# Fisher Homesteader won't Raise or Angle



## ohnomrbill (Apr 26, 2003)

I have a 2-year old Homesteader (7'-4") on a 2000 S-10 Chevy Pickup.

Before taking the plow off late last spring, I was taking the truck for a ride (plow still on) and went to angle it to the right while driving. It hardly moved although I was then able to angle it to the left somewhat. I stopped trying to use the controls and waited until I got home to see what was wrong. It lowered OK but was very slow to raise and angle either direction. I tried some trouble shooting before taking it off for the summer but haven't gotten any solution yet.
I remounted the plow today and it won't raise or do anything -- so how I'm going to get it to a shop for work is still a question --
Here's what I've got so far:
The hydraulic fluid seems to be full in the reservoir. I've got good ground at the plow (-)terminal and good voltage (+14vdc) at the (+) terminal when the joystick is operated. I unplugged the harness on the driver's side which I think is the control leads (raise/angle/lower) and they have a resistive ground reading -- I don't know what is the proper reading.
On the Homesteader website was a mention of 2 fuses, one for the headlites (which work fine) and the other for the joystick control but doesn't say where it is.

Any ideas on where to proceed and how I can at least get the plow raise up to drive it to a plow shop if I need to?

Thanks


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## Dakota2004 (Jun 12, 2006)

I had the same problem last year with a truck I used at work it was a western plow though. I took the truck to the shop and they had the truck for 2 days right before the last big storm we had up here, they replaced everything new except for the hydr. motor that makes the plow do all the moving. When I got the truck back the blade dropped very slow and moved alittle slower, by the end of the storm the plow wouldn't work again and I dont know what the problem was and neither did the mechanic.


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## Dakota2004 (Jun 12, 2006)

what kind of plowing did you do with the truck, and did you have any problems with the truck. Reason I'm asking is I have a dakota and I want to put a plow on t but I'm alittle unsure about how it might perform.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

You can jack the plow up and short chain it. does the red light on the controler light? if so the fuse to the controler is good. Does the 12 volt motor solinoild funtion? if you are getting 12 volts at the motor how many amps are you drawing? Try throwing 12 Volt to the moter directly, does it run?.


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## ohnomrbill (Apr 26, 2003)

*A few Answers*

To answer the replies so far, the light on the controller DOES light, but this type of plow (Homesteader) does not have a chain like most, so short chaining it cant' be done. I tried just lifting it manually and the main hydraulic cylinder won't go "in". // For those of you not familiar with a Homesteader (or Western Suburbinite) the "lift arm" which normally goes up to lift the plow retracts in to lift this type. //

The solenoid seems to operate fine as I measured the voltage through it at the cable terminations on the plow. How/where should I measure the amps?

The only other trouble I've had was a hydraulic leak last winter which was fixed and I don't think has anything to do with this. The Dakota probably will take either the Fisher Homesteader or Western Suburbinite and there is a Blizzard plow which seems to get good reviews from Plowsite members. When I was shopping for a new truck a few years ago (S-10, Ranger, Dakota) Dodge said you could not put a plow on the Dakota. I just wanted a smaller truck because I only do my own driveway which is almost 600 feet, with half of it on a good sized hill down to the road.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

ohnomrbill
The solenoid seems to operate fine as I measured the voltage through it at the cable terminations on the plow. How/where should I measure the amps?.[/QUOTE said:


> Use a amp meter, place it on the cable and have someone operate the plow. Did you change the battery and forget to attach the ground wire?
> 
> loosen the hose to the lift ram, Jack the unit up, tighten the hose. clean up the mess. it should stay up


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## ohnomrbill (Apr 26, 2003)

Thanks for the hints & help, Basher. I'll give it a try.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

[Layman]

Weak hydraulic pump? I have an old mid 80's Fisher with the underhood belt driven pump and that plow behaves in exactly the same manner (well its not dead yet, but it moves slowly). The speed of the rams is directly propertional to the speed of the motor though so whenever I got to the terminus of my push I'd just pop it in neutral and rev the motor a bit while raising the plow...worked like a champ. This is not an option obviously since your plow is driven by an electric motor, but I'm guessing that you have a line pressure problem centrally located in the system...I'd be looking hard at the pump if the motor is working in spec.

[/Layman]


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## Akamai (Jan 20, 2019)

Dakota2004 said:


> what kind of plowing did you do with the truck, and did you have any problems with the truck. Reason I'm asking is I have a dakota and I want to put a plow on t but I'm alittle unsure about how it might perform.


I had a Dakota. Perfect solution, get a SnowSport plow. It is a manual plow. As long as their is gravity plow will work, meaning always, nothing to break. Doing 1 driveway is perfect for this plow, you drop it manually but can have a winch installed to raise and lower. Cost about $1,500 installed. Check it out!


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Akamai said:


> I had a Dakota. Perfect solution, get a SnowSport plow. It is a manual plow. As long as their is gravity plow will work, meaning always, nothing to break. Doing 1 driveway is perfect for this plow, you drop it manually but can have a winch installed to raise and lower. Cost about $1,500 installed. Check it out!


The original poster's Dakota is probably rusted out by now....


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Akamai said:


> I had a Dakota. Perfect solution, get a SnowSport plow. It is a manual plow. As long as their is gravity plow will work, meaning always, nothing to break. Doing 1 driveway is perfect for this plow, you drop it manually but can have a winch installed to raise and lower. Cost about $1,500 installed. Check it out!


Ignoring the whole "12 year old thread" thing, most people wouldn't buy a new plow because they had a hydraulic issue. And some people appreciate that whole "angling" thing


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

cwren2472 said:


> Ignoring the whole "12 year old thread" thing, most people wouldn't buy a new plow because they had a hydraulic issue. And some people appreciate that whole "angling" thing


That's what the wife is for. Tell her to, get out, pull the pin and angle the plow.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Randall Ave said:


> That's what the wife is for. Tell her to, get out, pull the pin and angle the plow.


Sure. Why don't you try that first and post aftermath photos?


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