# Plow "feet"



## KWest

New to plowing, and wondering about the plow feet. I've gotten different info from people on when to use, them, or to just take them off for good. Any advantages to using them, or removing them? They have a bunch of washers on each which I assume is for adjuasting for cutting edge wear. How should I set them?


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## larryhd

*shoes*

Take them and put them on your desk great paper weight


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## ArcticCat1

*shoes*

Don't you think they would be helpful on gravel driveways? Not grabbing as many stones as your plowing? I am new here too, so any input would be helpful to me too.


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## magik235

ArcticCat1;711912 said:


> Don't you think they would be helpful on gravel driveways? Not grabbing as many stones as your plowing? I am new here too, so any input would be helpful to me too.


I plow an 800+ foot sloped gravel driveway and the associated ditch area. After plowing it for 23 years, nothing has improved my plowing as much as the 2" pipe yard guard. Thank you Avitare for the suggestions. Check out the yard guard thread at http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.p...d+guard&page=3

My current vehicle is a 1971 CJ5 with a 225CID odd-fire V6, HEI ignition, Heddman headers, 390 Holley 4 barrell, FlowKooler high capacity waterpump, 100 amp Proform alternator, Optima battery, T14 3 speed transmission, Dana 18 transfer case, Dana 44 rear axle and a Dana 27 in front. More pictures can be seen at http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2608975/1


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## artic429

throw em under your work bench. Snow plows are made to move snow so there is little as possible snow left, not leave a nice layer of snow to sit and get iced and slippery. JMO


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## ghlkal

You’ll need the feet if you plow over gravel. Early and late in the season (before the ground freezes hard), you’ll just tear up the gravel and end up pushing a lot of it with the snow if you don't use the feet.

As for adjusting them, I usually set them ¾-1” below the blade initially. Trial and error works too 

I need to check out the “yard guard” Thanks magik235


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## sbt1

*Don't listen*

to anyone who tells you to plow without the plow shoes.

The shoes are designed to take the weight of the plow, rather than your cutting edge.

Besides making it harder to push (due to excessive friction), letting the plow ride on the cutting edge will just wear it down for no reason.

Let the shoes take the load.. that's why every plow maker puts them on the plows to begin with. Yeah, so you will leave 1/2" of snow.. big deal.

Much cheaper to replace a couple of shoes (actually, we used to just weld some angle iron on 'em to replace the steel that had worn away) than to replace the cutting edge.

Again, if they were of no use none of the manufacturers would put them on the plows.. but they ALL do.


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## Superior L & L

12 years plowing and NEVER used shoes. Real pita
Drop the plow all the way down then just hit the raise buton one time on the controller and that will let you lleave the gravel on the road


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## ogdenflooring

I've plowed with and without them. I prefer to use the shoes when plowing gravel drives


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## magik235

The yard guard link in my first reply does not work. 
The yard guard thread is http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=47451&page=3.


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## Mark13

I have no idea where my shoes are even at. For gravel I just drop it down and go if everything is froze and there is a layer of packed snow on the gravel, otherwise I drop it down then pick it back up a tiny bit and go if the gravel isn't froze.


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## RODHALL

plowed with and without...
feet do save on tearing up the cutting edge. most of my plow work is asphalt or concrete, i have feet both plows that get used, the spare plow don't have feet....


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## Snowaway

I have a client who fired the last guy for useing shoes on his gravel drive you have to back drag the whole thing down around the corner on a cliff. Side note I had to have my buddy pull me off the cliff edge with his wrecker the other day, and what would you know no camera. Anyway if the ground is soft they tear the ground up way more than lifting the blade up a hair, or letting it float to back drag. I think that I asked the same question not to long ago.


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## JDiepstra

sbt1;713003 said:


> to anyone who tells you to plow without the plow shoes.
> 
> The shoes are designed to take the weight of the plow, rather than your cutting edge.
> 
> Besides making it harder to push (due to excessive friction), letting the plow ride on the cutting edge will just wear it down for no reason.
> 
> Let the shoes take the load.. that's why every plow maker puts them on the plows to begin with. Yeah, so you will leave 1/2" of snow.. big deal.
> 
> Much cheaper to replace a couple of shoes (actually, we used to just weld some angle iron on 'em to replace the steel that had worn away) than to replace the cutting edge.
> 
> Again, if they were of no use none of the manufacturers would put them on the plows.. but they ALL do.


You don't have to use the shoes just because they came with the plow. I totally disagree. My plow also came with a flags and crosshairs to help me line up to mount the plow correctly. Am I required to use that as well?



Snowaway;713406 said:


> I have a client who fired the last guy for useing shoes on his gravel drive you have to back drag the whole thing down around the corner on a cliff. Side note I had to have my buddy pull me off the cliff edge with his wrecker the other day, and what would you know no camera. Anyway if the ground is soft they tear the ground up way more than lifting the blade up a hair, or letting it float to back drag. I think that I asked the same question not to long ago.


Sounds more like the last guy plowing this customer left because he didn't like back dragging on a cliff. Not a drive I'd want!

Anyway, you don't need the shoes.


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## ppkgmsy

KWest,

Like you, I am a newbie and had the same question last year when I began. What I've found, in my limited experience, is that the shoes are helpful on the gravel early in the year before there is any kind of base. Easier for me to plow with the shoes on than it is to keep the blade raised a hair, as my gravel driveway is uneven in a whole bunch of places. Once there is a base in place, or when I need to get down into some ice, the shoes can come off.

On the other hand, I have taken to keeping the shoes on at a height of about 3/4 of an inch sometimes because I want to plow in a way that makes for good sledding for my son.


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## 04sd

I've been plowing with all kinds of plows for 30 years and have yet to find a use for shoes on the plow. For the guy concerned about wearing out his cutting edge, we are in the non-commercial forum here, I don't think anybody is wearing out a cutting plowing a few driveways. Even if you go to the commercial forum I'd bet at least 95% never use shoes even if it means a new cutting edge every year.


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## KWest

Thanks for the info. It sounds like it becomes a question of preference and whats works for what I'll be plowing.


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## ArcticCat1

*Plow feet*

KWest, couldn't agree more!!


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## mkwl

I always run shoes on my plow, unless the snow is very packed/frozen. I plow primarily paver and paved/concrete drives- plowing without shoes on pavers = a lot of damage- been running shoes the past 2 years on all of mine- no problems (knock on wood) ussmileyflag


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## Stan MI

KWest;714514 said:


> Thanks for the info. It sounds like it becomes a question of preference and whats works for what I'll be plowing.


What ever works for you. I like the shoes, as stated earlier, in the early part of Winter when the ground may not be frozen. I have a drive that has a flat concrete apron than the drive dips down into gravel. Without shoes on I scrape off a lot of gravel. With the shoes it just floats along the terrain. After a good freeze, no shoes.

But again whatever works for you.


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## Tacr2man

I have wheels , as most of the plows over here do , so we dont take "cats eyes" out of roads , also mine is so no damage to landing lights on runways, and the rubber edge lasts a lot longer .


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## pongow26

Here is a pic of a lot I plow that is all gravel and I do not use shoes. The best thing i can say when plowing on gravel with no shoes is to plow with the roughness if possible. Sometimes the roughness is everywhere but thats gravel for ya. Yeah ifthe ground is soft they will helf but once it is frozen they really only make your job tougher

P.S. this pic was taken the next day after I plowed the night before. Hence the 1/2 inch of snow. As you can see no loose gravel and no gravel in te piles. If you jsut pay attention to what you are you doing gravel is not a problem without shoes


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## Mark Oomkes

sbt1;713003 said:


> to anyone who tells you to plow without the plow shoes.
> 
> The shoes are designed to take the weight of the plow, rather than your cutting edge.
> 
> Besides making it harder to push (due to excessive friction), letting the plow ride on the cutting edge will just wear it down for no reason.
> 
> Let the shoes take the load.. that's why every plow maker puts them on the plows to begin with. Yeah, so you will leave 1/2" of snow.. big deal.
> 
> Much cheaper to replace a couple of shoes (actually, we used to just weld some angle iron on 'em to replace the steel that had worn away) than to replace the cutting edge.
> 
> Again, if they were of no use none of the manufacturers would put them on the plows.. but they ALL do.


Great advice, except for that leaving a 1/2" of snow. 

Especially if you have a 1" trigger.

And if you're trying to be as environmentally sound as you can be by not spreading more salt the you have to.

Or trying to make your plow work like it's supposed to.



Superior L & L;713120 said:


> 12 years plowing and NEVER used shoes. Real pita
> Drop the plow all the way down then just hit the raise buton one time on the controller and that will let you lleave the gravel on the road


Well, I've got about 24 years in (actually 26, but 2 were without a license) and my dad has 47 in and never plowed with shoes. So there's 85 years of experience telling you not to use them.

But hey, sbt is right, use those shoes, they must be there for a reason. xysport


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## skywagon

I never run the shoes, but I also run the indestructable 1 1/2 inch poly cutting edges, they never wear down, run them on 3 plows for 7 seasons. they do not clean good with the shoes on.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii60/skywagon12/IMG_0687.jpg

http://www.rubbercal.com/Poly_Blades.html


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