# Having trouble identifying my Western snowplow



## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

Hey guys I'm new to plows and anything related to them. I just bought a snow plow yesterday and I never got a whole lot of info on it from the guy I bought it from. I'm trying to identify which Western model it is so I can buy the correct truck mount for it and the other remaining parts. It's going on a 1/2 ton 94 GMC 4x4. All I know is it's 7.5 ft and it's not anything super new. It's in pretty good shape and I got a great deal on it. I'll attach some pictures and hopefully someone can help me out because I have searched all over the place and just haven't found anything that looks like what I have and there's no identifiers on the plow or frames.




























Thanks!


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks like a conventional plow assy.

Mount looks to be homemade.
Going to have a hard time finding the correct mount as they stopped making those YEARS ago...used only is your option


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

dieselss said:


> Looks like a conventional plow assy.
> 
> Mount looks to be homemade.
> Going to have a hard time finding the correct mount as they stopped making those YEARS ago...used only is your option


I'm pretty sure the pump mount is factory. Pretty nice for it to be homemade. At least in my opinion. How hard would it be to make a custom mount for my application? I'm not looking to spend more than 500 dollars on a mount because at that point, I could probably find a used unimount plow for what I would pay for the mount plus the cost of the plow. If I can get a mount for cheaper than 500 or make one, I'd like To keep the plow. It's in good shape for as old as it is and has new parts.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Austin1994GMC said:


> I'm pretty sure the pump mount is factory. Pretty nice for it to be homemade. At least in my opinion. How hard would it be to make a custom mount for my application? I'm not looking to spend more than 500 dollars on a mount because at that point, I could probably find a used unimount plow for what I would pay for the mount plus the cost of the plow. If I can get a mount for cheaper than 500 or make one, I'd like To keep the plow. It's in good shape for as old as it is and has new parts.












This is the mount that he is referring to that he says looks to be a custom build.

Headgear looks factory from where I sit. Missing the headlight legs, but looks to be factory.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Austin1994GMC said:


> How hard would it be to make a custom mount for my application?


If you have to ask, too hard.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Austin1994GMC said:


> I'm pretty sure the pump mount is factory. Pretty nice for it to be homemade. At least in my opinion. How hard would it be to make a custom mount for my application? I'm not looking to spend more than 500 dollars on a mount because at that point, I could probably find a used unimount plow for what I would pay for the mount plus the cost of the plow. If I can get a mount for cheaper than 500 or make one, I'd like To keep the plow. It's in good shape for as old as it is and has new parts.


Finding it is going to be the tougher part than paying for it. They haven't been made in many years and any of them you find are likely to be old and rotted.

Also, I can't tell for certain from the photo but it looks like the control cables have been cut, so you are going to need new cables and presumably the controller & solenoid as well.


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

cwren2472 said:


> Finding it is going to be the tougher part than paying for it. They haven't been made in many years and any of them you find are likely to be old and rotted.
> 
> Also, I can't tell for certain from the photo but it looks like the control cables have been cut, so you are going to need new cables and presumably the controller & solenoid as well.


I have the controller and two brand new cables. They are on the floor on the left side of the plow in a few of the pictures. I don't have a solenoid but those are cheap enough to buy.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Austin1994GMC said:


> I have the controller and two brand new cables. They are on the floor on the left side of the plow in a few of the pictures. I don't have a solenoid but those are cheap enough to buy.


That controller isn't one I recognize but yes, I do see the cables and controller now. My bad.


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

Philbilly2 said:


> View attachment 215717
> 
> 
> This is the mount that he is referring to that he says looks to be a custom build.
> ...


Oh okay. I'll take a look at it when I get back home and see what I can figure out. I'm just new to this and trying to learn as I go. The guy did tell me it came off of an older Chevy like mine but I was under the impression I'd have to buy a truck side mount basically like what the unimount and up snowplows use.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Austin1994GMC said:


> Oh okay. I'll take a look at it when I get back home and see what I can figure out. I'm just new to this and trying to learn as I go. The guy did tell me it came off of an older Chevy like mine but I was under the impression I'd have to buy a truck side mount basically like what the unimount and up snowplows use.


If it came off an older chevy like yours than you might have the mount you need. It does not look like the one from the factory to me, but I also have not seen one in at least 20 years if not more.

Those years the frames were GMT400 - they were the same from 88-98 as a general number and all they way up to 2002 on some of the 1 tons

Here is what the factory mount for that plow on your truck looks like


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Being your budget is 500.00, you might want to try installing the mount you have now. Pull the pins, take the mount and see if it mounts up to the truck rails, if it does your half done. Then take motor mount and see if you can slide it in on top of the truck rails.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

I'm thinking late seventies, probably International Scout. I think the controller is missing the floor bracket


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

http://library.westernplows.com/westernplows/pdffiles/13508_110790.pdf


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Where are you located OP?


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

Western1 said:


> Where are you located OP?


Southeast Iowa


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

You got corn there?


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

fireball said:


> You got corn there?


Yes sir. Every year. Iowa is the corn state lol. Nothing is planted yet though.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Best popcorn in USA is grown in Burlington, IA


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## William B. (Jul 22, 2004)

I've seen several Unimounts on Facebook buy sell trade for sale in our area(S.E. Iowa) that could fit your truck.


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

William B. said:


> I've seen several Unimounts on Facebook buy sell trade for sale in our area(S.E. Iowa) that could fit your truck.


Yeah I've seen plenty of them but this plow was in good shape for what it is and it was kinda an impulse buy. I'll see what I can work up and if it doesn't work out like I hope it does, I'll sell it and buy something that's ready to go already.


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

fireball said:


> Best popcorn in USA is grown in Burlington, IA


I live just north of there. Between Burlington and Muscatine.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Spent a lot of time at the ammo plant


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Un...-/194011173602?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Road trip


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

Western1 said:


> Road trip


That's definitely quite the road trip for a snowplow lol. I paid 1,000 for the one I got and my grandpa is going to help me modify the mount it came with this summer. I appreciate the help though.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Austin1994GMC said:


> That's definitely quite the road trip for a snowplow lol. I paid 1,000 for the one I got and my grandpa is going to help me modify the mount it came with this summer. I appreciate the help though.


Just an FYI, $1000 for a conventional plow is not a "great deal"


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

cwren2472 said:


> Just an FYI, $1000 for a conventional plow is not a "great deal"


Agreed, and being a homemade mount. Not a good deal at all.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

If you go with that plow, fix up where the quadrent mounts to the outer moleboard, cause that ain't gonna last, and I am not being a wise guy, thats worth bout $400.00. Before you buy anything used, post a pic.


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

cwren2472 said:


> Just an FYI, $1000 for a conventional plow is not a "great deal"


Yeah after everything got discussed here, I began realizing that. I was going to edit my original post but couldn't. That's what happens when you don't know what you're doing unfortunately.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Smile Austin, it could have been worse. You could have bought a Myers plow


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Austin1994GMC said:


> Yeah I've seen plenty of them but this plow was in good shape for what it is and it was kinda an impulse buy.


The mount is not the correct mount for the molboard, the spring eye bolts are cheap hardware store type and going to open up as they are not solid eye bolts like should be there, and he has installed the passenger side spring upside down.

I hate to be this guy, but that plow just got an Earl Scheib.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Your good Philly, Earl Scheib was the previous owner


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

fireball said:


> Your good Philly, Earl Scheib was the previous owner


Are you sure? I thought it was Rust O'Leum.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Rust was Earl's girlfriend


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## Olwestern (Sep 20, 2021)

Came across this. What I did was use a 4' piece of 6" x1/4" channel iron as a base mount. 6"x1/4" plate to make tabs that matches my truck frame with the bumper off. Weld them to the inside of the channel iron. Weld the current tabs on to the face of the channel iron. Looks like you can reuse the angle iron support bars. I bolted mine though the cross member under the engine. 
I have found that having it extended out the extra 8" allows me to stack higher and extend out over ditches. 
Hope this helps someone


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## Austin1994GMC (Mar 29, 2021)

Olwestern said:


> Came across this. What I did was use a 4' piece of 6" x1/4" channel iron as a base mount. 6"x1/4" plate to make tabs that matches my truck frame with the bumper off. Weld them to the inside of the channel iron. Weld the current tabs on to the face of the channel iron. Looks like you can reuse the angle iron support bars. I bolted mine though the cross member under the engine.
> I have found that having it extended out the extra 8" allows me to stack higher and extend out over ditches.
> Hope this helps someone


I still haven't gotten the mount on the truck yet. I bought another one that fits so I quit trying to modify the one I had and I just haven't spent the time to bolt it on yet. Plus we haven't gotten snow yet either. Just out of curiosity though, do you have any pictures of how you fabricated parts to make your mount line up? I understand what you wrote, but kinda hard to imagine it. Seeing it would help


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

pull the front bumper off and see how it fits then go from there


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## Olwestern (Sep 20, 2021)

I took 1/4" x 6" wide x 12" long steel plate. With the bumper off. Trace any holes that you have in the plate. You may need to frill some. 1/2". I use a c clamp to hold it in place while checking it out. Level on the top. I use 1/2" grade 8 fine thread with nylock nuts. Or 5/8" would be better. 
You should have the plates bolted n sticking out a bit. Your choice on how far. I like them out a bit because I can reach out over a ditch n stay off the snowpile a bit. Also easier to work on the engine. But harder on the front end or bumps in the road. There is a balance. Then I welded 6" x 1/4" thick challel iron on the 2 tabs. Then welded the plow frame to that. I'll look for a picture.


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