# y not a half ton ??



## nailgun (Feb 24, 2010)

why does everyone say you have to have a 2500 or more to plow ? I see plenty of half tons, 1500' s, tundras etc doing it ?? And now i think for 2016 ford is advertising they have a 150 that can plow??? what gives ? and whats ford gonna do differently ?


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Can plow with a 1/4 ton if you want. A 3/4 ton is just built heavier to last commercial plowing. Not saying it's a cure all but big parts will usually last longer. 

New 1/2 tons are being built liter for EPA reasons among many.


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## Doughboy12 (Oct 15, 2014)

Subscribed...........


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Can u plow wit a 1/2 tone,
sure, you even can even plow with a VW.

But why limit yourself.
Your limiting the plow (s) (front or back) u can use.
the salt you can carry to snow blowers and shovels.

A good rule of thumb, get more truck than you need.


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## snowplower1 (Jan 15, 2014)

My dad has plowed with half tons for the laSt 25 years commercially and residential. Yes you can plow with them bit they will fall apart and break more. Plus you are way more productive if you buy a truck that can handle a 8'6 or 9'2


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## nailgun (Feb 24, 2010)

so whatyall think this ford statement is all about ? just marketing hype ? anyone know what they are gonna do to this truck so that it will support plowing versus all the other 150's that are currently plowing ?


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## unhcp (Jan 20, 2010)

I will sit back and enjoy this


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## nailgun (Feb 24, 2010)

so your a watcher and not a partaker


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

nailgun;1974583 said:


> so your a watcher and not a partaker


Kind of like you.
( a member for 5years with only 10 posts)


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## On a Call (Jan 14, 2015)

Why send a girl to do a mans job


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## snowplower1 (Jan 15, 2014)

The other issue is that the half tons now are not built as well as they were 10-15 years ago


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

1/2 ton can plow and will do the job for some. For me i need at least a 8' blade, 750# cap. Salter and a ton of salt in the bed. Thats why i wouldnt plow with a 1/2 ton


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

*No perfect piece of equipment*

My 1993 S-10 1/2 ton. I loved this truck! Used it for 16 years.










http://www.plowsite.com/picture.php?albumid=294&pictureid=2017


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

I have one for the smaller snow falls, but it has a real axle in front. 
I use a 2500 for wet heavy snow.


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## nailgun (Feb 24, 2010)

chillax snofarmer was not meant to be a bash just a little joke.....yes you are correct though i aint done squat since joing and thats because i haven't gotten into the biz yet...as i get nearer to retirement and want to buy a plow truck everyone tells me ya gotta get a 2500 or an f250 minimum....you cant even think of doing that with a tundra are you crazy ??
One thing i have noticed is truck brand only matters to the loyalist who owns that brand. consumer reports and all auto related things dont even want to talk about rating trucks anymore. they dont even want to put mileage ratings on 250's and above.... i expect to only take care of a few driveways of aging relatives, and if it proved lucrative maybe a few local driveways to break even. I guess ya just buy based one which one looks the best to ya and how it feels during the test drive.
maybe eventually as i start the pre-retirement strategy and start executing you will see more of my posts..


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## nailgun (Feb 24, 2010)

Plus, I have to learn how to plow of course..... lol


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

jonniesmooth;1974635 said:


> My 1993 S-10 1/2 ton. I loved this truck! Used it for 16
> years.


Did I miss when an s10 became a 1/2 truck?


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

nailgun;1974682 said:


> chillax snofarmer was not meant to be a bash just a little joke......


Funny,,,,
Nice , save,
However you want to justify it ,said the pot to the kettel:waving:

And this subject has been beaten beyond death in the last 5 years that you have been doing research.
It's a border line troll thread.
Jmo:waving:

Ps you will need to do more that a few drives to pay for the comershail insurance you will need.

Once you step out and start to plow on others property you need added coverage.

Ps who mentioned a brand or loyalty


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## NoProblem (Aug 4, 2014)

My 2014 Half Ton Chevy  has done an awesome job for me for what I needed it for this year. I don't plow commercially but I've made some pretty good sized piles.


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I have an 8' HD Fisher on my Tundra and the truck handles the plow fine. Do I plow commercial lots? No. Do I plow a pile of driveways with it? No. AS of right now I'm only plowing two driveways with it but, I know that if I wanted to 20 driveways or so, I could and I wouldn't be worried.


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## Sprag-O (Dec 31, 2013)

jonniesmooth;1974635 said:


> My 1993 S-10 1/2 ton. I loved this truck! Used it for 16 years.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That S10 is 1/4-ton....

1/2-tons are nice, 1/4-tons are nice, they all fill gaps a 3/4-1 ton can't fill unless you bob the bed, and fix the wheelbase.

I could plow driveways all day long with a quad and probably wouldn't kill it, but a bigger blade on a heavier truck is more productive. The bigger the truck, the heavier the blade, the better the scrape....

The drivetrain is more substantial, a Corp 14, D60, Sterling 10.5, will all take more abuse than a D30/35/44 front, or 8.8/9.75/D35/D44 rear.


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## 32vld (Feb 4, 2011)

Problem is not the 1/2 ton truck.

The problems begin when they want to put too much plow on a 1/2 ton truck.

They put in heavy springs and shocks so the truck does not sag with the plow on it. Though that does not compensate for nor does it beef up the frame, control arms, other suspension, and steering parts.

Then they create more trouble when they try to move as much snow as a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

Then they take on jobs too big for the 1/2 truck. They were overly optimistic that they can make that 1/2 ton work as good as a 3/4 ton. Then realize the job is taking them too long and they are breaking even instead of making a killing on the job so they push their 1/2 ton truck even harder to try and get done faster.

Then they blame the 1/2 ton as to not being up to the job. When in reality they were not up to the job based on all of the bad decisions that they made.


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## jhenderson9196 (Nov 14, 2010)

I started out in 1977 with a GM shortbed 1/2 ton and a 7 1/2 fisher. I did reasonably well. I did lunch a front ring and pinion. In the early 80s I put a big block in it and it plowed better than ever. I was happy. Now I run an 04 Ram 2500 with a Cummins and a 9.2 VXT. It's twice as productive and I wouldn't want to go back. The main limitation is what you can hang on the front and maintain the trucks reliability. Look closely at the Ford 150 and see what plow is on it. Whatever it is I guarantee its short and narrow.


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

32vld;1975045 said:


> Problem is not the 1/2 ton truck.
> 
> The problems begin when they want to put too much plow on a 1/2 ton truck.
> 
> ...


I'm guilty of this. I bought a half ton and put a 7.5hd blade on it. I thought it should have handled it but i b also plowed 60 driveways with it. Replaced a ton of parts and decided enough was enough. Bought a 3/4 ton and a vee blade and I've been much happier


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

My neighbor plowed for exactly 10 years
With his ram 1500 ,, bought a brand new 
one last summer ,,, that guy has close
To 100 clients .... I must admit he's not thé most
reliable ,,, he has just to many but his truck
lasted without costing him much repair.
Fisher 7' i think ....Personaly i dont think i would
do it .


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Sprag-O;1974887 said:


> That S10 is 1/4-ton....
> 
> 1/2-tons are nice, 1/4-tons are nice, they all fill gaps a 3/4-1 ton can't fill unless you bob the bed, and fix the wheelbase.
> 
> ...


Payload capacity- 1184# more then 1/2 ton. Google it cones up in the headings, don't even need to go to the article.

Also, the engine,transmission and transfer cae are the same as the comparable 1500 1/2 ton at least up to 1994.


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

jonniesmooth;1975295 said:


> Payload capacity- 1184# more then 1/2 ton. Google it cones up in the headings, don't even need to go to the article.
> 
> Also, the engine,transmission and transfer cae are the same as the comparable 1500 1/2 ton at least up to 1994.


my wife drives a 2012 fully loaded Ram 1500
she wants to plow now ... The two i have are
way to big for it so now i guess she needs another
truck .


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## 32vld (Feb 4, 2011)

F250/XLS;1975299 said:


> my wife drives a 2012 fully loaded Ram 1500
> she wants to plow now ... The two i have are
> way to big for it so now i guess she needs another
> truck .


It would appear that it would cost less to buy the right plow to match the truck she has then to buy a truck to match a plow that you have.


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

32vld;1975333 said:


> It would appear that it would cost less to buy the right plow to match the truck she has then to buy a truck to match a plow that you have.


I already have thé plows
And i m just not confortable in trying to modifie
Her truck ((( low sporty front bumper )) almost
To Nice to work with


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## Sprag-O (Dec 31, 2013)

jonniesmooth;1975295 said:


> Payload capacity- 1184# more then 1/2 ton. Google it cones up in the headings, don't even need to go to the article.
> 
> Also, the engine,transmission and transfer cae are the same as the comparable 1500 1/2 ton at least up to 1994.


GM used the NP205 for a while, but you still had th350/700R4 vs th400.

And even if a 1/2 ton axle would carry the payload you were asking of it....
A full floater will have less wear and tear running at max load than a semi-floater ever will.


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## Grantski (Jan 26, 2015)

I didnt understand either till I started plowing...everyone underestimates the weight of snow. I cant imagine using a tiny truck unless ur literally just doing a FEW driveways. And like others mentioned 1/2 tons arent built as strong all around. The old rule I NEVER seem to remember till its too late...just spend a little more $$ and get the better equipment/truck/etc. I have the 1997 f250 LD and it does just fine if I keep up .w the storms...but I would definately NOT want to play w anything less & def plan on upgrading to a chevy2500HD


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

jonniesmooth;1974635 said:


> My 1993 S-10 1/2 ton. I loved this truck! Used it for 16 years.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am sure that is an excellent unit for doing sidewalks


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Why not use a shovel to clear a 5 acre lot?

Because it doesn't make any damn sense, that's why.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

How about this?


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## WSBart (Mar 4, 2015)

I wouldnt plow with a 1/2 ton GMT800 truck just because I know how weak the 10bt and 4L60E are.


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

Rig up a 1/2 ton and see how it does.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Once again EVERY one is loosing sight of your question. can a 1/2 ton plow as much as a 3/4 ton... yes not as long without braking.

the REAL question is what are YOU going to do with the truck? plow wallmart, better get a 1 ton.
plow driveways better get a jeep or something small. As so many hear do both, get a 3/4 ton. 1/2 ton has nothing over the 3/4 ton as far as maneuverability goes. Not as strong.

I plow driveways ONLY driveways. I started with a 1/2 ton got a jeep for back up, after 1 plowing I sold the truck. I doubled the driveways I can do with the Jeep over the 1/2 ton. since the 1/2 ton and the 3/4 ton have the SAME wheelbase about the same turning radius and the same motors. what is the advantage of the 3/4 ton* for driveways*?

What are YOU going to use it for? 
Driveways, go small (not 1/2 ton instead of 3/4 ton NOT SMALLER only lighter)
doing Wallmart get a 3/4 ton.

doing both (driveways and Walmart is getting something that is great at neither)

JMO I have over 100 driveways and a waiting list of customers.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

*S-10*



1olddogtwo;1976327 said:


> I am sure that is an excellent unit for doing sidewalks


Truck was a 1993. I bought it in 1995 with 103,000 miles, put in a whole new front axle BEFORE I put the plow on in '96. Never had anything break, did have to replace parts as they wore, torsion bar mounts were the weak link.

I got the plow used, the picture is of it is how it looked when new to me. I paid $700 for the plow. I added wings to the plow at some point and even tho the truck is scrapped, the plow lives on, on a '96 S-10, which I like even better then the '93 as the larger windshield provides a great line of sight for seeing the plow edge. The plow wouldn't bolt on to this truck, so it was welded and the whole rig is being scrapped this spring

'93 was the last year of the boxed front frame.

It's kinda funny how on one thread EVERYBODY loves the CJ jeep as a great rig for small parking lots and drives and...

over here , if it ain't a 3/4 ton it's never going to work.

I paid less then $10,000 for this set up and didn't spend $5K on maintaining it over it's 16 years and another 130K miles


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

It's kinda funny how on one thread EVERYBODY loves the CJ jeep as a great rig for small parking lots and drives and...

over here , if it ain't a 3/4 ton it's never going to work.

Pretty sure no one said a cj was a 1/2 ton. Big difference.


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## Northwind (Feb 15, 2014)

Also depends on how much snow you get. Big difference if your plowing 5 times a month or 5 times a week. I plowed with a half ton for 9 years and I would never go back. I agree on maneuverability of a smaller vehicle but if your plowing a bunch I wouldn't go with a half ton.


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## Sprag-O (Dec 31, 2013)

jonniesmooth;1976774 said:


> Truck was a 1993. I bought it in 1995 with 103,000 miles, put in a whole new front axle BEFORE I put the plow on in '96. Never had anything break, did have to replace parts as they wore, torsion bar mounts were the weak link.
> 
> So... Are you talking halfshafts or did you SAS just for plowing?


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

I think you spend the extra $$ to set up a half ton. It will run same plow as a F250 and bigger

One guy here has a 1500 chevy short bed with 9.2 boss w/wings V plow With a rear plow It does pretty good but I LOL every time I see it lift the plow looks like low rider but with the plows down its jack up.
I'm guessing he ran it for at least last 10 yrs.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Sprag-O;1976814 said:


> jonniesmooth;1976774 said:
> 
> 
> > Truck was a 1993. I bought it in 1995 with 103,000 miles, put in a whole new front axle BEFORE I put the plow on in '96. Never had anything break, did have to replace parts as they wore, torsion bar mounts were the weak link.
> ...


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

jonniesmooth;1976993 said:


> Sprag-O;1976814 said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, I did the halfshafts. What is SAS? I'm not familiar with that term.


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## NBI Lawn (Oct 15, 2007)

Sure it will work but there is a better tool for the job. That being a 3/4 or 1 ton. Will a 1/2ton pull a skid steer or large trailer? Sure, just not as well as a heavier duty truck. Gearing, coolers, suspension, brakes all come into play with plowing just as it does with towing.


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## TLB (Jan 19, 2007)

jonniesmooth;1976993 said:


> Sprag-O;1976814 said:
> 
> 
> > What is SAS? I'm not familiar with that term.
> ...


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## jerpa (Feb 4, 2014)

I went from a half ton to 3/4 and while they both got the job done the difference is night and day. The new truck takes 1000lbs of plow up front, 2000lbs of salt in the back, and pushes 6" of heavy wet snow without breaking a sweat. My old truck was working hard to carry half the weight and heavy wet snow slowed things even further. If you are plowing commercially and not in a situation where you need a shorter wheelbase than a pickup then the price difference for the larger truck will be paid for by increased efficiency, resale value, and less repairs. I'll never go back.


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## Dailylc (Feb 12, 2006)

I've been plowing with a 1500 Ram Quad cab for 13 yrs now. The same one that's in my sig photo. I run a 7'6" pro plow with wings. Also a Snowex 575 and a pallet and a half of ice melt to run my route. My biggest snow fall was the 24" at Christmas, I believe in 06. The truck ran for 5 days and never missed a lick. My biggest lots are YMCA's one is 2 1/2 acres the other is 4. My route consist of 15 lots per event. I have put 2 transmissions in that truck, but if you know Dodge's, that's typical. The most recent snowfall was 8" and it's still clearing. Truck has 255,00 + miles on it and that truck has made tons of money. You can't tell me a 1500 can't do the job!


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## snowplower1 (Jan 15, 2014)

i dont think anyone has said it cant do the job...
but if you had bought a 3/4 ton, you could put a 8.6 or 9.2 on that and instead of just doing those 15 lots, you could do 20-25 with only spending an extra few thousand dollars


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

Sorry Guy s , i have a stupid question here, is there a thread on gas VS diesel truck somewhere ??
Thanks


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## Sprag-O (Dec 31, 2013)

http://bit.ly/1ARyO5k


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

F250/XLS;1977354 said:


> Sorry Guy s , i have a stupid question here, is there a thread on gas VS diesel truck somewhere ??
> Thanks


Yes. If not search lawnsite.com


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## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

dieselss;1977489 said:


> Yes. If not search lawnsite.com


Thanks , foind a couple of 2014 ones ,,,,, now very confuse ,lol.


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## Fannin76 (Jan 1, 2014)

I have two half tons. They do ok. I plow 10 commercial lots. Although they do fine I would like to upgrade to a 1 ton. Haul more, push more and less breaking seems like I no brainer. This year in the 94 1500 gmc I've put two trans in it... It's a back up it's only plowed 2 times this year. First trans went out before the season started though. On my 97 f150 I replaced the 4.6 engine before the season. It blew up pulling trailers over the summer. I also broke one cv joint in the f150 and shift linkage the same damn day


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