# SNOWBEAR OWNERS-please read!



## ProEnterprises

Greetings all, hope your enjoying the warm weather. 

Im not here to cause a debate, just wanted anyone who has a snowbear to please post a picture of their setup. I just wanted to see one and take it for consideration. Im a little tight on money, so just wanted to check it out. 

ANY snowbear owners, please post a picture. 


Thanks, Think Snow.


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## bobingardner

This site might help.



HTML:


http://members.tka.com/snowbear/


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## catskill

*Snowbear's Junk*

Lol...get A Real Plow


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## Crumm

Will the snowbear bashing ever stop?? I don't own one and probably never will but this is the PERSONAL USE PLOWING Forum. Why can't a person ask a question about a snowbear without first buying a flame suit? Most people that own one say they work fine for personal use. I would rather use one than a shovel any-day. The people that bash them and say they break probably are a little too rough on them and should probably steer clear of them. I would just someday like to see someone's question get answered without a "Lol...get A Real Plow" comment. What is the purpose????


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## Mick

For what it's worth, I agree with Crumm. This is the appropriate place that a person should ask questions about personal use plows. As long as a person knows what they are getting and wasn't mislead, their choice of equipment is their business. Much the same as the lawn care business. While I'm sure quite a few of you would recommend a $7,000 ZTR; for me to mow my 1/2 acre yard once or twice a month that would be ridiculous.


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## catskill

*Your Money Crumm*

hey a toro power shovel is better than a shovel(sometimes).sad to say i owned a snowbear,and yes it did the job,and it also broke more than i care to say.just thought i would steer you towards something better.sorry if i offended you crumm.


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## Th3DuKe

*I've got one, I'll take some pics and send them up.*

let me first say, I'm new to the board and this is my first post. So please be gentle I've seen alot of flamming of the SnowBear Personal Plow. Therefore I would appreciate not getting flamed since the information I'm posting is based on my experiences so far.

I just bought one this week from Walmart...

I started the assembly last night, and the setup is pretty easy. From what I can tell the parts appear to be good quality. I'll take some pictures of it tonight and put them up.

I chose this plow since it was readily available, and I use my truck (94 Dakota) as a daily driver. The setup suppose to be easy; and I wanted a plow that I could easily take off my truck when I didn't need it.

I live in the country, on a 1.5 Km dirt road in Canada, Quebec. We get a lot of snow down here and I'm hoping to save some money by plowing our road myself this year. At the same time put my tired snow blower to rest for the driveway; My driveway is 140' by 32'.

I know I have big expectations for this plow but I'm hoping the experience will be good. Either way I'll let you know how it turns out.


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## Mick

Th3DuKe, welcome to Plow Site. I think it would be good to get impressions from a new owner as you go through set up, initial and long term impressions. It sounds like you bought it with the right idea - using it for your own driveway and not expecting it to be a commercial plow.


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## bobingardner

TheDuke, does the plow have a metal moldboard. I saw one at Home Depot today and didn't think it looked bad for the price. It had a orange 19" full trip metal moldboard with two trip springs and a metal scraper. There weren't any hydrolics but it had an electric wench to lift the blade. 

I thought snowbear only came with the Flexblade. 

It'll be interesting to see how it works for you. By the way, welcome.


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## Crumm

*Welcome Th3duke*

catskill, No offense taken. I am just tired of the bashing. We come to this board to get help and it seems every time a snowbear owner needs help all he gets is :yow!: . I don't own a snowbear nor do I plan on getting one but I will help anyone that owns one anyway I can.

Th3duke, Welcome to the site and good luck with your new plow. Since you are doing your own driveway I am sure you know where all the obstacles are. Just plow with the storm and don't cowboy it and I am sure the snowbear will last you for many years to come.


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## Th3DuKe

*Got it all setup, I'll post the pictures tonight.*

Thanks for the warm welcome to the board. I finally finished the install last night it took me about 4 hours to put it all together without the wiring done, and I've never put a plow together so if I can do anyone can.

Like I said at first glance the parts seemed to be good quality. However the only complaint I have is the fasteners that came with the kit -- it comes with a whole bunch of bolts and nuts (~40 or so) and something like 4 washers. So this is where I have an issue, 4 washers doesn't cut it... I had to add about a dozen 5/16 washers so the bolts would seat right. Other than that the kit is well documented and easy to put together.

One cool thing is the fast service; I bought the plow on Monday, phoned them on Tuesday and the mount for my truck was delivered on Thursday. So I installed that last night too; man that mount is sweet (it's like a shadow mount setup).

Overall this kit is really easy to install, a trained monkey could do it.

My apologies for not getting the pictures on yet, I'll post them tonight; had to run out pretty quick this morning and forgot to bring the camera cable to post them (duh!!). Anyway I'll post them tonight for sure.

bobingardner  it's orange and it's all Metal, it's 19" wide and 6' 10 inch long. Sounds like the one you're describing is what I bought. BTW: the sticker s that come with it say "Pro Shovel" but the manufacturer snowbear.

Cheers,


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## Th3DuKe

*As promised here are the pictures*

Here they are


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## Mick

Actually, it looks like that's going to be a nice little unit for your driveway. Now, just plan it for a minimum of directional changes so you don't need to change angle. Can you maybe fabricate some wings for trail-off? The other thing to look into is pre-treating to melt some snow so you're not trying to push so much at once.


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## Th3DuKe

Thanks for the tips... but what do you mean by trail-off? I've never plowed before, so hopefully this is a pleasant experience. For the first time in 25 years I'm anxious for it to snow.


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## Mick

When you push snow, the moldboard (blade) gets full. If the moldboard is angled and you push less than the full width, snow will be directed toward the angled side closest to the vehicle. If the moldboard is not angled or you push the full width, snow will come around the side(s). When it comes around to a side where you've already plowed, it forms a "trail" or ridge. This is termed "trail-off" and is a major source of frustration as now you have to push this trail. There are several solutions to avoid trail-off, such as V-plows (hinged in the middle and can be formed into a "V"), or "wings" which are bolted onto each side of the plow. If made at right angles to the plow it will "capture" the snow allowing you to push it without spill over the sides. The other purpose for wings to to extend the length of the moldboard, usually by about 6" - 12" on each side.


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## bobingardner

Th3DuKe,

I'm new at this also but I think trail-off refers to the snow that "leaks" around the edges of the plow. Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Like I said I'm a novice but my suggestion would be keep up with the snowfall and not wait until there's 12" on the ground before you make a pass. I have a light duty Fisher and plan to plow every three inches or so. How does the wench wiring connect to the truck?

May your first plow be as memorable as your first love.


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## Th3DuKe

Thanks for the explanations... That makes alot of sense I should give snowbear a call to see it they have anything that can be added to the sides; or I'll just weld a couple of plates with some bolts attached and tack a few pieces of tubing to each side to slide the plates on (just a brain fart). 

As for the wiring, what a joke! it took me (without exaggeration) 5 minutes and it was wired up. just hook up the 2 wires to the battery with the included relay and plug everything in (it all snaps together, wiring harness is slick).  

Wish me luck, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.


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## catskill

*May The Force Be With You*

good luck with it duke!


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## crashz

Hmm - I've never seen a Snowbear. It looks like a nice little plow. The two biggest gripes I've read about them are the winch lift and the manual angle. But with a little work, I could see someone converting them over to fully hydraulic. Acutally, it doesn't look too hard to do. 

Let us know how it hold up!


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## mainebob

i have a neighbor that has a plow like this, he has used with with an older jeep 1/4 truck. does his medium size driveway ok. with the manual angle you have to plan you passes well and plow every 3 inches of snow or it will get too mush for the unit. good luck.


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## gt_racer50

Actually, I've owned a snowbear for about 5 years. I also own a Meyers, 7 1/2' blade. When I bought the Snowbear, I really didn't want to plow snow, but I needed something to plow a few residential customers that kind of expected me to do their plowing as we do the mowing. That 1st year I ended up picking up a 42 home complex (patio type) and used the Snowbear, I also used it for a couple of other small businesses, several residential places, and Did a 150 unit apt complex for a friend that has the contract for their mowing. Never once, I repeat, never once did anything break, I used it another year after that for just about the same amount of plowing, and nothing ever broke, never!!! Yes it's a hassel to get out and change the angle, no I wouldn't reccommend it for anyone with that amount of work, only because it is small, takes longer to plow with. I still own it and have thought about putting it on the salt shaker truck for a backup or clean up work on larger places. For a homeowner with a big driveway, some one in the country with a long driveway, do a couple of neighbor's drives or lanes that doesn't want to spend $5000, it's not a bad little plow for the money.
I to also get tired of the Snowbear bashing. To me its like bashing someone with a $75,000 house just because you have a $300,000 home, or bashing someone because they have a 4 year old Dodge.


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## snowbiter

Duke,
That pro shovel is not a bad looking plow and if your only going to do a few driveways the manual angle shouldn't be that big of a deal. I'd take that over a shovel or a snowblower any day just becuse plowing is so much more fun 
Goodluck!


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## 68 bullitt

bobingardner said:


> This site might help.
> 
> 
> 
> HTML:
> 
> 
> http://members.tka.com/snowbear/


I am going to buy an sb300 snowbear plow,what do you have and are you happy with it?


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## Plowbie

68 bullitt said:


> I am going to buy an sb300 snowbear plow,what do you have and are you happy with it?


what is an SB300 plow? i know they have a SB200.


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## 68 bullitt

Th3DuKe said:


> let me first say, I'm new to the board and this is my first post. So please be gentle I've seen alot of flamming of the SnowBear Personal Plow. Therefore I would appreciate not getting flamed since the information I'm posting is based on my experiences so far.
> 
> I just bought one this week from Walmart...
> 
> I started the assembly last night, and the setup is pretty easy. From what I can tell the parts appear to be good quality. I'll take some pictures of it tonight and put them up.
> 
> I chose this plow since it was readily available, and I use my truck (94 Dakota) as a daily driver. The setup suppose to be easy; and I wanted a plow that I could easily take off my truck when I didn't need it.
> 
> I live in the country, on a 1.5 Km dirt road in Canada, Quebec. We get a lot of snow down here and I'm hoping to save some money by plowing our road myself this year. At the same time put my tired snow blower to rest for the driveway; My driveway is 140' by 32'.
> 
> I know I have big expectations for this plow but I'm hoping the experience will be good. Either way I'll let you know how it turns out.


Which snowbear did you buy? I just ordered a sb300 flexblade from Canadian Tire.Do you have any pics?I am from NS


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## 68 bullitt

Plowbie said:


> what is an SB300 plow? i know they have a SB200.


It's the same as the sb200 only the plow is slightly wider and is a polyflex/red material and not steel like the sb50.


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## 68 bullitt

Th3DuKe said:


> Thanks for the tips... but what do you mean by trail-off? I've never plowed before, so hopefully this is a pleasant experience. For the first time in 25 years I'm anxious for it to snow.


Hey, I'm new to this too,good info for us new guys.Did you order a snow deflector with the plow and skid shoes?


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## Plowbie

68 bullitt said:


> Which snowbear did you buy? I just ordered a sb300 flexblade from Canadian Tire.Do you have any pics?I am from NS


We may actually have a few people on here this winter to give first hand Snowbear experiences which will be cool. 68 bullitt, what kind of vehicle do you plan on putting it on? Be sure to post pics when you get it.

The SB200 would still be the best bet I think for a bigger truck. I think its 7'4" or so and the moldboard is a good size taller at 26". Its steel and weighs 300 similar to the SB300. Cost is $1299 and it comes with the deflector.


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## Plowbie

Th3DuKe said:


> Wish me luck, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.


Hey Th3DuKe,
Can you give some feedback regarding the up/down response of the winch lift? Does yours have the wireless remote? I think thats the only one they offer now? Is there any lag time when you try to operate it? Also, can you control how far up and how far down it goes or is it only Up/Down with nothing in between?

Thanks


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## Big Nate's Plowing

what do they charge for the deflector for that blade?


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## 68 bullitt

Plowbie said:


> We may actually have a few people on here this winter to give first hand Snowbear experiences which will be cool. 68 bullitt, what kind of vehicle do you plan on putting it on? Be sure to post pics when you get it.
> 
> The SB200 would still be the best bet I think for a bigger truck. I think its 7'4" or so and the moldboard is a good size taller at 26". Its steel and weighs 300 similar to the SB300. Cost is $1299 and it comes with the deflector.


My sb300 is the smaller version of the new flexblade, I gather.I will let you know when it arrives for assembly.I have an f150 2004 reg 4x4 4.6l.I am buying the heavy duty shoes, deflector and markers,it retails for 1649.99 and the custom fit mounting bracket is 199.99.I will keep you posted, no digital though,great to be a part of this site, thank's,68 BULLITT ps, plow is 84'x20' high


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## johntwist

Th3DuKe said:


> As promised here are the pictures


I've never seen a Snowbear before, but I can see why they get flamed by alot of guys, it is definitely not a commercial set up.
So Mick and Crumm were right on the money, the personal use forum is definitely the place to discuss them and you should be able to without the use of body armor.
It actually is a pretty cool little set up for just doing your own driveway, and I definitely agree that it beats pushing a shovel or a snow blower.
Just one thing though, if you don't mind telling, just to really put things into perspective.......how much? If it's less than a grand, I'd say you did just dandy.


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## johntwist

gt_racer50 said:


> I to also get tired of the Snowbear bashing. To me its like bashing someone with a $75,000 house just because you have a $300,000 home, or bashing someone because they have a 4 year old Dodge.


Dan:

I don't have a Snowbear, but many thanks for your comments from a guy with a 4 year-old Dodge!


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## Plowbie

Basic Snowbear SB50 steel 6'10" x 19" $995 ($955 at Sams Club)
Snowbear SB200 steel 7'4" x 26" $1299
Snowbear SB300 Flexible 7' x 20" $1499+ (i think)


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## 68 bullitt

Big Nate's Plowing said:


> what do they charge for the deflector for that blade?


It comes with the plow,68BULLITT


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## 68 bullitt

68 bullitt said:


> My sb300 is the smaller version of the new flexblade, I gather.I will let you know when it arrives for assembly.I have an f150 2004 reg 4x4 4.6l.I am buying the heavy duty shoes, deflector and markers,it retails for 1649.99Cdn. and the custom fit mounting bracket is 199.99.I will keep you posted, no digital though,great to be a part of this site, thank's,68 BULLITT ps, plow is 84'x20' high


This price is in Canadian Bucks.


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## 68 bullitt

Plowbie said:


> Basic Snowbear SB50 steel 6'10" x 19" $995 ($955 at Sams Club)
> Snowbear SB200 steel 7'4" x 26" $1299
> Snowbear SB300 Flexible 7' x 20" $1499+ (i think)


Your prices sound about right with the conversions to myCAD. :waving:


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## Plowbie

Big Nate's Plowing said:


> what do they charge for the deflector for that blade?


The basic under 1,000 version doesnt come with the deflector but the SB200 and SB300 do come with it. I think Snowbear charges $55 or so for theirs as an accessory.


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## Th3DuKe

68 bullitt said:


> Which snowbear did you buy? I just ordered a sb300 flexblade from Canadian Tire.Do you have any pics?I am from NS


I purchased the SB50, bought it for 995.00 CDN at Walmart, 99.99 CDN for the heavy duty snow shoes... I posted some pics in my previous posts check them out.

:waving:


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## Th3DuKe

Big Nate's Plowing said:


> what do they charge for the deflector for that blade?


70.00 CDN for the deflector.


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## Th3DuKe

Plowbie said:


> Hey Th3DuKe,
> Can you give some feedback regarding the up/down response of the winch lift? Does yours have the wireless remote? I think thats the only one they offer now? Is there any lag time when you try to operate it? Also, can you control how far up and how far down it goes or is it only Up/Down with nothing in between?
> 
> Thanks


Hi Plowbie, 
Nope my setup is not the wireless one... The only thing I added to my setup are the heavy duty snow shoes. As for the lift, I have no lag time, fully ajustable to how far up or down it can go.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...


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## 68 bullitt

Th3DuKe said:


> I purchased the SB50, bought it for 995.00 CDN at Walmart, 99.99 CDN for the heavy duty snow shoes... I posted some pics in my previous posts check them out.
> 
> :waving:


When you get to use it, let me know how you like it.I will also.The pics look great,what kind of effort is required to turn the blade besides getting out of the warm truck?Did you do anything different to the front end of your truck due to the extra weight of the plow and mounting kit?I.E.Torsion bars tightened, extra ballast in the box etc.?Later guy. :salute:


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## Th3DuKe

Sure thing... The actual angle function appears to be well balanced -- pull on the handle and just push in either direction; my 9 year old could do it. 

Nope, I didn't have to adjust the torsion bars (yet) hopefully all is OK on that front (pun intended). The guy that had the truck before me, looked like he really beat the crap out of the it; torsion bars appear to be already to the max setting... I just got 2 lower ball joints changed and an inner and outter tie-rod then to it aligned. I think you need to get an alignment done if you tweak the torsion bars, don't you? 

Anyway, I hope it's going to be high enough. Judging from the comments, as long as I don't cowboy around and respect it, I should be fine.


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## 68 bullitt

Thank,s Th3DUKE for your prompt reply, it sounds like you are ready for some snow!With the exception of getting out of the truck for the blade angle, it sounds like everything is straight ahead.I will let you know how assembly goes, and yes, their is wet snow in NS today,soon....Thank's alot, later :salute:


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## Personal Plow

Th3DuKe said:


> Hi Plowbie,
> Nope my setup is not the wireless one... The only thing I added to my setup are the heavy duty snow shoes. As for the lift, I have no lag time, fully ajustable to how far up or down it can go.
> 
> Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...


Same Here!!!

I'll post picks today.
PP


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## Th3DuKe

*Everything is good so far*

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that the snowbear is doing a fine job... I plow my 1KM dirt road and my drive-way with it, and thus far it's holding up OK. I just take it easy, and so far so good.

My neighbor has a Fisher and he drives his truck like he's got a tank (I've had to pull him out of the ditch "twice" already this year...) Anyway, his fisher is a much nicer plow though, you can't compare that to the snowbear; BUT for the price and what I'm using it for you can't beat this little setup.

I'm saying this now, and we've only have 30 cm of snow so far... Hopefully everything will continue this way, "NO PROBLEMS"

So for what it's worth, two thumbs up for the snow bear, not a bad little setup.


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## 68 bullitt

Howw's it going Th3DuKe?I haven't had any snow yet to try out my sb300, however, it was easy to assemble,including the frame bracket and crossmember, however,the bottom of the mounting assembly rubs the ashphalt when I come off my paved driveway to the town street, it appears that clearance at the mounting bracket is going to be a problem with my 04"f150 4x4.I can flip crossmember upsidedown but there is an air cowling directly below my front bumper preventing the crossmember from fitting.I would have to saw a section on either side of the cowling to make the crossmember fit. I called snowbear at their toll free # and they said that if clearance is 10 inches from top of crossmember that it should be ok.Well, it is just 10 inches and the mounting assembly scrapes the pavement, only when I come down off of a slight grade or go on to a slight grade as you will commonly encounter coming off of a driveway on to a street.Driving on level ground isn't a problem.Obviously on other trucks with this similar crossmember,the mounting bracket is located alot higher than 10 inches in order for it not to scrape. My crossmember looks identical to yours/sb300.I may have to go to a machine shop to relocate mounting assembly to crossmember.Note that this contact is made regardless if plow is up or down/ it has nothing to do with this .What is the clearance that you have from top of crossmember to the ground?Thank's for looking..


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## mikelawtown

I saw a jeep around here with a pro-shovel(same)as the snobear. send some pics with the plow attached to the truck


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## 68 bullitt

*Snowbear mounting bracket drags*



mikelawtown said:


> I saw a jeep around here with a pro-shovel(same)as the snobear. send some pics with the plow attached to the truck


Hi Milklawtown,Th3DuKe has pics of his snowbear200, I think, called a Proshovel that clearly show the setup.My mounting bracket,male and female ends is identical, along with the exact same crossmember containing male ends.His is on a Dodge Dakota, I believe, and he says his works great. Thank's alot, let me know what you think,68 Bullitt I just niticed that his mounting bracket directly below the female ends curves up, but mine runs straight for about 2 feet instead of curving up,and since this is in a fixed position, it will rub on the pavement..Herin lies the problem...
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=17906&page=1


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## bobingardner

Th3DuKe said:


> Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that the snowbear is doing a fine job... I plow my 1KM dirt road and my drive-way with it, and thus far it's holding up OK. I just take it easy, and so far so good.
> 
> My neighbor has a Fisher and he drives his truck like he's got a tank (I've had to pull him out of the ditch "twice" already this year...) Anyway, his fisher is a much nicer plow though, you can't compare that to the snowbear; BUT for the price and what I'm using it for you can't beat this little setup.
> 
> I'm saying this now, and we've only have 30 cm of snow so far... Hopefully everything will continue this way, "NO PROBLEMS"
> 
> So for what it's worth, two thumbs up for the snow bear, not a bad little setup.


Glad to hear your having good luck with the snowbear. How's the manual angling working out? What type of snow have you been getting?


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## mikelawtown

I was looking for pics with the whole setup on the truck..long live the white stuff


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## RJNewman

*my snowbear will be delivered shortly*

Murpheys law tell me that once i get it and do the install, it will never snow again here on long island. any experiences to share with that phenominon?


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## Th3DuKe

*I'll post the pics of my setup on the truck tomorrow.*

I have the SB50 not the 200 the 200 is wider and longer I beleive. As for the clearance, that sounds about right it's about 10" of the ground. The manual angling is no problem, I have to get out of the truck twice to do my private road, but it's a joke to move it back and forth so it's no biggie. I had to remove the skid shoes on it last snow fall, since I now have a fairly even base... Everything is working as planned so far.

As I mentioned my neighbour has a fisher. H stopped me the other day to see my plow, he couldn't believe how good of a job it did for a little thing. I'm really happy with it so far, I've pushed very wet snow with it, and it seems to work fine, I don't comboy the thing around and I think that's what making it work so good. I just keep telling myself, it's not a race, and I'm not driving a tank; this seems to work for me...

I'll post some pics of it hooked up to my truck tonight, and post them up.
Cheers,


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## schnitz

Well guys, my Snowbear is mounted and waiting for snow. It's sitting on a 2wd '93 Chevy (feel free to flame away on that part... I know "it's 2 WHEEL DRIVE!!??) and I've got all the same scrape problems... guess that's normal, huh? It took about 3 1/2 hours to put it all together (wiring and all) and was quite simple. I did cheat a little and used air tools to assemble most of it. I was pleasantly shocked to see the deflector and the markers. I figured I'd wind up buying those separately. Grand total shipped to the Home Depot was $1370.45. Not bad for an 88 by 26 plow in my book. Time will tell and I know I can't do all the out distance plow pushes like a 4 wd will. 

I'll post more details when I can. I've gotta go get more religious now and start praying for snow.....


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## ta3834bbl

I believe you said you plan on doing a dirt road also. Be very careful as the plow can dig into the gound and put a lot of stress on the plow. For a paved driveway, it looks like a nice little plow, and like you said, it beats the heck out of shovelling or even snow blowing a long driveway. Have fun and go slow.


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## Crumm

Get some tire chains and a couple of bags of sand for the bed and you will do fine.


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## PhantomRacer

schnitz said:


> Well guys, my Snowbear is mounted and waiting for snow. It's sitting on a 2wd '93 Chevy (feel free to flame away on that part... I know "it's 2 WHEEL DRIVE!!??) and I've got all the same scrape problems... guess that's normal, huh? It took about 3 1/2 hours to put it all together (wiring and all) and was quite simple. I did cheat a little and used air tools to assemble most of it. I was pleasantly shocked to see the deflector and the markers. I figured I'd wind up buying those separately. Grand total shipped to the Home Depot was $1370.45. Not bad for an 88 by 26 plow in my book. Time will tell and I know I can't do all the out distance plow pushes like a 4 wd will.
> 
> I'll post more details when I can. I've gotta go get more religious now and start praying for snow.....


Similar setup here...94 Chevy C1500 2wd LB PU. Works great. Have used it for 5 years and can't imagine what I would do without it. I would suggest either chains for the rear tires, or better yet, get some snow tires. I put my warm season tires in the bed for balast 

Got mine at BJs for $1050 w/markers and deflector. I did end up buying the light kit. Works well. Wish it had turn signals though. But it is very helpful to have lights anyway.

I have found that every year or 2 I have to make sure I tighten the clamp on the winch. Other than that..flawless. Then again..there is nothing really to fail other than the winch.

I just can't get over all the SB flames I have read. No it is not a commercial plow. No it has no positive downward force. yes it has a manual angle. But it pushes snow well. What more can you ask for.

If there was a choice between shovel and my 2wd truck/snowbear... I know what I would chose.

Paul


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## gpin

Duke, MaineBob makes an important point: Plow every 3 inches, don't wait for the snow to stop. It may seem like a pita but it's better than getting stuck on a lump of snow or taking out a transmission. Plow often and lightly. Good luck.


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## schnitz

Sorry about posting late on this, but I should tell you I've added 14 70lb bags of sand to the truck. Boy, does that help. Mine sits a tad low to do a real good job backdragging. The snow piles up under it and raises the plow over the snow. Other than that, I really like it. For the money, worth every penny.


BTW, my first push with this setup was 9" of lighter fluff snow. I had to work and then go plow. Kinda funny how 1-3 changed to 6-7-8-9-?? LOL Straight outta the weatherman's mouth!


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## MR PLOW

*Snowbear Owner*

First time poster here, long time pusher

I own a snowbear 6.5 for the last 10 years and for the last 3 years it has been sitting on my 1990 trooper 4x4 4 banger with a stick. 
I use the bear for the driveways and small parking lots.

I have replaced the electric winch about 2 years a go and have added the wireless remote, other then that the plow has been very good to me

Here is a photo during a 18inch white gold storm! payup


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## SteveB(wi)

schnitz said:


> Sorry about posting late on this, but I should tell you I've added 14 70lb bags of sand to the truck. Boy, does that help. Mine sits a tad low to do a real good job backdragging. The snow piles up under it and raises the plow over the snow. Other than that, I really like it. For the money, worth every penny.
> 
> I plowed for quite a few years with my 1980 ¾T Chevy C20 2 whl drive. That was with a 7½' standard meyers blade and an open differential. The keys are good tires , plenty of weight and pay attention. I used to put at least 1500# of Lannon stone in the back. I usually got stuck hard at least once a season and I can remember chaining up twice. Both times I chained were heavy wet spring storms.


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## RJNewman

mr plow, im a little east of you - just got me 7,5' bear - you doing it commercially or just around the hood for a buck here and there? im currious on what you get for a typical west bab driveway. thanks


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## MR PLOW

*Rjnewman*

Hey RJ,
I do some commercial lots including a hospital lot.
I do driveways in the hood starting at $25.00 including a spot in the street.
Plowing starts @ 2 inch with most contracts.

www.mr-plow.com
[email protected]


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## RJNewman

*very interesting - i was going to join the t/o crookhaven crew*

but i keep hearing that the snowbear just wont be able to handle it. my guess is that the plow can, but my '91 jimmy with 200k on it probably wont. after that snow on the 26th, enough of my neigbors got a look at how much i can do with this thing - im looking forwrd to the next storm! i hope to pay for this. 1500 bucks with the wireless remote - not bad huh? you need any help with any jobs?


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## MR PLOW

*Plow Jobs*

Hey RJ,

Why dont you email me your phone number and if I do need the extra help I will give you a call. payup

I also now have the wirless remote for my plow for my 1999 dodge durango.

[email protected]
www.mr-plow.com


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## subpoenaman

*snowbear purchase*

th3duke, you said you purchased the plow at 'walmart'? I was just looking
at one at sams club and it sounds like the same. Like you I'm new to using a plow and for the thousand time my bolens snowblower won't start. I noticed your pictures showed a winch..that you are wireing ..did that come with the plow??or was it an extra?..sams club is selling it for about $900.00 dollars but I didn't notice the winch(it might have been there i'm going back to see) thanks for the information on the purchase thru the putting it together it was helpfull


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## dunedog

Not so much a reply to the on going thread, as some general info for SB owner's that may have missed what I posted on another thread in regards to a deflecter.........'For other SB owners, I have made a homemade deflector that makes a BIG difference in the ability to stack snow.I took some 1/2" Lexan I recycled from a local hockey rink and attached it to the top of the plow.Works like a charm ....some shots attached' in "New forum member/Snowbear owner " thread


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## PhantomRacer

My SB came with the SB rubber deflector which is quite effective. Not sure if every store that sells it includes it. BJ's did on mine.

Here is the link to the other thread Snowbear thread

Paul


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## Cfdff85

How much does a snow bear cost and how heavy is it to lift?


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## PhantomRacer

Cfdff85 said:


> How much does a snow bear cost and how heavy is it to lift?


depends on the retailer. $1000 is in the ballpark. Some dealers include different options...Mine came with the markers and the deflector. The lights are about $100 extra. The plow has a cart that you can move it around with pretty easily.

Not sure how heavy...but its pretty heavy. You can call snowbear to ask, unless someone knows here (800-337-2327). You can also checkout their website Snowbear.com

Paul


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## dunedog

weighs about 290 lbs...


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## schnitz

I was told 314 lbs total when I bought mine.


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## Drottlawn

*Snowbear impressed me!*

Hello, :waving: I am new here, but am a believer in snowbear plows. I have one on my 2wd drive f150 and it gets used almost regularly. I couldn't believe how well it works. The only drawback I have found is that the blade trips a little to easily. But besides that, it plows two of my lots and multiple driveways with no problems. I have used it for 3 years now. 
For a homeowner, it is great  . The only advise I will give is - Don't let the snow get ahead of you. As many have posted, anything over 5 inches, the blade tends to ride up over the snow.
Good luck


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## yamahar612

Just wanted to say that I have a friend who has the SNOWBEAR on his 97 Jimmy and loves it he doesmost of his driveway with no problem. After the city plows go past he has some problems clearing the end of his driveway...Thats where I come and help with my 04 2500 dodge and Boss V-Plow. But the most important is he likes his SNOWBEAR and it works for him.


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## Zak Man

Hi, I'm a new member but I read the forums last winter.
I have a Snowbear TX galvanized plow. I'm popular around here because since I bought the plow in Feb of '04, we've only had a total of 10 inches of snow. 4 inches total this season so far...though I've had fun while it lasted.
We had no snow during deer season.Last week we had temps in the high 60's.
I did have a little mishap during my first plow this year. I was backblading and the plow tipped back and snapped both flags at the base. They were easily shortened by an inch and re-attached. Mysteriously when I was removing the plow that day, the winch quit working. It had a grinding sound and wouldn't lift. I live 30 miles away from an authorized superwinch warranty repair shop.
"Zorko's" rebuilt it in 30 minutes...good as new. The splines were stripped.
You bet I'll be more careful from now on...with only one month left on my warranty. I like the look of the orange blade in the Duke's pics but I'm happy with my galvanized TX. Since some guys call the plow a "Snowbunny", I'm looking for just the right "happy bunny" sticker for on my plow. 
You know the smiling bunny with the rude sayings like "you just made me puke a little" and ..."it scares me how dumb you are" ...Let It Snow !!!


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## bdhunter

*Flexblade and Great Blizzard of '06*

Weather people said 12", but it sure looked deeper here in Levittown PA.

Snowbear Flexblade (poly) worked like a charm. Here's a 'morning after' pic, and yes - the Flexblade really can stack it that high.

Not bragging or boasting, but feel that it was a worthwhile investment that should last for many "blizzards". Makes my 18" Toro 2 cycle blower real happy just to ride in the back now, and watch out the window!

Bottom line - Snowbear does what it was designed and marketed to do.

http://www.hunterfamilypics.net/images/other stuff/jeepstuff/plow005.jpg


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## snoopy11577

*nice Jeep BDHUNTER*

Hey BDHUNTER nice hook-up I just bent my Snowbear and have to order another one from them I am in Northeast Philly not far from you by Grant ave. let me know if you need anything

Chris


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## bdhunter

Grant Ave eh? I am a Lincoln grad - class of '56 (Oh good grief - that was 50 years ago!!!)

The pic in my previous post was at I 95 and Allegheny - a friend's business lot.

So far, no bending (mine mounts to a 2" front hitch"). Be in touch if you'd like any tech info - like - how to replace that huge switch with a dash mounted toggle for under 40.00 (note: this is not an ad, just have tech stuff to share if you're interested).


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## bryanj23

bdhunter said:


> Weather people said 12", but it sure looked deeper here in Levittown PA.
> 
> Snowbear Flexblade (poly) worked like a charm. Here's a 'morning after' pic, and yes - the Flexblade really can stack it that high.
> 
> Not bragging or boasting, but feel that it was a worthwhile investment that should last for many "blizzards". Makes my 18" Toro 2 cycle blower real happy just to ride in the back now, and watch out the window!
> 
> Bottom line - Snowbear does what it was designed and marketed to do.
> 
> http://www.hunterfamilypics.net/images/other stuff/jeepstuff/plow005.jpg


Not sure if anyone is still paying any attention to this, but if you are how sturdy is that 2" receiver mount? Do you get much wobble? Looking for an inexpensive personal plow for my 94 Cherokee.


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## Rcgm

Sno bear plows 12" of snow BS.I had one that thing plowed maybe 4 or 5 inches had a hard time with it but it won't plow 12 inches of wet snow no way no how.


RCGM
Brad


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## whiteowl

*Whiteowl*

I have been pushing a Winter Wolf plow with my Jeep Wrangler for 4 years now in my 3 car wide 40' long driveway along with plowing neighbors around the the local area (Milwaukee/WI) and doing so very successfully. The only issue is the occasional deep wet snow but I just take 1/2 blade width cuts and all is well. This sure beats the shovel or maintaining another gas engine on a snowblower. I like sitting in a warm cab when it is 10 degrees out with 30 mile an hour winds.


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## finnegan

hes stacking on on another REAL PLOW's piles -no way he could do that look at the angle of the plow in relation to the jeep


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## bdhunter

Be assured, the pic was real, taken by my oldest (41) son! I was pretty pleased with those high piles in such a small parking lot, as was the business owner (and the city kids waiting to slide down them with their plastic sleds). And since it was the day after the event, the snow was pretty wet and sloppy! Dry powder may have been piled a bit higher, but we'll never know will we?

The mount system for the Flexblade allows the blade to float up without jumping in and leaving your front wheels airborn. 

So what else can I say? The camera is ready for the first event here in Maine, supposed to be coming tomorrow (Dec 4, 2006).


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## PhantomRacer

Someone HAS to explain to me someday why they think a SB doesn't work... I agree is is not as robust as a 'real' plow...but it MORE than gets the job done. I have yet to find snow that I can not go through..even piled high as the blade. Sure it might take a few passes..but damn it, the SB DOES work for what it was designed, engineered, and marketed to do.


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## cjcocn

PhantomRacer;327724 said:


> Someone HAS to explain to me someday why they think a SB doesn't work... I agree is is not as robust as a 'real' plow...but it MORE than gets the job done. I have yet to find snow that I can not go through..even piled high as the blade. Sure it might take a few passes..but damn it, the SB DOES work for what it was designed, engineered, and marketed to do.


I have read that more and more, especially since first finding this site and reading all of the negative SB statements.

I started out with a snow blower last year, bought a quad with a blade in the spring and am using that, but just ordered a Snow Bear plow for my truck (it will be in the next town on Tuesday and I will pick it up after work).

The quad can move an impressive amount of snow for its size, but I am doing a larger number of driveways/lots now and cannot get them all done in one evening. Some are in town so I don't want to be running a quad in town limits at all hours of the night lest I get complaints (and I can see that happening).

The Snow Bear is on the lower end of the scale when it comes to plows, but, after thinking about it and realizing that a 3/4 ton diesel and a heavy duty plow won't just fall into my lap, decided to get the Snow Bear. At least now I can plow well into the night and hopefully end up with enough customers to make my money back and then start earning enough for a bigger rig (a V-plow is what I really want).

For me the choice was pretty simple once I eliminated all of the fluff:

1. I can only push so much with the quad, but only for so long since I do not want to be running it in town too late at night.

2. As much as the SB is not a commercial plow, it can certainly move more than my quad can, and a whole lot quicker.

3. My F150 cannot handle a heavy duty plow and I don't have the $$ to buy a new truck, much less a heavy duty plow.

Hopefully this is a temp thing as there are a few winter roads up here that I would like to clear for those in between times when vehicles can travel them, but heavy equipment cannot safely cross the creeks to clear them.

One step at a time though.

Chris


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## F150dash

Hey cjcocn, what size snowbear are you putting on your F150. I am looking at getting one and I was wondering what the best size to get is. I have a 2000 F150 Flareside 4x4. So it has the short wheel base. Any advice would be great. Thanks
Jonathan


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## cjcocn

Jonathan

I am getting the 7' 4" plow. Originally I thought of getting the 6' 10" blade, but figured that I would end up regretting that choice as an extra 6" of plow shouldn't be too much for my truck and it will give me more snow removal per pass.

A fella from down the road has the 7' 4" plow on his 89 extended cab and he is quite pleased with its performance considering it is a lighter-weight plow. He clears about 5 - 10 driveways (he started with just his own, but said that the number keeps growing so I am not sure how many he is doing now) and also plows out a path on the river so that he and his friends can drive up to their ice fishing shacks.

I checked snowbeardotcom and they did not list the Flareside on their exclusion list (right side of chart) so you should be okay with either plow. Keep in mind that I am not a plow guy tho and give them a call to be sure as I am only going by what I gather from their website. By calling and talking to them you should be able to get the plow that best suits your truck and won't have any lingering doubts. I always learn as much as I can to prevent that from happening to me and I can offer that the extra research is good for one's piece of mind.

Good luck with your purchase .... I was impressed by what my quad can move and I am sure that I will be just as impressed with this next plow (until I can get the next one after that!).

Chris


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## bdhunter

PhantomRacer;327724 said:


> Someone HAS to explain to me someday why they think a SB doesn't work... I agree is is not as robust as a 'real' plow...but it MORE than gets the job done. I have yet to find snow that I can not go through..even piled high as the blade. Sure it might take a few passes..but damn it, the SB DOES work for what it was designed, engineered, and marketed to do.


I find no reason to get upset with whatever "they" are saying. I only wish that SB still marketed the Flexblade, or at least the 2" hitch rcvr mounting system so more could experience the poly moldboard. That sure is quick and nice, and I've yet to see any real disadvantages (except the blade is a little floppy when driving on dry road with it up - but I've got a work-around for that consisting of one 6" bolt).

The weather people are saying 50% chance of 'snow showers' today, so it's all hooked up at the moment and ready for it's first Maine 'event' since we moved here from PA back in Oct.


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## F150dash

Chris,
Thanks for the advice I will give them a call. I have been plowing with a quad the last six years and figured it was time to get into something warm plus I have picked up 3 other residential drives. So I need something that can get around town without getting me a fine. Thanks
Jonathan


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## finnegan

we do it to fire up snow bear users --its some of the best entertainment -after you guys then we go after imports and then probably meyer blades


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## bdhunter

Well, the Maine (at least here in Auburn) event fizzled. Only a dusting, so the Flexblade will have to wait a little longer to earn its keep. 

It was good exercise though, hooking it up in the light of the high beams last night. I must be out of practice though, took me about 2 minutes or so. ;-)


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## silverbullet

*Snowbear in St Louis*

Hey there! I own a Snowbear 6'10".I have it mounted on my 97 Jeep wrangler 4cyl. I love it I use to have a Meyers 6 1/2 on my old CJ7 & it worked great but for the snows we get in St Louis the Meyers was really hard on my Jeep.The snowbear is lighter & much easier to mount & does a great job.I mainly only plow my work lot which is about a 60 car lot with 2 drives & a hellacious steep hill.We just had 6 inches of sleet & freezing rain with a couple of inches of snow on top & my snowbear did just fine.The only drawback is that it drops a little slower than hydraulic models, But because its all my equiptment on my daily driver I don't abuse it. I recommend the Snowbear highly if you live in an area like St Louis where you usually only get 2-4 inches at a time or if you don't plow huge lots.Goodluck with yours!


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## Straightliner

*snowbear*

Old plow used it for 4 years to plow my car lot. Honestly it never failed. would still be using it but a nicer plow came along

Brad.


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## cjcocn

Well, got my plow on the 5th, but they didn't order me the plow shoes.  

Got my plow shoes on Wednesday morning and last night it snowed.  

Plow works like a champ, especially for a guy coming off of a quad with a plow. Plowed 14 driveways (including our own) and took some extra time doing my Mothers. Opened up the 200 yard road nice and wide and did the same with her circle drive. Cleaned an area behind the house that is used for overflow parking. I only had 8 lined up, but managed to pick up 6 more while I was out plowing.

Sometimes when the snow piles up (blade straight) the plow will ride up, but it is just a matter of getting to know how far I can go before having to stop, back up, and drop the plow again to pick up the stuff that was left behind.

The manual angle is fairly painless, but then again I have never used a hydraulic plow so I guess I do not know what I am missing.

This plow will easily do until I can get a stronger truck and a hydraulic plow. I am sure that any other plower on here can kick my butt when it comes to moving snow, but I like the SnowBear much better than my quad when it comes to moving snow.


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## bdhunter

cjcocn;337483 said:


> Well, got my plow on the 5th, but they didn't order me the plow shoes.
> 
> Got my plow shoes on Wednesday morning and last night it snowed.
> 
> Plow works like a champ, especially for a guy coming off of a quad with a plow. Plowed 14 driveways (including our own) and took some extra time doing my Mothers. Opened up the 200 yard road nice and wide and did the same with her circle drive. Cleaned an area behind the house that is used for overflow parking. I only had 8 lined up, but managed to pick up 6 more while I was out plowing.
> 
> Pics, we want pics! ;-)


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## cjcocn

bdhunter;339294 said:


> cjcocn;337483 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, got my plow on the 5th, but they didn't order me the plow shoes.
> 
> Got my plow shoes on Wednesday morning and last night it snowed.
> 
> Plow works like a champ, especially for a guy coming off of a quad with a plow. Plowed 14 driveways (including our own) and took some extra time doing my Mothers. Opened up the 200 yard road nice and wide and did the same with her circle drive. Cleaned an area behind the house that is used for overflow parking. I only had 8 lined up, but managed to pick up 6 more while I was out plowing.
> 
> 
> 
> Pics, we want pics! ;-)
Click to expand...

LOL .... alrighty!

It is dark when I go to work and dark when I get home, so I likely won't have pics until the weekend. I'll put the plow on come Saturday morning and take some pics. They should be posted up by Saturday at noon.

Chris


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## F150dash

Just got my plow on the 10th and had it all hooked up by the 17th. Now I am just waiting for it to snow. I ended up with the Proshovel model that is made by snowbear. I picked up the 7' foot model. It came with the shoes and a certificate for the mount which arrived in four days after I ordered it. The setup is so easy anyone can do it. I hope it works as well as it went together.
Jonathan


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## bdhunter

F150dash;339767 said:


> Just got my plow on the 10th and had it all hooked up by the 17th. Now I am just waiting for it to snow. I ended up with the Proshovel model that is made by snowbear. I picked up the 7' foot model. It came with the shoes and a certificate for the mount which arrived in four days after I ordered it. The setup is so easy anyone can do it. I hope it works as well as it went together.
> Jonathan


How about a pic or two? Hope it works well for you.


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## F150dash

I will try to get a couple on this weekend


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## Than Oliver

I have the small snowbear on my 07 wrangler, got it used and still works fine, it does what I need.


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## Than Oliver

so many ppl diss the plow because they never had one, but if you want a plow and only have a small vehicle they work well for what they are.


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## graycenphil

I've got a brand new one on my '06 Jeep Liberty. Soon as it snows, we'll see how it does.


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## BC Handyman

key is with then is to go easy, plowing every few inches insead of when it gets 5-7" deep will make the plow last longer.


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## RODSKWAD

*WELCOME to the site*

I've had one on my 01 4Runner going on 6yrs with no complaints just remember its not a battering ram. I plowed for over 19 yrs 87-06 for a local municipality with a 25 ton bucket loader w/14' plow down to a shovel. So I know a bit of the game. Some folks just need to remember that all things break when used improperly and yes I broke the plow on the loader many times good luck no matter what you buy


ProEnterprises;152841 said:


> Greetings all, hope your enjoying the warm weather.
> 
> Im not here to cause a debate, just wanted anyone who has a snowbear to please post a picture of their setup. I just wanted to see one and take it for consideration. Im a little tight on money, so just wanted to check it out.
> 
> ANY snowbear owners, please post a picture.
> 
> Thanks, Think Snow.


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## Tahoe99

One word of advice is: do not wait till it stops snowing. Do it every 6" or less. I am using Fischer Homesteader on my 06 Explorer, and too much of a heavy snow give me some issues. Otherwise, you do not need commercial plow. Good luck, it looks good to me.


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## Than Oliver

RODSKWAD here is a vid of a 95 4runner with snowbear.


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## Than Oliver

beats a snowblower any day


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## hero419

I have had mine for 4-5 years.
First it was on my 99 ranger
Now it is on my 2011 F150
Going into the second winter for the F150
Works as intended.

Things I have fixed.
Replaced harbor fright winch.
Used the cable from the new winch and it broke many times.
I plan on changing back to a strap.
Bought an ATV switch with a relay that controls the winch, the wired feed into my glove box, I open up the glove box and pull out the switch when I need to use it.


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## snowbear1

i have mine on a 98 gmc seirra 7yrs of plowing replaced the winch and cutting edge not bad for a 1200 plow


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## Wide Right

I have a PolarPro Flexblade that I just bought used. I was really surprised and happy when I went to look at it and buy it that it had the actuator instead of the winch. My question is, I have seen people say that back blading with the snowbears doesn't work very well as the blade wants to ride up and not stay planted. It seems to me that this should not be as big a problem as the actuator has the ability to physically keep the blade down. Is this a proper assumption?

I will have to post some pictures, once the snow flies!


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## Than Oliver

not sure, seems to me it should help if nothing else


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## Than Oliver

just looked it up, from what I saw it still uses a chain so it would be the same as the winch lift.


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## tmcmurran

mainebob;157678 said:


> i have a neighbor that has a plow like this, he has used with with an older jeep 1/4 truck. does his medium size driveway ok. with the manual angle you have to plan you passes well and plow every 3 inches of snow or it will get too mush for the unit. good luck.


I had a Snowbear and pushed close to 3/4 of a mile of 12" snow on a dirt road. Just giver and you can push those things pretty hard. But the angle thing is garbage. Pops out all the time.


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## kkm

*Snowbear Plow*

Hi,

I am new to this forum and was trying to find an answer to a question and came across your post. I have a SB plow and I personally love it. It took a little getting used to but I wish I would have gotten it a long time ago. I have a Jeep Laredo and I have used to for the past 3 years with little trouble. One issue I have every season is getting it on the first time...but I just spray some WD40 on the mount and inside the holes where it connects to the plow and it goes right on...just took some time to figure out this very easily fixable issue. Also be sure you have it at the right level, I have been meaning to get a storage frame on wheels but haven't yet, I just use some 2x4's to place the back part where it connects to my mount on my car at the right angle and height so I can pull right up and slide it on.

I am not a commercial plow lady, more of a do it yourself on a budget type of lady. I own my home and got tired of leaving at 5am and not being plowed in time (I even tried 3 companies) none of them ever made it in time for me to leave in the morning, one smashed my fence, and the other took off and never came back after plowing twice one winter. So I needed some reliability and I know how busy plow companies can get so I just decided to take matters into my own hands because sometimes I am stuck at the hospital until late so the last thing I want to do is come home and get out the snow blower. This is when I decided to buy a SB plow and it is funny bc my neighbors are in envy of it now, but do understand I ONLY plow my own drive, for insurance and liability reasons I won't plow anything but my own drive. I also got a light for my roof per the police dept recommendations, and I actually keep it on when I got to work because I only drive 2 miles and not on the highway plus my lights are high enough that the plow does not block them at night. I also make sure to put it down when I am parked for a period of time.

Which brings me to my first issue I have ever really had, I can't get my plow to lower today, I messed around with it (the wiring and the cleaned around the strap) finally getting it to lower, used it again shortly after to clear my drive )15 minutes or so) and it worked great but now all of a sudden I can't get it to lower again, it comes up no problem..so I am thinking it is a short in the wiring. I am not by any means an electrician so I just looked for some possible issues and secured a few connections that looked lose and tried to fix a cracked/torn wire and it started to work fine .....but like I said once again it won't go back down this is the first time this has ever happened in 3 years and my assumption is that I lack the electrician skills and time needed to fix it once and for all.

Thank goodness I was able to plow before it shorted again! Since we are about to be hit with a big snowstorm in the next 24 hrs. .

FYI...stuff happens, I blame my inexperience with plows not the equipment, otherwise I have to say I love my SB plow it does what I need and it saves me $$$ and time so now on my way home when I pull in I can just drop my plow and push the snow to the back side and go right in the house...so it has been a blessing for me. Anything is better than having to shovel or snow blow after being gone for 14 hrs a day 

Enjoy your plow...I know there are SB haters out there, maybe they had a bad experience or something, or maybe they believe everything they read or what people say, blah blah blah...like my students do! LOL. But I personally own one and have used it a lot in the past 3 years and I love it, it is just what I needed...minus my little issue I came across today (which as I said is user error). I think you will like it as long as you are just using it for your own personal snow removal not as a commercial business, I am not sure if a SB could handle that kind of work, I guess maybe but I don't think I would try it I would worry it would overheat and you would need a new winch motor or snap the strap often bc it is just not meant for all that work.

Good Luck!


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## kkm

*SB plow stuck in the up position won't go down*

My plow is stuck in the up position, this is the first time it has done this, I fixed it once today messing around with the wiring and cleaning around the winch strap but after I finished plowing my drive today it did it again and ran out of time to mess around with it. It goes up not problem but won't go down. Someone told me to reverse the wires for now to get it down...which is a good idea I think but I also have the manual crank for power failure...but have no clue where it goes or how to use it. Can anyone help me I have searched the web for hours and read through the manual about 5 times and it mentions the hand crank for emergencies there is a picture but you can't make out where they are putting it and there is no directions to how to insert it or use it. I thought I knew where it went but when I went out to do it...I can't figure out where it goes bc it does not fit where I thought it would. So I am lost and I want to get the weight off my car for now. I think I will be just ordering a whole new electrical system...bc I am pretty sure the winch motor itself is fine but I want to get it down and get the electrical system working right again.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a 3 year old SB plow that has worked perfectly since I got it until today. I am pretty sure it is the wires/electrical component, one wire is really damaged after driving over it by accident and the connections are cracked I used electrical tape today which worked but only temporarily.

Thanks!


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## RODSKWAD

this is only a guess would need to know how you're plow is wired up to be sure. If you have the original set up sounds like your control switch is bad flip the wires where they connect to the winch if the blade goes down its the switch. search youtube you can find answers to just about anything good luck


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## kkm

*Plow won't go down*

Thanks! I will try this. Yes love you tube, but could not find anything on SB wiring or manual hand crank...looked for hrs including on you tube yesterday. Well we are being hit with a big winter storm now, so I will go see if I switch the wires if it will work but thanks this will help narrow it down for me before spending $$$ to replace just the wiring or the whole winch and wiring system.

If this doesn't work do you know how to use the manual hand crank?


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## seekay

*Manual winch crank*

Hello,

I have an older Snowbear (winch has a chain vs. a strap) and have used the manual crank before.

On my winch, you insert the end of it into a hole on the side of the winch, and then turn it either way to raise and lower. It is slow to raise/lower but very easy to turn.

I don't know if it works the same way with your winch but I bet it does, or some variation thereof. The hole on mine is easy to overlook, it doesn't scream 'emergency crank goes here' by any means, so take a close look at your rig. Best of luck.


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## kkm

Thank you...so let me ask does your manual crank have one end that looks like a flathead screwdriver of sorts which is the side you insert? I do have a strap not a chain on my winch. Also the hole is it on the outer casing of the winch or on the part that winds the strap? The one on the casing is way too small to fit anything into looks like a small round hole....sorry I am not better at describing what I mean, but hopefully you understand.


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## kkm

Actually I just spoke to them, there is no manual crank the one I have is for the old version, like yours so it won't work....they told me that the control box is bad one reason they went out of business and were bought out, so the new control box they made to repair it has different connections and is under warranty and is much better bc I guess I have the newer winch which is good but an old control box....anyways, I am going to attempt to lower the plow reversing the wires for now and wait on my new wiring and control box to arrive...perfect timing! guess I will need to get my snow blower out for this storm LOL!


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## Wide Right

*Loving my new Old Snowbear*

Sure makes clearing my 200' driveway fun and will pay for itself in less than 2 years vs paying the local plow guy to tear up the lawn and driveway.

2003 F-150 STX with PolarPro Flexblade with the Electric Actuator.


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## kpatrick

*Loss of Power*

I have a Snowbear that is not sending power to the winch. I get a clicking sound when I press the switch, but not power. Does the 50 amp circuit breaker need to be replaced? Or, the black relay box? I just purchased and installed a new superwinch motor.


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## Than Oliver

That's the sound of a bad relay or solenoid, but its possible that part is good and its the motor not working.


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## Than Oliver

I see you have a new motor, maby connection?


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## kpatrick

*Loss of Power*

Seems like it is either the relay box or 50 amp circuit breaker. I don't know the life span on either.


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## olscout99

*Snowbear*

Probably not the breaker or it wouldn't work at all, my money would be on the relay box. I replaced the Snowbear box with a regular winch control box, cheaper and should last longer, I've not had any problems with mine.


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## kpatrick

Thanks for the information. I ran a voltage test and while good current is going into the box, no current is coming out to the winch. As you said, the breaker is good, so I ordered a new replacement box. I will know this weekend if I have the problem solved.


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## Than Oliver

I have the old setup, no box just heavy duty switch.


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## PhantomRacer

kpatrick;1728908 said:


> I have a Snowbear that is not sending power to the winch. I get a clicking sound when I press the switch, but not power. Does the 50 amp circuit breaker need to be replaced? Or, the black relay box? I just purchased and installed a new superwinch motor.


I just ran into this. spent some time on the phone with Zorkos..

Do your headlights dim when you activate the plow?

If not, its likely (like mine) the brushes in the motor.

to get mine running (year old motor) I applied 12v from a jump pack to the plow (after disconnecting it from the controller). I switched terminals til i got sparks and it started working and stayed working during the storm.

They suggested I send them the winch to check the brushes and give it the once over.


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## bradman0087

*Snow bear owner looking for back up winch*

I have a snow bear does great saves my back all the time I am wanting to get a backup which I feel that is my only weak link on plow never had problems till lat snow plow did not want to go up much winch was making noise.. Scared me a bit got me thinking I should get a backup to have. I have heard some people saying they had gotten a atv one from harbor freight wondering about other options or opinions.. Don't want to spend a ton on a super winch really.


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## snowbear1

i use a harbor freight winch 2000lb works fine little slower then the superwinch but what the hell for 49 bucks can,t complain
i bought a second one for a backup 
i have the old setup with the heavyduty switch and the breaker mounted on the battery been on two trucks no problems yet


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## acornish

well i have had one for about 10 years now-- only issue i ever had was with the winches freezing up, replaced about 4 times other then that plow is great light weight and no problems, the past 2 years i have had no issue since i customized the frame work to use an e46 meyer pump - any questions feel free to contact me


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## Than Oliver

I just fixed my winch motor, (new this winter), was freezing up so I took it off, took it inside for a while to let the ice melt and dry out, then I spreyed the crap out of all the inner parts with silicon spray, and as I was putting it back togather (befor tightening the bolts) I smeared die electric silicon in the seams then tightened it up, then just wipe off the excess, so far so good.


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## snowbear1

i took a plastic boat battery box mounted it over the winch covers the whole winch works great changed the strap to a chain no problems so far


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## Than Oliver

Good idea with the box


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## snowbear1

thanks here,s a picture of it


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## snowbear1

and one more on the truck


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## bradman0087

*snow bear*

snowbear1 how did you fab up and wire up the lights? i have an 06 silverado the plow does not block headlight but i like the look. so what winch did you get at harbor freight the badlands 2000lb? and you reused the snow bear big window switch? i see the badlands now comes with a wireless controller that would be nice.


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## snowbear1

bradman0087 its a harbor freight 2000lb badlands winch i still use the old big box switch with the breaker on the battery its mounted inside the truck
i have a second one i use as a backup
the lights are just walley world driving lights
i made the mounts out of 1/2 pipe some angle iron braces
i used a trailer light conector so i could unplug them when i take the plow off
i have pictures on my profile page or i can put more up


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## Ohio Digger

Hello. I'm considering picking up a used 88" Snowbear for my '95 Dakota 4x4 5.2L V8 ext cab. I don't do snow commercially. I have 3 driveways I need it for (mine, my parents, and my in-laws). Apart from some of mine, they can all be pushed. Mine needs a little bit of backdragging in one area. I've owned a Snowbear in the past when my twin brother and I had a lawn and landscape service. We actually used a Snowbear on a '94 F150 and did close to 30 driveways with it per storm. It never failed once. My question is, if the winch does not work on the used one, or if it does work but goes bad down the road, what is the Harbor Freight winch that everyone says they've replaced it with? I know there is one that's about $70 but it's the wireless type and the reviews were not great on it. Is there one that is a direct bolt on to the factory style? Also, does anyone know where you can get blueprints or photos of specific mounts for a '95 Dakota? There's a shop here in town that makes mounts for plows but I was hoping to show them a picture so they have an idea what I need. I'm hoping by putting on a Snowbear versus some other type of plow that maybe I won't have to rebuild the front end of my Dakota every year. I understand these front ends are not the most robust ones in the industry.


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## Than Oliver

I have the small snowbear plow, I think this is my 3rd year using it on my 2dr jk with no problems at all, if that helps.


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## Wolverine

I bought a 93' chevy k/1500 Silverado with a newer snow bear plow as a package to plow mine,family & friends driveways.I also use it to plow my seasonal road that only 4 homes are on for a country mile. It is a wench style and have to adjust the plow by hand with a lever for left or right tilt. It has been a great buy and the plow takes a beating and keeps on ticking! The only thing I've had to replace is the fuse in the last few years.


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## MrSteve

Hey all...

I bought a Snowbear plow 20 years ago! I had an 800ft long driveway and needed a cheap snow clearing solution.

The plow is a 2" mount version....simple to install...simple to use! I started out thinking this was a cheap homeowner light duty solution. It plowed my driveway wonderfully....so I helped out my neighbor! Then another neighbor....then dozens of friends and neighbors!

I even plowed out my local fire dept parking lot!

I had the plow on an old 2WD pickup truck.....and plowed snow at all depths, even over 30" on a couple occasions!! Of course there was alot of trailoff....and alot of cleanup passes......but it worked far better than I ever expected!!

Couple of short comings.....the plow is not high at all, so in deep snow or long pushes there is snow that topples over the top. The manual angling does require one to get out of the cab alot, but after a couple hours sitting it is a nice thing to get up and move a little!! Also....the plow is 88", so it is not a widepath. I now have it on a F350 Dually.....which is so wide that my rear tires are in the snow because the plow is not long enough. I had the original key fob remote control fail.....so I replaced with a wired solution 10years ago....works great!

My F350 is much higher than the typical snowbear intended vehicle....making my plow lean far forward.....so, I cut old plow-to-2" bar off and welded on 10" steel stock on either side to lower the entire plow A-Frame to a lower level. Did his 3years ago and it works great!! I plowed four commercial lots last year with it...one storm was 36"!!!

Now....this year a problem.....mounted the plow, and the lift actuator dos not move! It's a Thomson actuator....not sure if the actuator finally died or an electrical malfunction???

I'll let you know....

End of the day, though....20"yard of plowing for a cost of $1600....great deal! I would love a bigger, wider, taller, power angled V plow.....but I dont have an extra $6500!! So...I'm gonna fix my snowbear, and keep on plowing!!


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## ConnorExum

MrSteve said:


> Hey all...
> 
> I bought a Snowbear plow 20 years ago! I had an 800ft long driveway and needed a cheap snow clearing solution.
> 
> The plow is a 2" mount version....simple to install...simple to use! I started out thinking this was a cheap homeowner light duty solution. It plowed my driveway wonderfully....so I helped out my neighbor! Then another neighbor....then dozens of friends and neighbors!
> 
> I even plowed out my local fire dept parking lot!
> 
> I had the plow on an old 2WD pickup truck.....and plowed snow at all depths, even over 30" on a couple occasions!! Of course there was alot of trailoff....and alot of cleanup passes......but it worked far better than I ever expected!!
> 
> Couple of short comings.....the plow is not high at all, so in deep snow or long pushes there is snow that topples over the top. The manual angling does require one to get out of the cab alot, but after a couple hours sitting it is a nice thing to get up and move a little!! Also....the plow is 88", so it is not a widepath. I now have it on a F350 Dually.....which is so wide that my rear tires are in the snow because the plow is not long enough. I had the original key fob remote control fail.....so I replaced with a wired solution 10years ago....works great!
> 
> My F350 is much higher than the typical snowbear intended vehicle....making my plow lean far forward.....so, I cut old plow-to-2" bar off and welded on 10" steel stock on either side to lower the entire plow A-Frame to a lower level. Did his 3years ago and it works great!! I plowed four commercial lots last year with it...one storm was 36"!!!
> 
> Now....this year a problem.....mounted the plow, and the lift actuator dos not move! It's a Thomson actuator....not sure if the actuator finally died or an electrical malfunction???
> 
> I'll let you know....
> 
> End of the day, though....20"yard of plowing for a cost of $1600....great deal! I would love a bigger, wider, taller, power angled V plow.....but I dont have an extra $6500!! So...I'm gonna fix my snowbear, and keep on plowing!!


 But you could easily purchase a used plow in the 9' range during the off season for peanuts... I am not sure that I understand why you wouldn't to use a plow that saves you time by having power angle and a larger clearing path for commercial work?


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## MrSteve

ConnorExum said:


> But you could easily purchase a used plow in the 9' range during the off season for peanuts... I am not sure that I understand why you wouldn't to use a plow that saves you time by having power angle and a larger clearing path for commercial work?


Guess you and I have different scales for money....
I look all the time for bigger plows. Lowest price I've found is about $2500 for a rusty old piece of.crap!!! Ad the pumps and kit are suspect at best!!!

And....being that I'm NOT a big time commercial plower.....and the fact that in NJ we rarely get enough snow to break even on a big plow purchase......I'm gonna stick with my lil snowbear for now. Doesn't cost me a nickle....and I get my plowing done.....works for me!!


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## ConnorExum

MrSteve said:


> Guess you and I have different scales for money....
> I look all the time for bigger plows. Lowest price I've found is about $2500 for a rusty old piece of.crap!!! Ad the pumps and kit are suspect at best!!!
> 
> And....being that I'm NOT a big time commercial plower.....and the fact that in NJ we rarely get enough snow to break even on a big plow purchase......I'm gonna stick with my lil snowbear for now. Doesn't cost me a nickle....and I get my plowing done.....works for me!!


Try here:

https://www.wantaddigest.com/view/forsale.asp?eclass=Truck Parts

I don't know where in NJ but it is still close to NY. If you get it cheaply enough even a little repair and paint is worth it in the long run.


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