# Who Plows with a Chevy Colorado?



## ExecutiveLawns

Ok guys Im looking at purchasing a Colorado here in the next couple weeks before gm ends their employee pricing deal but, I am wondering who uses them commercially? I have a couple bigger pick ups with bigger blades and also a skid loader with a snow bucket for the big lots but im looking for something that my sidewalk guys could use to do our 75+ residential drives as soon as the snow stops instead if using the bigger trucks on them which most of the time seems like overkill.
The Colorado im looking at is a 2008 Z71 crew cab with the 3.7 i5 and I would put the western suburbanite 7'4" blade on it. I know those blades are not a commercial serie blade but western doesnt make on for that truck and ive seen a couple companies are here that use them commercially. The truck is only going to be used during the storms to open lots and run the shovel crew and blowers around and once the snow stops they will go straight to the resi's instead of waiting 6-8 hours after the snow stop before the bigger trucks can get to the resi's.
We would be using this truck in the non snow season for hauling one of my maintenance crews around to do hedge trimming, small clean ups, maybe small holiday light jobs, and maybe residential mowing accounts where they can pull a 12' trail with 2 mowers on it(towing capacity with this truck is like 5,000 or 5,500lbs.
Any input would be great guys.
Thanks,
John


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## basher

I've put a couple of 22 series snoways on Colorados. They seem to handle it alright. Piercelawns runs a ranger with good result and there are a number of people using the Tacomas, Wranglers and Libertys with good success as well. The small trucks seem to do excellent as long as you remember their limits and plow accordingly.

I recommend the 22 series Snoway over the suburbanite. It is (IMO) a more efficient and durable unit, and offers the benefits of hydraulic Down Pressure making it much more effective in the tight area clean up work where the small units shine the brightest. It also keeps you from having to deal with the complexities of the DD electric system with it's isolation modules and umpteen zillion connections. The simplicity of the wiring and availability of wireless controls means wiring is limited to a couple plug and play headlight adapters, a ground and 12volt hot line connection. combine that with Monarch hydraulic's proven perfomance and you have a unit that's hard to beat.
http://www.sitepreview.us/snoway08/wwwfiles/index.cfm/act/viewSeries/type/Plow/cat/11


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## 76CHEVY

i know meyers make a plow set up to fit that truck its there drive pro line i think. It made for doing small things like driveways. I seen one on that exact truck last year while at the meyers factory. quick hook up and quick unhooking. The only i noticed on it was the front end sagged a little, nothing that a set of timbrens couldn't fix.


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## YardMedic

75 driveways? I think you're asking for trouble by relying on a small truck like that. A wrangler would be much better suited & durable for that application, or use a Chevy or Dodge 1500 reg cab/short bed. Then at least you have the durability of a full size truck with a shorter turning radius/shorter overall length.


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## 04superduty

i dont think he is going to use it to plow the 75 drives, he wants it to haul his sidewalk crew around and do some light plowing.


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## ExecutiveLawns

Thanks guys,
Yea we would be using it for the sidewalk crew as well as starting on the residentials until the other trucks are done with the commercial lots and then they will help out with the resis as well.
I would be going with the western plow for it for sure just due to the fact that i like the western plows as well as the dealer here.

Now I have a little delima...
I just got back from the local chevy dealer and was looking at the 1500s and im able to get a nicely equipped 1500 crew cab for about $1000 more than a colorado. would you guys go that route? I would be putting a 8' straight blade on it. Its a bigger truck how ever i would the fuel economy on teh 1500s with the 5.3 is 14-18 and the fuel economy on the colorados with eh3.7 i5 is 15-19 so i would be losing 1 mpg to get a larger vehicle that i think would also be able to do the resis just fine.

What do you guys think?


Thanks


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## chcav1218

Get the 1500. Just my opinion


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## terrapro

get the 1500. this is just an assumption but say 3-4 guys @ 200lbs per thats 600-800lbs already + equipment, salt, possible plow, youre talking alot more weight than a little truck was built for. even a 1500 crew cab is cutting it close. plus if you are worried about gas mileage if you load up a little truck with half a ton of weight dont expect it to get anywhere near those numbers. v-8's keep closer to their mileage when loaded up. a 1/2 ton will be much better all around.


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## YardMedic

It's a no-brainer with the larger truck. You're gonna be stuck with a truck that's much less than what you want now, and you'll kick yourself down the road when you want to actually do some work with it.


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## ExecutiveLawns

*Thanks*

Hey guys I just wanted to let you all know i decided to go with the larger size and bought a 2008 chevy 1500 crew cab this afternoon, i will get the plow for it maybe tomorrow and that will be a western 7.5 poly straight blade with the back dragging edge on it.

Thanks again for every ones input im glade i brought it up here instead of buying the wrong truck.


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## B&B

Conrats on your purchase. 

Hope to hear that your local Western dealer is rather flexible as Western doesn't recommend anything on the '08 crew cabs except a Suburbanite due to their low front axle reserve capacity.


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## basher

You might consider a 26 series Snoway.


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## ExecutiveLawns

When I was at the plow dealer the other day they suggested i go with a 7.5 poly mid-weight straight blade. I will also get the back drag edge since this truck will mainly plow residentials. As far as the install ill do that all myself.


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## basher

ExecutiveLawns;582346 said:


> As far as the install ill do that all myself.


Chevy is an easy install. Add a set of Timbrens while you're there.


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## MileHigh

I see a lot of sidewalk crews with the colorados plowing down large city sidewalks...looks pretty impressive to see a truck on the sidewalk.


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## Double C

does the back drag make a big difference?


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## basher

Double C;585495 said:


> does the back drag make a big difference?


Yes, If you don't have DP the backdrag edge will help keep the blade from skiing.


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## DScapes

I know I'm bringing up a very old thread... but were you happy with your purchase?


I've actually been contemplating the same decision about trucks. My biggest concern is the vehicle size as the crew 1500 is as long as any half ton or ton trucks... why not just get another big truck? Wasn't your first obligation to find a small truck for turning radius and maneuverability for plowing resi's? I feel if I find a crew 1500, I have no benefit that I was looking for in a small maneuverable vehicle for it's main purpose, plowing resi's... I will most likely use this as a resi lawn truck in summer as well.. 2 guys, 12' trailer + 2 mowers.

prob close to 50 resi drives in winter, and possibly a few tight fast food drive thrus...


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