# Plowing driveways with a mason dump- and 9' straight blade?



## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Hi All-

My business has been expansing pretty consistently the last couple years, and I'm at the point where we usually take both my pickups out to plow (we're doing 75 residential drives right now- with walk shoveling- about 6-7 hours per truck in a good storm). I feel like it would be a wise decision to mount a plow up to my 2012 GMC 3500HD mason dump as a "backup" to my pickups (as they're both getting up there in age and mileage and if one goes down in a big storm I'm going to be sweating bullets hoping that the other doesn't have a problem), but my question us, how much "worse" am I going to be as far as maneuverability, traction, etc. with a dually mason dump with a 9' blade versus my pickups with 8' blades? Anyone out there use mason dumps exclusively for drives? 

I'm leaning towards a Western Pro Plus 9' for the mason dump- was quoted $5,750 plus tax installed- good price? Good plow for mostly drives?

Thanks!

Matt


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## GMCHD plower (Nov 27, 2009)

Having plowing with a few friends Mason dumps, they plow pretty good as long as you have plenty of weight in the back. Obviously visibility is less than a pickup, takes some getting used to. I would consider putting another Fisher straight blade on the Mason dump so that you have interchangeability between all your trucks.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

GMCHD plower;1895053 said:


> Having plowing with a few friends Mason dumps, they plow pretty good as long as you have plenty of weight in the back. Obviously visibility is less than a pickup, takes some getting used to. I would consider putting another Fisher straight blade on the Mason dump so that you have interchangeability between all your trucks.


That's what I was thinking- load up the bed with some concrete blocks, etc.

I like the fishers, but westerns back drag better, and a new fisher wouldn't be compatible with my older ones, so going western wouldn't really hurt interchangeability since I couldn't put an existing plow on this truck and visa versa...


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

I plowed drives with a chevy 3500 dump with a 8'6 plow and an international 4700 with a 10 plow,no problem.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

I dont see an issue with the mason dump other then less viability. I think its a good business choice


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

Did driveways with a 1 ton dump and a vee plow for years and years, never had an issue. If you don't need it to haul anything in the winter I'd take the tailgate off too.


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## JTVLandscaping (Jan 1, 2010)

leigh;1895078 said:


> i plowed drives with a chevy 3500 dump with a 8'6 plow and an international 4700 with a 10 plow,no problem.











*make way for the plow king!*


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I don't think you'll have much more trouble than you have now. It's obviously not ideal for driveways, but it'll get the job done as a backup.

I'd be tempted to set it up on a 4 hour commercial route if you can market commercial stuff.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

JTVLandscaping;1895103 said:


> View attachment 140042
> 
> 
> *make way for the plow king!*


Hey,you found an old pic of me! But I've downsized,its now a little gmc 4500 with 10' plow and 11' bed lol


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Thanks for the input guys- thoughts on plow size? I'm leaning towards 9', but seems some guys run 8.5' plows on one dumps?


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## gtmustang00 (Feb 23, 2010)

Go with the 9ft. You'll like it if you have any curved or circles/islands to go around.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

If I were buying a new one, 9 foot for sure!


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## JimMarshall (Jan 25, 2013)

We plow drives with any and all of the equipment in my signature


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Ok thanks for the info guys- sounds like it will do just fine with a 9' straight blade on it. 

My other thought was to replace my oldest truck with a brand new one, new plow, but at $45K+ for a whole new setup, I think a new blade on my mason dump is a better bet…. and I can probably get another couple years out of the 'ol '03!


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## Glenn Lawn Care (Sep 28, 2009)

I've seen a company here in Minnesota plowing a driveway with a tandem axle dump truck right across the street from my house.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

Glenn Lawn Care;1895858 said:


> I've seen a company here in Minnesota plowing a driveway with a tandem axle dump truck right across the street from my house.


Sounds like a pain in the ass


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## vmj (Nov 17, 2008)

I been plowing with a mason dump for 22 years now... always had an 8'6 fisher and a sander on.. My neck does hurt more now that im older from costanly looking side to side in mirrors... lol I just up grade truck and to a 9' V this year... Havnt used it yet...


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## dstifel (Dec 27, 2012)

Just an idea I have a truck (my personal one) that has mounts and wired but have no plow. It is soley a backup as one of my trucks is older and plow is new. Obviously not a great plan if plows are older though.


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## TPCLandscaping (Jan 19, 2012)

i've plowed with my 3500 ram (crew cab w/ a dump bed)… it does ok on residential and it had a 9' straight blade..i've switched it over to a 9.5' V now. I would go with a V plow instead


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## D&JsLawn (Jul 22, 2011)

I plow them with my GMC. It's not ideal but it gets the job done. The Blizzard makes it nice because you can do some driveways in one pass


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

mkwl;1895041 said:


> Hi All-
> 
> My business has been expansing pretty consistently the last couple years, and I'm at the point where we usually take both my pickups out to plow (we're doing 75 residential drives right now- with walk shoveling- about 6-7 hours per truck in a good storm). I feel like it would be a wise decision to mount a plow up to my 2012 GMC 3500HD mason dump as a "backup" to my pickups (as they're both getting up there in age and mileage and if one goes down in a big storm I'm going to be sweating bullets hoping that the other doesn't have a problem), but my question us, how much "worse" am I going to be as far as maneuverability, traction, etc. with a dually mason dump with a 9' blade versus my pickups with 8' blades? Anyone out there use mason dumps exclusively for drives?
> 
> ...


I paid $5400.00 for a 9.6 MVP installed 
Thinking you can buy a 9ft pro plus for 4300-4500
Shop around


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Instead of a 9ft plow why not put a 8-10 on it. As far as plowing with a dump, we did for a couple years without issue.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Antlerart06;1897115 said:


> I paid $5400.00 for a 9.6 MVP installed
> Thinking you can buy a 9ft pro plus for 4300-4500
> Shop around


Maybe a Pro, not a Pro Plus...I paid more than that in October 2011 for an 8.5 Pro Plus. Pro Plus and MVP are within 400 dollars of each other.


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## V_Scapes (Jan 1, 2011)

I started doing drives with my mason dump and 9' blade, its a real pain in my opinion, bad visibility, bad turn radius and if theres alot of snow on the street it makes it tough to get into driveways. If you have some easy straight pushes itll work but a truck like that is best for parking lots, you can move alot of snow with a 9'.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

John_DeereGreen;1897432 said:


> Maybe a Pro, not a Pro Plus...I paid more than that in October 2011 for an 8.5 Pro Plus. Pro Plus and MVP are within 400 dollars of each other.


Well I can check again I price one last year for a guy and it was 4,400 for 9 ft But he end up going with a 9.6 MVP

When I bought my Pro plus 8.5 it was 3800+ the wing kit + tax was under 4500 
If you paid more then you need to shop around Bigger the dealer is the better the price is

Once my newest V comes in I'll show you invoice of it


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## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

I "cut my teeth" plowing with an old 2 yard dump tuck. I just took the tailgate and sideboards off for the winter, and to be honest, it was unstoppable. I dind't use or need any weight in the bed, the dump bed itself and the 4X4 was plenty. For those that say it's too big for driveways, they have a point, but it's not that big of a deal IMO. I actually plowed a ton of sidewalks with that same truck, as we had a crazy heavy winter, and it was one of the smallest pieces of equipment we had.............


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Antlerart06;1897941 said:


> Well I can check again I price one last year for a guy and it was 4,400 for 9 ft But he end up going with a 9.6 MVP
> 
> When I bought my Pro plus 8.5 it was 3800+ the wing kit + tax was under 4500
> If you paid more then you need to shop around Bigger the dealer is the better the price is
> ...


How long ago? I called every dealer within 5 hours of our shop and everyone was right around the same price, even ESI who is supposedly sooooo much cheaper than everyone else that sells the stuff.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Talking with a couple other guys I'm on the fence now between a V plow and a straight blade- couple guys I spoke to run 8.5' western and fisher v-plows on 3500 mason dumps- they say they're easier to maneuver in driveways and better for lots (if i added lots down the road)? 

Thoughts? Only a couple hundred $ more for a 8.5' Western MVP plus versus a 9' Pro plow...


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## terrain1 (Nov 27, 2011)

I plow 45 drives with an f350 dump and a 9'6" xv2. The set up works great for me but none of my drives are that tight. It is then an great set up to go do the couple parking lots that I plow. I think any truck in the 3/4 to 1 ton range has limited maneuverability so the dump will not make much difference other than some visibility, but if you take the side boards and tailgate off its not that bad.


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## CAT 245ME (Sep 10, 2006)

I'd take the V over a straight blade any day, they come in handy in really deep snow. 

On my plow route there is a guy with an 01 Ram 3500 Cummins extended cab dually with a bit of a suspension lift and 9'6 Fisher extreme V, he puts that big truck into some tight spaces just fine. You just gotta get use to operating it.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Get a V. You can make a straight blade out of a V, but you can't make a V from a straight. Scoop mode is great for stacking and breaking up piles


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Put a deposit on a 8.5' Western MVP-Plus- seems like a no brainer being $125 more than a 9' straight blade, allows me to rest a little easier when we get larger storms knowing I can bust drives open even if they get really deep/drifted.


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## terrain1 (Nov 27, 2011)

good choice you will be happy with it.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

mkwl;1907954 said:


> Put a deposit on a 8.5' Western MVP-Plus- seems like a no brainer being $125 more than a 9' straight blade, allows me to rest a little easier when we get larger storms knowing I can bust drives open even if they get really deep/drifted.


I've got the same one; great plow. I have Western wings for it - really helps putting the snow right where you want it.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Why do you feel you'll have traction issues? It weights more then your other 2 trucks and it's 4x4. I have an 07 with a mason dump and MVP Plus 8'6". It plows great.


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## Shade Tree NJ (Dec 26, 2010)

If go with pro plus I highly recommend the western OEM wings. Invested in a set of them last year and don't know I how ever plowed, lots or driveways w/o them! They do add a foot total to the plow.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

mkwl;1907422 said:


> Talking with a couple other guys I'm on the fence now between a V plow and a straight blade- couple guys I spoke to run 8.5' western and fisher v-plows on 3500 mason dumps- they say they're easier to maneuver in driveways and better for lots (if i added lots down the road)?
> 
> Thoughts? Only a couple hundred $ more for a 8.5' Western MVP plus versus a 9' Pro plow...


You should bought the 9.6 The 8.6 wont hardly cut the tracks out When you go windrowing your back out side tire will driving on the wind row


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Antlerart06;1909521 said:


> You should bought the 9.6 The 8.6 wont hardly cut the tracks out When you go windrowing your back out side tire will driving on the wind row


9.5 would be too big for my application- need the v so I can squeeze into tight spaces- I'd have an even harder time doijg that with a 9.5


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

mkwl;1909561 said:


> 9.5 would be too big for my application- need the v so I can squeeze into tight spaces- I'd have an even harder time doijg that with a 9.5


I run 9.6 on 2 Duallies one is a dump flat bed other just flat bed and I can plow between park cars in a lot Those spots are tight

Now if You have a SRW truck a 8.6 V fits that truck

You will see once you get it what I mean about the rear tires driving on the snow

Good Luck 
Have a Merry Christmas


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## Mike NY (Feb 2, 2009)

Agreed 9'6'' for DRW. 
My '07 F-450 DRW Dump 9'6'' turns better than my '10 F-350 PU.


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## V_Scapes (Jan 1, 2011)

mkwl;1909561 said:


> 9.5 would be too big for my application- need the v so I can squeeze into tight spaces- I'd have an even harder time doijg that with a 9.5


Grab a nice SnowEx tailgate salter and pick up a couple small lots for that rig


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

At full angle you won't be driving in the windrow. We have the same plow on our 07 cab and chassis and we're fine. Our box is 88" wide and the wheels sit inside it.


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## dcamp824 (Dec 21, 2009)

If you have any drives with circles, a 1 ton is a real pain almost impossible to make the turn radius without damaging lawn.. we do all commercial and after the last storm we had my boss asked me to stop at one of his friends houses and hit their driveway with a 2014 3500hd with a 9.5 xv2 and it was a super nice house with a circle drive in the front and it was impossible to get through it.. and I have been plowing with 1tons for 14yrs and put that thing in some tight spaces.


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## AG09 (Aug 21, 2010)

mkwl;1907954 said:


> Put a deposit on a 8.5' Western MVP-Plus- seems like a no brainer being $125 more than a 9' straight blade, allows me to rest a little easier when we get larger storms knowing I can bust drives open even if they get really deep/drifted.


Good choice on going with a v plow. After I purchased my first one I never looked back. Definitely worth the extra money. Where you getting it installed? Did you look at the stainless version?


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

AG09;1910475 said:


> Good choice on going with a v plow. After I purchased my first one I never looked back. Definitely worth the extra money. Where you getting it installed? Did you look at the stainless version?


Thanks- installed on the 31st- I did, but couldn't justify the extra $$ and really don't need the taller wings on the newest version….

So the consensus seem to be the 8.5' won't be too narrow for the dually mason dump?


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## dieseld (Dec 30, 2005)

mkwl;1910564 said:


> Thanks- installed on the 31st- I did, but couldn't justify the extra $$ and really don't need the taller wings on the newest version….
> 
> So the consensus seem to be the 8.5' won't be too narrow for the dually mason dump?


I have not read the whole thread so flame away on me, but you are going to totally regret getting a 8'6" V instead of a 9'6" V. I would be surprised if you did not regret it halfway through the first storm. If the 9'6" is too large, you are thinking too small.


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## WilliamOak (Feb 11, 2008)

dieseld;1910685 said:


> I have not read the whole thread so flame away on me, but you are going to totally regret getting a 8'6" V instead of a 9'6" V. I would be surprised if you did not regret it halfway through the first storm. If the 9'6" is too large, you are thinking too small.


What he said. I wouldn't even go back to under a 9' on a Srw. Even the 810 last yr felt small at times 8611lp this year on a Srw. Bigger plow in "smaller areas" makes it easier being able to swing the plow in and keeps the truck further away from those sneaky posts and trees.


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

If it isn't wide enough put wings on it. It's really that simple. I swear some people on this site would put a 12' plow on a one ton if they could. That 8.5 will be fine for plowing driveways and small to medium sized lots.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

peteo1;1910863 said:


> If it isn't wide enough put wings on it. It's really that simple. I swear some people on this site would put a 12' plow on a one ton if they could. That 8.5 will be fine for plowing driveways and small to medium sized lots.


Only a 12'! That's half ton sizing!wesport


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

peteo1;1910863 said:


> If it isn't wide enough put wings on it. It's really that simple. I swear some people on this site would put a 12' plow on a one ton if they could. That 8.5 will be fine for plowing driveways and small to medium sized lots.


No kidding. Our biggest blade is 8.5 before wings. The 3 v plows are all 10 feet including wings. I'll be running an 11 foot including the wings next year just to see if the extra production is worth the headache.

I doubt it with having an Ebling.


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## AG09 (Aug 21, 2010)

mkwl;1910564 said:


> Thanks- installed on the 31st- I did, but couldn't justify the extra $$ and really don't need the taller wings on the newest version….
> 
> So the consensus seem to be the 8.5' won't be too narrow for the dually mason dump?


Gotcha. Who's installing it?

Btw I saw you in Wayne a couple months back, did you do a job there?


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

AG09;1911267 said:


> Gotcha. Who's installing it?
> 
> Btw I saw you in Wayne a couple months back, did you do a job there?


Traffic Safety in Mahwah. Yup did a planing and small grading job in Wayne back in July.


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## LadderCo2 (Dec 23, 2014)

leigh;1895078 said:


> I plowed drives with a chevy 3500 dump with a 8'6 plow and an international 4700 with a 10 plow,no problem.


I agree with Leigh. I have done the same in a Dodge 3500 dump w/under tailgate spreader, and International 4700 w/dump and v-box spreader. My word of caution would be selecting your driver carefully. The International blade width and height of rig require a good awareness of your EXACT location. A good pair of heated mirrors will make things safer.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

After doing some measuring on the truck seems an 8.5 is going to be too narrow after all . So we are doing a 9' pro plus instead- it has fleet flex so I could always sell or swap the straight blade for a v if needed down the road...


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## dieseld (Dec 30, 2005)

Hmmm. Interesting. Very. But hey, I am probably one of those people who would put a 12' plow on if I could. Best of luck, as you are still making an unproductive decision.


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## AG09 (Aug 21, 2010)

mkwl;1913405 said:


> After doing some measuring on the truck seems an 8.5 is going to be too narrow after all . So we are doing a 9' pro plus instead- it has fleet flex so I could always sell or swap the straight blade for a v if needed down the road...


Your other option as some one suggested previously is to get the v plow with the wings. Even though it has fleet flex are the control modules the same for the v and straight blade plows?


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

dieseld;1913448 said:


> Hmmm. Interesting. Very. But hey, I am probably one of those people who would put a 12' plow on if I could. Best of luck, as you are still making an unproductive decision.


How am I making an unproductive decision? The truck is going to be doing mainly driveways- a wide out would be totally unnecessary and anything larger than a 9' would be too wide to fit in some driveways even at full angle


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

AG09;1913503 said:


> Your other option as some one suggested previously is to get the v plow with the wings. Even though it has fleet flex are the control modules the same for the v and straight blade plows?


That's true but I'm
Not really keen on adding more "stuff" to the plow- more things to get bent/broken/lost . I believe everything is completely interchangeable...


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## dieseld (Dec 30, 2005)

mkwl;1913566 said:


> How am I making an unproductive decision? The truck is going to be doing mainly driveways- a wide out would be totally unnecessary and anything larger than a 9' would be too wide to fit in some driveways even at full angle


As someone said earlier, bigger the plow,easier to do the job without damaging anything. You are driving a dump truck to do driveways(a little unproductive, but it is what you have, so use it),why not make your job easier with a V plow? You are buying a new plow, why not get something that can do everything better and easier and faster? We all plow driveways with our V plows from time to time and I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who said "gosh a straight blade would make this easier". Again, just my opinion and I have already spoken more than I would like to on this subject so I am out. I truly wish you a financially productive decision and season and apologize for sounding disrespectful.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

dieseld;1913579 said:


> As someone said earlier, bigger the plow,easier to do the job without damaging anything. You are driving a dump truck to do driveways(a little unproductive, but it is what you have, so use it),why not make your job easier with a V plow? You are buying a new plow, why not get something that can do everything better and easier and faster? We all plow driveways with our V plows from time to time and I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who said "gosh a straight blade would make this easier". Again, just my opinion and I have already spoken more than I would like to on this subject so I am out. I truly wish you a financially productive decision and season and apologize for sounding disrespectful.


Now after looking again at the truck he is using Maybe 8.6 is all the dealer would sell him


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## CAT 245ME (Sep 10, 2006)

mkwl;1913569 said:


> That's true but I'm
> Not really keen on adding more "stuff" to the plow- more things to get bent/broken/lost . I believe everything is completely interchangeable...


I'd keep the 8'6 V and just add the wings, it really isn't that bad once you use them in driveways. My main truck is a 99 RAM 2500 ECSB, I run a Boss 8'2" V with Boss wings to make it 10' wide as well as an 8' Daniels pull plow. I do 90% driveways in the city that some are pretty tight but once your use to the size of the truck and blade it's pretty simple. One thing I like about adding the wings is you can remove the windrow left by the city pretty quick with the extra reach to let homeowners out.

Lastly, I can honestly say that I have put a Cat 972H loader in a city driveway, if I can do that, anything is doable.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

CAT 245ME;1913663 said:


> I'd keep the 8'6 V and just add the wings, it really isn't that bad once you use them in driveways. My main truck is a 99 RAM 2500 ECSB, I run a Boss 8'2" V with Boss wings to make it 10' wide as well as an 8' Daniels pull plow. I do 90% driveways in the city that some are pretty tight but once your use to the size of the truck and blade it's pretty simple. One thing I like about adding the wings is you can remove the windrow left by the city pretty quick with the extra reach to let homeowners out.
> 
> Lastly, I can honestly say that I have put a Cat 972H loader in a city driveway, if I can do that, anything is doable.


Decided to stick with the 8.5' MVP-plus- should be just wide enough to cover my tracks in full V and fully angled- if needed I can always add the wings.

Should be done tomorrow afternoon- anxious to play with it!


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## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

western wings suck imo. Way to flimsy. I dunno, I used just about every combination of plows for driveways/commercial plowing. I'm sorry but a 9'6" plow is even too small sometimes. Once you buy the 8'6" plow theres no turning back. Anybody that runs a 8'6" blade on a dually is silly. In the 90s fine. But its 2015 now


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

dieseld;1913448 said:


> Hmmm. Interesting. Very. But hey, I am probably one of those people who would put a 12' plow on if I could. Best of luck, as you are still making an unproductive decision.


Same here ,,, size does matter .... She said


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