# Need a plow for my Ranger



## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

What are my options?
I have a very steep dirt driveway that takes me 2 1/2 hours to snow blow.
with a new son in the house it is impossible to do anymore and I need to be able to take him along with me.
- I don't plan on doing any other plowing other then my own home
- Average about 10-15 storms a year
- 1999 Ford Ranger 4.0 4x4
- North East PA

Whats the cheapest?
Whats the best?
How do I find a good used plow?
What's the most I should spend?
Would like power angle.
Do I really need power angle?

Thanks in advance


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

wouldnt it be easyer to just let a company take care of it for u? 4000 would put a really nice reliable plow on ur truck that will last for years. go with a snoway down pressure will really help and its lite. most of them make little plow. i ran snowbears on both my rangers. never was truely happy but it never let me down


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## das fisch (Feb 9, 2007)

if you go snowbear, i've got a set of mounts that would work for you.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

das fisch;531989 said:


> if you go snowbear, i've got a set of mounts that would work for you.


why would he need mounts for u new ones come with mounts just gotta order them. and if there not back orderd it only takes a couple weeks. and awhole new one is only a grand anybody who buys a used snowbear isnt that smart.


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## oman1999 (Sep 14, 2006)

I've had readlly good luck with my SuperPlow. They are a sponsor and you can get a unit for $2600.00 with remote control. I've done 12 inches of snow at one time with mine and I love it. Plus, no extra wear and tear on your truck compared to the front plow. A set of Roadmaster suspension springs works well to give the rear end a little boost but the plow weighs 500 lbs and your truck is designed to handle 2x that amount easily.

Just my $0.02 on the subject. I've found the superplow to be very easy to use on dirt/gravel drives as you can easily adjust it off the ground without having to mess with shoes, etc.


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## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

oman1999;532176 said:


> I've had readlly good luck with my SuperPlow. They are a sponsor and you can get a unit for $2600.00 with remote control. I've done 12 inches of snow at one time with mine and I love it. Plus, no extra wear and tear on your truck compared to the front plow. A set of Roadmaster suspension springs works well to give the rear end a little boost but the plow weighs 500 lbs and your truck is designed to handle 2x that amount easily.
> 
> Just my $0.02 on the subject. I've found the superplow to be very easy to use on dirt/gravel drives as you can easily adjust it off the ground without having to mess with shoes, etc.


2000+ for a plow you drag around!
I think I'll pass
thanks for the info though


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## itsgottobegreen (Mar 31, 2004)

hero419;531634 said:


> - I don't plan on doing any other plowing other then my own home
> - Average about 10-15 storms a year
> - 1999 Ford Ranger 4.0 4x4
> - North East PA


You live with in an hour of jerres service. The best snow plow guy in the country. See him about a blizzard 680LT for your truck.


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## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

itsgottobegreen;536520 said:


> You live with in an hour of jerres service. The best snow plow guy in the country. See him about a blizzard 680LT for your truck.


Thanks
Does he have a web site?


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

itsgottobegreen;536520 said:


> You live with in an hour of jerres service. The best snow plow guy in the country. See him about a blizzard 680LT for your truck.


If your in the NE portion of Pa your way more than an hour from Erie (Jerre's)

What are you looking to spend on a plow?

Plow prices are all over the spectrum. Several hundred dollars for something used that might work, or may fit your truck with modifications, all the way up to $4000 for a brand new top of the line plow installed.


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## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

I just saw the web sight "Erie, PA" maybe he got his east and west mixed up
I was looking for somthing around 2000 or less, I may be swayed to a BIG quad with a plow. The only problem is that in the off season, nobody likes quads tooling around on there land. (I'm in the country)
So I am still torn.


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## oman1999 (Sep 14, 2006)

hero419;536420 said:


> 2000+ for a plow you drag around!
> I think I'll pass
> thanks for the info though


Actually. It's $2600+ for a plow that you can either back-drag or push with. I run up against all sorts of contractors and people who laugh at the pull-plow / Superplow concept. That is untill I take them on a run and hit some residential driveways and condos. Then they start asking about price, warranty and how hard are they to install.

I have my time-sheets from the last 5 inch snowfall and I think a front plower even with back-drag edges and down pressure would have a difficult time beating my speed, and cleaning quality. 15 condo units, each with 2 driveways, each driveway is 2.25 cars wide (22') and 70' long. Plowing and clean-up of city plow mess took

Time on site was just under 75 minutes to do 30 medium sized driveways. Just to give you an idea of how quickly the plow pays for itself....

Per push account at >6" w/ 2" trigger

$30.00 per drive includes cleaning front of garage doors and shoveling 15 feet of walkway.
Our normal rate for residential drives is $35.00 per push and includes shoveling in front of the door (sidewalks extra). We give the condos a break because of proximity and $$$

$900.00 per push. The condo owners are responsible for their own ice-melt but we have been called out 3 times for heavy ice storms for salting. We charge by the ton and they pay accordingly. My cost includes $10.00 per hour in fuel and $15.00 for my snow-shovel / snowblower guy. $900.00-$31.25=We'll round to $850.00 a push. I've pushed that site 17 times this season.

They are a special case though, as they do their own mowing, fert-squirt contractor, etc. None of our local contractors want to touch the properties as they all want the mowing. Also, we have to move the snow and are of course responsible for any sod-damage and / or mechanical damages.

I'll get off my pull-plow soap box


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## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

Still, thats a lot of money for a homeowner
(This is the right forum subcategory is'nt it)


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## itsgottobegreen (Mar 31, 2004)

B&B;536874 said:


> If your in the NE portion of Pa your way more than an hour from Erie (Jerre's)
> 
> .


Wow really got to stop reading plow site after a 12-13 hour long day at work. Brain is so not with it. My bad.

Anyways, Western surbanite/fisher homesteader, curtis home pro or blizzard 680LT are all great plows.


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## nicksplowing (Oct 5, 2005)

*SNOWAY MAKES A GREAT PLOW FOR THE RANGER LOOK THEM UP THERE ALSO A SPONSOR HERE*


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## salopez (Apr 11, 2004)

i have a very nice western 6.5 unimount off a ranger...i can get som pics.


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## das fisch (Feb 9, 2007)

KGRlandscapeing;532021 said:


> why would he need mounts for u new ones come with mounts just gotta order them. and if there not back orderd it only takes a couple weeks. and awhole new one is only a grand anybody who buys a used snowbear isnt that smart.


woah, easy there. just offering. i picked up a "used" snowbear (used once) for $500... guess i'm not that smart


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## jacksonjrs (Feb 27, 2008)

I just bought a used snowbear up here in Rochester, NY from Craigslist. Plow cost me $500 plus $300 for my vechicle mounts and shoes. I don't see any reason why not to buy a used snowbear setup. Just like buying a used vechicle the price is always cheaper you just have to do your homework and know what to look out for.

Back on topic: check out a snowbear, even if you have to buy new there only around $1200. For the average homeowner they are perfect. No they aren't a commerical plow. But if your only doing your driveway you don't really NEED a more expensive one. If you want the biggest and best look at the other brands people have mentioned.


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## SuperPlow Guy (Jul 8, 2007)

Hero,
As with most things you get what you pay for... We are actually having an end of season sale, and everyones prices will be going up next year (2008/'09) not just because of oil/fuel but iron ore prices are scheduled to go up 60% plus as of April 1st! So anything made of steel (plows,appliances,whatever) will definitely be on the rise. Give us a call if you are interested...


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## festerw (Sep 25, 2003)

hero419;536879 said:


> I just saw the web sight "Erie, PA" maybe he got his east and west mixed up
> I was looking for somthing around 2000 or less, I may be swayed to a BIG quad with a plow. The only problem is that in the off season, nobody likes quads tooling around on there land. (I'm in the country)
> So I am still torn.


There's North East, PA (the city) which is fairly close to Jerre's and North East (the direction) PA which is mostly not close to him.

At any rate you may be able to find a decent used plow for your Ranger, Western/Fisher and Snoway have made them for awhile.


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## snowfighter75 (Mar 10, 2007)

A Snowbear would be your least expensive and they are tuff little plows.
Other than that you could go with a Suburbanite or Homesteader. Anything else
your getting to heavy. Good luck!


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## Krieger91 (Feb 7, 2008)

oman1999;536958 said:


> Actually. It's $2600+ for a plow that you can either back-drag or push with. I run up against all sorts of contractors and people who laugh at the pull-plow / Superplow concept. That is untill I take them on a run and hit some residential driveways and condos. Then they start asking about price, warranty and how hard are they to install.
> 
> I have my time-sheets from the last 5 inch snowfall and I think a front plower even with back-drag edges and down pressure would have a difficult time beating my speed, and cleaning quality. 15 condo units, each with 2 driveways, each driveway is 2.25 cars wide (22') and 70' long. Plowing and clean-up of city plow mess took
> 
> ...


I was just on SuperPlow's website, and I must say it doesn't look like it's that bad of an idea. It seems to be effective, and would certainly cause less wear and tear on a vehicle than having a full-blown plow mounted up.

Not, I say it doesn't LOOK that bad, and it SEEMS to be effective because those are thoughts and videos produced by the company. So of course they're gonna look good. I'd have to see on in action myself, but if I could afford one, I'd definatly consider buying one as a back up plow.


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## SuperPlow Guy (Jul 8, 2007)

*No tricks here!*

Kreiger91 I appreciate your concerns an we have lots of testimonials about our plows and if potential customers would like we can get you some owners names and numbers in your state. Like anything else "buyer beware" and I can appreciate your concern. The patent on our plow is 10 yrs. old and is well proven. the videos are mostly shot by a standard video camera and show real plowing (my driveway)  mostly.

No fancy trick photography here 

We also believe that our customer service is second to none... ask some of customers?

For more info give us a call 888-839-7569


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## sday88 (Feb 20, 2007)

hero419,

I have a '97 Ranger 4x4 and I bought a Snowbear in the Spring of '07 at Home Depot and couldn't be happier. And I got it at a closeout price. I know Snowbear gets a lot of flack on here, but it does the job for me, very well.

I plow my driveway, the private road I live on, and my neighbors driveway, which totals about 1/3 of a mile. Everything is gravel and dirt and I do push some gravel. This past Winter was the first for plowing and once I got a pattern down, it was a breeze. I back drag a little in front of my garage door, then I set the angle to the left and am able to completely finish by pushing everything to the left. My opinion is that a power angle is a waste of money for what I do.

I also learned the hard way not the ride the clutch. Some guys on here gave me great advice to plow in 4 wheel low and let the transmission do the work.

The only "problem" I had was with the frame mounts. The ones that Snowbear sent me didn't quite fit (I had my entire frame replaced due to an accident several years ago and they must have put on a different frame.). They had a tab on them that didn't allow them to fit properly. I sent them some pictures and explained the problem and they sent me new custom mounts at no charge, and I got them pretty quick. So I also have a spare set of mounts if you need them.

If you're only doing your own driveway, you can't beat the price of a Snowbear. I wouldn't even hesitate to start plowing other drives or parking lots, etc.


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## Pearcelawn (Nov 6, 2006)

If you decide to go with a full blown plow setup, consider Sno Way. I have had one on my 2001 Ranger for two winters now and have had zip for problems.

I know you are using it for a homeowner setup so if it lasts and works for me you should run trouble free for a lllooonnnggg time.

Pics are here...

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=40423&highlight=solo+operator's+ride


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## martintrudel (May 27, 2008)

*Do you still have the bracket for the Snowbear?*



sday88;555586 said:


> hero419,
> 
> I have a '97 Ranger 4x4 and I bought a Snowbear in the Spring of '07 at Home Depot and couldn't be happier. And I got it at a closeout price. I know Snowbear gets a lot of flack on here, but it does the job for me, very well.
> 
> ...


I have a 1993 Ford Ranger 4x4 and I am interested in purchasing a used Snowbear. There are a lot of them on the market and they seem to do a good job. Do you still have the mounts? Where are you located in Ohio? How much do you want for them? I am interested... let me know.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

martintrudel;556584 said:


> I have a 1993 Ford Ranger 4x4 and I am interested in purchasing a used Snowbear. There are a lot of them on the market and they seem to do a good job. Do you still have the mounts? Where are you located in Ohio? How much do you want for them? I am interested... let me know.


why would you buy a used one get a new one a grand and its brand new buy it now thou so you make sure your mounts r here in time


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## sday88 (Feb 20, 2007)

martintrudel;556584 said:


> I have a 1993 Ford Ranger 4x4 and I am interested in purchasing a used Snowbear. There are a lot of them on the market and they seem to do a good job. Do you still have the mounts? Where are you located in Ohio? How much do you want for them? I am interested... let me know.


I live near Steubenville. I'm sure you know where that is, but if you don't, I'm in Eastern Ohio, near the Ohio River, about an hour West of Pittsburgh, PA. I'll actually be visiting Dennison University in Granville on May 31st and June 14th (most likely). I still have the mounts, but haven't thought about what I'd want for them. I do, however, agree with KGRlandscapeing about just buying a new Snowbear plow since they are so cheap. But if you go the used route and want my mounts, we can work something out. I used to live in Columbus and my sister still does, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal to get the mounts to you somehow. Let me know for sure if/when you would want them and I'll think of a price.


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## martintrudel (May 27, 2008)

sday88;556650 said:


> I live near Steubenville. I'm sure you know where that is, but if you don't, I'm in Eastern Ohio, near the Ohio River, about an hour West of Pittsburgh, PA. I'll actually be visiting Dennison University in Granville on May 31st and June 14th (most likely). I still have the mounts, but haven't thought about what I'd want for them. I do, however, agree with KGRlandscapeing about just buying a new Snowbear plow since they are so cheap. But if you go the used route and want my mounts, we can work something out. I used to live in Columbus and my sister still does, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal to get the mounts to you somehow. Let me know for sure if/when you would want them and I'll think of a price.


I am glad to see that you replied to my message!!! I was out of town for the past 2 days and did not see your reply. Anyways, I am very interested in your mounts for a 1997 Ranger. I will be looking at a used plow tomorrow but the brackets do not fit my truck. If you get a chance to call me before you leave, I might be able to meet you tomorrow. I can be reached at 614-481-3044. I will also be making a trip towards Pittsburgh in the next few days and we might be able to meet then ... Let me know... Marty.


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## martintrudel (May 27, 2008)

I bought the used SnowBear this weekend and I would like to purchase the mounting brackets from you. I can be reached at 614-481-3044 or at [email protected].


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## hero419 (Feb 29, 2008)

anybody know what a new snow bear costs, ballpark?


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## festerw (Sep 25, 2003)

IIRC they can be had for right around $1,000.

I've got a Western 7'2" LSX Unimount ($1200) I'm trying to sell, I don't know if there was ever a unimount bracket for a 99 Ranger though.


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## toby4492 (Dec 28, 2005)

Pearcelawn;555718 said:


> If you decide to go with a full blown plow setup, consider Sno Way. I have had one on my 2001 Ranger for two winters now and have had zip for problems.
> 
> I know you are using it for a homeowner setup so if it lasts and works for me you should run trouble free for a lllooonnnggg time.
> 
> ...


Ditto to this post. Our 22 series plows make excellent applications on Rangers.

http://www.snoway.com/index.cfm/act/viewSeries/type/Plow/cat/11


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## maccrazy2 (Dec 31, 2007)

hero419;571012 said:


> anybody know what a new snow bear costs, ballpark?


I just bought the largest one they make last winter for $1600 delivered. Smaller units were around a grand. I made my own light mount from some scrap metal I had and bought some peterson lights for $80. I only got the lights so I can leave the plow on when I drive to work during storms. I only do my own driveway which is aprox 120 feet long and it works fantastic for what I am doing. It does a great job cleaning the drive and back drags great as well but, I am in colorado and we do not get really wet heavy snow. I do not think it would backdrag well in wet heavy snow. If you get one for residential personal use I think you will be more than pleased. My drive used to take 1-2 hours to shovel by hand. I can plow it in 5 minutes now. 
I just hit the remote start in the morning when I see snow out the window. I keep the truck parked at the top of my drive facing the street. I can push all the way down the drive and across the street into my neighbors lot(with permission ofcourse). I push right past his vehicles which clears his street access so he is very happy and I don't have to pile it up in my front yard. I back up and hit it one or two more times to clear the whole drive and I am done! It is one of the best things I have bought since I bought this house. Plus it only costs a few bucks more than a good sized snowblower. I am rambling so I will end it here. Chris.


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## bakerc8 (Jun 11, 2008)

myer is wht we have on our trucks


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

snow way, cant go wrong for their light stuff.

i had an uncle with a snow way on a ranger.... he just used it to plow , an apartment complexe , plus his own house(big parking lot style drive), maybe 1 other drive way


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

that looks like an interesting set up.... 

but do you really want to get out to angle it? is there a kit from in the cab? remember its cold out side. you need to angle the plwo side to side, more than you think...... i could buy a used fully hydro plow for the price of the snow bear.

and if its really light weight , it may have a tendency to ride up over the snow, hence the reason that for smalll light weigh plows, down pressure, is something to highly consider...


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