# Snow plow shoes



## SuperiorService (Dec 14, 2011)

Hello winter warriors.
I'm new to the plowing and just bought my first snow plow, used of coarse. It is a Fisher 7.5 HD. The guy didn't have the plow shoes for it and never used them. 
So, do you use them???
I have contracts for some commercial parking lots and truck stops
Thanks


----------



## newhere (Oct 13, 2009)

i usually use them on all my commercial lots, really saves on salt usage.


----------



## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

The only occasion that I have ever used them was when I helped out a neighbor and had to plow a few hundred feet of gravel driveway. Other than that, I never have. I don't understand why you would want to leave any snow behind on the lots anyway.


----------



## 7_below (Dec 9, 2009)

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?p=1342854#post1342854

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?p=1343835#post1343835

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?p=1340953#post1340953


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

newhere;1378868 said:


> i usually use them on all my commercial lots, really saves on salt usage.


I got to ask if you run them hows that save on salt usage

Shoes only good for gravel its a waste of money to run them hard surface
With them on the plow doesnt do clean job
But maybe my thinking is wrong


----------



## 7_below (Dec 9, 2009)

Even in gravel they suck. They still dig in. You gotta feather the up/down on the plow to skim the surface. A lot of guys run a piece of metal coping along the cutting edge if doing tons of gravel areas.


----------



## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

Been using them for 37 years.It's all about keeping a fine adjustment on the washers.It will definitely prolong edge life and is easier on your plow.


----------



## SuperiorService (Dec 14, 2011)

Tuney,
On flat pavement what is the distance between your blade and pavement? 
1 washer 2,3,4,5,?????
Do you run a full trip or edge trip on your plow?


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

tuney443;1379042 said:


> Been using them for 37 years.It's all about keeping a fine adjustment on the washers.It will definitely prolong edge life and is easier on your plow.


Yes might prolong it but once the cutting edge wears out you have a price for edge and new shoes
To me with shoes on doesnt clean as good as running no shoes


----------



## PenfieldProp (Dec 15, 2011)

Never had shoes on a plow and my experience the thicker the blade like a worn out fisher or a thick poly edge does a horrible job of scraping


----------



## KSikkema (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm fairly certain I've completely forgotten how to even install mine


----------



## combiking (Sep 4, 2008)

I use a set for gravel drives, people in my area hate having gravel moved. Since my shoes only come flush with my blade i have a piece of 3/4 plate welded to them to lift it off the gravel also as a plus the plate is cheaper than new shoes.


----------



## havenlax18 (Dec 16, 2010)

I don't use them.


----------



## blazer2plower (Nov 19, 2011)

They make great door stops. Or a paper weights, or even book ends. 

I love my Z


----------



## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

SuperiorService;1379417 said:


> Tuney,
> On flat pavement what is the distance between your blade and pavement?
> 1 washer 2,3,4,5,?????
> Do you run a full trip or edge trip on your plow?


NO washers here--hair gap,maybe. Proving nay sayers wrong 1 shoe at a time.


----------



## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

Antlerart06;1379666 said:


> Yes might prolong it but once the cutting edge wears out you have a price for edge and new shoes
> To me with shoes on doesnt clean as good as running no shoes


10 years on original cutting edge on my 9-2 Boss says different.My lots are just as black as the next guy without shoes. Have proved this many times.


----------



## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

newhere;1378868 said:


> i usually use them on all my commercial lots, really saves on salt usage.


I assume that you meant that you usually DON'T use shoes?


----------



## Mike N (Dec 21, 2008)

I use them on a couple gravel drives only.


----------



## joepetrilli (Dec 16, 2011)

*Pres.*

I just invested in a new truck and having a Fisher XLS installed tuesday. I hope to be plowing local roads. A pair of shoes are $160 which is not much considering I'm almost spend 6 grand for a plow. Would apreciate any input!ussmileyflag


----------



## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

joepetrilli;1381803 said:


> I just invested in a new truck and having a Fisher XLS installed tuesday. I hope to be plowing local roads. A pair of shoes are $160 which is not much considering I'm almost spend 6 grand for a plow. Would apreciate any input!ussmileyflag


Will the town mind having 1/2" or so of snow on all the roads you plow? Plowing pavement = no shoes.


----------



## OC&D (Dec 2, 2009)

newhere;1378868 said:


> i usually use them on all my commercial lots, really saves on salt usage.


How do you figure?


----------



## SSS Inc. (Oct 18, 2010)

Less salt


Over the years my brother used them for anchors on his canoe and small Jon boat (kinda light though). I used one as a hammer once in a pinch. 

I see no reason to use these on a typical parking lot.


----------



## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

tuney443;1381513 said:


> 10 years on original cutting edge on my 9-2 Boss says different.My lots are just as black as the next guy without shoes. Have proved this many times.


12 years on the same edge with NO shoes....the rest of the plow is worn all to hell, but the 2-3 inch thick cutting edge/base angle/stock reinforcement have held up great.

FWIW I almost never scrape to black, and neither does anyone else in my area, shoes or not.

I have and until this year have never thought about putting them on. Only this year because I just redid my personal gravel driveway, but all I hear is they are nearly useless on gravel anyway so under the furnace they;ll stay.


----------



## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

justme-;1382492 said:


> 12 years on the same edge with NO shoes....the rest of the plow is worn all to hell, but the 2-3 inch thick cutting edge/base angle/stock reinforcement have held up great.
> 
> FWIW I almost never scrape to black, and neither does anyone else in my area, shoes or not.
> 
> I have and until this year have never thought about putting them on. Only this year because I just redid my personal gravel driveway, but all I hear is they are nearly useless on gravel anyway so under the furnace they;ll stay.


Well that's pretty good for a shoeless man.If you think you have me beat though you're wrong.I never said my edge was worn out as it's got lots of life left--I just wanted to go with Boss's new formed edges.Once again--shoes correctly adjusted= black lots.


----------



## CallBob (Nov 17, 2011)

*Dirt*

Hey guys , all my plowing is going to be done on brown dirt drives .... leave them on ?


----------



## cold_and_tired (Dec 18, 2008)

CallBob;1382926 said:


> Hey guys , all my plowing is going to be done on brown dirt drives .... leave them on ?


SCH 80 pipe over the cutting edge.


----------



## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

CallBob;1382926 said:


> Hey guys , all my plowing is going to be done on brown dirt drives .... leave them on ?


I would leave them on.The pipe idea is also a wise move for gravel plowing.


----------



## STIHL GUY (Sep 22, 2009)

never used them since they didnt come with my plow when i bought it used. if i do gravel work i raise the blade a tiny bit but i dont plow much gravel so it doesnt really affect me not having shoes on my plow


----------



## Raymond S. (Jan 8, 2008)

What do you guys think about using the shoes for a large commercial lot ALL CONCRETE! It has some spots that have shifted over the years and I'm sure to catch some cracks. It's a new lot for me this year and although I've never used mine I thought about throwing them on for this lot. It's about 80k sq ft so it's worth taking a couple minutes. It's a church that only gets hit Wed and Sun so they can live with 1/2" of snow. You think the shoes will keep the edge from catching? Oddly enough I've never plowed a lot this big that was concrete.


----------



## peterng (Apr 13, 2006)

depending on how much traffic you have over pave parking lots I like to scrape that down before it hits 2 inches. I don't see how installing shoes would help me do that. I don't do gravel. 

I have shoes but have never worn them.
Pete


----------



## blazer2plower (Nov 19, 2011)

pete does your feet get cold and wet for not wearing shoes ;-) 

I love my Z


----------



## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

Shoes won't help much for the concrete- think about it- the shoes are 2 points holding the whole edge up a little bit. When one of those points goes over a high spot the whole edge will ride at an angle leaving snow. When the high point is between the shoes the edge will likely still catch it. The shoes are really for keeping the edge from digging in too badly when you go off the edge of a lot/driveway into the lawn slightly and to allow for more surface area supporting the plow saving edge wear. I contemplated putting on a set this year for my driveway - gravel over dirt which was all dirt last year but it's so uneven I'd still be scraping up high spots and missing low spots.

re: I was not trying to beat you, point is shoes are unnecessary and when the edge area is thick enough it provides the exact same wear benefits.


----------

