# I'm building a homemade snow plow - need advice - can anyone please help?



## whitewing

Hey guys,
I hope someone here can answer a question for me. I'm not into snow removal for a business, but I am building a homemade snow plow to try to take care of our roughly 500 foot driveway (that has a little bit of a hill on it). I don't have equipment to cut/weld steel, so I'm trying to be creative and work with what I have.

Working with a limited budget and limited tools, I have successfully figured out how to build/mount a plow to my truck. I cut a water heater tank in half, and will be mounting it to my truck using a heavy duty 2x4 and 2x6 frame that I built which will mount along the truck frame using quite a few tie down straps. The blade (half of the tank) will be mounted to a 2x6 which is heavily supported on the contraption I built. I have it all built, except for mounting the blade. I don't have any pictures of it, but here is my question. 

Since I will not be able to raise or lower this blade, would it be wise to mount the blade with a little bit of clearance (perhaps a 1/4 inch) above the pavement, so that I do not damage the driveway in areas that may be uneven?

Or, would it be best to just mount it so that it will be flush against the pavement, and consider that the blade will just rise above any areas that might be uneven? I'm hooking it to a 95 Dodge ram 4x4.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

Anthony

Lugnut: Thank You! That's exactly what I needed to understand. It's funny too, it took a long time for your pic to upload and when you said use a bolt so it can float, the image you made is exactly what came to mind - that's what I'll do. Thanks again.


----------



## standenc

buy a snow blower


----------



## chad4467

Anthony
I would probably attach a piece of 1/4" rubber on the edge of the tank/blade so that your driveway doesnt get damaged and it would raise the edge up by the thickness of the rubber.

Chad


----------



## Banksy

You're going to mount this thing made out of wood on the truck with tie down straps? 

If you're determined to make this work, I'd lift it with a cheap electric winch. You want the plow ride on the pavement/dirt and float with the terrain. If it's lifted some and dive it into a little hill, I think your tie downs are going to let you down. 

I'd build something out of steel and bolt it to the truck, but to each his own.


----------



## horsepowerlawns

I build my own stuff also, its cheaper and I can over built it the way I want.

You may want to look at www.snowsport.com and look at how they mount. You may even want to hook it to the hitch on the rear and plow backwards.


----------



## Lugnut

i agree this needs to float like other plows, i would cut the wood attaching it to the truck and put a bolt through it or something to allow for up and down movement even if you can't lift it


----------



## vinnys

WTF!!! Save your beer and cigarette money and buy a used plow. You could buy a beat to death plow for that truck for way less than $800.00. It will work 1,000 times better than that death trap you described. Even a garden tractor with a plow or blower will be less than $500.00!!! Stay away from the Wild Turkey while your at the drawing board!


----------



## whitewing

*There's no need for sarcasm Vinny's*

Vinny's - dude - I don't need your sarcasm. What are you 12 years old? Yeah I'm sure for $500 - $1000 I could probably buy something that would be much better than what I'm building. But that's not an option for me at this moment in time, so I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with. Why don't you take your rude and sarcastic self elsewhere, because I doubt anyone else here appreciates comments like that either.


----------



## vinnys

O.K. Dude.....Wood will never hold up to the stress of pushing snow. Am I the only one here that knows that? What is the guage metal of the water heater? 18 guage? Way to thin and will bend, twist and damage the front of your truck. As far as the wood frame goes, when it snaps and goes through your rad., oil pan or better yet your floor board, look out. No, I am not 12, you can add 40 years to that and have been a fabricator for a good part of those years. I have been pushing snow since 1975 and seen a lot of damage done to REAL plows. That was not sarcasm, just trying to keep it light and whoever drives that truck safe!! Good luck to you sir!


----------



## hedhunter9

Vinny is right.

you need to re-think what you are doing.

come up with a better plan....


----------



## k5PlowGuy

I see repair bills in your near future.


----------



## whitewing

*Ok....ok*

Alright - I realize that this may not work. I don't know. But I won't know until I try. What I do know is that right now I have a shovel - and a big long driveway that I need to be able to clean. The shovel option...is not a realistic option.

I'm not going to be going 40 miles per hour down my driveway while doing this. I will be taking my time and as careful as I can be. What I have built...I believe is pretty sturdy.

If it doesn't work, then at least I tried. If it works...I will post pictures, and be happy that I was able to use some creativity and $60 worth of stuff to solve the problem I have. Later on when I am able, I'll buy a better option. I don't generally fail when I put my mind to something, that is why I came to this forum looking for advice from people who have experience with this sort of thing.

I appreciate the input from everyone involved, and will post my results one way or another.


----------



## quigleysiding

Post the pics.


----------



## Burkartsplow

that is why I came to this forum looking for advice from people who have experience with this sort of thing.

You say you are coming to this forum for advice from people with experience with this sort of thing and when you hear there advice about how it is not going to work and how you can do some major damage to your vehicle. You dont want to hear it. Then what was the point of you asking the question if you were not going to take the advice of the experts. Seems like a waste of your money and yours and our time.


----------



## johnhealey1776

Hey man, Im no seasoned vet but i remembered seeing this video online. Check out what this guy did:






I think that might be the way to go?


----------



## thelettuceman

I just viewed the YouTube video. That does look interesting but I am not sure that I trust that. I also agree with the above post about the thickness and guage of the hot water heater. I do applaud you for innovative thinking. I hope you do not damage your vehicle


----------



## chesterlawn

I have a friend back in the 80's that made a plow out of 2x4s and plywood. He put in on his CAR and ran around his neighborhood plowing driveways, he did a good job but it only held up for an hour or so. I guess if you build it right and take your time, for your own drive you should be ok. Unless you get a blizzard !!!


----------



## South Seneca

I think if you really want to follow through with this idea it would be far safer to make this be a tow behind plow rather than a pusher. The advantage being that whatever happens the truck isn't running over it.

The tow behind version would be much easier to design, and when you're done it's 30 seconds to unhitch it.


----------



## pohouse

whitewing;1166656 said:


> that is why I came to this forum looking for advice from people who have experience with this sort of thing.


Do you think WE have experience mounting 1/2 a water heater to our frontends with tie straps and wood? Listen, just do it and post some before and after pics. A video would be even better. If it works reasonable well, your our hero and we all applaud. If it crashes and burns, we get to laugh again and again as we replay it. This is the chance you take and the price you pay for building a project on the internet. Don't let us down.  All the best.


----------



## MattR

You did state that buying snow removal equipment was not an option at this time. I understand times are tough for everybody, or at least most of us. Yet, what the heck you gonna do when the Ol'Lady wants some hot water? Oh wait...now I see why the tie down straps are needed. They are used to put the two halves back together when it is time to use the hot water. Sorry my mind was a bit slow on this one. I did have one thought though. If your house is on wheels, move it closer to the road, less snow to shovel and the Ol' lady will be happy to still have hot water.

Would like to see the before and after pics as well and good luck to ya.

Happy Holidays,
Matt


----------



## CrazyCooter

*Come on.*

Give the guy a break. He's trying to do the best he can with what he's got. It's not like he's trying to steal your contracts - he's trying to take care of his own drive.

While I wouldn't rely on 2x4's to plow - one bump and you'll probably have breakage - we've all thought of doing something like that when we didn't have money to buy equipment. ANYTHING is better than shoveling it. I can tell you that I used to plow my driveway with a Moose plow - about the same distance - and had to rebuild it several times to keep it going.

If you're dedicated to the project, use pipes instead of your 2x4's. That way, if something breaks, you can just buy a new piece to fix it. Or buy an old lawnmower plow blade and modify it with your water heater to give you a wider width.

Good luck to you!


----------



## buckwheat_la

i would do a search on here, last year a guy built a rear blade out of a 3pt blade for a tractor that be bought for $50 at a scrap yard. i think he had $150 total into the set up and it looked really slick. also i think wood for the frame work could work, just keep in mind to bolt it all, screws aren't going to do it.


----------



## Snowzilla

buckwheat_la;1171116 said:


> i would do a search on here, last year a guy built a rear blade out of a 3pt blade for a tractor that be bought for $50 at a scrap yard. i think he had $150 total into the set up and it looked really slick. also i think wood for the frame work could work, just keep in mind to bolt it all, screws aren't going to do it.


Yes, I agree. I've witnessed a guy using a 3-point tractor blade on the back of a pickup clearing his driveway. Not sure how well it works but I would think this would take a lot less fabrication since you could hook it up to a receiver and raise and lower by an electric winch. The manual pivot function is already included with the blade. I've seen new 3 pt. blades (of lesser name brands) begin in the low $200 range at farm stores here in Iowa.

For example:
http://www.tartergate.com/switch.php?fn=catalog.categories&site=tpt&des=grader&tpt=1
http://www.farmstar.com/product/trb.html

You'll pay a lot more for say a Woods brand.

Good luck.


----------



## fordzilla1155

You might be a red neck IF...............


----------



## musclecarboy

if you really have to do something out of wood... I would do something like the video but use 2x6's and double them up. This is a very desperate attempt at a plow I must say, but in theory its possible to make something out of wood. Good luck... be sure to film the entire thing.


----------



## 7d9_z28

I LIKE IT and i want to see pics! this sounds like something my friend and i would do! whether it works or not, its sure as hell worth a shot! take the sarcasm from other members as a challenge, and prove em wrong!


----------



## MikeBL

vinnys;1166567 said:


> WTF!!! Save your beer and cigarette money and buy a used plow. You could buy a beat to death plow for that truck for way less than $800.00.  It will work 1,000 times better than that death trap you described. Even a garden tractor with a plow or blower will be less than $500.00!!! Stay away from the Wild Turkey while your at the drawing board!


I agree.

Last year I built my own roof racks for my truck after all the material and welding crap plus I'm not good at such stuff (first time welding) it took me 24 hours of labour and probably about $300 in material. A month ago I saw roof racks for half tons on sale at Princess Auto for $248:angry:


----------



## justme-

If you use wood make sure to get plenty of Duct tape...
Seriously- there is a guy here who made a-plow from scratch for his car- a K-kar I believe (may be the vid from earlier- didn't watch)... you have no ability to fabricate metal or weld which means you need to CUT metal (you can or the heater would still be in 1 piece) and drill and bolt things then- so plan something that LOOKS like a snow plow and will attach solidly to the truck and is made of a meterial that will take the abuse of pushing snow- like METAL... wood is a good shock absorbing material (hence why dump trucks have wood between the frame and body) but will not take the stress you will put it under, and the tie down straps....come on- there is nothing under the front of your truck that will hold it in place with straps- the frame you're trying to attach WILL slip along the frame or worse.

I understand your situation, and applaud you're willingness to create a solution but remember you came here for OUR knowledge and experience... use it when we give you advise or don't ask.


----------



## 7d9_z28

I understand your situation, and applaud you're willingness to create a solution but remember you came here for OUR knowledge and experience... use it when we give you advise or don't ask

i wouldnt say USE it, maybe, take the advice into consideration...

make any progress on it?


----------



## Bladesaway

*Homemade plow*

Last winter I was trying to figure out how to make a plow from stuff lying around. Mind you this was not intended to be on a truck but on a garden tractor. I am not sure how much of a budget that you have but I used a craftsman 48" plow that I bought for 45.00. I then bolted "wings" to the plow for a grand total of around 60" width. I mounted it on an old sears garden tractor that I had. I then made a snow cab for the tractor out of, try not to laugh to hard; duct tape, plexi glass, and pvc pipe. It worked very well and pushed a lot of snow. I did have to add tire chains to the rear, but I cleared 20 condos with it. however I have since added a plow truck and done away with the tractor but it did work very well. I do not recommend it on snows over 6 inches. I also had to dump snow frequently. It can be done but if you do not want a catastrophic failure I would recommend a cheap used plow or even a garden tractor with plow.


----------



## theonlybull

there's a way to lift your plow when you back up..

agreed, wood isn't the best, but go slow, take little bites, and be very carfull.

many many moons ago, that's about all there was here, other then old cat 20's to plow with. trucks, with wooden plows, one guy even built a wooden snow blower.....

good luck


----------



## Banksy

Let's get some pics of this thing already.


----------



## toby4492

........


----------



## clp94

i think you guys scared him away:laughing:


----------



## NBI Lawn

I guess anything is possible but you need the proper tools. No welder or a way to cut metal is an issue. Do you have someone that could atleast assist you with a welder?

I would say mounting it to the rear of the vehicle is a safer bet. Easier to mount on there and WHEN it falls off it wont go through your radiator or oil pan. A cheap ATV winch would do wonders for this "project". I would bet you could make something work for under $300. I wouldnt go plow your neighbors driveway with it but you could probably do your own without issue.

In reality you could just save your money for a couple weeks and just buy one off craigslist. They pop up all the time (around Minneapolis anyways) for under $500. They arent much to look at but will look and perform much better than a cut in half water heater. Also keep in mind that a $500 real plow will probably always be worth $500 if you need to ditch it, a $200 fabbed up water heater is worth $0 to anyone else.

Here are a few local ones just to give you an idea what is out there for under $500

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/pts/2141577695.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/pts/2141063783.html Kinda spendy for what it is IMO
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/pts/2137589465.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/rvs/2119850481.html Even something like this would be better than a water heater
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/for/2097298079.html

Just a few ideas anyways. The benefit to these is they will trip if you hit something, they have the A-frame already, they angle and you could possibly just bolt a mount together if you have a drill to make the holes.


----------



## justme-

theonlybull;1181619 said:


> many many moons ago, that's about all there was here, other then old cat 20's to plow with. trucks, with wooden plows, one guy even built a wooden snow blower.....
> 
> good luck


Wooden plows as in wooden moldboards, not wooden push plates, wooden push frames, etc. As early as I have ever seen in trucks, trains, tractors, even horse powered the push aspects have essentially been metal. Anything above horse power is really too much for wood unless you use big dense hardwood (not todays dimensional fir or poplar). Even at that only really a train which was/is pushing snow on a flat unchanging surface (no curbs, no potholes, no sudden shock) really would do well with wood frames.

I agree my statement earlier was a bit harsh- but I hate when people ask for advice then argue with it.


----------



## atvriderinmass

To bad he wasn't closer i would give him a snowblower. I have a few old Ariens hanging around for back ups.


----------



## atvriderinmass

If i were in his situation i would go around looking for snowblowers people are throwing out. Most are easy fixes with just cleaning the bowl and needle out. Easy fixes!


----------



## theholycow

Bump...maybe OP will come back and post some results?

I'm in the same boat. I have a large steep rutted gravel driveway, absolutely NO budget, and no welding equipment (nor a welding friend). A $300 used plow is $299 out of my budget. $50 for a pro to plow is $49 out of my budget. Money simply is not an option and I can't find more work.

I spent 7 hours shoveling a few storms ago and didn't get my driveway sufficiently usable. The best part was, when the snow was higher than the rear bumper of my truck, I used my truck to plow the top of it. We've had more storms since then and I've shoveled more hours.

I have plenty of junk in my yard from which I could potentially build something. I have a 15hp Craftsman lawn tractor with a plow but it smokes severely and would never get traction anyway. I've been chewing on ideas (like finding a way to mount the Craftsman plow to my truck to plow half-width, maybe add some extensions) and looking at Youtube videos of homemade plows. I have a decent A-frame in the form of a tow bar (for flat-towing vehicles), an extra hitch receiver, and a variety of other junk (but not enough to get enough scrap money to buy something). I've considered making something that I put on the ground, not attached to my truck, and then just drive up and push it.

It doesn't have to do a perfect job. It doesn't have to last a whole winter, I can fix it every time I use it...still beats shoveling for a full workday.

Discarded snowblowers won't work for me because I am just awful at carburetors. I'm ok at everything else but carburetors confound me every time.

I'm a desperate man, I'm tired of shoveling but the other option is no snow removal at all.


----------



## Snowzilla

theholycow, 
If you're experiencing a wind driven snow on your driveway I would consider using a snow fence for next year. The plastic type is very affordable, easy to store, & lasts for years.


----------



## theholycow

That's a good idea. I don't need it for my driveway; I'm just experiencing plenty of snow from the sky on that...but I do get some drifts on my walkways.


----------



## Mr.Freezzz

whitewing;1166656 said:


> Alright - I realize that this may not work. I don't know. But I won't know until I try. What I do know is that right now I have a shovel - and a big long driveway that I need to be able to clean. The shovel option...is not a realistic option.
> 
> I'm not going to be going 40 miles per hour down my driveway while doing this. I will be taking my time and as careful as I can be. What I have built...I believe is pretty sturdy.
> 
> If it doesn't work, then at least I tried. If it works...I will post pictures, and be happy that I was able to use some creativity and $60 worth of stuff to solve the problem I have. Later on when I am able, I'll buy a better option. I don't generally fail when I put my mind to something, that is why I came to this forum looking for advice from people who have experience with this sort of thing.
> 
> I appreciate the input from everyone involved, and will post my results one way or another.


I don't know if this is a joke or your serious but theres probally a omish plow site on the net somewhere and they would be able to help you build your plow. you might want to look at using a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 ply wood and a hoarse ?


----------



## 2COR517

What's a heavy duty 2x4?


----------



## OC&D

2COR517;1208134 said:


> What's a heavy duty 2x4?


It has "HD" stamped on it. It's similar to the "Off road" 2x4 which has "Off road" stamped on it and comes with accessory skid plates and KC Hilites.


----------



## justme-

99% of the carb issues ion any old snowblower is simply cleaning the bowl, needle valve and seat and adding carb cleaner to the gas for a while to run the jets clean. It's a long neglected carb that needs the jets manually cleaned to get her to fire up. I'm willing to bet if you got an old blower from somewhere an add on Craigslist looking for help explaining your situation would garnish some results from a local with the comfort level to help with the carb.

FWIW I remember a few years ago there was some plastic blow molded plow thing that was simply pushed by the vehicle - v blade like IIRC...may carry some ideas if anyone can remember what it was called.


----------



## Snowzilla

justme-;1208506 said:


> FWIW I remember a few years ago there was some plastic blow molded plow thing that was simply pushed by the vehicle - v blade like IIRC...may carry some ideas if anyone can remember what it was called.


I think I know what you may be describing. From my web search it appears the company may be out of business. Solotec Driv'n Plow.


----------



## theholycow

justme-;1208506 said:


> I'm willing to bet if you got an old blower from somewhere an add on Craigslist looking for help explaining your situation would garnish some results from a local with the comfort level to help with the carb.










That's actually a pretty good idea. A snowblower would still take forever on my large driveway but dragging it up the hill and blowing across would still beat the hell out of shoveling everything the old fashioned way. The big problem with the plan is that I've never seen one discarded or nearly free the way I see other stuff (lawnmowers, weedwackers, etc) available, but maybe I'll put more effort into finding one.

I did acquire one once, sort of...it's a rather large one that attaches to (I assume) the front of a garden tractor with a PTO. No engine, it expects a driveshaft facing forward. I had planned to hack something up with it but never really thought of a way to get it done. I'll post pictures later...maybe someone can give me some ideas to make it useful.

How do snowblowers handle dirt/crushed stone? Would it hurl my driveway into my house?


----------



## pmorrissette

the discharge chute rotates for a reason...


----------



## 2COR517

2COR517;1208134 said:


> What's a heavy duty 2x4?





OC&D;1208297 said:


> It has "HD" stamped on it. It's similar to the "Off road" 2x4 which has "Off road" stamped on it and comes with accessory skid plates and KC Hilites.


What if said 2x4 came from Home Depot?


----------



## NBI Lawn

I am also curious about the results . Did he make something and then hurt himself with it so he cant post which is very probable.


----------



## theholycow

I think he was just scared off by all the negativity. Happens all the time on internet forums.


----------



## OC&D

2COR517;1208976 said:


> What if said 2x4 came from Home Depot?


Good question!:laughing:


----------



## TSherman

Be honest, was anyone else suprised to see Kentucky as the home state? Really dude? Putting breakable parts in front of your grille is just asking for issues. Good luck though, I hope for the best of your bad situation...the thought of you shoveling makes my back hurt. I would be looking for anything also.


----------



## justme-

Yes Snowzilla that was it! Interesting concept, but if out of business, obviously not a big seller.

Regarding finding a free blower- check Craigslist- lots of them posted up here all the time. They will eat anything that get's into the auger- including fiberglass driveway markers...however once the drive is frozen, just like plowing, there's not much gravel to be pulled up.


----------



## theholycow

Found this in Wikipedia. It was pulled behind horses before modern plows existed. This is something I could easily build out of yard junk, dragging it wouldn't risk any damage to my truck, etc. Sure the neighbors would laugh, but if it cuts a couple hours out of my shoveling time it's a win.

I can even imagine some variations on the design to better suit my needs.


----------



## pohouse

Its going to be difficult turning around.


----------



## justme-

I just stumbled on this vid- might give some ideas...





And this one, more plow shaped for an ATV


----------

