# Need plow help, PLEASE.



## livergsp (Aug 13, 2011)

Ok, I have read every thread here and everywhere else there is to read about atv snow plows.
I still have questions....

I really like the Eagle Gen II Front Mount, but A friend is trying to talk me into the belly mount eagle. He has bent one of the mount tabs under his bike though.
I will NOT be ramming into snow banks at top speed, but would like to be able to plow with out worrying about breaking or bending my machine.
1. Front mount or belly??? I am not partial to A brand, but I refuse to over-pay!

Our sidewalks are 48 inches and I will be plowing everyone's close to me. My 2011 550eps with stock tires is 47 inches?, so I would say that 48" blade is not good. I do not want to repair neighbors grass every spring. I do not need A 60" blade either.
What size blade will work best for my situation? 52"(other brand) or 54" eagle?

A reply from American Manufacturing on my question...
"For you I would recommend the Original style the mount is a 2 piece system
for easy removal for that purpose. I would also do the 50" blade because when you turn
the blade it is then only 46" wide"

Thanks for any advice that one could give.
Scott


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## Yooper75 (Dec 30, 2010)

My advice is buy what you think is going to work best for your situation. Bending and breaking parts is part of plowing snow because you don't know what is covered or buried under the snow when you are plowing and it doesn't matter if you are going flat out or putting along if you hit something solid something has to give. I have a bent plow for my four wheeler and all I did was catch the corner of the blade on a piece of my driveway when the plow was raised and angled I was also not running flat out when it happened I was turning around to make another pass. I would say the 50in or 52in blade will work best because I was using my 54in blade on my John Deere and it was just a hair to big for sidewalks even when it was angled fully to the left or right.


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## RugerRedhawk (Jan 11, 2011)

Well I don't have any insight to other brands, but I have a 55" moose which mounts under my foreman with push tubes. I've been smashing into snowbanks pretty hard for four winters and never had any sort of an issue. My buddy just got a front mount setup, and the real advantages to that system IMO is the quick removal and that you can lift it higher out of the way. If you want to take it on and off during the winter, the front mount is the only way to go so you don't have to lay on the ground and try to get those pins out from under the wheeler. Mine stays on during plow season though, so I'm only taking it off once. I don't know about the eagle brand system, or how quick it detaches, but the price looks great.


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## Reb (Feb 8, 2008)

From what you have described the 52" to 54" width would work. Plus if a neighbor complains about some grass getting pulled up then let them shovel their sidewalk. That should make the complaints short lived.

I don't have a front mount system so I can't give personal experience on that. I have looked at the front mount system and don't care for them, I prefer the underbelly systems as they seem to be stronger. Plus I am not looking for the convenience of removal, once I put the blade on in the fall it stays on until spring.

One other thing you might consider is the Cycle Country down pressure system. It helps keep the blade from floating up on the heavier wet snow. I run that on both my atv's and it works well.


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## RugerRedhawk (Jan 11, 2011)

Reb;1302623 said:


> One other thing you might consider is the Cycle Country down pressure system. It helps keep the blade from floating up on the heavier wet snow. I run that on both my atv's and it works well.


Hmm that's an interesting product. Down pressure is always something I've wanted. Now that I'm going to be using a winch I considered just adding some weight to the plow.


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## Reb (Feb 8, 2008)

Adding weight to the plow works against the ATV once the blade is set on the ground though. At least it did when I added the weights to the plow.


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## RugerRedhawk (Jan 11, 2011)

Reb;1302829 said:


> Adding weight to the plow works against the ATV once the blade is set on the ground though. At least it did when I added the weights to the plow.


Yeah, you'd have to play to find the right amount. My moose is pretty heavy, so we'll see how it does on it's own this year now that I'm using a winch. With my old manual lift I could push down on the handle when I really wanted to scrape.


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## Wolf River (Aug 31, 2011)

Have you looked at Blackline?
www.Blackline.us

New ownership, total committment to quality....check it out. 650lbs of down force.


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## jim331656 (Dec 29, 2010)

I read and read to the point of making myself crazy on the front mount vs belly mount debate. Ultimately I decided on a Moose belly mount for my Rancher. People have been plowing with belly mounts for 25 years or so and its proven and strong. The front mounts with the lift height and easy removal were really attractive but I read too many stories about bending and breaking stuff. I can tell you that you don't have to be ramming snow banks to put an incredible amount of force on your machine and I felt the belly mount was built to handle force better. As far as brand.... I really like the Moose. A couple of friends got the cycle county plows and we all agree that the moose is heavier duty.... It is a little more money but I think its worth it.


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## Nismothunder (Jul 30, 2010)

I have a belly mount Eagle 50" manuel lift on my 94 polaris 400L. I like it. Its my only ATV plow but I wouldnt trade it for a Moose. Got it in '09 I believe.

My farther(CNC laser programmer) used to make Eagle plows and now makes Moose ones. If I remember the Moose plows are thicker gauage metal.

Also, Eagle plow edges are not reverseable, so you cant just flip them for a new edge. I'm not sure if the Moose ones are any diffrent though.


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## jim331656 (Dec 29, 2010)

yeah you can flip the edge on a moose and they are slightly thicker and heavier... I would also recommend a winch lift.


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## livergsp (Aug 13, 2011)

*Thanks guys!!!*

50" is the size for me.
I haven't decided between Moose and Eagle yet.

I will be doing the belly mount....Like ya said (jim331656) too many stories of bent parts!

Thanks again,
Scott


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## jim331656 (Dec 29, 2010)

I was between the eagle and the moose as well. When I was looking at the mount system for the eagle that is what pushed me to the moose. it just didn't look as strong as the moose.


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## livergsp (Aug 13, 2011)

*Moose deals???*

Can't find good deals on the Moose though...
Found the Eagle for $360 to my door.

Scott


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## rick4wd (Oct 3, 2009)

RugerRedhawk;1302832 said:


> Yeah, you'd have to play to find the right amount. My moose is pretty heavy, so we'll see how it does on it's own this year now that I'm using a winch. With my old manual lift I could push down on the handle when I really wanted to scrape.


when i had my swisher on my atv that is now died i had a winch lift and if you allow no slack in your cable it stays well on the ground


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## jim331656 (Dec 29, 2010)

I want to say I paid $425 ish for the Moose to my door. It was worth every penny to me. But you gotta do what you gotta do. From all the reading I did a year ago people that have the eagles loved them.


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## MtnCowboy (Dec 20, 2009)

Chances are you'll tweak the plow before beating up your ATV. I've run a 60" Warn belly mount on a 660 for 5 years, averaging 150 miles per winter, and have broken or bent pretty much every piece of the plow with no apparent damage to the ATV - outside of a bent axle that resulted from a loose front tire chain catching the plow blade. I've hit solid objects at speed; punched the plow ribs through moldboard, chewed the push tubes in half on rough gravel and ground down both the cutting bar and the blade on the same. Still, at 5 years the cost of plow repair is $200 total, or $40/year average. I bought an AR steel cutting bar last year from Tbar, who sometimes posts here, and I think it'll be the last bar I'll need to buy. It's larger and heavier than stock with just the ends made of AR. However after 145 miles of use last year ( on sharp basalt ) it looks new.

I'd love down pressure but it would probably just be one thing to break.


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