# homemade plow... I know it's B.A.



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

Today I finished my "poor man's" snow plow. I know there are a lot of threads on here about plowing, and I know we all wish we could have a snow plow for 4-5 months out of the year. We all know they can be expensive some topping out at $6,500! After searching craigslist and finding nothing but old beat up plows with holes and bad pumps for $2,000 I decided to make one that was cheap, required no mounting hardware, and no extensive electrical wiring! HOW? You ask? Hitch N' Plow!

This adapter ($174 shipped) allows you to attach any Cat 1. Three point hitch to any vehicle with a 2" reciever. As long as the implement (scraper) weighs less than 500lbs.

I got the winch from Harbor Freight and was on sale for $49.99. The blade I got from the local junk yard for $110.. So.. for a whooping $335 I have a 8' plow!

If you get past the fact of how hillbilly or ******* it looks, it's actually a pretty cool deal for your own drive and maybe the neighbors. I think my winch is a little on the weak side for the blade I found.. but I wanted an 8' clearing path. Installation is a breeze with just one 12volt source and a ground wire to the winch. The winch is wireless! So no running wires to the cab for a hand controller. If the winch I have now craps out.. I'll get a bigger winch and swap over the wireless control box to the new winch (2 wires) and my new winch will then be wireless!

anyways.. no snow here yet.. but I got it all hooked up (5 min.) and the thing works pretty well. here are some pictures! Let me know what you think! I know I'm not going to be doing any major plowing with it.. but it beats the hell out of the shovel and the crappy lawn mower plows that cost like $350!

I also am working on a back up light that plugs into the RV slot and illuminates the blade when backingup..


----------



## Snowplowkid (Feb 12, 2008)

Does it say Kewanee, IL on the sticker? Im like 12 mi from there!


----------



## EaTmYtAiLpIpEs (Aug 23, 2007)

Actually looks pretty creative. I just bought the same winch off ebay for my other quad haha. Cool idea. Need pics of it pulling snow now.


----------



## Fatality (Jul 14, 2009)

pretty cool. make the deal even better to have a back-up camera to get as close as possible to the garage/ect


----------



## heavyiron (Dec 7, 2007)

Looks good and pretty trim. I've seen a lot worse.


----------



## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

with a creative setup like that you must be a farmer, lol, looks pretty damn impressive to me.


----------



## TLB (Jan 19, 2007)

EaTmYtAiLpIpEs;901398 said:


> Need pics of it pulling snow now.


 post an action shot when you can.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

no.. not a farmer.. but have worked on many of them. I can't wait to get some snow here! We'll see how she holds up.. I still have a light bar to add that will run off the 7 pong RV... that way they only come on in reverse


----------



## farmer101 (Oct 4, 2009)

all you need now is a set of side markers and a hitch on the front. better make that a cushion(sp?) hitch. lol but that is pretty good sure beats doing exactly the same thing from the seat of an open station tractor.


----------



## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

That's the biggest POS I've seen on here to date. 

Seriously though, you just wasted $335.00.


----------



## KL&M Snow Div. (Jan 2, 2009)

Looks like it'll work to me. Have fun and post more pictures when the snow comes please.


----------



## Mackman (Nov 3, 2009)

WIPensFan;901765 said:


> That's the biggest POS I've seen on here to date.
> 
> Seriously though, you just wasted $335.00.


x2. But please let us know how it holds up. I bet that harbor freight winch doesn't work after the 2nd plowing lol.


----------



## pensty (Mar 29, 2009)

Kudos to you for the innovative thinking, let us know how she works.


----------



## theonlybull (Oct 17, 2004)

sure beats a shovel. and for someone who only gets snow now and then. easier to justify then a $6K plow


----------



## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

Should work, Ive built a few of my own plows (pusher type), Put a nice coat of paint on it, and it looks factory made, without the executive price.


----------



## secret_weapon (Jan 24, 2007)

Looks like it'll work, Definitely look into putting a couple trip springs on there. I see it has the ability to trip but won't cause of the metal plate welded at the top. I'd be worried about catching something and ripping the hitch off. It would be an easy project and about $40-50


----------



## farmer101 (Oct 4, 2009)

secret_weapon;901990 said:


> Looks like it'll work, Definitely look into putting a couple trip springs on there. I see it has the ability to trip but won't cause of the metal plate welded at the top. I'd be worried about catching something and ripping the hitch off. It would be an easy project and about $40-50


i could be wrong (wouldnt be the first time) but i dont think he will have any issues like what you are expecting. if it were on a tractor with 3 solid links mounting it, then yes if he hit something big it would definately hang up. however, his 'third' link in this set up is a winch cable which should (in theory) allow the entire assembly to tip forward when he hits something. now i could be wrong, but the only way to be sure is to do some very careful test runs with people watching to make sure nothing comes apart. all i know is if i had that to chose from or my open air tractor id chose this 9 times out of 10.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks for all the positive remarks! You other two guys... I already know it's a pos... and the wionch has a 2 year in store replacement warrenty... remember.. I'm not going to do any commercial plowing with this thihng and prolly will only use it 5-10 a year. In my part of the state we average about 60" a year... up in the lake effect area they get double that...

as for the trip spring I was thinking that it would "pop" up if I did hit something.. since the third link is a flexible cable.... the angle of attack is such that it would promote this motition as well... we'll see how it holds up... I'm considering getting into the lawn care/ snow removal business coming in the near future. I would get a real plow if I did.. but something like this would be great for condos.. or getting close the the garage... I suppose if I got a boss rt3 with down pressure I could always back drag...anyways.. I'm very excited to see how she works... could very well be a pos... but I'm thinking it'll work just fine


----------



## nicksplowing (Oct 5, 2005)

Kale Lawn;902130 said:


> Thanks for all the positive remarks! You other two guys... I already know it's a pos... and the wionch has a 2 year in store replacement warrenty... remember.. I'm not going to do any commercial plowing with this thihng and prolly will only use it 5-10 a year. In my part of the state we average about 60" a year... up in the lake effect area they get double that...
> 
> as for the trip spring I was thinking that it would "pop" up if I did hit something.. since the third link is a flexible cable.... the angle of attack is such that it would promote this motition as well... we'll see how it holds up... I'm considering getting into the lawn care/ snow removal business coming in the near future. I would get a real plow if I did.. but something like this would be great for condos.. or getting close the the garage... I suppose if I got a boss rt3 with down pressure I could always back drag...anyways.. I'm very excited to see how she works... could very well be a pos... but I'm thinking it'll work just fine


some people just cant keep there fingers from typing what there minds are thinking, guess there mothers never taught them if they dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all as you stated in your opening paragraph "poormans plow" i think it looks good and should get the job done what your using it for good luck and dont forget some action pics


----------



## quigleysiding (Oct 3, 2009)

Looks pretty good for the cash spent.Get some videos for us.


----------



## Lawn Enforcer (Mar 20, 2006)

Way to use your head on this! Nice work for your own driveway


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

I'm posting a video on youtube right now... no snow.. but you can get the idea... I'll be sure to take plenty of action shots


----------



## show-n-go (Feb 5, 2009)

I think it's awsome, and with a better winch and a way for it to trip there would be no reason this wouldn't hold up. Maybe the guy's that are hating on it are mad that they didn't think this up.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

I agree.. diff need a stronger winch for sure.. or maybe a lighter blade.. anyways.. here's my first video.. no snow.. but you get the idea


----------



## groundbreakers (Jan 16, 2004)

WIPensFan;901765 said:


> That's the biggest POS I've seen on here to date.
> 
> Seriously though, you just wasted $335.00.


ohh and you have the best equipment to use thats ever been created on this planet ? ....


----------



## linckeil (Sep 18, 2007)

thats pretty neat. it'll serve you just fine for what you're intending to do with it. upgrading to a faster and more powerful winch will make a big difference.

a lot of guys on the site won't give you any credit unless you have a new $50k truck and a $6k plow that you can barely afford to make payments on. 

then when they are broke, they cry about lowballers and take no personal responsibility. :crying: 

hopefully you steal some of their accounts with this $300 setup!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

well.. I do plan on getting in the biz... don't plan on having a $50K set-up... prolly start out with used stuff and try and piece together a decent plow... I have a solid truck, trailer, and xero turn mower right now... really should save some money and buy a plow and sander


----------



## groundbreakers (Jan 16, 2004)

linckeil;902458 said:


> thats pretty neat. it'll serve you just fine for what you're intending to do with it. upgrading to a faster and more powerful winch will make a big difference.
> 
> a lot of guys on the site won't give you any credit unless you have a new $50k truck and a $6k plow that you can barely afford to make payments on.
> 
> ...


----------



## Tosa93F250 (Dec 4, 2009)

Kale Lawn;902329 said:


> I agree.. diff need a stronger winch for sure.. or maybe a lighter blade.. anyways.. here's my first video.. no snow.. but you get the idea


Very nice idea there. But that winch is crying. You definitely need a stronger one. And maybe one that moves a little faster too.


----------



## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

Kale Lawn,

That thing is cool. Where did you get the 3 point adapter? 

Oh, I saw in the video next to yours that it's a Hitch and Plow. You DID actually say that, I just missed it. 

Thank you.


----------



## theonlybull (Oct 17, 2004)

if you could take some of the cable off the winch, so there's only 1 full wrap, plus the amount you need to lift and lower. you'd gain a little bit more power from the winch... 

how about a big spring or two, hooked from the winch mount to the top link mount.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

yes, this is the hitch adapter from Swisher Products "Hitch 'N PLow" it's rated for a cat 1 three point hitch and can support a 500lb working load... which I think the blade I have now is every bit of that... might sell this one and get a new one that's lighter


----------



## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

i'm all in for being self suffiecent, screw them guys, that one guy said it better than i could lmao,


----------



## devins (Oct 31, 2009)

I take it you decided to sell?

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/for/1505261583.html


----------



## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

and you didn't even try and paint it, i'm on the fence now, your labor isn't cheap either lmao


----------



## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

:laughing::laughing:


----------



## VEGGIEPLOW (Sep 25, 2009)

theonlybull;902869 said:


> if you could take some of the cable off the winch, so there's only 1 full wrap, plus the amount you need to lift and lower. You'd gain a little bit more power from the winch...
> 
> How about a big spring or two, hooked from the winch mount to the top link mount.


x2 on taking off some of that cable.. It will make a big difference.. You'll be able to tell right off by the sound of the winch..


----------



## J.R. Services (Aug 15, 2009)

Found this video, looks like it'd keep up with a front mount


----------



## J.R. Services (Aug 15, 2009)

This one looks sturdier


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

I just sold the blade today and I'm searching for a lighter one...  
I wanted to test the waters to see if anyone else would be interested in a set-up like this. I now have money to buy a new 7ft blade


----------



## rusty_keg_3 (Dec 6, 2008)

great idea... subd


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

well bought a new 7' blade from TSC with the money I made on the first blade... only have about an inch of snow here and it's not worth plowing... I will get some pictures up soon with the new blade and some tweaking on the winch


----------



## ta3834bbl (Dec 4, 2004)

Nice work. I love home made stuff as long as it is well built.


----------



## andcon83 (Dec 10, 2005)

Some people get jelous because they do not have the mechanical know-how to put together their own invention. I think that kind of a thing would work great for scraping pot holes out of dirt roads in the summer. I see someone with a rock rake hooked up to a winch on the back and that did a hell of a job.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

^agreed Like I said.. it isn't made for commercial plowing. I'm sure it would work great for those garage door areas.. but it would need a few mods to be used in a commercial setting.. mainly some type of trip mech. and getting rid of the winch in place of some type of hydrolic set-up.. still cheaper than a $3,200 Ebling or Sno Kontrol


----------



## andcon83 (Dec 10, 2005)

but then with hydrolic you have to rig up a pump. The winch works good enough. just may need one with a little more balls.


----------



## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Looks pretty good, you might want to throw some end plates or heavy peices of rubber to make wings or end plates for it.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

JD Dave;923137 said:


> Looks pretty good, you might want to throw some end plates or heavy peices of rubber to make wings or end plates for it.


I have a buddy that has an old blade that is a 6'.. I'm going to hack about a foot off each side of that and bolt it/weld it to mine so I have an 8' blade.. I don't want to make end plates because then when I angle it the snow will have a hard time rollnig out. I used it yesterday and it works well.. only had about 1.5" but it did a fine job! What use to take me 3-4 hours to blow no takes me about 15minutes to plow


----------



## banksl&s (Sep 7, 2007)

Where did you order the adapter from? I searched for it but came up with a licensing company .


----------



## grasmancolumbus (Mar 4, 2008)

Perfect I love it why spend any more money than you have too. What part of Ohio You from? Thats all most of us need here in Ohio, Columbus anyway we don't get any more snow anyhow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

grasmancolumbus;924722 said:


> Perfect I love it why spend any more money than you have too. What part of Ohio You from? Thats all most of us need here in Ohio, Columbus anyway we don't get any more snow anyhow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm from just south of Norwalk.. about an hour due north of C-bus... no snow yet.. but soon I hope!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

banksl&s;924299 said:


> Where did you order the adapter from? I searched for it but came up with a licensing company .


http://www.schmidtproducts.com/7501/7801.html this site has all the links.. although I think the web site to order from is down right now because of software upgrades


----------



## Gordon (Jan 3, 2001)

Another idea would be to add a double pulley block to ease on the lifting of the blade.

Gordon


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

Gordon;925677 said:


> Another idea would be to add a double pulley block to ease on the lifting of the blade.
> 
> Gordon


I have one... I also ditch the blade and got a lighter one.. the first blade (the one pictured) weighs about 800lbs.. my new blade is about 300-350lbs


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

I just took some picture this morning because we finally got snow!!

I ended up getting a new blade because the first one was way to heavy!


----------



## Gettindirty (Aug 9, 2008)

Very nice. I might have missed it but does it "trip" OK? That would be my concern.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

no the plow does not trip


----------



## Jelinek61 (Mar 16, 2009)

It doesn't trip but it looks like becasue it pivots with the top cable on the two bottom 3pt mounts that if it hits something it will swing up and over the obstacle.


----------



## BoyneCityGuy (May 7, 2009)

great ingenuity man, and i like that adapter! i had the same winch you have there and attached it to my hitch for some light pulling and whatever. i fried it, but that was pulling WAY too much on it. the remote got me messed up too because i never used it enough, but like you say, if you blow it up, no big deal. enjoy the snow and have fun out there! and best thing bout this setup is you can use it all year for little things if you wanted to. nice work!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

BoyneCityGuy;977370 said:


> great ingenuity man, and i like that adapter! i had the same winch you have there and attached it to my hitch for some light pulling and whatever. i fried it, but that was pulling WAY too much on it. the remote got me messed up too because i never used it enough, but like you say, if you blow it up, no big deal. enjoy the snow and have fun out there! and best thing bout this setup is you can use it all year for little things if you wanted to. nice work!


I'm on my 2nd winch as well... the first one's remote got messed up so I took it back and got a new one for free because it was under the manufactor's warrenty.. so my 2 year replacement plan started over!


----------



## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

frayed cable already???????????


----------



## RCsLawncare (Oct 24, 2008)

Cool design, beats a shovel!!


----------



## nicksplowing (Oct 5, 2005)

IPLOWSNO;978542 said:


> frayed cable already???????????


good eyes, was just thinking that myself


----------



## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

nicksplowing;979071 said:


> good eyes:


X 2 .. if he didnt say anything i still wouldnt of seen it ...lol


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

hey guys just thought i'd give an update on the plow

so far I've been through 2 winchs on my 3rd...glad I got the 2 yr warrenty..

1-winch... backed into a pile of snow and jerk on the winch so hard it snapped in half...

2-winch... remote stopped working and snapped the cable backing again...

harbor freight replaced them for free because they were still under manufactures warrenty.. and my 2 year warrenty from HF starts over... can't beat that for a total investment of $45!!!

the reason the cable snaps is because when backing the plow wants to bend downward and the back of the truck want to lift upwards.. this puts a lot more stress on the cable and causes it to snap.. the solution is to install a limiting strap/chain the will limit the amount of blade travle and take the stress off the winch cable... the limiting strap is attached between the top link on the plow and is connected to the adapter near the winch.. by installing the limiting strap there is no need for a larger winch... unless you want to run a larger blade or want a faster lift/lower speed

now for the adapter...

overall it works well... with only a few problems

1. How the adapter connects into the trucks 2" hitch is poorly designed... the company uses hollow 2"x2" square tubing for construction... this is strong but they drilled two hole to mount the winch and therefore creates a weak point right at the reciever... solution... construct the adapter from 2" solid steel bar, and attach the winch with U-bolts instead of drilling into the adapter... The steel bar would make it heavier but it will not bend as easily.

2. The second problem is articulation..or lack there of.. the blade follows the movement of the truck.. i.e. if you run over a packed mound of snow with the right side of your truck.. the right side of the blade will lift off the ground and the left side will dig in...still working on a solution for this.. probobly need to add a link to allow some movement.. but not too much...

this being said.. it does a great job for the most part.. you just have to be careful and not get too carried away with the skinny pedal! 

the only other complaint I have is my blade.. it's a little too light and I will be adding some bolt on weights to it so it digs in just a little more... it works great on gravle because it doesn't dig in but does a poor job on heavily packed snow...

I know this sounds like it's a total pos.. but it really does a great job for the money I have in it. It's fast, there's no truck mods needed, and you can take it off in a matter of minutes and you stay warm!!! and now shoveling!!!!!. 

We are going to be getting another snow storm tomorrow so I will post pictures of before the storm and after.. We just had 24" over the weekend and I just went out and plowed and will post pictures of that too.. fyi.. they sell these on ebay now and I informed the company of these problems and they are "looking into the matter"


----------



## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

it's not a total pos, it has merit for sure i think if ya build a taller frame mount, think of the tower where the lights go and the ram,on a front mounted plow

it will change the angle on the line making it easier on the winch to pick it up, hell you could mount some lights just like you would forup front if ya do it right.


----------



## z400 (Mar 13, 2008)

If your wanting to stop having to worry about the reliability of the winches power/strength and life. Look into the Viper winches on ebay. 
They are some of the best winches throughout the ATV world.


----------



## Ropinghorns (Oct 16, 2008)

I am proud of you. Hope the cable does not backlash when it kicks up.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

there's only like 2 feet between the hook and winch.. so when it snaps nothing is really in the way to hit besides some metal


----------



## brian r webber (Feb 2, 2010)

How thick of cable are you using? Could chain be used instead? There has to be a way to put it in float to ease the stress on the winch.Or is slack the prolem?I responded earlier on the other thread.Thanks for the info. look forward to the pictures. I want to build my own adapter,but I am still in the research phase.


----------



## lilbear (Dec 30, 2009)

just thought i let you this setup works great on my atv me and my buddy were in garage and hour later i had one made for the atv done about 15 driveway wiht it perfect setup we are going to make one for the one ton using a large grader blade as shown in picture but it has built in tripp springs as it is a snow blade also will let you know how it worksplus no money spent already have equipment thanks for the idea


----------



## bchurch05 (Dec 6, 2009)

replace the winch with a hydraulic ram and you would have a sweet little set up with down pressure.
nice idea


----------



## Louiso (Feb 10, 2010)

i like it but the top hangs out more than the plow so you cant get as close as if the plow hung out more!

but very nice

need a goot paint job!!!!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

thanks guys










used a chain hoist as a limiting strap... could use chain


----------



## brian r webber (Feb 2, 2010)

Thanks for the update and pictures.does the blade ride up the pile good plowing backwards?


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

brian r webber;1005719 said:


> Thanks for the update and pictures.does the blade ride up the pile good plowing backwards?


depends on the angle.. if it's all the way down the it does not... it you have the blade off the ground by like a foot.. then it does


----------



## brian r webber (Feb 2, 2010)

thanks again.looks like it is doing a good job stacking snow.I was thinking about making my adapter out of a 3 point quick attach frame from harbor frieght ,some square tubing,and flat steel.there are already brackets on both sides of my spare tire I could bolt to for addional support.just can't make up my mind,build or buy.have you turned the blade 180 yet to push in reverse?


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

brian r webber;1005946 said:


> thanks again.looks like it is doing a good job stacking snow.I was thinking about making my adapter out of a 3 point quick attach frame from harbor frieght ,some square tubing,and flat steel.there are already brackets on both sides of my spare tire I could bolt to for addional support.just can't make up my mind,build or buy.have you turned the blade 180 yet to push in reverse?


yes... puts a lot more stress on the frame chain and truck... would not recommend doing it on stone... works great on asphalt and concrete though!


----------



## davetileguy (Oct 26, 2010)

Sweet! I live in Seattle where we might get 8 inches one year and none for 2 years,since this winter is supposed to be a record breaker and our economy is so bleepin great I'v been trying to make the same thing,I'm fabricating a true 3 point hitch on the back of my 96 GMC 2500 cause I have other 3 point impliments I would like to use,I'm going to use an #8000 winch instead also to pull people out,yours are the first pics I'v been able to find, 1 your right I did not think about the blade picking up on one side or the other maybey I'll make mine pivot(swivel?) to free float more 2 edges I was thinking of a rubber or poly edge for lack of a trip edge 3 some guy told me today that I'll never "pull" that much snow its better to "push" while he may be right in my area I would be a FOOL to spend $4,000 on a plow that might not be used for the next couple of years.I'll try to get some pics when I start. 
PS dont pay attention to the haters,we are inovators!!


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

davetileguy;1097054 said:


> Sweet! I live in Seattle where we might get 8 inches one year and none for 2 years,since this winter is supposed to be a record breaker and our economy is so bleepin great I'v been trying to make the same thing,I'm fabricating a true 3 point hitch on the back of my 96 GMC 2500 cause I have other 3 point impliments I would like to use,I'm going to use an #8000 winch instead also to pull people out,yours are the first pics I'v been able to find, 1 your right I did not think about the blade picking up on one side or the other maybey I'll make mine pivot(swivel?) to free float more 2 edges I was thinking of a rubber or poly edge for lack of a trip edge 3 some guy told me today that I'll never "pull" that much snow its better to "push" while he may be right in my area I would be a FOOL to spend $4,000 on a plow that might not be used for the next couple of years.I'll try to get some pics when I start.
> PS dont pay attention to the haters,we are inovators!!


a true 3 point hitch for trucks has been done already.. even had a power unit to drive pto's for brush hogs... problem is there is a very tiny market for such devices. This plow was awesome! I used t all winter with little to no problems and it paid for itself twice in the 4 months I used it. I ended up selling though. all in all I had $500 in this thing and ended up with over $1300 in my pocket. Good luck with your and post some pictures!!


----------



## Pinky Demon (Jan 6, 2010)

I got a really nice plow that I'll sell you for 2k. Serious. PM me if interested.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

I miss this plow...


----------



## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Kale Lawn;1541788 said:


> I miss this plow...


Why did you have to revive this thread, now Birddseedd is going to be all over this.

................


----------



## NBI Lawn (Oct 15, 2007)

White Gardens;1541874 said:


> Why did you have to revive this thread, now Birddseedd is going to be all over this.
> 
> ................


:laughing: :laughing:


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

couldn't help myself! I've upgraded to a 2012 F550 dump w/ blizzard 8611 and undertail gate saltdog


----------



## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

I love the DIY attitude, and I like how the responses in 2009 were much more supportive than the complete negativity you'd get now. These days that amount of money can get a saavy shopper a used Snowbear complete with truck mounts, though.



linckeil;902458 said:


> a lot of guys on the site won't give you any credit unless you have a new $50k truck and a $6k plow that you can barely afford to make payments on.
> 
> then when they are broke, they cry about lowballers and take no personal responsibility. :crying:


Well, *that's* still the same...and after last year with no snow you'd expect those attitudes to have eased up a bit. Maybe they are still riding high on the previous year's excess snow.


----------



## GSS LLC (Jul 7, 2012)

kale, how did that plow work/hold up? i applaud your efforts. lol, then again, i like making things.


----------



## Kale Lawn (Dec 12, 2009)

GSS LLC;1542529 said:


> kale, how did that plow work/hold up? i applaud your efforts. lol, then again, i like making things.


worked great for the money I had into it


----------



## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

Too many people these days don't appreciate the ingenuity behind home-made-frankenplows or other wacky equipment. The instant gratification and zero appreciation for good old fashioned brilliance. A lot of people these days also can't even CONCEIVE of the POSSIBILITY that someone could come up with any kind of device besides a faceless big company with a large warehouse with high paid engineers who never see the light of day using calculus to process numbers inconceivable to the layman. These people read the "instruction manual" as if it were gospel and exactingly precise, because THEY don't understand where the information comes from, and they get religious on you if you dispute the manual. This site does seem to be unusually open minded when it comes to fabrication and re-engineering, but even so, there are those who couldn't even install their own "comes in a box with an instruction manual" snow plow, let alone customize something on it.

I've always found it difficult to get along with that ignorant type of people who don't have the capacity to analyze the instructions rationally, and be critical of the limits imposed by the manufacturer. This is because I have the ability to see the physics behind the function and can judge for myself where the limits really are. I am therefore very willing to push my equipment beyond the rigid set of predefined limits up much closer to where they really are.

To see if I can weed out some of the very simple minded, I'll give an example;
My DD is a 2011 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 4-cyl. It has a printed hauling capacity of 3500 pounds. With a 6-cyl AND the "towing package", it would have a printed hauling capacity of 6500 pounds. The difference between the 4 and 6 cyl are precisely the engine and transmission themselves. The difference the tow package adds are 2" receiver, 140 amp alternator (vs 130), trailer wiring, and in the case of an automatic transmission, a transmission cooler. Everything else is identical. Now, to my 4-cyl, I have added a 2" receiver and proper trailer wiring. The remaining differences are;
4-cyl engine and 5-speed manual transmission,
130 amp (smaller) alternator,
*** everything else matches up.
The difference in the alternator would be there to deal with electric trailer brakes, and is probably more of a placebo than anything else, if you are running within 10 amps of your alternator's output limit, something is seriously wrong. In any case, it wouldn't be of any use for a trailer with hydraulic brakes, and especially, with LED lights. That leaves the only *meaningful* difference in the engine itself.

So the question I pose to the world to see if I can weed out the simple minded is this; would it be safe (I'm _not_ asking about the legality) to pull a 6500 pound trailer with my truck that has a printed limit of 3500 pounds?

To nip ONE potential objection in the butt before it is made, these 4-cyls HAVE been independently (privately) tested to exceed the 2013 acceleratory requirements (SAE J2807) for their vehicle class with a trailer weighing 6500 pounds, and this same engine and transmission combination is rated for hauling 5000-6000 pounds overseas in the "Toyota Hilux" (overseas the 6-cyl is rated 5000-6000 as well, since the Hilux is slightly smaller than Tacoma).

You see, everyone with a fixation on the instruction manual will object to the idea that what I propose above is within a reasonable level of safety -- their arguments will ALL boil down to "because thats what it says in the manual". Everyone who understands that there is more to trailer rating limits than actual suitability for the task will agree that it is reasonable and within the vehicle's configuration envelope.

Such "more" include, but are not limited to these possibilities; meeting the north-american expectation of excessive power and rocket like acceleration, upselling the alternate configurations that earn thousands more in profit, making concessions for those lacking the skill to operate the configuration in a reasonable manner, SIMPLIFYING the instruction manual for the understanding of those who lack reading comprehension. I believe that the LAST option is the most applicable in this example, since even the difference between the automatic and manual transmissions in the 4-cyl represent VASTLY different gear ratios and a significant difference in the ability to move a heavy load. The manual has a first gear ratio of 3.9:1, the automatic 2.8:1 which combined with the stall point for the torque converter represents a MASSIVE difference in the ability to start a load rolling.

As it happens, I have hauled trailers in the range of 6000-7000 pounds with this truck. It does a wonderful job of it. Not going to win any races, nor do I care if I could. It gets up to highway speed strongly and has no problem holding it.

My point in all this, of course, is that it boils down to the perception of the ignorant that doing something "outside of the norm" is a bad thing. Because people will see you as having THEIR limited views and understanding, so if they can't understand it, obviously you can't either, which means that you must be insane, reckless, or ******** for doing it.

OP: That 3-point plow is a brilliant piece of budget "get it done".


----------

