# Can you or can't you plow with a GMC 1/2 Ton



## 95LongHaul (Oct 17, 2002)

I am thinking of purchasing a Boss poly plow 7.5' for my 95 GMC 1/2 ton ext cab. I have heard everything from "It will never work" to "It will be fine".

Does anyone have personal experience with this that can give me a good answer? I will only be plowing a max of three drives, one that is 400 feet. What are the limiting factors and what should I watch out for?


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

If it was me, I'd put a 7.5 or 8' Sno-Way on that truck and not worry about it at all. The Sno-Way will be lighter than the Boss and is as good a plow. Price should be about the same. We did a lot of plowing with an 89 K1500 with standard cab and long box.


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## RYAN SMITH (Dec 4, 2001)

If it was me i would never plow with a half ton they are just not built heavy enough


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## STEVE VITALE (Oct 26, 2001)

We have a 93 chevy 1500 that we bought new that year with
the sno plow prep package and a 7 1/2 ft. western plow and 
have never had a problem with that truck.


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## SnoJob67 (Sep 3, 2001)

I have a 1990 1/2 ton with almost 150,000 miles that was used by a municipality before we bought it. I use it primarily as a backup truck for plowing, but would not think twice about sending that truck out to do a route. It will push with the best of them. Last season we had it push a 6 acre lot solo during a couple of 2" events. 

I cannot speak for others, but I would buy another 1/2 ton shortbed plow truck in a minute! When that truck dies, I would gladly replace it with an updated used version to fit the same need as the old truck. The shortbed turns like nobodies business and in tight one and two acre lots, they excel. I can outperform my 8.5' V Plow on a 3/4 Ton with the 1/2 Ton Chevy shortbed and a 7.5' straight blade in some lots.

Now, if you were buying brand new, 8' bed trucks, my advice would be buy the 3/4 ton for the little bit of extra money. But that is not the question presented.


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

1992 Chevy 1500 regular cab, short bed, with 350 motor, auto trans, 4x4 with a Western 7 1/2ft Pro Plow which was all bought new by my brother back in 92. We have used the truck all these years to do a good deal of plowing and never had a problem. I just recently bought the truck off him and i intend to keep right on using it for plowing, as a matter of fact, i cant wait for the snow to start falling now thats its all mine and not his anymore. We used to both use it but i didnt get to use it as much as i wanted to on my own cause he was always out with it doing peoples driveways. Regardless of what alot of people say about not being able to plow with a Chevy truck cause they arent heavy duty or cause they dont have a solid front axle, we did just fine for 10 years and i know many many people with Chevy trucks with plows that do fine too. I wouldnt say go stick an 8ft Fisher HD plow on it, but 7 1/2ft like i have is not a problem whatsoever. Mike


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Sorry double post.


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## Kent Lawns (Jan 18, 2000)

I HAVE a 1995 Chevrolet 1500 ext cab Z71.

Mounted a Boss 8.2V in 1998.

4 years of plowing w/ ZERO problems.


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## turkeywing (Oct 18, 2001)

1976 blazer converted to a pickup 350 trans, 350 motor 1 extra leaf spring in front , 9' western with TURK-KEY WINGS is a plowing machine no troubles used for alottttttt of years.

Rod


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## RAZOR (Dec 19, 2001)

94 GMC 1500, 7.5 Western Pro plow. 315,000 km very few problems, still has the original tranny, transfer case, rear diff. and most of the front end parts(put on a idler arm and a pitman arm).I wouldn't hesitate for a second buying another one. My Bronco on the other hand is another story.

Razor


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Mine has about 140k miles and we replaced Idler arm twice i believe over the years and Pitman arm once few weeks ago. Hey Razor, did you do the Pitman arm yourself? Fun job wasnt it? I was cursing the whole time, everything was in the way, working upside down and backwards and everything is loaded with grease too. Dirty messy job and the steering box had to be unbolted also to be able to get a puller on the Pitman arm. Not the hardest thing in the world to do, but 2wd Chevy pickups are wayyyyyyyy easier to do. Mike


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## speedracer241 (Oct 13, 2001)

*I've got ya all beat*

I plow with an 82 Dodge 1/2 ton with a 4 speed 
Plus it has the tower of power slant 6 
Believe it or not it works pretty well except reverse is way slow.
If I had my choice I would have a 3/4 tonner with a v plow but its what I had and what the budget will allow for now.

I like my 1/2 ton
Mark K


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## wall's (Oct 15, 2002)

I have a 99 1/2 ton and have the snow way 7 1/2 and it is fine.


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## casey (May 14, 2001)

Most contractors around here run 1/2 tons. They're everywhere after a fall. One I know of has been running at least 6 seasons.


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## Jerre Heyer (Mar 19, 2002)

First to MIKE 97 SS have you heard of a car / pressure wash to remove all that crud before you start a job on the truck? Sure saves alot of rags and cleaning.

As to the question posed on the CHEVE. Have mounted lots of plows on the 88-98 CHEVE / GMC's. Most are no problem. The key is to use the lightest plow you can for what you have to do. This holds for any vehicle mount.

The short beds give excellent turning radius. What we have run into is too heavy a plow results in PITMAN arms as already noted and POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. You will want weight in the rear to get some of the extra weight off the front end. You may want to depending on budget want to replace the torsion bars with 3/4 ton bars. You can get away with just turning them up in most instances.

FYI Plow weights on 7.5's std plows

Western steel 595 poly 615
Fisher Steel 615 poly 645 
Boss Steel with rapitachIII 620# avg ( they have a lighter one coming available )
Sno-Way 593 lb avg in steel
BLIZZARD 550 lb

Sno-Way and BLIZZARD put all the weight on the blade the others leave a lot hanging on the truck ( lift frame and pump )

Just .02 

Don't shy away from the short bed you will be happy with it. 

Jerre


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## RAZOR (Dec 19, 2001)

Mike 97 SS

No I didn't replace the pitman arm myself, I'm lucky I have 3 buddys who are mechanics. I think the only resean I it had to be replaced is that the skid-plate hid the grease nipple so it didn't get greased too often. But I remember him swearing a few times while he was changing it so it must have been a hard task.

Razor


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## Nova (Jan 29, 2002)

'98 GMC 1500 Z71 6.5 Turbo Diesel, Western 7.5' Standard.

Last winter was the first year, so far so good. No problems to report, truck seems to handle the plow just fine even with the extra weight of the diesel, putting Timbrens on before this season though to help with front end sag.


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## t4dodge (Oct 10, 2002)

1999 2.7L Toyota Tacoma X-Cab "1/2 ton"








--personal use only--

Just waiting for my 2nd season...


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

> _Originally posted by RYAN SMITH _
> *If it was me i would never plow with a half ton they are just not built heavy enough *


Guess I better not put this one on the road!


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## sonjaab (Jul 29, 2001)

GM 1/2 tons will plow great and work hard. I
have had several.......This time I had to go to
3/4 ton because Gm does not offer plow prep
on 1/2 ex-cabs......They will NOT honor warranty
service on plow related breakage ie; motor,
trans, etc.......on a non prep pkg. equipped
truck ( as many other mfrs. do also).......geo


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## Bryan (Mar 17, 2001)

Personally I would look at a 7.5 Hyzod Sno-Way with DP. The benefit is that it is lighter and it will give you a 250lbs. of down pressure on the cutting edge and Sno-Way just came out with a new 5 year warranty. Also the design of the the plow is that the subframe will take all the abuse not your truck frame. My husband use to be the Sno-Way rep until he died in august. We have seen them on S-10's, Jeeps, Rangers etc. And you are a step above those trucks. So go for it. You shouldn't have a problem with it. Hope this helps.


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## JCurtis (May 14, 2001)

*I am currently running a 86 K10*

One of My trucks is an 1986 Chevy K10 Long bed, w/ auto trans. I have a 7.5 foot Fisher with snow foil mounted to it.

Plows like a champ... never had any problems. I also plow with a 89 Chevy 1/2 ton short bed and several K5 Blazers.

They work all the time.

For the amount of work you say you will be doing... you should be just fine.

Someone told me this a long time ago

"Sometimes its the Driver ... NOT the truck that is inadequate !"


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## 95LongHaul (Oct 17, 2002)

*Thanx!*

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Real experiences with this setup. I didn't expect such a strong response!

Thanks for all your replies! I am going to stop at the dealer today.


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## bubble boy (Aug 8, 2001)

for those who are reading this, what has been said is true:you can run a 1/2 ton, and i do

long haul already has a 1/2 ton, and can in all likelihood get away with plowing.

BUT for those in the market for a new truck, also understand that 3/4, or more ideally one tons will perform, in general, better. id much prefer to be runnin our 2500 HD in a storm than our 1/2 ton. and warrenty work easier.

not much more $. just felt that info would be valuable to those looking for a new truck.


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Yea, i agree 100%. If i was in the market for a brand new truck, which im not cause im perfectly happy with mine for now, i wouldnt get a 1/2 ton again. Id get a 2500/250 or 3500/350. Not cause i feel this one has ever let me down, but would be nice to know you have something even better and even stronger with a bigger motor and able to take an even bigger more heavy duty plow. So i definitely agree with the above statement, but for anyone who already has a 1/2 ton and wants to plow with it, go right ahead, it will work just fine. Mike


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

I agree with most on here - use what you've got. For those who tell you it won't work, tell them when they buy you a 2500/3500 you'll gladly put a plow on it. I have a 1/2 ton '90 Dodge and a 1 ton '96 Chevy that I plow with. Both went into the shop for maintenance last month. The bill for each was about the same. The Dodge got more done to it, but each thing on the Chevy cost more.


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## LB Landscaping (Sep 4, 2002)

I''ve got a 2001 Chevy half ton with a Fisher 7.5 on it and it plows fine. Does have quite a bit of front-end sag but I plan on putting Timbrens on to help out.


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## jimsmowin (Jul 28, 2000)

counter weight the rear with 3-4 hundred pounds. truck will be fine. all mine are the 3/4 or above. but know a lot of people who use them. trans cooler with aimsoil last almost fore ever! go to it


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## Jerre Heyer (Mar 19, 2002)

Alan,

Hurry, Pull that truck off the road. Your scaring me. HA!!!!!!!!

Nice rig. Looks like an all year user. Jerre


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## 95LongHaul (Oct 17, 2002)

> _Originally posted by jimsmowin _
> *counter weight the rear with 3-4 hundred pounds. truck will be fine.*


Excuse the obvious question, but, besides extra traction, what will the weight do? Is it important for the truck itself?


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## SnoJob67 (Sep 3, 2001)

The rear weight will counteract the effect the plow has on an already front heavy vehicle. Strapping on a plow combined with having front wheels, gives a vehicle a fulcrum action, in effect, lifting weight off the rear of the vehicle.

There are at least two benefits of this that I can think of. First, you have better traction as you mentioned. Also, you help to lower the rear of the truck, which helps to raise the front of the truck, counteracting some of the sag from the plow.


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

> _Originally posted by Jerre Heyer _
> *
> 
> Nice rig. Looks like an all year user. Jerre *


Thanks Jerre,

That one is an 88, the buildup of the body is detailed on Chuck Smith's website. There's another S-10 in the fleet as well, a 91. Both are shortbeds with 4.3L, 700R4 transmissions and something like 3.42 axle gears. Both carry 8' Sno-Way front plows. As shown the 88 is packing a Snow-Ex 1075 tailgate spreader. It is wired to carry a 7'6" Snowman pull plow as well, but the Snowman has been riding on the back of the 91. I put in the pull plow wiring on the 88 "just in case".

These two small trucks generate a tremendous amount of revenue and are the reason I tend to scoff at the "only a 3/4 ton" crowd. Two years ago we had a March storm that dumped 27" on us in about 36 hours. Our '97 K2500 tossed a tranny early in the game so the little trucks handled the whole storm. The worst problem was that with the big truck down we lost use of our vee plow. That was rough in places where the banks had gotten closed in on us from earlier storms. The straight blades couldn't bust through where I think the vee would have.

We used to run a K1500 with a 305. That one was traded for the K2500 to give us more load carrying capacity so that we could run a vee box. Other than that I can see no difference between the 1500 and 2500 series. Fact is we've run the old 1500 against the S, both with 8' plows and found NO practical difference in capability. I know this is a bit inflamatory, but I'll put either of our toy trucks up against any pickup with an 8' straight blade and I am confident I can match production with them.

I'll be the first to agree that vee plows are more productive and they need a heavier chassis to carry the weight. This year we'll be running two of them, one on the K2500 and a second on an 88 K3500 SRW.

Now if I can just find a couple warm bodies to put behind the wheel so I can sit back an play boss.


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## Bigcee (Sep 27, 2001)

Been pushing for four years with my 98 GMC Sierra short body with 7.5 Fisher, No problems good luck with yours. Bigcee :waving:


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## 95LongHaul (Oct 17, 2002)

> _Originally posted by SnoJob67 _


I forgot to mention I am having LoadBusters installed. Would you still recommend 3-4 hundred?


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## JCurtis (May 14, 2001)

*Those Vuhhhhhhhhhmontah's are a proud bunch!*



Alan, you imflammatory??? never!

Just curious, how's your six is feeling? I hope you've healed.

I would never bet against you going one on one with a 1/2 - 3/4 ton and a straight blade.

What else you building up there in mountains?


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## sonjaab (Jul 29, 2001)

95........Hey I see you made it here ! This IS the place!
It took me a couple of readings (duh) to remember
you from the other site...........
Welcome to plowsite...keep postin' and PRAY for snow.
..........geo


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

Jeff, 

Thanks for asking. The Ol' Butt Ox is not healing as well as I'd like. Pretty much back to normal color but I broke down and went back to Doc Sawbones yesterday and there is a bit of concern that it's trying to develop an abcess. NOT something I particularly look forward to. Remember, it is better to be a PITA than to have a PITA.

As for things I'm building, high on the list is a new hydroseeder with a full platform and handrails around the tank and a couple ship ladders to make the vertical movement a bit less chancy fer us old farts.


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## firefighter (Oct 23, 2002)

*1/2 ton truck*

I plow with a 1977 chevy truck that I bought new in 1977. The plow is a boss V 8'2. I have plowed with this truck from day one with a new Meyer's plow.:waving:


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

Been plowing with chevy half tons for 7 years.Zero problems,Had a 90',a 95'ext.cab and now a 99'ext.cab old body style 350 autos with timbrens in the front and tranny cooler with 7.5 fisher minute mount and would not hesitate to plow anywhere,Regardless of what truck/plow combo you use,spend the extra couple bucks on the handheld controll,worth every penny!Don't let anyone tell you that you cant plow with a half ton!I saw somewere here where somebody said sometimes it's the operator,not the equipment that's wrong!


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## SlimJim Z71 (Nov 8, 2000)

I plowed the last two years with a Chevy K1500 extended-cab Z71, and the only problems I've had were engine related (EGR-valve, fuel pump, oxygen sensors). Do they handle a plow as well as a 3/4-ton? Probably not... but with a set of Timbrens and/or some ballast in the back, you'll do just fine. Especially only on a few driveways. I was doing a large commercial lot with mine... which is 24-miles away.

Air up your tires, throw some weight in the back, and go make some money.


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## JCurtis (May 14, 2001)

> "Sometimes its the driver... NOT the truck that is inadequate"


I made that comment... and I standby it. There is plenty of evidence to substantiate that you can plow with everything from a Jeep CJ , Chevy S10, Ford Ranger ... Or an OSHKOSH with wing plows.

A experienced driver can operate any kind of plow vehicle with great success, while you can put an inexperienced driver in whatever one considers the "Dream PLow Vehicle" and all they will do is make a mess.

I have experienced this first hand when I had a former Supervisor tell me that he could do a better job at plowing than I could.

I immediately got out of the truck, handed him the keys and proceeded to watch him make a complete A**hole out of himself while he plowed the same area in 10 different directions for a 1/2 hour, not accomplishing a damn thing but making a mess.

I finally stopped him, got back in the truck and cleaned the same area he putzed around with for 30 minutes in 5 minutes.

The vehicle in use was a 1978 half ton dodge power wagon 
sno commander. So My point is valid...

SOMETIMES It is the Driver... Not the truck that is inadequate for the job.


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## pelican briefs (Feb 4, 2002)

*Half ton yes, no, maybe?*

Hello guys,
Seems the more I read about the smaller trucks, the more confused I get. I guess the half tons will handle a plow, but some dealers will honor a warranty, most won't. For what they want for a new truck [one arm one leg], I guess it's time to think about a late model used one. I figure part of what I'm paying the big bucks for is years of worry free operation.
I called a few plow dealers to see how they feel about mounting a plow on a half ton. Some won't touch an extended cab, or anything larger than a conventional cab. Others will mount it on any kind of truck. Still others insist that I have them install beefier springs, or they won't install the plow. I'm sure this has been hashed to death already. Maybe that's the problem. Anyway, good luck to all. It's supposed to be a bad winter, by bad I mean tons of snow. I guess I'll have to re-think this half ton thing again.


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

Sorry for the miss quote Jeff,I couldnt agree more,theres no substitute for expierience,you really need to know your vehicles limits.


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## long0 (Jul 11, 2002)

Jeff hit it perfect. Not only does plowing depend on the driver not the truck, but most everything does, whether it be pushing dirt with a dozer, or digging a water line with a backhoe. There is no substitute for experience. 

Everybody has there special niche. For some people it is plowing, for others it is scratching their a**. Alright maybe that was a little overboard, but you get my point.

Almost any vehicle that has a ladder type frame will plow snow, but only the driver can make that vehicle profitable. payup 

Andy


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