# New plow, thinking Warn or Swisher



## Zigblazer (Aug 1, 2010)

I just got a new '12 Cat 700 TRV and wasn't worried about a plow until my wife asked me something about the old plow. I didn't think I had used it much since I had the truck, but I have a 50" moose plow on a '04 Cat 500, and every fall since I bought it I have to repair it before I can use it again. Making me realize that I did use it a lot for trails. It almost made it through last winter, then we got one more big storm and several of the factory welds broke, and my welds held, but ripped the tubing apart. Needless to say I'm hard on plows. I use my truck to plow driveways, and use the ATV for the hiking trails and almost a mile of the creek out behind our house. I take my daughter for rides, while the dogs run, all winter on the trails. Plus, the creek is a lot of fun to ride on.

So instead of completely re-welding that moose plow again, I was thinking of just getting a decent plow to start off with. I know I want a front mount plow, I think that was the moose plow's biggest downfall, being center mounted allowed for too much side movement and torquing of the bars. It always tripped too easily, and wouldn't scrape down at all without 50 lbs added to the plow itself (again adding to the destruction).

So I'm looking for something easy to remove, front mounted, and very strong. This has led me to the swisher 50" and the warn 60". I can get both for about the same price, and fab the mount for the ATV myself. Both are braced near the ends and use thicker steel for the main blade. I would like a 60" much better, but the swisher looks stronger and says it can push gravel and dirt. I don't plow commercially, or often. I wait until there is at least 6" before plowing the trails. I have never lacked power with the 500, just traction, even with chains, but that plow would never work quite right.

Does anyone have experience with both plows, or have another similarly priced suggestion? Am I just going to have to deal with the breakages due to the rough nature of the trails?

Swisher http://www.amazon.com/Swisher-50-Inch-Universal-Blade-2645R/dp/B000JCNT2K/

Warn http://www.amazon.com/WARN-78960-ProVantage-Straight-Blade/dp/B003JICO90/


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

out of the two you listed. Swisher makes a heavy Blade. I don't like there mounting system It hang's down low and you don't have much ground clearance. Pain to put off/on. Its OK if you put in on once in the fall and take off in the spring but if you due multiple on/off big pain for the under belly mount. Blade on/off to the mount is a breeze though.

Warn I don't know about.

I would think that Moose plow's are the best and if you've had breakage with a Moose your doing a lot.

you break the push tube's? or the Blade Mount?

I've had to reweld my Push Tube cross support and the End mounting pin but have plowed with the same blade since 02



just my thoughts.


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## Zigblazer (Aug 1, 2010)

The moose does use 1/8" steel for the blade, but as far as I can see that is where the strength stops. It only has 2 vertical braces. I bent the push tubes the first time I used it. Broke the cross brace welds (added a second brace). Sheared the pivot lock pin. Broke the pivot bolt. Pivot lock spring went astray. Both top corners of the plow are folded in about 6". A couple chunks of the wear bar missing. Yes I'm very hard on my equipment. Right now both cross braces are broken loose. Push tubes are twisted (since they can't bend anymore). Pivot bolt is broken again. One reset spring is stretched and not pulling anymore.

Anyway, the swisher has 4 vertical braces and a top brace with an 1/8" steel face. A more robust looking mounting/pivot assembly, a front mount (which should fix most of my problems), and indicates it is for gravel and dirt as well. I would make my own ATV mount so I wouldn't have to use the low slung thing they recommend. That is mainly to take the weight off the suspension for use with their bucket. So without that, I would not loose the ground clearance and would end up spending the same price as the warn.

The Warn is a little thinner at 12ga vs 11ga (1/8") for the others, but has 4 vertical braces. The mount and pivot looks stronger than the swisher, but does not say anything about using for anything other than snow. The pivot it a plate instead of a bolt. The only thing that doesn't look stronger is the pivot lock, but I'm sure I could modify that if it breaks. I'm just thinking of things that I've broken with my current plow, and what would prevent that. I guess I'll run into a whole new set of problems.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

that's quite the carnage list on a plow.

if your building your own mount I'd go with the Swisher.

that way if you every want to you can get there bucket attachment as well and that thing can come in handy for light duty chores.

heres a Pic of my swisher bucket









and this is the setup for heavy snow's in the winter









so if your making your own mount I'd go with the swisher blade.

I have a swisher blade as a backup to my main plow machine and as yet I haven't plowed snow with it but have used the bucket a lot for moving rock's and small amounts of dirt/gravel

its on step ahead of a shovel and wheel barrow but is still one step

just my thoughts

sublime out


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