's not going to cost me a whole lot  

Anyway, I see the Snowbear has an "off-road" light kit as an option... Does that mean that when the blade is fully up, it does not block the headlights of my truck (99 Chevy S-10 4X4), or Do I need to get another light arrangment for the truck??? I need to drive on the highway for about 5 miles to get to my inlaws...

Also Did anyone get the remote control for rasing the blade... If you dont get it as an option, how do you control the blade... With a Switch in the cab???

Thanks for the help!

Chris


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## Plowbie (Oct 4, 2004)

The optional lights would mount to the back of the blade and go up and down with the plow allowing you to drive and still light the road. The lights on your vehicle would most likely get blocked once the plow is up. Personally I think their light kit look a little weak for $110 and I think they label it 'off-road' because they dont look street legal. If it were me I'd probably pick up just a set of lights somewhere and fabricate the brackets to get them on the plow. But if you just want it done and over with they would probably be the way to go.

All the snowbears come with the wired remote as standard. You can either run it through your window as needed or bring it through your firewall permanently which I think would be the way to go. I'd like to see a picture of the controller if anyone who just got one can post a pic of it.


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## Plowbie (Oct 4, 2004)

By the way, what kind of vehicle are you going to put it on?
Good luck. Post pics.


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## ck76239 (Oct 14, 2004)

Thanks, Its a 99 S-10 4x4, 4.3L v-6 with 5 speed manual transmission...

I was originally going to buy a Fisher Homesteader, but I think that it's way more plow than I'll ever need or want...

Chris


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## Plowbie (Oct 4, 2004)

You could always do something like this instead for lights:

http://tinylink.com/?AmZqJNgRI5

I bet the blinkers hook up easy enough and it would be street legal.
Just leaves the brackets to hold them to the plow to figure out.


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## lownrangr (Nov 21, 2003)

If that's the truck you're putting it on, I'd still go with the Homesteader. True, it may be a bit more than you think you're gonna need, but how do you know that your needs won't change. Plus, I'm sure it's built better so you know it'll last.


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## catskill (Jul 29, 2004)

*lights*

had one on a dodge ramcharger and the stock oem lights worked fine ,i don't believe you will have a problem.


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## millratf250 (Nov 15, 2004)

go with the fisher i had a Snow Bear for 10yrs


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## corkireland (Feb 17, 2004)

I usually don't reply to these type.. but if you have the finanical needs to go with the homesteader. I thinkyou'll apprecieate it a little more and it will give you a lot more flexibillity such as angling your plow for pushing on the fly. Also the lock down feature for scrape lock. since most driveways are backdrag, I've seen even the heavist blades have a trouble with that. Plus consider that you woudlnt' have to worry abou the install, or worrry about the light or controller. Your not paying so much for the plow as you are convenience. Plus consider this, no matter how much you say you are only doing two driveways, unless your very anti sociel, almost always you pick up more around your house to help out during those big storms. BUT. my only stipulation is if you have the money. If not then enjoy the snowbear I'm sure it will do a fine job.


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## jeepplow (Sep 23, 2003)

I purchased a snowbear for my Jeep Wrangler a year ago. I was concerned about the lights as well. The headlights on the Jeep are fairly high compared to small trucks and I have no problem when transporting - my lights are above the plow. 

Keep in mind that the snowbear has a travel bracket which removes the weight of the plow from the winch for safely during transporting. This bracket forces the plow to be in the maximum raised position.

I don't have the wireless remote. I snaked the wires into the interior through the floor mounted 4x4 lever access. I threw away the big bulky switch box which is designed to be inserted in the window frame - my Jeep is a soft top. I just installed the switch in the lower dash using the switch body as a bulkhead connector. I was happy with the final product.

Finally, I used my snow bear last year for the same purpose - my and my out-laws drives only. It worked great for me. Even better than my F-350 Western 7.5 which did more digging and was harder to maneuver in my drive.

If I was doing any more, I would want to bigger set up with L/R controls but the snow bear was fine for me.


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## bertisg (Nov 17, 2004)

*Question for Millrat?*



millratf250 said:


> go with the fisher i had a Snow Bear for 10yrs


If you have had a snow bear for 10 yrs, why do you suggest the fisher? Didn't the snow bear work well for you? I am also in the process on deciding to go snow bear or the fisher homestead.


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## wawuce (Jun 24, 2003)

*travel bracket*

 you said that the snowbear has a travel bracket? what does it look like and do you have a picture of it?


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## millratf250 (Nov 15, 2004)

just put a 8' fisher on my new f-250 
my old snow bear worked ok but i was all way working on it


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## catskill (Jul 29, 2004)

*travel bracket*

all the bracket consists of is two hooks on a small piece of roundstock,one hook is on each end.


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## Personal Plow (Nov 1, 2003)

scsa said:


> you said that the snowbear has a travel bracket? what does it look like and do you have a picture of it?


__________________________________________________________________


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## Personal Plow (Nov 1, 2003)

Plowbie said:


> The optional lights would mount to the back of the blade and go up and down with the plow allowing you to drive and still light the road. The lights on your vehicle would most likely get blocked once the plow is up. Personally I think their light kit look a little weak for $110 and I think they label it 'off-road' because they dont look street legal. If it were me I'd probably pick up just a set of lights somewhere and fabricate the brackets to get them on the plow. But if you just want it done and over with they would probably be the way to go.
> 
> All the snowbears come with the wired remote as standard. You can either run it through your window as needed or bring it through your firewall permanently which I think would be the way to go. I'd like to see a picture of the controller if anyone who just got one can post a pic of it.


Its going to be located by the vent window. I got use to plowing with the window down for so many years its hard to break the habit. It will not work well with the window down.
PP


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## MR PLOW (Jan 1, 2005)

*Snowbear lights and remote*

I have the snowbear lights for the last 5 years.
They bolt to the main A frame of the plow but I had to weld them in place after a year of use.

I had the old type switch also feed through the fire wall and mounted in the dash of my 1990 trooper.

With my new Dodge Durango truck I got the wireless remote becauce I did not want to hack up my dash and it works ok.

click here for photo
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=17906&page=3&pp=20

www.mr-plow.com
[email protected] com


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## PhantomRacer (Dec 27, 2004)

The plow will most likely block your headlights and turn signals on the truck

The offroad light kit has no turn signals, which is why it is 'offroad'. They do work well when plowing. I have taken them 'onroad' and work well enough. Since I work 3 miles from home it is not a huge deal. Far better than it did before without the light kit. The mounting bars are well made. worth the price.

I was thinking of getting a real light kit. But had no way of attaching it to the plow easily.

If you take the plow 'onroad' make sure you use the travel bracket.

I did not like the way the remote fit on the window channel...so I made a small homemade bracket out of some extra metal straping (maybe 20" long) and bend it into the window weatherstrip channel. here is a pic : Snowbear remote mount

I also added a relay to the light kit so it comes on with the parking lights. The way it comes is wired on all the time. Relays are cheap and easy Relay for light kit

Here are all of my pics of my truck truck+snowbear plow

Paul


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## wagonman76 (Jan 31, 2005)

One could get a pair of universal amber marker lights/turn signals for less than $10 each and mount them to the light brackets, then just splice into the turn signal wires to make them work.

The lights Im getting for my plow are just 55W halogen driving lights that I found on clearance for dirt cheap (under $8 a set). Ill aim one clear set as low beams, and one clear set as high beams. Ill use one amber set as fog lights, and use the other amber set as marker lights/turn signals, wired through relays and power resistors. Itll be a nice low profile lightbar, for less than half the price of a set of plow lights.


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## fergus7 (Feb 10, 2005)

*snowbear*

I installed a snow bear plow on my neighbors F 150 Ford he plows a long driveway with it seems to work well this is the 3 rd year for it when the drifts get to deep he has a guy come in with a blower on a 784 IH tractor. He did get the guide skid shoes for it and if I remember correctly the plow came from Walmart on sale for 999.99 canadian and that included the mounts for the truck. it slips on and off very quickly and does angle manually I thought it was cheaply built and flimsy but it works for him. I am gearing up a homemade plow on my S 10 well the mounts are homemade the plow is an old fisher snocaster that was on a jeep slowly I am getting used parts.
regards
rod


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## MR PLOW (Jan 1, 2005)

*My Plow Lights*

I have the older style snowbear plow (10years old) with the snowbear light kit on both my trucks, a 1990 Trooper and a 1999 Dodge Durango.
The plow lights are made to bolt on the A frame of the plow, but after a few years of plowing, I had to weld the lights in place.

http://WWW.MR-PLOW.COM 
[email protected]


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