# Plow with or without shoes?



## rmpettit (Oct 29, 2004)

Is it necessary to plow with the snow shoes? I have never plowed before and was curiouse what do they help and are they necessary?


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## SteveB(wi) (Dec 27, 2004)

I use them because I have about 600' of gravel on the driveways I do. It keeps my neighbors from raking up a lot of gravel in spring. I hold about ¾" up from a flat hard surface. On our truck at work I don't use them because it's all pavement.


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## EJK2352 (Jul 22, 2001)

First thing that comes off my plow is the shoes. 99% of my plowing is done on asphalt or concrete surfaces. The 1 or 2 gravel drives I just bump the plow up a little to avoid plowing up the gravel. The only way to scape asphalt and concrete clean is with a shoeless plow.


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## rmpettit (Oct 29, 2004)

Interesting...that makes sense. Thanks for the info


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## Plow King (Dec 13, 2004)

I keep them in the back of my truck for when I have to plow gravel, most of the time they are off.


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## vis (Nov 20, 2004)

i hate the shoes on concrete or asphalt surfaces, it just leaves about 1/4-3/4 inch "glazed" layer on the pavement and doesnt really clean it, in some cases it makes it worse because it becomes more slick than befor you plowed it.....i would reccomend taking them off if you arent dealing with gravel, and even if you are, you could always raise the plow a bit insted.


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## L.I.Mike (Dec 28, 2002)

No shoes for me. All my plowing is pavement and I try to leave as clean a surface as possible.


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## echovalley (Dec 5, 2004)

If u plow gravel i would use them.What kind of plow?I have no shoes on my fishers,but i keep them on my meyers because it does'nt make the plow trip as much i think


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## wfd44 (Jan 31, 2004)

I keep my shoes off and in the bed of the truck. When I plow my backyard (to get to the snowmobole trailer) I put them on so I don't tear up all of the grass.


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## Makndust (Feb 6, 2004)

I quit running my shoes. The way Boss is set up, as the blade wears, you have to keep raising the shoe or you burn the bottom off. I have 90% asphalt/concrete and the rest gravel. On that 10% I just slow down and bump the blade up a little.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Shoes are raised all the way up, when thay start to drag, it's time to put a new cutting edge on (moldboard) and only use them on gravel drives before it freezes.


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## ace911emt (Nov 27, 2004)

I plow with shoes and socks it keeps my feet warm...


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## DJC (Jun 29, 2003)

I would put them in the lake to hold your boat....... Never use them, all you have to do is raise the plow up a little when your doing gravel drive's. When every thing get's frozen, then it's easy going :waving:


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## ToolMaker (Mar 18, 2004)

Does anybody leave the center one on ,but raised up to help protect the rubber center hoof on a Boss Power V ? And take the outside ones off ? That is what I'm going to try , I'm just not getting my concrete scraped clean enough to suit me with them all on . Steve


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## rtm038 (Jan 23, 2002)

ace911emt said:


> I plow with shoes and socks it keeps my feet warm...


That took long enough...... 

I always take the plow shoes off....get a better scrape.


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## clncut (Jan 8, 2004)

Started this year out plowing with them flush with the cutting edge and now they are all placed in the up position and will stay there. Ive noticed when backdragging driveways, If the drive sloped down at the end, the shoes would actually lift the cutting edge of the ground not scraping to the surface. Raised the shoes up and have not had a problem since. 

NO shoes here!


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## earthwerks (Dec 29, 2004)

To the guys who say they use shoes when plowing gravel: 

Come on guys... is that little bit of surface area--a couple square inches at the very most--going to keep that 1000lb. plow off loose gravel--not ot mention the down pressure effect of the snow-load itself. I think it's all psyclogicial. As soon as you realize the plow is diving the instinct is to raise it, right? So the shoes aren't doing a thing but hanging here waiting to get snagged on something.

The shoes are intended to reduce the wear on the plow's cutting edge, that from a design-intent standpoint makes sense---but real-world they create a hazard especially when bbacking away from a curb or dropped pavement. When I used to use them, I snagged one on a parking bumper and snapped it off. Another time the truck dropped down into a series of pot holes on a highway and ripped off the shoe damaging the plow in the process.


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