# How to make plow cutting edge last



## drivefaster35

Ok I've got a Western 9.5 MVP plow on a 2001 dodge 3500. What can I do to help make the cutting edge last longer I've seen those deals you put on the outside edges to make them last atleast slong side the curbs. Keep in mind I do have the pro wings from Western. Any Advice?


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## 2COR517

Not much. They are a wear item, like tires.


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## cold_and_tired

You could always hardface it but you will end up spending more in rod than you would on a new edge.


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## mtnzone

yeah nt much you can do except get less accounts ...lol... or wear shoes and plae them down an inch or two but then I dont think your clients would like the outcome..


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## elite1msmith

if your not wearing your edges up, then your not scaping down to pavment....to take your pick, but you cant have both


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## hydro_37

thats why they call it a "wear" edge///it wears out instead of your moldboard


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## nekos

drivefaster35;1114321 said:


> Ok I've got a Western 9.5 MVP plow on a 2001 dodge 3500. What can I do to help make the cutting edge last longer I've seen those deals you put on the outside edges to make them last atleast slong side the curbs. Keep in mind I do have the pro wings from Western. Any Advice?


Curb guards save not only the edge but your plow. I highly recommend them for any one using a straight blade or V plow. You have wings on your plow so they are not needed.

As for making a cutting edge last, other then using the shoes for your plow i can't think of anything that will make much of a difference.


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## 2COR517

You can make a change in your technique that may help. If you are just busting things open, lower the blade till it just hits the ground but keep some weight on the front tires. I do this if I'm plowing a commercial and it's still snowing, or if there's 8" of concrete in there and I will have to plow it twice to clean it up. Keeping the weight on the tires also helps give you more traction from the front tires, as well as more lateral control.


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## linycctitan

Check this site out: http://www.winterequipment.com/winter/ProductLine/overview.htm They deal mostly on big stuff but they make stuff for our plows as well. I haven't used them personally yet, but feedback I've gotten from others, next time I change my edge I'm getting a set.


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## JeffNY

Get a Boss V? lol. Im going on 5 seasons with my boss plow, and there's not more than 1/2" off my cutting edge.


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## mrsnowman

linycctitan;1114867 said:


> Check this site out: http://www.winterequipment.com/winter/ProductLine/overview.htm They deal mostly on big stuff but they make stuff for our plows as well. I haven't used them personally yet, but feedback I've gotten from others, next time I change my edge I'm getting a set.


We looked into them also. It adds a lot of weight to your plow. We switched over to poly edges from http://cuttingedgepoly.com. We run one plow with a steel edge and a poly edge over it. I don't think we will ever need to change it. Something else to think about at least.


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## mansf123

doing driveways will make the edge last alot longer. If you plow commercial or roads you can expect to change the cutting edge at least once a year.


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## mrsnowman

mansf123;1115412 said:


> doing driveways will make the edge last alot longer. If you plow commercial or roads you can expect to change the cutting edge at least once a year.


We have been changing our steel and rubber over to poly over the last few years. We have not had to change one edge since. There is no way that you would only get one season out of an edge made of poly, unless it was the cheap yellow urathane. That's another story. We run each of our pieces of equipment an average of 200 hours per season, so it's not that we don't use our equipment enough.


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## 2COR517

Is it just me, or is it comical to measure cutting edge lifespan in years?


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## PLOW-KING

2COR517;1115525 said:


> Is it just me, or is it comical to measure cutting edge lifespan in years?


LOL, I go through 3 cutting edges a season on my fisher ez-v


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## mrsnowman

PLOW-KING;1115550 said:


> LOL, I go through 3 cutting edges a season on my fisher ez-v


That seems extreme, but I have no idea how thin stock you are putting on your Fisher. 
I got to know one of our boss dealers very well. He told me that they love to put thinner cutting edges on the blades so his customers need to buy more. He thought that it was just good business. I wanted to punch him!


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## PLOW-KING

mrsnowman;1115558 said:


> That seems extreme, but I have no idea how thin stock you are putting on your Fisher.
> I got to know one of our boss dealers very well. He told me that they love to put thinner cutting edges on the blades so his customers need to buy more. He thought that it was just good business. I wanted to punch him!


they are 5/8" thick high carbon steel


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## wenzelosllc

I bought my plow from a city by me and they welded some small sacrificial pieces of steel onto the cutting edge. I didn't know what they were for until a friend pointed them out. They kinda act like shoes I guess. All I know is that they used one big welder to get those things on there.


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## mrsnowman

Did they extend your life of the edge?


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## wenzelosllc

They did until I wore them out. Then it was just business as usual and the edge starting getting worn down. I haven't figured out how to weld on new ones. My welder won't do that thick of steel.

I know some people get double use out of their edges by just flipping them over and using the fresh edge. Seems like a smart idea to me.


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## cold_and_tired

I buy my cutting edges from a local steel supplier. 1/2" steel for $60. They also sell AR400 in the same size for $90.

I get three seasons of commercial plowing out of the cheap steel. For that amount of money, I don't really care how fast they wear out.


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## OC&D

cold_and_tired;1115812 said:


> I buy my cutting edges from a local steel supplier. 1/2" steel for $60. They also sell AR400 in the same size for $90.
> 
> I get three seasons of commercial plowing out of the cheap steel. For that amount of money, I don't really care how fast they wear out.


Last year I had to replace the edges on my Blizzard 810. I decided that the dealer was nuts for what they wanted-$485 for the set or something. So I bought mild steel and made my own. I plowed quite a bit off that mild steel, but at this point I'm figuring they'd last about 10-12 snowfalls total for my accounts. I'll have to put a new set on this winter so I'll be buying hardened steel. Does anyone know the actual type of steel they use (by number) for cutting edges on say, city plows?


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## fhvn4d

I have been thinking about flipping my blade around, using the part that is up on the trip edge. Anyone do this or have horror stories from doing it ?


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## KGRlandscapeing

This seems crazy. If it wears out you replace it. Obviously you should be making enough money to repair and maintain your equipment


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## Antlerart06

KGRlandscapeing;1590433 said:


> This seems crazy. If it wears out you replace it. Obviously you should be making enough money to repair and maintain your equipment


Yes you should made enough money But why not add something to plow edge to get 1/2 more hours out of it Be more profit you get to keep
OEM edges never last me more then one good winter and paying 250+ for OEM is crazy When I built mine I buy mild steel they will last as long or sometimes longer then a OEM For half the cost Would you do that? If you say no then you are crazy not trying


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## theholycow

KGRlandscapeing;1590433 said:


> This seems crazy. If it wears out you replace it. Obviously you should be making enough money to repair and maintain your equipment


You forgot to quote the offending post. Surely you can't be saying it's crazy to flip the cutting edge and use the unworn side...it'd be crazy *not* to do that, such a waste, like drinking half the six-pack then throwing out the other half.


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## fhvn4d

theholycow;1590584 said:


> You forgot to quote the offending post. Surely you can't be saying it's crazy to flip the cutting edge and use the unworn side...it'd be crazy *not* to do that, such a waste, like drinking half the six-pack then throwing out the other half.


I am talking about exactly that.. flipping the blade over to use the unworn side. I bought my plow used and it only had about 1 inch before the trip edge.. now its down to a half after one storm.... I really dont want to put a brand new edge on halfway through the season. If anyone has flipped the edge and used the unworn side that is what i am asking... does it work? I have heard some horror stories about the blade breaking as soon as you losen the bolts or breaking as soon as you run the plow.. wondering what peoples experiences have been .


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## theholycow

If your plow blade is going to break from loosening the cutting edge bolts, it doesn't matter whether you planned to flip the cutting edge or replace it.

The way you're mixing terms I can't tell if you're talking about the cutting edge, the trip edge, or the whole blade. As a review:

- Cutting edge is a replaceable bolted-on strip of steel a few inches tall that bolts to the front of the plow at the bottom and scrapes the ground. Its job is to wear away and be replaced.








(The one in that image is not reversible...once it wears out, there's no point flipping it over as it doesn't go up any higher than its holes.)

- Trip edge is a structural part of the plow, about as tall as the cutting edge, where the cutting edge bolts on. The trip edge is hinged and sprung so your truck doesn't get in any fights with stuff sticking out of the ground like manhole covers. (Many plows have a whole-plow trip mechanism instead of just a trip edge.)









- Blade (or moldboard) is the 20 inch tall curved piece of steel that is the main part of the plow.








(That one has a reversible cutting edge attached.)


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## fhvn4d

Im sorry, I am talking about the cutting edge. The cutting edge on my plow is within 1/2 an inch of grinding down to the point that my TRIP edge will be contacting the ground. I was thinking about flipping the cutting blade over to get the unused side of it down, to extend my season. I have asked around locally and heard horror stories of people who intended to do this and ended up having the blade snap as soon as they losened the bolts.


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## theholycow

Again, the blade shouldn't be a problem, but I think you're trying to say you're worried that the cutting edge will snap. I've never heard of such a thing. However, *if* your worn-out cutting edge did snap, then you'd have to get a new one, like you're already planning to do anyway.


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## Dogplow Dodge

I don't get this thread....


Cutting edges are cheap, and replacing one takes about 15 minutes if the bolts aren't frozen, even less if you just cut them off.


For the price of a couple of weeks of deli sandwiches for lunch (for two guys working on a construction site), you can own a brand new edge..


If you want it to last longer, install a back drag edge as it will almost double the amount of steel on the road, otherwise, replace it and be done with it.


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## fhvn4d

Thank you all for the replies. I am behind the ball on this one, because we are having a major storm in the northeast NOW. I wanted to try flipping the cutting edge over to get through this week, the plan is to replace it when the events over and I can get ahold of one.


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## yardguy28

mansf123;1115412 said:


> doing driveways will make the edge last alot longer. If you plow commercial or roads you can expect to change the cutting edge at least once a year.


wonder what my friend in the business did to get 7+ years out of his edge when all he does is commercial parking lots and residential roads.

I'll have to ask him. he just put a new edge on a few days ago. before that it was 7+ years ago.

don't mean to upset you or argue. only mention this so guys don't think it's an absolute fact your edge will wear that quickly. I don't really know anyone who replaces there edge yearly to be honest.

but I do agree with others. what's the big deal about replacing it when it needs it. they aren't expensive.


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## geer hed

Contact your dealer about a carbide edge for your plow, Put on a carbide and a regular steel edge in front if the carbide.

My main income is working for the local municipality, we use this set up on all our trucks, but more to your size we have 2 trucks with 9 foot blades with this set up, I've been tthere going on 9 years and we have not changed the edges on those 2 plows yet and I don't forsee us changing them any time soon. We do roads of course (mainly blacktop but a couple dirt) and parking lots


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## tjctransport

i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.


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## tuney443

tjctransport;1593089 said:


> i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.


Old age sometimes makes great minds think alike.Been saying about shoes forever but the younger crowd just doesn't get it.Adjust them correctly and you will scrape down to blacktop.


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## geer hed

You really think age makes a difference huh. WELL THEN I have a cousin who has been plowing for 50 years with the same plow. he is now in his 70s and has never EVER changed an edge. so now what did age have to with it. perhaps you young-uns need a lesson from him huh.


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## geer hed

Oh yea he does have shoe's for his plow, he uses them as wheel chocks for his trailer.


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## yardguy28

I don't know. I haven't had a snow plow but 3 years now so I'm not even close to needing to replace my cutting edge. 

but my buddy who's been plowing now for 13 years just put a new edge on his v blade for the first time. 

neither one of us use the shoes. he does primarily commercial parking lots and residential neighborhood streets. I do some small commercial lots and mostly residential driveways. 

so what is the guy who posted here saying one cutting edge a season doing?????


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## tuney443

geer hed;1593166 said:


> You really think age makes a difference huh. WELL THEN I have a cousin who has been plowing for 50 years with the same plow. he is now in his 70s and has never EVER changed an edge. so now what did age have to with it. perhaps you young-uns need a lesson from him huh.


Lighten up there geer hed.If you go back and re read my post,you might see I was ''publicly talking'',if you will, to tjctransport regarding in a joking manner about our thoughts on using shoes.With age usually comes wisdom from our own experiences,if you choose not to agree with something,fine,then disagree.NOBODY is right or wrong on shoe usage.Now,if you're going to impress us about your cousin's longevity on his original cutting edge,tell us how many hours are on that edge,NOT how old it is.For all we know,he could be plowing his own 100' long driveway once a year.


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## tuney443

yardguy28;1593233 said:


> I don't know. I haven't had a snow plow but 3 years now so I'm not even close to needing to replace my cutting edge.
> 
> but my buddy who's been plowing now for 13 years just put a new edge on his v blade for the first time.
> 
> neither one of us use the shoes. he does primarily commercial parking lots and residential neighborhood streets. I do some small commercial lots and mostly residential driveways.
> 
> so what is the guy who posted here saying one cutting edge a season doing?????


Maybe he plows lots made of concrete with emory stone as the aggregate in the mix.That would definitely do it.Thumbs Up


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## tjctransport

tuney443;1593276 said:


> Maybe he plows lots made of concrete with emory stone as the aggregate in the mix.That would definitely do it.Thumbs Up


the guy down the street does not use shoes either, and has to replace his cutting edges every other year. and he only has a 9 mile route. 
i tried to explain the benefit of running shoes to him, but he knows everything.


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## Antlerart06

tjctransport;1593089 said:


> i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.


No wonder you can get 15 years

How many shoes you wear out to get 15 yrs out your cutting edge


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## tjctransport

Antlerart06;1593402 said:


> No wonder you can get 15 years
> 
> How many shoes you wear out to get 15 yrs out your cutting edge


on average i get 7-8 years out of a set of western pods. i modified the plow to accept the pods because the meyers shoes only last around 12 hours.


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## mackclmodel

It all depends on what type of plowing you do and what type of surface plowed on. I plowed for the state for 6 years and we'd burn threw 2 cutting edges a season and that's doing ramps. I've plowed for local towns for 3 yrs and usually get 2 seasons out of a cutting edge


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## yardguy28

tjctransport;1593308 said:


> the guy down the street does not use shoes either, and has to replace his cutting edges every other year. and he only has a 9 mile route.
> i tried to explain the benefit of running shoes to him, but he knows everything.


ok but my point is I know people who don't use shoes and have gotten 13 years out of a cutting plowing mostly asphalt lots and asphalt roads for neighborhoods with some concrete driveways thrown in.

I plow mostly concrete driveways and I don't even own a pair of shoes for my blade. it's on year 3 for me and it was purchased used and it wasn't a new cutting edge when I bought it.

not trying to argue. just trying to figure out if shoes are THAT important how are some getting long lives out of there cutting edge without them and others are replacing cutting edges every season or every other season.

I'm guessing it has more to do with how often you are plowing snow rather than if you use shoes or what surface you are plowing.


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## KGRlandscapeing

I would say they probably last about 300 to 400hrs of plowing time.


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## tjctransport

yardguy28;1593904 said:


> ok but my point is I know people who don't use shoes and have gotten 13 years out of a cutting plowing mostly asphalt lots and asphalt roads for neighborhoods with some concrete driveways thrown in.
> 
> I plow mostly concrete driveways and I don't even own a pair of shoes for my blade. it's on year 3 for me and it was purchased used and it wasn't a new cutting edge when I bought it.
> 
> not trying to argue. just trying to figure out if shoes are THAT important how are some getting long lives out of there cutting edge without them and others are replacing cutting edges every season or every other season.
> 
> I'm guessing it has more to do with how often you are plowing snow rather than if you use shoes or what surface you are plowing.


how many miles did your cutting edge do in those 13 years without shoes?

i get on average 15 years , with about 600-800 miles per year out of a cutting edge.
yes, you read that rite. i have a 21 mile route, and do it around 10 times per plow session, 3-4 times per year.
that is between 9,000 and 12,000 miles out of a cutting edge. 
there is no way you can do that without running shoes.


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## Antlerart06

yardguy28;1593904 said:


> ok but my point is I know people who don't use shoes and have gotten 13 years out of a cutting plowing mostly asphalt lots and asphalt roads for neighborhoods with some concrete driveways thrown in.
> 
> I plow mostly concrete driveways and I don't even own a pair of shoes for my blade. it's on year 3 for me and it was purchased used and it wasn't a new cutting edge when I bought it.
> 
> not trying to argue. just trying to figure out if shoes are THAT important how are some getting long lives out of there cutting edge without them and others are replacing cutting edges every season or every other season.
> 
> I'm guessing it has more to do with how often you are plowing snow rather than if you use shoes or what surface you are plowing.


say you have 2'' of snow and how many hours is your route 
What is your route Roads only 
Parking lots How many?
Driveways only How many?

Originally Posted by tjctransport 
i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.

You doing roads So you dont care how clean the plow gets the road clean You probably salting at same time You probably getting paid by the ton of salt used Is this right?


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## yardguy28

tjctransport;1594140 said:


> how many miles did your cutting edge do in those 13 years without shoes?
> 
> i get on average 15 years , with about 600-800 miles per year out of a cutting edge.
> yes, you read that rite. i have a 21 mile route, and do it around 10 times per plow session, 3-4 times per year.
> that is between 9,000 and 12,000 miles out of a cutting edge.
> there is no way you can do that without running shoes.


checked with the guy i'm talking about who has had his cutting edge 13 years with no shoes.

this is what HE said. he said he does between 700-900 miles per season.

personally i trust him quite a bit. he's been an excellent friend and very helpful to me and my business.



Antlerart06;1594158 said:


> say you have 2'' of snow and how many hours is your route
> What is your route Roads only
> Parking lots How many?
> Driveways only How many?
> 
> Originally Posted by tjctransport
> i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.
> 
> You doing roads So you dont care how clean the plow gets the road clean You probably salting at same time You probably getting paid by the ton of salt used Is this right?


my own personal route? i know why i haven't been through a cutting edge yet. i normally get my driveway done between 10-12 hours. no salting.

but it's my buddy we need to be really looking at. as i said in a previous post. he does mostly parking lots and residential neighborhoods. no salt on the residential neighborhood roads.

as far as i know about how guys plow. we all put the blade as low as it will go to scrape it as clean as we can, whether we salt or not.

the only time i ever don't completely lower my blade is on a gravel driveway. otherwise that thing couldn't get any lower.


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## tjctransport

Antlerart06;1594158 said:


> Originally Posted by tjctransport
> i have been plowing for 40 years now and on average get 15 years out of a cutting edge. the secret is to use good plow shoes so the cutting edge stays off the road.
> 
> You doing roads So you dont care how clean the plow gets the road clean You probably salting at same time You probably getting paid by the ton of salt used Is this right?


no, i plow not salt. 
and the cleaner i get the roads, the longer i have to get back to do it again.
when i plow my edge is set roughly 1/4 inch off the road.
so basically i scrape the road clean after about 20 ft of plow down.
the other thing i do is only go about 10 mph.
this saves on wear and tear by not breaking things.


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## Antlerart06

tjctransport;1594240 said:


> no, i plow not salt.
> and the cleaner i get the roads, the longer i have to get back to do it again.
> when i plow my edge is set roughly 1/4 inch off the road.
> so basically i scrape the road clean after about 20 ft of plow down.
> the other thing i do is only go about 10 mph.
> this saves on wear and tear by not breaking things.


 The part in red I dont understand

So what type of road you doing Gravel, asphalt or concrete

I do agree with you slower you go there is less heat on the edge But your edge isnt on the ground That have to be a boring ride going 10mph for 21 miles, and do it around 10 times per plow session
You must be getting paid by the hour 
______________________________________________________________________________

YARDGUY
((((((my own personal route? i know why i haven't been through a cutting edge yet. i normally get my driveway done between 10-12 hours. no salting.))))))))

Yardguy I could see your edge lasting a long time just doing driveways You never get over 10mph
How many driveways do you have To have a 10-12 hr route


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## tjctransport

set your plow 1/4 inch off the road, and start pushing. within 20 ft, you will have enough snow built up in front of the blade to posh the road clean, unless there is ice under the snow. 

and of course i plow by the hour. what other way is there when doing municipal roads?.


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## quigleysiding

tjctransport;1594655 said:


> set your plow 1/4 inch off the road, and start pushing. within 20 ft, you will have enough snow built up in front of the blade to posh the road clean, unless there is ice under the snow.
> 
> and of course i plow by the hour. what other way is there when doing municipal roads?.


Wow I am going to have to try that. I only got about 40 hours out of my last edge. The just glued that pea stone to my roads this year. I usually go through 2 edges a year. Already been through 2 this year. I need one before I can go out again. I dont know how anyboby can get years out of one.


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## mackclmodel

tjctransport;1594655 said:


> set your plow 1/4 inch off the road, and start pushing. within 20 ft, you will have enough snow built up in front of the blade to posh the road clean, unless there is ice under the snow.
> 
> and of course i plow by the hour. what other way is there when doing municipal roads?.


I'll try this. All by the hour @ 15mph for municipal roads in Mass here for me too payup


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## Antlerart06

tjctransport;1594655 said:


> set your plow 1/4 inch off the road, and start pushing. within 20 ft, you will have enough snow built up in front of the blade to posh the road clean, unless there is ice under the snow.
> 
> and of course i plow by the hour. what other way is there when doing municipal roads?.


You a Sub or you a employer to the town you are plowing for

Never done municipal roads


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## yardguy28

Antlerart06;1594594 said:


> The part in red I dont understand
> 
> So what type of road you doing Gravel, asphalt or concrete
> 
> I do agree with you slower you go there is less heat on the edge But your edge isnt on the ground That have to be a boring ride going 10mph for 21 miles, and do it around 10 times per plow session
> You must be getting paid by the hour
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 
> YARDGUY
> ((((((my own personal route? i know why i haven't been through a cutting edge yet. i normally get my driveway done between 10-12 hours. no salting.))))))))
> 
> Yardguy I could see your edge lasting a long time just doing driveways You never get over 10mph
> How many driveways do you have To have a 10-12 hr route


currently in that time frame I'm doing 20 driveways. that time frame includes drive time to all of them and doing there sidewalks and steps.

if the roads are in good shape I can make better time.

oh and I do have 1 commercial lot that takes me an hour plow.


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## MajorDave

That was an awesome review - with pics and all!


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## Antlerart06

yardguy28;1594786 said:


> currently in that time frame I'm doing 20 driveways. that time frame includes drive time to all of them and doing there sidewalks and steps.
> 
> if the roads are in good shape I can make better time.
> 
> oh and I do have 1 commercial lot that takes me an hour plow.


Thats a small list 
I understand now I can see why your edge does last you

I have close to 40 Commercial Lots with about 30 driveways
Half my Lots are over 2 acres Then again Im running 3 trucks and one sidewalk/driveway rig this yr
Normaly run 4 trucks and one tractor but after last year with no snow Lost 2 drivers

My cutting edges shows more wear

I know one guy says he can wear 1 inch off on each storm but they run 15 trucks if all 15 trucks wear 1 inch 
Thats amount of 3 cutting edges


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## yardguy28

well I understand why my cutting edge is lasting me but my buddy. who does mostly commercial lots and residential neighborhood roads and puts 800 miles on his edge a year with no shoes got 13 years out of his.


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## tjctransport

Antlerart06;1594748 said:


> You a Sub or you a employer to the town you are plowing for
> 
> Never done municipal roads


i plow for the town on a signed contract for $100 per hour per truck.
they have 17 trucks for 42 square miles of town. total roads in town are around 250 miles, so we contract to the town to provide plow trucks. on average there are around 65-70 trucks on the road during a storm.


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