# Ranger /small rig pics



## RangerDogg

Just wanted to see everyone's small rig set up.I will post mine when i get another storm.I have a 2005 black ford ranger edge 4.0 . Thanks Scott.wesport


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## KL&M Snow Div.

How does the Ranger push? I assume its 4x4?


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## RangerDogg

I have owned a 03 f250 prior and plowed commercaly but sold it due to buying a home and gas prices.But i started plowing with a 92 ranger 3.9 before and i loved it awesome.So now im back to a ranger edge 4x4 4.0 edge .Just bought a md 68 snowdogg It plows awesome had for 3 weeks about five storms .Just dont like jack stand.Dont have pic yet but will soon.


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## RangerDogg

Sorry it pushes awesome .I used to plow 2 conv store and a big lot and driveways with old plow.Less gas two.I also had to plow a storm before with 1 1/2 foot and a layer of ice with the old ranger never had problem.


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## Pearcelawn

*Here's mine.*

I love this Ranger.
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=40423


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## mreamer

Good deal RangerDogg, I too have a ranger - '01 reg. cab 4x4 with the Edge package, 4.0, auto. Do you have any pictures?


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## RangerDogg

mreamer ,sorry not yet just joined its going in tomorrow for timbrens.But i will soon as it snows again.Nice truck pearclawn.


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## Stik208

What I use to plow with befroe I traded it in...








What I got now, I would like a homesteader for it but they are rather expensive...


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## mdb landscaping

Heres a shot of our small rig. We use it to plow sidewalks and a parking garage roof. We run ice melt through the downeaster electric spreader and it has a snoway 22 series plow on the front with a rubber edge.


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## Krieger91

mdb landscaping;717992 said:


> Heres a shot of our small rig. We use it to plow sidewalks and a parking garage roof. We run ice melt through the downeaster electric spreader and it has a snoway 22 series plow on the front with a rubber edge.


That's a nice looking truck. How do you like the 22?


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## mdb landscaping

The guys love this truck. The plow is extremely fast, and is perfect for what we need it to do. At first we saw the plow once it was installed and thought it would be a piece of junk, but it has turned out to be a great little plow. The property we use it on has extremely wide and long sidewalks so this helps us get them done quicker in big events. The parking garage we plow won't allow anything over 1/2 ton to plow the roof, so we use this in conjunction with a bobcat. It suits us quite well.


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## RangerDogg

Hi STIK208 JASON I JUST GOT A SNOWDOGG INSTALLED AROUND 3 WEEK..I LOOKED AT CUTIRS HOME PRO INST 4,000.,HOMESTEADER 3,800,SNOW AWAY 4,400 WITH DOWN PRES THEN I WENT TO DEALER THAT I GOT CURTIC FROM AND HE SELLS SNOWDOGG MD68 3,200 INST OR A MD 75 FOR 3,300 BUT I HAVE A SMALL DRIVE SOO WENT WITH 68.I luv the plow real quick up down turn.Just dont like jack it was 380.AND IT STAINLESS. You should look into that plow.Hopefully you be plowin soon .Plows have gone way up in 5 years since i bought my curtis 8 snowpro for 3,100 installed.TLK TO YA.


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## RangerDogg

MDB NICE CHEVY ALWAYS LIKED THAT TRUCK .kEEP PLOWIN AND SAVES ON GAS


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## cocco78

88 Jeep comanche, I've always plowed with small trucks mostly Jeeps and a Scout II. At work I use a full size and I bet I could plow circles around it with this.


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## Brandon

Here's my '03 Ranger, 4.0L, 5-speed, and a 7'6" Sno-way. This was taken this summer with no ballast weight and junk tires. I'll have to get more pics up soon.


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## Rangerman

sweet looking trucks guys love the little colorado esp. What motor do u have in it im looking at an '09 with the 5.3 V8 looks like it would make an awesome driveway truck.


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## mreamer

Hey Brandon - didn't you have an older Ranger (maybe a '98) with a unimount? The '03 looks sweet!


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## Brandon

mreamer;718930 said:


> Hey Brandon - didn't you have an older Ranger (maybe a '98) with a unimount? The '03 looks sweet!


Yep, I had a '97 with a 6'6" Unimount. Good little truck, but the new setup is much better. The old one is still going strong though. Thanks for the kind words.


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## cambridgeplace

I don't have any pics yet, but have been plowing with my ranger for 12 years now. 

1992 Ranger STX with Sno-Way 24d plow
Works great. I like the agility of the ranger in small parking lots, and have yet to have a snow I could not handle with it.


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## RangerDogg

Stck208 how come you got ride of your old truck with curtis homepro .Do you like the hometseader better .I was wondering why u wont to go with that instead of a curtis again.


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## rfed32

i was up in north jersey yesterday and i saw an s10 brought back memories and now seeing all these make me want to get another s10 seeing i have all the stuff still for it...but all these little guys look good...keep up the good work


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## RangerDogg

*My rig*

Here is my truck just learning how to use everything.


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## RangerDogg

*Ford Ranger Edge Snowdogg MD68*

Here is my truck.Just finished pictures today.Hope you like them.


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## Idealtim

I am planning on buying a newer ranger ext cab to plow next year, seems like they are the best thing going for driveways. I'm using a f-250 right now but driveways and turn arounds are tight with it in places. 


I really wish they would bring the 3.0 turbo diesel rangers to the u.s., but I don't see that happening any time soon.


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## Brandon

RangerDogg;722564 said:


> Here is my truck just learning how to use everything.


Looks good. What size blade is that....6'8"?? 5-speed or auto?


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## RangerDogg

It is a4.0 auto.It has a on 68 it i could have got the 75 but the diff in ballast was alot.So if you know how to plow no matter what size you have it all works.I had a03 f250 before and its tight to do normal driveways.This is my second ranger and there great trucks.


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## rfed32

hey rangerdogg, if you dont mind me asking what did you pay for that....after seeing that i am very interested in running a smaller truck now...


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## mklawnman

Nice ranger Dogg, i have a 04 FX4 that I personaly drive, not for plowing tho. Nice white gauges, Id like to get some for my truck. 
I got mine used with 28,000miles on it in 2007 for $15,000. Who knows now days truck prices have fallen some because of the high gas prices last year.
Matt


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## RangerDogg

rfed32 im not sure if you mean truck or plow but any way .I bought truck 05 new 18,000 and plow i just bought around 3 weeks ago for 3,100 or extra 100 for 71/2.I have had a ranger before and they work great from driveways to small accounts.The snow pile is around 6' not bad for a small truck .


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## mreamer

Very nice setup you have there. Could you take a picture of the truck mount when you take the plow off?

I'm seeing more and more SnowDoggs out there. I wish there was a dealer around here, closest one is over an hour away.


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## RangerDogg

I will take a photo as soon as i can for you.


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## The PuSher MaN

Very nice rig RangerDogg, what is the blade height of the md 68 and does it have a metal cutting edge or plastic?


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## RangerDogg

Its 24" and it comes with 3/8 steel cutting edge.


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## SHunter080703

Did you have to add anything to the suspension like timbrens or is everything stock?


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## RangerDogg

I did add timbrens last week .I did plow three storms with out them the truck dropped 1 3/4 of in inch before i added them.Know only 1/4 of an inch.I have a cap that ways 300 lbs and the ballast says 360 lbs for the plow.I added them so i wouldnt be spending a lot on front end work after a while.I used to have a92 ranger 6 years ago that had coil spring so i didnt need anything.I was on fords web site and 09 have the springs on them again about time.


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## mklawnman

Heres mine, no plow on it just my personal truck. Can pull alot actually, pulled my 16' enclosed trailer outta the snow this year with the mowers in it. ha.


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## SHunter080703

RangerDogg;725167 said:


> I did add timbrens last week .I did plow three storms with out them the truck dropped 1 3/4 of in inch before i added them.Know only 1/4 of an inch.I have a cap that ways 300 lbs and the ballast says 360 lbs for the plow.I added them so i wouldnt be spending a lot on front end work after a while.I used to have a92 ranger 6 years ago that had coil spring so i didnt need anything.I was on fords web site and 09 have the springs on them again about time.


Thanks for the info.

Are you going to pull the timbrens out once winter is over? Do you have a tranny cooler as well?


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## RangerDogg

No i will keep them in the truck rides nice without plow on it. It makes truck level.Yes i have a tranny cooler for towing package with truck.


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## SHunter080703

RangerDogg;726146 said:


> No i will keep them in the truck rides nice without plow on it. It makes truck level.Yes i have a tranny cooler for towing package with truck.


Gotcha..thanks.


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## SHunter080703

BTW..where are you in MA? I am in Milford.


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## G.M.Landscaping

I put this together for driveways this winter. But I started using it more then my fullsize 91 F250.

89 Toyota/steel flatbed/buyers salter/6'6" western uni-mount


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## RangerDogg

How many miles on the nice toyo.How due you like the salter.It looks like a nice rig esp on gas .Is it 4 or 6cyl auto /std..Do you have timbrens on the truck.


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## G.M.Landscaping

RangerDogg;726309 said:


> How many miles on the nice toyo.How due you like the salter.It looks like a nice rig esp on gas .Is it 4 or 6cyl auto /std..Do you have timbrens on the truck.


Miles:200,804
Salter works good so far. Bought it used for $375. I sandblasted it and painted it red.
4 cyl getting 11-12 MPG plowing
No Timbren. Cranked front torsions 2". Added 2 extra leaves per side in rear from a one ton dually toyota truck.

I thought I was going to need timbrens but it handles this setup fine so far.

The plow weighs 475Lbs and I have 500-600Lbs of salt in bed. I bought the plow used for $475

One more pic:


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## RangerDogg

Keep on plowin.


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## KL&M Snow Div.

Trucks look good guys. Does anyone plow with non 4x4?


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## cambridgeplace

KL&M Snow Div.;727153 said:


> Trucks look good guys. Does anyone plow with non 4x4?


Only when my hubs strip out  Not too fun.


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## Stik208

Got any pics of the mounting on a snow dogg.


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## RangerDogg

*mount snowdogg ranger*



Stik208;728719 said:


> Got any pics of the mounting on a snow dogg.


Here you go.


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## Stik208

Like a mix of fisher,meyer and boss. How do you like it?


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## Stik208

RangerDogg;722136 said:


> Stck208 how come you got ride of your old truck with curtis homepro .Do you like the hometseader better .I was wondering why u wont to go with that instead of a curtis again.


Well I thought it was a good idea to buy a second vehicle and found out it was not. I traded both vehicles in and they gave me an extra 900 for the plow. I liked my 99 but it was the only way I could get out of the Explorer I bought. I traded them both in on this 04, I like the homesteader for the low weight, and the fisher name. The more I look and search around Im a fan of the blizzard, Ive known about them for years but I think the white plow on white truck would be pretty sick looking. I plow for a company now so I dont need a plow although I do miss it to plow my parking space in front of my house and do my family and friends driveways.


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## RangerDogg

I had a curtis snowpro3000 before on f250 i liked that.I looked into homepro but a lot for a small truck.How did you like your homepro?I saw the snodogg at curtis dealer i like it so far crappy jack not like curtis its fast and scrapes good.Homesteader looked flimsy to me but i see alot of guys with them .It ways 380lbs.


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## K1500 4x4

how much did the snowdog cost for your truck?


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## SHunter080703

RangerDogg, where in MA are you located?


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## RangerDogg

*price*



K1500 4x4;729121 said:


> how much did the snowdog cost for your truck?


3,100 installed


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## RangerDogg

SHunter080703;729142 said:


> RangerDogg, where in MA are you located?[Lowell area


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## K1500 4x4

thats pretty good what dealer did you go to ? i am also from MA.


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## SHunter080703

Lowell huh? I lived in the Highlands a long time ago.


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## RangerDogg

K1500 4x4;729155 said:


> thats pretty good what dealer did you go to ? i am also from MA.


martel welding in tewksbury he also sell curtis plows


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## RangerDogg

SHunter080703;729163 said:


> Lowell huh? I lived in the Highlands a long time ago.


Thats where i live near.What do you drive and have have for a plow


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## weekendwrench

*My new Shovel*

Just put the plow on this truck in January. Short wheelbase is great for the few driveways I plow.  Still getting used to using such a small truck its a lot different than my old F-350.


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## RangerDogg

weekendwrench;739024 said:


> Just put the plow on this truck in January. Short wheelbase is great for the few driveways I plow. Still getting used to using such a small truck its a lot different than my old F-350.


Nice truck what do you think about useing a small truck to plow with.I used to have a f250 before now i have the ranger.How do you like the plow


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## tom_mccauley

The driveway rig in action 

View attachment 52334


View attachment 52336


View attachment 52337


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## Stik208

Bringing back this old thread,
Traded in the 04 Ranger and bought a 05 Colorado. I put a new HT on it.


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## Polarisrider

here is my first truck before i bought my Chevy. 1996 Mazda B2300, 2.3 4cyl, 5-speed, 2wd no plow but a great little truck. Kinda wish I still had it. Actually before the Chevy this truck used to pull my 14ft landscape trailer with the 2 lawnmowers on it.


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## RangerDogg

Hey STICK 208 nice lookin truck i saw that ht is new from fisher .Looks better than the homesteader they sell and stronger goo luck.


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## Stik208

Thank you, It is much heavier duty than the homesteader. It also has the same attack angle as the X-Blade 75*, should scrape good. I have a thread with more pictures in it look me up you'll find it.


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## Troy5061

Heres my small/ budget rig for doing my 2 driveways. The first three pics are this spring when I first bought it for $800 and the second two pics are from a few weeks ago, bigger studded tires and some paint made a big difference. I will have to get some newer pics though as I have new plastic housing plow lights now. The original owner took pretty good care of it and its actually in decent shape for an 85. Its got the anemic 2.8 V6 but I plan on swapping it for a carbed 350 next spring. 134k orig miles, only had 10k put on it since 1992.


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## G.M.Landscaping

Posts 41 & 43 was pics of my truck before I overhauled it a couple months ago.
As it sits now:


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## Troy5061

G.M.Landscaping;843965 said:


> Posts 41 & 43 was pics of my truck before I overhauled it a couple months ago.
> As it sits now:


Nice Toyota, hows it do pushing snow? Im interested in how the lower power trucks do, ive never plowed with one. I bought mine at the end of last season after it quit snowing, ive got that 2.8 V6 which isn't any better on power than a 22RE maybe worse lol.


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## ChevyHD4X4




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## G.M.Landscaping

ChevyHD4X4;845612 said:


>


Looks good. Nice job on the overhaul.


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## snow_samurai

Here is a link to a video of my small plow truck taken 3 years ago, since then I have change the truck mount, added a headlight(sort of)frame and few amber warning lights.


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## RangerDogg

hey guys all the small rigs look great and lokm like they all work well.I will be throwing some new bfg a/t on this weekend and turning up the t bars and i will post new pics of mine soon.Lets keep this thread going strong .Small trucks can keep up wiyh the big dogs.


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## Mister Plow

Here's my '89 S-15 with 6'-6" Western UniMount. With the snow tires and differential lock, it can push some serious snow. I'm impressed with it. Got the whole unit for $1K about three years ago and re-did the plow this summer. (Crappy Cell-phone pics)


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## The PuSher MaN

Stik208;839593 said:


> Bringing back this old thread,
> Traded in the 04 Ranger and bought a 05 Colorado. I put a new HT on it.


Looks good jason, do you have anymore pictures of the truck/blade? How does the truck handle it? I have got an 09 canyon regular cab 4x4 that I am considering putting the HTS on but I am worried it may be too much blade for the truck.


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## Stik208

The PuSher MaN;876903 said:


> Looks good jason, do you have anymore pictures of the truck/blade? How does the truck handle it? I have got an 09 canyon regular cab 4x4 that I am considering putting the HTS on but I am worried it may be too much blade for the truck.


Turned up the TBs holds it fine.I cannot comment on performance yet since it hasn't snowed, but hydros are fast. If you get the Fisher like I have connect the plugs and put it in float makes it 100% easier in mounting. I had a Ranger before with a Curtis on it just have to plow with the storm.


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## PAGE2004

22r , gotta love it.


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## 97S104x4

here is an old pic from last year of my 97 s10, ill update new pics soon, ive fixed alot of things on both the plow and truck


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## 97S104x4




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## RangerDogg

Lets see more there are more out there.They"re all awsome


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## KMBertog

i know it's a ranger forum, but here is my jeep..... 6'8" meyer drivepro steel


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## KGRlandscapeing

99 cherokee sport


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## RangerDogg

Nice jeeps guy idont discrimate I hope to get a jeep in a year or so. Keep them coing


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## atvriderinmass

Here's my 01 Ford Ranger.


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## Turf Commando

Nice driveway rigs everyone...!


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## STIHL GUY

sometimes i wish i put a plow on my ranger for those tight driveways


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## Mabepossibly

atvriderinmass;1197293 said:


> Here's my 01 Ford Ranger.


I dont think its working too good


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## snow patrol

Some nice trucks guys! Here are a couple of pics of my 01' Tacoma. It has a 7' Western Unimount and a 3/4 yard SaltDogg V-box spreader.


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## 99rangerunner

i love my ranger keeps up with the one tons no problem gotta love the 4.0l


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## 99rangerunner




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## Jelinek61

mdb landscaping;717992 said:


> Heres a shot of our small rig. We use it to plow sidewalks and a parking garage roof. We run ice melt through the downeaster electric spreader and it has a snoway 22 series plow on the front with a rubber edge.


Thats a neat little truck. I bet its productive as heck.


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## EGLC

questions for you guys. 

what size motor do you like best the 6cyl or 4cyl? is there a big difference power/torque wise?
what size plows do you feel work best for these size trucks? 6'6"?? steel or poly?
how much snow can you push at one time? (light vs. heavy?)
how do these do on hills??
how much weight do you guys normally put in the beds?

I'm looking into possibly getting a small Tacoma for next year for my residential route and would like opinions.


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## 97S104x4

EGLC;1202394 said:


> questions for you guys.
> 
> what size motor do you like best the 6cyl or 4cyl? is there a big difference power/torque wise?
> what size plows do you feel work best for these size trucks? 6'6"?? steel or poly?
> how much snow can you push at one time? (light vs. heavy?)
> how do these do on hills??
> how much weight do you guys normally put in the beds?
> 
> I'm looking into possibly getting a small Tacoma for next year for my residential route and would like opinions.


i perfer a 6 cyl, anything larger than a 4.0l, ive driven trucks with a 3.0 and it was awful, i can imagine plowing with it. 
im running a 6ft meyers steel plow on my s10, i would much rather have a steel plow than poly cause id rather have a heavier plow that can take more abuse. but some trucks just cant handle a steel plow, so they are forced to go with a poly.
the last time i plowed i was plowing 20" of heavy snow, all 20" in 1 pass. i had to put it in 4 low but other than that it pushed it but u need to keep the momentum up. i was really pushing the truck when i was plowing that much, i wouldnt recommend a small truck doing that very often.
ive never tried plowing on hills, but id imagine it wouldnt be too much of an issue.
also i dont put any weight in the back of the truck when i have the plow on.

everything i mentioned changes with the type of truck, never over do it with a small truck, just plow what you think the truck can handle


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## pun299

Here is my old 94 ranger with 6'6" western conventional mount. I dont have it any more but I wish I could buy it back. I sold it when I bought my f150. The trans went after the first season with the plow on it. There was 175k on it but I didn t have a trans cooler and I was plowing parking lots with it. The contractor had me do the loading dock areas with it. It was the 4.0 v6 and it pushed pretty good. I never used it in any big storms because I sold it over two years ago when we didn t get much snow in NJ.


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## nicks_xj

heres my 98 cherokee


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## flatlander42

snow patrol;1199535 said:


> Some nice trucks guys! Here are a couple of pics of my 01' Tacoma. It has a 7' Western Unimount and a 3/4 yard SaltDogg V-box spreader.


do I spy demon wings?

Love the small rigs guys.....Makes me want a blade on my B2!!


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## RangerDogg

Keep them coming guys awesome.I have a 4.0 and md 68 stainless blade.It hasbeen great to plow with i have plowed 24 one pass of light stuff.Then yesterday plowing 4in of heavy snow with ice/mix on top up really big driveways IN LOW .It does a great job but ext cab so a little tight on some drive ways that are horeshoe.But a great driveway rig.Thanks everyone keep posting


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## snow patrol

flatlander42;1202975 said:


> do I spy demon wings?
> 
> Love the small rigs guys.....Makes me want a blade on my B2!!


Yes sir, they are Demon Wings. Even with the extra snow it has to move with the wings and the weight of the salt/spreader it still has no problems and runs increasingly strong!


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## RangerDogg

Snow patrol awesome rig how do you like saltdogg what did u pay for it.


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## snow patrol

RangerDogg;1205774 said:


> Snow patrol awesome rig how do you like saltdogg what did u pay for it.


Thanks Ranger! The Salltdogg is the 3/4 yard. Its light enough to be installed and removed by a single person, yet highly impact resistant and corrosion resistant. I prefer it over a tailgate type spreader any day. Its easy to load with bagged products or even bulk rock salt using a small skid steer. I purchased it mid winter last year for $2,200.00 plus freight. It works really well, however the shoot broke loose from the bolts (the holes wore thru, plastic) and I almost lost it going down the road. This happened only about 2 week into it. And this winter the spinner motor went on it and I had to have it rebuilt. Hopefully those are the only issues I'll have to deal with for a while. I'm actually in the market for a larger V-box for one of my other trucks and I'm considering another Saltdogg, but I'm going to hold off on the purchase till I get a bit more trouble free use out of the one I have now. We'll see.


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## KartAnimal29

Here is my 01 Ranger. This thing is the Driveway King


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## randomb0b123

nicks_xj;1202768 said:


> heres my 98 cherokee


do you care to post some more pics of your meyestern? just curious to see how you made that


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## 97S104x4

here are a couple pics from todays storm
my truck is a 97 s10 long bed with a meyers st90, 6.6ft all steel plow
my uncles is an 01 i think ranger with a meyers 6.5 ft poly plow


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## nicks_xj

randomb0b123;1206118 said:


> do you care to post some more pics of your meyestern? just curious to see how you made that


ill get some pics up after i put them on my computer


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## weekendwrench

Jesus I thought this threat was dead!!!!:angry: Bringing back pic’s of my old POS Explorer when I was between F-350’s. It’s like a bad leisure suit photo. LOL!!!!:laughing:


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## mercer_me

97S104x4;1207295 said:


> here are a couple pics from todays storm
> my truck is a 97 s10 long bed with a meyers st90, 6.6ft all steel plow
> my uncles is an 01 i think ranger with a meyers 6.5 ft poly plow


What's up with that Fisher decal on the Ranger's plow?


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## mercer_me

I thougt about putting a Fisher LD MM1 on my 2000 Ford Ranger for a back up truck. But, I decided it wouldn't be worth it becouse it would cost quite a bit and I'm going to get rid of it this summer anyways. Plus, I realy don't need a back up truck.


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## 97S104x4

mercer_me;1208422 said:


> What's up with that Fisher decal on the Ranger's plow?


he had a fisher on his old ranger, he put that one on as a joke, im ready to rip it off!


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## RangerDogg

Nice truck guy .Keep it going


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## mikeeg

*2004 ranger XLT*

I love my little Ranger and it can push some snow and stack it.


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## mikeeg

BUT it won't move this.!!!!!!!!!!!!!:redbounce


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## Stik208




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## snow patrol

mikeeg;1225655 said:


> BUT it won't move this.!!!!!!!!!!!!!:redbounce


:laughing: :laughing::laughing: How do you think it got there?


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## 85 Toyota 22R

Here was my s10 after 14" on Wednesday, she plowed everything i wanted, really amazed with the truck


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## Jelinek61

Thats a crazy snow pile......


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## GMCHD plower

Old thread, but curious as to what you guys are seeing for mpg's in these smaller trucks when your not plowing?


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## 97S104x4

my s10 with the 4.3 v6, the best its ever seen on the highway is around 18 - 19mpg. the majority of the time its 14 - 16 mpg using it as a DD. im sure if i put the stock size tires back on itll get better but the 31s look better


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## 85 Toyota 22R

my 94 s10 with the 4.3 tbi and 3.42 gears and 31's only gets about 15 using it as a daily driver.


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## Eronningen

Cute rigs guys! Looking good! Thumbs Up They would make killer sidewalk rigs for some of the long sidewalks we do. payup


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## twizted143

love my truck!


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## RangerDogg

Hey twizted143 how does the homesteader do ? What do you plow with it res or commercial just wondering how it does .A guy near me has one on f150 looks like it holds up well. 



Eronningen Cute rigs guys! Looking good! They would make killer sidewalk rigs for some of the long sidewalks we do. And why would you say there cute who says that.


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## toyotaplow

My '93 Toyota 4X4, 3.0 with a 5 speed was getting 21-23 mpg with the stock 235's. I get 16-18 mpg with the 31's on it now.


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## twizted143

rangerdogg,

this is my 2nd year with it. no issues whatso ever. i do alot of preventitive maintanence on it to though, i do some residentails a couple daycares and a limo company.


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## pooleo8

heres my little guy

From this:









To this:


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## THEGOLDPRO

Here is the dakota i used to have


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## jimv

he is mine 98 dakota with 7' fisher mm1 will post pic with plow later


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## mercer_me

GMCHD plower;1407816 said:


> Old thread, but curious as to what you guys are seeing for mpg's in these smaller trucks when your not plowing?


My 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0 4x4 automatic only got between 12-14 MPG. My 2002 Chevy 1500 4.8 4x4 automatic gets between 14-16 MPG. It was a "no brainer" for me to buy a full size truck and get rid of the Ranger.


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## RangerDogg

Hey guys love seeing all the small rigs since i started thread. I get about 14-16 city .When i plow more like 12 -14 but it also depends on how heavy snow is and how you drive. And what you have in it for people and weight. Just because you get a little better mileage on some bigger truck ,some people still like smaller truck. And ford will be not makeing anymore rangers anymore sad . Keep them coming guys never get sick of seeing smaller rigs


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## mercer_me

A couple years ago I bought a 1987 Jeep Cherokee with a 7.5' Meyer for $500. The Jeep wasn't in very good shape but it ran good and didn't have any drive train issues. The plow was a little rusty but, it was in really good shape. So, I bought it thinking I was going to put the plow on my 2000 Ford Ranger. But, I got thinking about it and I decided it would be to much work to swap it that it really wouldn't be worth it. So, I ended up selling the Jeep and plow for $800.


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## z_plow_master

This is an older pic of my ranger and f250.love both trucks,but the ranger had to go after about 6 years of faithful and problem free plowing.(just didn't have room for both trucks)


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## z_plow_master

just another pic because i loved that truck.the first one was about 8 years ago,the second one about 2 years ago just before i sold the truck


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## Sonoma97

Here is my rental property maintenance truck. 1997 GMC Sonoma long bed with a Western unimount 6'6". Only has 43k on the clock, 4.3l automatic. I run about 480#ballast in the bed and she will push through anything! This truck has been great compared to a full size truck.


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## jimv

some with plow on


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## oldrusty

heres my 89 jeep comanche struttin her stuff. 4.0 liter and 5 speed tranny. This thing has been an awesome plow truck. I finally broke down this past fall and gave the body a quick paint job as it was starting to look pretty ratty










and the way it looks now.....minus the snow we havent had yet....


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## randomb0b123

Cool comanche too bad it has a Meyers


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## oldrusty

that old truck and pieced together meyers set up have been compltely reliable for going on six years now. Other than replacing a couple plow markers and changing the fluid every year in the pump I have had done nothing as far a mainteneance or problems with the meyers plow.


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## randomb0b123

I beleive you are the only person in the world with that experience


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## 97S104x4

heres a few of my 97 s10 from this storm, it dont do too bad for a little truck. it works out perfect for my companies garage


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## RangerDogg

Any new small plow trucks around .Lets keep it going


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## G.M.Landscaping

I bought this as a backup to my toyota last year. More midsize thou. 99 Dodge Dakota V6 4x4 .
Of course I never got to use it.
The toyota holds the same plow way better.


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## RangerDogg

Oh ya i remember your nice toyota that you fixed up nice truck. You will have to let us know how it plows .Good luck with it


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## G.M.Landscaping

RangerDogg;1511741 said:


> Oh ya i remember your nice toyota that you fixed up nice truck. You will have to let us know how it plows .Good luck with it


I'm still going to run the toyota. I rigged the dakota with the plow harness and wired it for a salter only as a backup. This plow on the dakota really lowers the front end and makes the rack and pinion struggle. Thought it would handle the plow better then the toy. Tried to crank the torsions but they wouldn't go up any. Never tried plowing with it yet.. Only got about 8 storms last year.


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## RangerDogg

Ya im not surprised the older trucks are so much better .The should hsve still kept solid axels in smaller trucks instead of ifs. Maybe timbrens will help.I have them on my ranger it helps a lot.I miss my old 91 ranger with solid axel and coils much better.They should start putting them back in trucks for people who use them for truck not grocery haulers or give people the option .Hopefully more snow this year


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## Holland

No plow but it knows how to move the white stuff!! haha Check out sig for the video!


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## scottyluke1

Ok...I've plowed only F250's and F350's but I'm looking at getting a 4x4 ranger 4.0 to have the ability to do small lots and stumbled on this site looking for info and opinions.. I have to say, even though I don't have anything to put out there as far as experience with little plow truck this thread helped. It was nice to go through all the posts seeing everyone's setups and not dealing with a single Ford, Chevy; Dodge, Toyota or Jeep argument... I DO have my own views the good and bad trucks but for every argument I make one way someone else can argue the other way. Good to come on and see everyone being grown up on here, I think I think I may stay around.


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## RangerDogg

If you want to know anything let me know . I havebeen plowing for 6 years with mine . I plow a lot of driveways that are the size of streets for the rich of coarse .


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## plowguy43

scottyluke1;1513497 said:


> Ok...I've plowed only F250's and F350's but I'm looking at getting a 4x4 ranger 4.0 to have the ability to do small lots and stumbled on this site looking for info and opinions.. I have to say, even though I don't have anything to put out there as far as experience with little plow truck this thread helped. It was nice to go through all the posts seeing everyone's setups and not dealing with a single Ford, Chevy; Dodge, Toyota or Jeep argument... I DO have my own views the good and bad trucks but for every argument I make one way someone else can argue the other way. Good to come on and see everyone being grown up on here, I think I think I may stay around.


I plowed for about 3 years with a Dakota Quad Cab (2003 4.7 V8). It handled a HD 7'6" Fisher plow very well (much better then the one posted above) but it had low miles and had the stiffer torsion bars being a V8. The smaller trucks plow the same as the bigger trucks, but they aren't nearly as long, are VERY easy to manueaver, and can fit in tight spaces. I remember one driveway in a city that I could never plow with my current truck, that my Dakota plowed without problems.

Only downsides are, they get about the same fuel mileage as a full size, can't hold as big of a plow, and you have to plow with the storm most of the time. I plow after the storm is done and sometimes almost a day later, the freeze up on the heavier snow storms got that truck stuck more than once. Also, on those heavier storms when stacking, snow could fall behind the blade and cause the truck to get stuck that way as well.

That being said, I'm debating on putting a Snowdogg MD on my Jeep Liberty mainly for fuel savings on some properties I picked up this season.


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## mercer_me

plowguy43;1514015 said:


> I'm debating on putting a Snowdogg MD on my Jeep Liberty mainly for fuel savings on some properties I picked up this season.


I have never driven a Jeep Liberty but, they appear a lot more light duty than Wrangler. I would love to have a Wrangler with a 6'9" Fisher SD or a 7.5' HT.


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## GMCHD plower

plowguy43;1514015 said:


> That being said, I'm debating on putting a Snowdogg MD on my Jeep Liberty mainly for fuel savings on some properties I picked up this season.


My offer is still open for my area lol


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## plowguy43

mercer_me;1514021 said:


> I have never driven a Jeep Liberty but, they appear a lot more light duty than Wrangler. I would love to have a Wrangler with a 6'9" Fisher SD or a 7.5' HT.


Definitely more light duty but can still tow 6500lbs and can accept up to an 8' Snowdogg MD plow. Plus its more comfortable and has almost as tight of a turning radius.


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## mercer_me

plowguy43;1514183 said:


> Definitely more light duty but can still tow 6500lbs and can accept up to an 8' Snowdogg MD plow. Plus its more comfortable and has almost as tight of a turning radius.


So they don't have a unibody?


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## plowguy43

They do but they are similar to the old cherokee.


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## KGRlandscapeing

plowguy43;1514183 said:


> Definitely more light duty but can still tow 6500lbs and can accept up to an 8' Snowdogg MD plow. Plus its more comfortable and has almost as tight of a turning radius.


Woah thats nuts what crazy person would put an 8 ft plow on a liberty plus carry 700lbs of ballast. That thing would get 2.4mpg. Anything over 7 ft is really pushing it.


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## plowguy43

LOL not me just saying the jeep is more "beefy" then it looks. I've towed with a 2012 a few times (mgb, 68 stang & a sail boat) and was impressed how well it did plus got decent mpgs as well.


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## ShaneysLawnCare

One of my buddies brought over his Colorado and parked it behind the 9'2" V_XT with wings haha.


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## jasonv

plowguy43;1514015 said:


> I plowed for about 3 years with a Dakota Quad Cab (2003 4.7 V8). It handled a HD 7'6" Fisher plow very well (much better then the one posted above) but it had low miles and had the stiffer torsion bars being a V8. The smaller trucks plow the same as the bigger trucks, but they aren't nearly as long, are VERY easy to manueaver, and can fit in tight spaces. I remember one driveway in a city that I could never plow with my current truck, that my Dakota plowed without problems.
> 
> *Only downsides are, they get about the same fuel mileage as a full size,* can't hold as big of a plow, and you have to plow with the storm most of the time. I plow after the storm is done and sometimes almost a day later, the freeze up on the heavier snow storms got that truck stuck more than once. Also, on those heavier storms when stacking, snow could fall behind the blade and cause the truck to get stuck that way as well.
> 
> That being said, I'm debating on putting a Snowdogg MD on my Jeep Liberty mainly for fuel savings on some properties I picked up this season.


Your fuel consumption problem is because you picked way too big of an engine. Why put an 8-cyl engine (i.e., full size truck's engine) on a compact truck? Because its faster? Yep, way faster at burning gas.

The rule I always follow when picking engines, is to pick the very smallest engine that will be physically capable of doing the job I need it to do. For a compact pickup, that means 4-cyl.


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## Holland

jasonv;1516562 said:


> Your fuel consumption problem is because you picked way too big of an engine. Why put an 8-cyl engine (i.e., full size truck's engine) on a compact truck? Because its faster? Yep, way faster at burning gas.
> 
> The rule I always follow when picking engines, is to pick the very smallest engine that will be physically capable of doing the job I need it to do. For a compact pickup, that means 4-cyl.


My 5.7 Sonoma i built (V8 in a little truck!) gets 21 mpg.


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## plowguy43

jasonv;1516562 said:


> Your fuel consumption problem is because you picked way too big of an engine. Why put an 8-cyl engine (i.e., full size truck's engine) on a compact truck? Because its faster? Yep, way faster at burning gas.
> 
> The rule I always follow when picking engines, is to pick the very smallest engine that will be physically capable of doing the job I need it to do. For a compact pickup, that means 4-cyl.


That works in a Toyota but in a Dakota the 6cyl struggles causing it to get just as bad if not worse mileage. My Dakota unloaded would pull 18-19mpg consistently. Throw a 700lb plow on the front and 400lbs of ballast and it would be at 14-15mpg which is similar to a full size truck although the Dakota isn't too much smaller or lighter than a fullsize to begin with.


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## jasonv

Holland;1516570 said:


> My 5.7 Sonoma i built (V8 in a little truck!) gets 21 mpg.


That's pretty short... is it 2wd or lowered? Absence of wind resistance can do wonders for mileage. Wonder what you would get in a ZR2 stance...? I'm going to guess... 13 or 14 mpg.


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## jasonv

plowguy43;1516603 said:


> That works in a Toyota but in a Dakota the 6cyl struggles causing it to get just as bad if not worse mileage. My Dakota unloaded would pull 18-19mpg consistently. Throw a 700lb plow on the front and 400lbs of ballast and it would be at 14-15mpg which is similar to a full size truck although the Dakota isn't too much smaller or lighter than a fullsize to begin with.


If you had the 8 cyl engine, you'd be getting the plow+ballast mpg driving empty. My Tacoma gets 27 mpg unloaded, and is a bigger truck (both wider and taller) than Dakota. By brother in law has a Dakota (V8), parked next to each other, it is a pretty significant size difference. I really have to question why your V6 would struggle to move an empty compact.. I've suspected GM of producing bad configurations to upsell the "larger" vehicles. Wonder if... Fiat now... does the same to upsell the larger engine? My ZR2 S10 never broken 19 miles per IMPERIAL gallon, and I can state for fact that despite an extra 30 hp, struggled a lot more hauling heavy loads than my Tacoma does. I've used the Tacoma to move loads that I never would have even considered trying to move with the S10. Including the S10 itself on a flatbed trailer -- funny thing is that the Tacoma got better mileage PULLING the S10 than the S10 could get driving itself.


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## KGRlandscapeing

Updated picture Its a 99 Jeep XJ


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## linycctitan

Nice capable setup there Kev, but camo with whitewalls? At least pay someone to flip those tires so they're blackwall out.


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## KGRlandscapeing

linycctitan;1519128 said:


> Nice capable setup there Kev, but camo with whitewalls? At least pay someone to flip those tires so they're blackwall out.


It had a cool throw back look when it was black with white walls haha. And the shiny rims dont help the camo feel. I am kicking around painting the rims or getting another set. But for now it gets me where I need to go. And this will be the 3rd year plowing with it. It fits in the garage, The parts are cheap. and its easy to work on.


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## KGRlandscapeing

This is last years version.


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## Beachernaut

Bringing this one back. I've had a homesteader on my S-10 for a while now (3 years I think). Very happy. Here's a pic of it on my 02 Blazer. I traded that in on a new car, so the plow is going back onto my 95 Jimmy.


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## curt_irocz

Here's my baby rigs. The blazer is my favorite.


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## Dirtdog

*The little Ranger ready to Romp.*

^^^ Nice S-series plow trucks as well fellas, I've enjoyed having both Rangers and s10s over the years. I owned a Zr2 for many years. Currently drive a stock Chevy Colorado z71 4x4 and love it but will someday own another ranger Project. I'd like to do the 92 box style someday.

93 4.0 5sp flareside Ranger Danger plow truck. I had the same plow on a 96 ext. cab Ranger with a 4.0 manual also with a 6inch suspension lift. I preferred it on the regular cab flareside better for maneuvering but the Ext cab for comfort.

Pic of a fresh coat of red implement paint with the original Western Decal still on it. 









Just getting ready to get it out of the garage for the winter season. 









My 96 just after a summer spent doing body work to it. 









Both of these rangers have been sold in the recent years and I hated to see both of them go, but babys started coming.


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## BlackBeauty

I unknowingly revived an 18 year old thread elsewhere, so I figured I may as well try to do the same here. Hahaha. I'm loving these photos, so I thought I'd add mine. Going out in a few minutes and hopefully together we can clear the driveways.

Just got this creampuff last November -- one owner 2001 Mazda B3000 6 cyl 3.0L 5 speed manual. Plow is a new SnowEx LT7200 with Scrape Maxx down pressure .


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## BlackBeauty

Bumping this thread....would love to see more pix of small(er) plow setups !


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## bfd04ZR2




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## bfd04ZR2

bfd04ZR2 said:


> View attachment 189039


Plowed for the first time yesterday with this. Loved it! My 11 year old son and I had a blast clearing the driveway. Thing is like a little bulldozer. I put 300 lbs of sand in the back, works fantastic. Even the G80 works!


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## BlackBeauty

Is that a Blazer ?? Nice setup !


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## bfd04ZR2

BlackBeauty said:


> Is that a Blazer ?? Nice setup !


Yes, ZR2 Blazer. It's a project that my son and I have been working on. It's awesome!


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## BlackBeauty

Looks to be in great shape! Bravo!


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## bfd04ZR2

BlackBeauty said:


> Looks to be in great shape! Bravo!


Up close it has some warts but I'm happy with it. Plows great and we're getting the RI beach driving permit next weekend so we can cruise on the beach and do some fishing.


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## BlackBeauty

Sounds like it gets the job done and looks good doing it !


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## BlackBeauty

Any small rig pix out there? Would love to see 'em!


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## bfd04ZR2

They'll all get a good workout in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast tomorrow! I'm ready. If the predictions of this storm are true, it will be the most snow I've ever pushed with the Blazer. 12-15 inches.


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## BlackBeauty

Looks great! 
12+ inches in my area but most coming overnight. Makes it hard to stay ahead of accumulation as could be.whiteout conditions while coming down.


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## bfd04ZR2

Here's some action footage from the last storm. 12 inches of pretty light snow. Was so much fun plowing!


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## BlackBeauty

Great pix! Does the snow deflector make a big difference?


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## bfd04ZR2

The snow deflector works great. I don't know if it makes a big difference or not because I've never plowed without it! This past storm was the most snow I've ever plowed and it handled the driveway great. In the past, I used a Polaris 570 and also my Kubota BX bucket. Both the ATV and the tractor move snow with ease but there's nothing like sitting in the warm cab of the Blazer pushing mountains of snow. I really enjoyed it!


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## scholzee




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## Hydromaster

Running two different tires?


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## scholzee

No BFGs on H2 and Michelins on Wife's Expedition moved to side back of garage so I could clear blacktop where railing is that's front of garage where they are normally parked. Blazer has Goodyear wranglers.


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## scholzee

H2 in Colorado August 2020


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## scholzee




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## BlackBeauty

bfd04ZR2 said:


> The snow deflector works great. I don't know if it makes a big difference or not because I've never plowed without it! This past storm was the most snow I've ever plowed and it handled the driveway great. In the past, I used a Polaris 570 and also my Kubota BX bucket. Both the ATV and the tractor move snow with ease but there's nothing like sitting in the warm cab of the Blazer pushing mountains of snow. I really enjoyed it!


Thanks! .I've never plowed * with* a.deflector ....I'll give it some thought. Great pix!


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