# Best suited size/brand blade



## mrplowatv (Dec 6, 2008)

OK this is going to be a loaded question. First of all I have a 1995 Polaris 400 xplorer 4x4 2 stroke and am looking to put a plow on it to push snow. I live in Manitoba Canada so most of the snow we get is not wet but it can accumulate to more that 1 foot at a time. I'm going to be pushing in front of my house and garage and down the lane(1/4 mile long). From the research I have done I'm looking at purchasing a 60" powerblade with powerblade frame. The biggest reason I'm going with this blade is because of availability/pricing. 

Going with this setup has raised a few question that hopefully someone could answer for me.

1) Is this blade too big for my setup? Will it push 12 inches of dry snow?(with or without extra weight). If it won't push a full 60" can you take 1/2 to 3/4 width without much side stepping?

2) How do the powerblades hold up compared to other brands?

3) Do this plows have enough down pressure with just the weight of the plow to effectively move snow?

4) What is the clearance off the ground when the plow is lifted all the way up with a winch?

Also a couple of general questions: Do chains make a big difference pushing snow? Can you put a handle mounted low current switch + solenoid setup on a superwinch EX1 (Big switch mounted on frame body)?

thanks


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

1.blade size is fine but you may have to take 3/4 passes if snow is deep
2.heard warn powerpivot works good never tried it
3.they arent going to scrape up ice but they will clear snow fine
4.clearance varies with every plow ones that mount on the front lift alot higher like the moose quick mount
5.chains make a huge difference
6.dont know what you are talking about with the switch


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## Zach (Nov 19, 2008)

you say that cains make a huge difference, but I have heard a lot of people say they dont... have you used them on your recon? difference?


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## EaTmYtAiLpIpEs (Aug 23, 2007)

I used chains on my old arctic cat 400 that was 2/wd. they were the v-bar chains. they make a huge difference. but you can't spin your tires or you will dig everything thats anything under you up. and the ride gets bumpy. but ya they make a huge difference. but with 4/wd you dont need chains. my 500 doesnt. it does great pushing snow.


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

whether it is 2wd or 4wd chains will make a huge difference but they will destroy things if you start to spin


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I use chains on my 4x4 and they help alot.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

mrplowatv;663801 said:


> Going with this setup has raised a few question that hopefully someone could answer for me.
> 
> 1) Is this blade too big for my setup? Will it push 12 inches of dry snow?(with or without extra weight). If it won't push a full 60" can you take 1/2 to 3/4 width without much side stepping?
> 
> ...


hope you found this info usefull and only my opion on things.

sublime out


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## Zach (Nov 19, 2008)

Guess its worth picking up a set of chains then


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

Zach;665528 said:


> Guess its worth picking up a set of chains then


if your talking about your 2wd recon then yes they are worth every penny, They will give you more traction and since your only 2wd traction is something that you won't have alot of. put some chains on and some weight on the back rack and the recon will be a great little quad for plowing.

the only thing is with chains you have to be smart about your tire spin. if you care about the ground you are plowing. if you don't care about the ground underneath spin away.

but if your plowing where you dont want to leave marks that you have been there if you spin down to the surface and have stopped moving don't keep trying to push the snow if your not moving all you will due is mark up the surface, Back up get a little run at the pile maybe take 1/2 the pile.ETC. You can push more with chains no doubt and can go through more snow as well. there only draw back is they can dig stuff up if you just sit and spin in 1 spot.

also for putting the chains on let the air out of your tire put the chain on set it as tight as you can and then air the tire back up now the chain is on really tight and you don't have to worry about it being loose.

sublime out.

I plowed on my stock tires from 2002-2006 and If I knew the impact of the tire chains I would have had them on in 2002.


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## brian_in_idaho (Dec 12, 2008)

mrplow, I plow about 1/2 mile of rural roadway with a 660 Grizzly, I'll toss out some thoughts based on my experiences. 

First, I don't think you want any less than a 60" (5') plow-by the time it's angles it's around 4' and barely wide enough to cover your tracks. In addition, you have to allow some "overlap" on your passes, snow loads the plow and "trickles" back towards the already plowed side-to minimize this you have to overlap somewhere around 2' so you don't pick up much over 2' per pass anyway. 12" of dry snow isn't a problem to move, though you'll get a fair amount of "blowback" over the top of the blade. Some blades have a soft plastic extension available to help prevent this, you might look into one. Downpressure isn't an issue. On a gravel road you're going to want skid shoes to keep from digging into the dirt. Also, to an extent, speed is your friend, you want to throw that snow off the side of the blade. 15-18 mph works well on gravel roads as long as there aren't obstructions. Watch out though, when your blade catches a rock or frozen berm, it will spin around right now!

Your biggest issue isn't moving it, it's having a place to put it. Once your berms build up you are in for a challange. How much snow do you get in a winter? Early in the year you want to plow as wide as you can so you have a place to pile the stuff later. You also may have to cut some "ramps" into the berms every 100 feet or so to give yourself a place to pile it.

Chains-probably nice to have, but I never sprung for a set and do OK. Dry snow shouldn't be an issue for you, when it's wet and heavy the quad wants to spin around pretty quickly, chains might help here. I've been cheap, and am moving to a tractor anyway.

I have no experience with the blade you are looking at. I have the Moose plow, it's held up very well, better than a couple neighbor's Cycle Countries. They are pretty well mangled.

I don't know about the winch you are discussing, but with the Warn, I have the low current switch on the handlebars, works fine. 

Ditch your cable while plowing and get some synthetic rope. You will break winch cables, rope is far cheaper, and easier to fix (tie a knot in) when it breaks. You don't want to mess with cables and clamps when your at the end of the road in zero degree weather. The geometry on winchs sucks for lifting the blade, it's hard on cables. There really needs to be a pully up high so you are pulling up, rather than up and back on the blade. As to clearance with the blade lifted, mine when angled only clears by maybe 3" I'd guess. If you plow into deep snow and get stuck, you want to get the blade up as high as possible to back out, higher lift is better. I expect all of them are pretty much the same, limited by the ATV and aframe geometry. Just the same, it's enough.

I don't know much about your machine, how much does it weigh? I'd be a little concerned about a 2-cycle, you'll be running under load much of the time. Are 2-stroke quads as fussy as sled engines can be? If so, getting jetting right for conditions and not burning down a motor is a bit of a concern. Also, you'll be going through a fair amount of 2-stroke oil doing this. Also, does your machine offer a front diff lock? I don't use it while plowing often, but it can be just enough to get you un-stuck.

Like most of us, I'm sure you'll work out what works best for your machine, snow conditions and road conditions. Let us know how it goes.


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