# Cost-Effective (But Frustrating) Plowing With Old Equipment



## MR5BY5 (Jan 18, 2005)

I have an '80 Jeep CJ-7 with Meyers 7-foot Plow / E-47 Hydraulics. I bought the unit over 15 years ago for plowing my 300 foot driveway here in Western NY "snowbelt" and, though the Jeep has held-up pretty well, the plow has been very unreliable! 
Several years back I had trouble with the Motor on the Hydraulic Unit and disassembled to have a look - the brushes were shot so I bought a new set, made a "tool" to re-install and it woked pretty well for awhile.
Last year the moldboard gave-out on me - rusted-out where the pivot-pins mount and basically fell-apart. My brother found me another plow with a nice solid moldboard and I set it up on the Jeep for this winter. The pivot pins, though, had never been lubed and, try as I might, I could not free them up - after our first heavy snow of the season one pivot-pin snapped-off and a repair weld on the other side broke and I had to send THIS mold-board out for repairs! (Luckily, I was able to use the A-frame from old plow with the new mold-board after the welder beat-out the old pivot-pins for me!)
As soon as I put the plow back-on the pump motor quit again! After 2 weeks of heavy use (raising and lowering the blade with a hand-hoist!) I got a break to pull the motor and found field magnets had shattered and broken bits of field material were jamming the motor! Purchased one via internet from Angelo's Supply in MI - $50 + shipping and excellent service (local Meyers parts supplier wanted $91!). 
Put the motor on and the raise/lower cartridge was stuck - unit would not lower! That seemed to be fixed just by removing/re-installing the solenoid.

Looks like everything is back in order now - I will find-out tomorrow, SNOW ON THE WAY TONIGHT!

BTW: I went through the expenses for 17 years of using this Jeep to clean our driveway and, if I could sell it for $1000 (I'm pretty sure I could), it comes to under $150 a year not counting gas. There has been lots of frustration but it has been cost-effective!


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*Northman 1980 cherokee*

Bought this one 1980 jeep cherokee for $1600 11 years ago 258ci with 88k. The heavy duty deluxe 1400 northman plow with underhood hydraulics and quick attach mount from the 80s sold for $3000 it self. The plow is bulletproof with no problems yet. But my jeep is rusting out on me. Frame tank holding area, floors. But drivetrain is rock soild. Sounds like I would invest in a real plow. Those yellow ones are tin crap if you compare them to others. When comes to working on the I think the are really the worst the myers 47 pump.


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## SteveB(wi) (Dec 27, 2004)

Having run old stuff all my life it can be frustrating, but every month when there isn't a payment it looks pretty good. My current 1976 Chevy K-20 cost $1200 about 8 years ago. About 2 years ago I dropped 2K putting GM crate motor and clean TX cab & sheetmetal in the front. My '72 Meyer plow has been in the family for 30 years on various trucks. Sometimes on this site I think I'm the only guy who hasn't had a lot of trouble with his Meyer. I can remember putting brushes in the motor once and replaced control switches in the 80's. Original Motor finally went out first snow this year ($125 at 10PM during a storm woulda been ½ that the next day) cleaned & spiffed up the old one and put it on the shelf for a spare. Around '94 I put a master seal kit in it and repacked the angle rams. I also replaced the valves and solenoids then. Change the fluid and couplers every couple of years. I do 8 driveways for family and friends, longest about 300' and my rigs have always earned their keep. The old iron is built more solid and I haven't found anything yet I couldn't fix myself. On the chevy I could fit in the engine compartment and close the hood it has so much room although I might knock off the one vacuum hose it has.

thread of my rig and 1 former rig
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=21315


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## mmwb (Jan 12, 2005)

"rusting out"

What do ya mean Northman? Why that fine looking vehicle looks just broke in!lol. Seriously I'll take a paid for, well running, rust bucket over the nicest new vehicle with the payment. If money were no option.... it would be different. My current early 90's vehicles are the newest I've owned. They're nice, but I expect that as soon as I start having problems with the computers, electronics, fuel injection, etc... I'll be looking for some older 70's or early to mid 80's models to replace them.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

I'm sorry, but wadda you expect from a 15 year old plow that was poorly maintained??? The plow never got lubed or greased and your surprised the povots were frozen? Plows have to be rebuilt every so often- they NEED greese on the pivots unless you use the hell out of them, in which case the pivots wear so fast there's such a big gap they can;t freeze. (BTW that's srcasm- when that happens it's time to rebuild her). Mold boards rust- all steel does. When plows are improperily cared for this all happens- doesn;t matter what make of plow either. We all know about the old Meyer's so I won;t even bother with that line of thought. I wish plow makers would put greese fittings on the darn pivots. My chevy has the original Fisher Speedcast from 1986- pivots are a bit worn but it works and the moldboard isn;t rusted out and never has. 

Take care of your equipment and it'll take care of you


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## brunosplace (Dec 30, 2004)

As for the E-47, if it gets a fresh overhaul, and then is maintained properly (fluid & filter changes) you will have no trouble with it. Angelos that you bought your part from does rebuilds for $99 plus parts. I just had them do my old one ( I have been using for 12 years & was old & used when I got it), the pump on it had finally wore out. 

For the pivots I take mine apart at the end of the season and clean up the pins and coat them in anti-sieze before reassembling it. This time I plan on drill in a hole into the pivot sleeves & welding a nut over it so I can screw in some zerk fittings so I can grease it with a gun readily.


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## Ole JIM (Dec 9, 2004)

GEE! I hear You all using Ole Equpiment & Whinning?--Dono?--what do you exspect?--I had an Ole Jeep pick-Up 49 I think? plowed for yrs--& drove IT back & forth to work every Winter!--Welded & patched It so many Times I forget?--body finnally Fell OFF-but It still Plowed SNOW!--& kept my Yard cleaned UP--& what? did I do w/ IT?--its Parked in the back yard just in Case?--my 88 Dodge throws one of those newer 4X4 Fits?--I*M what You young fellers calls an Ole FART!-& all the New Fangled Computer Stuff is just Shiny JUNK to ME!--if? I can*T FIX It? I Don*t Want IT!--Enough Said--Ole JIM--


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*no whinning here lmao at payments*

Plowing my 700 foot drive with a paid off plow for 11 years with no cost do to the bullet proof northman. I dont know why anyone would want a new plow truck. If it got used like mine it wouldnt have a straight piece of metal on the sides after the year. Plow on 4x4 time. Screw payments


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