# Anyone hate their Boss plows???



## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

I know all you guys that run Boss plows love them, right???

Right now I've got a 2002 Dodge 2500 and a 2003 Dodge 2500 and running 8' Diamond straight blades.

I'm seriously thinking about switching to Boss, one 8' straight and one 8.2' V because the plow shop is about 25 miles closer to my house.

The reason of this post, is I'm looking for someone to talk me out of buying Boss plows.

I know I'll get posts about how I should buy a Western, Fisher, Meyer, Curtis, etc. I'm not looking for that.

I'm looking for responses of why guys hate their Boss plows (if anyone does).

Looking for the bad side of Boss plows, if there are any.

Thanks,
Jeremy


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## szippijr (Oct 10, 2004)

Only downside is getting the forks to line up when attaching, other than that there great. We had the meyer(pump problems) and a poor blade design. Fisher and western make a good plow but the ultramount was horrible. I hear the fisher ss blades are showing rust in the first year. There are no blizzards around here. Thats my census. Boss offers outstanding service. Good luck


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## Stik208 (Oct 19, 2004)

Why is the Ultramount horrible?


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## Peopleeater (Jan 8, 2005)

szippijr said:


> Only downside is getting the forks to line up when attaching, other than that there great. We had the meyer(pump problems) and a poor blade design. Fisher and western make a good plow but the ultramount was horrible. I hear the fisher ss blades are showing rust in the first year. There are no blizzards around here. Thats my census. Boss offers outstanding service. Good luck


Stainless does not rust. It is the bolts that are not stainless that are rusting. Is what I saw from some posts here. They were wondering why Fisher didn't use Stainless bolts, etc., just the moldboard. (I believe)

Jeff

PS. The only thing I heard bad about Ultramounts are the way the mounts on the truck hang low. Something about ground clearance, but I thought they were removable for the off-season?


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## mike33087 (Feb 9, 2005)

Peopleeater said:


> Stainless does not rust. It is the bolts that are not stainless that are rusting. Is what I saw from some posts here. They were wondering why Fisher didn't use Stainless bolts, etc., just the moldboard. (I believe)
> 
> They didnt use stainless steal bolts because they are not strong enough and would snap with the impact put on them.


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## spacolee (Oct 26, 2004)

The only thing I do now like about my Boss 8.2 is it does not push the snow like my Blizzard 810. Do you have a Blizzard shop in your area?


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## IA snoman (Aug 31, 2003)

I have also heard way to many complaints about the center shoe on boss V's. I know I wouldn't want to spend 4000- 4500 on a new V and lose the shoe while plowing and then leave a strip of snow in the middle of a big parking lot.

P.S. What made you decide on Diamond Plows? Hardly ever hear about them on Plowsite. Just Curious.


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## PLANET (Nov 22, 2003)

We love our 10' boss Vs. Get one and see for yourself :salute:


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

IA snoman said:


> I have also heard way to many complaints about the center shoe on boss V's. I know I wouldn't want to spend 4000- 4500 on a new V and lose the shoe while plowing and then leave a strip of snow in the middle of a big parking lot.
> 
> P.S. *What made you decide on Diamond Plows? Hardly ever hear about them on Plowsite. Just Curious*.


I had a '98 GMC 2500 that I bought a used Diamond for. Scraped 200,000% better than the Western Unimount that I was running on a 95 Dodge 1500.

I liked the idea of a trip edge instead of the whole moldboard flopping over. I always hated driving across a parking lot at 15 mph and getting thrown to the right or left as you "drive over" your plowwhen you hit some packed snow or whatever when the moldboard would flop down.

I'd keep them, but this is the third year and I really hate having ANYTHING over 3 years, mostly for tax reasons.

Figure it's just time to try something different.


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## MN_BR (Nov 26, 2004)

Where are you at MN?


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## gpin (Dec 5, 2003)

I'm with you on use the closest dealer. I rarely have problems but when I do, it is much easier to have close service.


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## szippijr (Oct 10, 2004)

Stik208 said:


> Why is the Ultramount horrible?


We had just took two on a demo when they had first came out. We had the chance to be the distributer in the area. I always try all out products before we sell them. Well, we installed them, went to plow. Hooked up fine and pushed snow fine. I was pushin snow around my place with one. Raised it up to push over the curb. Had the blade on a slight angle. Backed up and the corner of the plade caught the curb and off came the plow. Same thing with the other one except he was back dragging at gas station when he hit one of the unmarked fuel covers. Off came that one. Westen made a good attach system and thought well of pushing snow, but what about reverse. The only thing that holds that plow on is that hook over that little pin. Boss came along and we signed up with them. Maby western fixed? Hope so


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## szippijr (Oct 10, 2004)

Peopleeater said:


> Stainless does not rust. It is the bolts that are not stainless that are rusting. Is what I saw from some posts here. They were wondering why Fisher didn't use Stainless bolts, etc., just the moldboard. (I believe)
> 
> http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=23744&highlight=Fisher+rust
> 
> This link may help. Stainless does rust. It depends on the grade and how much nickle is in it.


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## Stik208 (Oct 19, 2004)

So, you're saying that the plow came off the truck after catching on a backdrag and in reverse over a curb? and thats what makes them horrible.

Jason


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## Triton Snow Systems (Aug 6, 2004)

*boss plows*

The only problem I've ever had with my boss 9.2 V is lining up the hitch.After you have it for a while it's easy. Most dependable plow I ever owned. Wouldn't hesitate to by another !!


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## badranman (Dec 22, 2003)

I found the lights on the headgear would always seem to point down after plowing for a bit. I would loosen the four nuts, pull them back up and tighten the nuts back up. This year two of the nuts wouldn't move ( even after repeated soaking with every lube known to man) and the bolt heads inside the headlight case began to rotate. I guess I'll have to take the lights out and see if I can get a wrench on the bolt head some how. That is my only complaint, other than that I love it.


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

badranman said:


> I found the lights on the headgear would always seem to point down after plowing for a bit. I would loosen the four nuts, pull them back up and tighten the nuts back up. This year two of the nuts wouldn't't move ( even after repeated soaking with every lube known to man) and the bolt heads inside the headlight case began to rotate. I guess I'll have to take the lights out and see if I can get a wrench on the bolt head some how. That is my only complaint, other than that I love it.


same with my boss. the lights start going down when you plow and after about 4 times out they are about useless. luckily my truck lights shine over the plow so i use those alot. 
i did find that keeping the center shoe on help to prevent the center boot from ripping off. so far i lost 2 boots, 1 snapped the bolt and i had to get a new center pin. :realmad: that was fun to replace.
otherwise i think my boss is great and takes a good amount of abuse, but you still need to be careful.


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## paponte (Oct 28, 2003)

I have 1 BOSS 9' super duty in my fleet. I would not hesitate in a heartbeat to buy another one. As far as the lights falling down, I have had more problems with my other plows with the "pivots" at the bottom wearing out where you try and tighten them up and the bolt just spins and had to weld them in place. I have never had a problem with the BOSS 4 bolt setup and that truck gets plowed hard.

As far as the plow just coming off the truck, something is wrong there. As I stated the truck I have the 9' BOSS on gets driven hard being that is is run on the town on main roads. I ripped my whole push plate off the other day, sheared 4 bolts right off, and broke 8 welds leaving it hanging off the truck. The plow was still attached to the push plate. So I don't see how the plow would just fall off from hitting a curb or back blading.

I have also slide on a sheet of ice, and the BOSS stopped the 18K lb truck that is was on. Put a dent in the moldboard, but nothing happened at all.

All in all, the quick attach is great, hydraulics are fast, plow lifts higher than any other plow I have, and can take some abuse. I would highly recommend going with the super duty with the reinforced X back though.


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## sgoalie23 (Jun 20, 2004)

Am I the only that is having problems with my Boss 8'2" v-plow. I think it is terrible. In the V position it leaves a strip in the middle. When it's at an angle or straight, it leaves about a half inch of compacted snow on the asphalt, which makes it impossible to climb when your on a hill. And the scoop position leaves snow along the out side edges. One thing that is great is the Smart Hitch.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

I hate how Boss V's trip when ran hard. That seems to cause most of thier other "problems" IMO. Good blade just bad design that can go from being an anoyance to having major suck factor depending how its used. Boss is a good blade though. If I were doing resi or lower speed lite comercial a boss being a full trip wouldnt piss me off as bad. 

I dont own one but have ran one. My dad bought a new western 9.5 to go on his new 550. The 10' boss V is still on his old 550 but he stopped trying to keep center shoes on it and it has been welded quite a few times. Also the cutting edge seems to break off a chunk in the center every once in awhile


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Apparently I'm going to be one of the few negatives.

#1 If you have a Blizzard dealer within oh say, 1,000 miles of you, buy it, you won't be sorry.
#2 The full trip of the Boss sucks, period. A trip edge is much better if you are stuck on getting a V. Where the hinge is welded by the center pin will break and will continue to break. This can be reduced by using a urethane edge. The pivot pin that the plow 'trips' on will bend, egg shape the hole and need to be replaced, possibly bored out and larger pin used after a few years. After catching the outer wing of the Boss on something, even in the extended mode, the wing or moldboard will be bent and you will no longer have a straight plow when windrowing. This will decrease productivity because you can't use as much of your plow.
#3 V plows suck compared to straight blades when it comes to scraping clean\good. Especially compared to the Blizzard. Center shoes or whatever you try will always be breaking\giving you fits and will never do the job properly.

We have 3 Boss V's, 2 with 10 1/2 seasons, 1 with 8 seasons. We have 2 Fisher V's, 1 with 4 1/2 seasons, 1 with 1 1/2 seasons. We have had no problems with the Fishers, i.e. welding repairs, cracks, bends, etc. It is highly unlikely that I would ever buy a Boss again after these experiences. If I needed a V-plow again, it would be a Fisher. After running the Blizzard for maybe 30 hours, if you are doing anything but driveways, this is the most productive plow you can buy and I am highly recommending it. We *WILL* be investing in more of these plows, no doubt.


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## Breck75 (Nov 1, 2004)

I'm very with my 7 1/2 super duty. No complaints here. Breck :waving:


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

On #2 of what mark said we really havent expereinced cracking were the center pin attackes. Have welded the area were the piviot pin is many times though. IMO the plow holds up very well considering how it likes to not trip depending.  

I like how my fisher and how the western scrape. Boss Scrape alright too. We use quite a bit of material though so maybe that has something to do with it? 

Blizzards do look very tasty though. Will strongly consider them for my next blade.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Boss plows are funny. You either love them or you hate them, there doesn't seem to be any 'in between'.

I love mine. I have a dealer 10 mins up the road and rarely ever have to see them as the product works so well.

The discussion of full-trip vs trip edge comes up regularly... it was recently discussed again on the 'other' forum. Each has advantages, but the truth is that any plow will bend and break if abused. I would say Mark has some rather abusive drivers on his hands, but then, his plows are already 8+ years old. Mine is too and I have yet to have the problems he has, although mine is only driven by myself for the past few years and two others in it's first few. My plow is straight still, even after hitting many an abstacle and, yes, full-tripping. The only weld I have repaired is the one holding on the right shoe-bracket which I tore off on a curb (which I boxed when I repaired it, so it won't happen again).

I would very happily buy a Boss V-Plow again. I can't be bothered driving for 2 hours to find a Blizzard dealer...


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

There are advantages and dissadvantages to full trip and trip edge. One thing about trip edge *V* plows is that they trip regardless of position unless you tag something that sicks up higher than the trip edge. For a straight blade i generaly prefer full trip.

We also havent bent a wing, just messed up the piviot pin area.

It also seems with the "love it or hate it" it all boils down to its tripping. Some people plow in a way that its tripping is a major problem, some dont.


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

some probably dont have the trip springs adjusted correctly. They when the plow does trip it does damage to the plow.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

04superduty said:


> some probably dont have the trip springs adjusted correctly. They when the plow does trip it does damage to the plow.


Its not an adjustment of the springs, if you had a rubberband back there it still wouldnt like to trip sometimes IMO

What do you mean when they do trip it does damage???


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## paponte (Oct 28, 2003)

Think people are getting confused with BOSS, and v plows here. Though I have never used a BOSS v (I don't see a need for a v plow except for in a scoop position, in that case just get a blizzard), my stright blade supery duty is one of the nicest plows I have used. As far as Bosses full trip sucking hands down, I don't know how that statement could even be made. It trips just like any other full trip blade on the market. THEY ALL USE SPRINGS!! If the springs aren't adjusted properly on any plow it is going to suck. I have used a Blizzard that the trip sucked, so I tightened the springs. She was fine after that.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Personally I think it has EVERYTHING to do with the spring tension setup. Mine trips when it is supposed to, if it didn't believe me it would be bent by now! It will trip as easily as letting the clutch out against an obstacle, and reset just as gently as you push in the pedal.

Here is a question I don't think anyone has brought up... could aftermarket trip springs be stronger than stock? If I am not mistaken the correct method of tensioning a Boss trip spring is to tighten the eye-bolt until there is an x" gap between the coils... now what if the aftermarket spring is tighter at that same amount of preload? That would cause the blade not to trip, even though it is technically adjusted correctly.

My blade still has the original trip springs. The wing-return springs have been replaced a few times...

As for style, I'll never understand that one. Tripping shouldn't occur unless you hit something you aren't supposed to. If the blade trips more than a few times during the course of a night....??


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## LINY Rob (Oct 5, 2004)

I backdrag all the time with my Western, it has never come off

The ground clearance in the off season is awesome, hardly anything stays on the truck

We all run westerns, from 20 year old units up to the new UltraMount, I love the ultramount and have no problems with it at all.


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

ratlover said:


> Its not an adjustment of the springs, if you had a rubberband back there it still wouldnt like to trip sometimes IMO
> 
> What do you mean when they do trip it does damage???


if you have the springs adjusted to tight and it trips and can slam back hard knocking your lights out. also it may not trip when it should if it is to tight. 
and i do agree that the tripping action leaves something to be desired. usually my plow will just pop into the air, it wont trip. the other half of the times a wing folds back, or bends. (stupid storm drain. :realmad: )


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## bnrhuffman (Feb 26, 2004)

I dont know if I should reply or not so I will say up front, my opinion is only based on two plowing seasons (I cant hardly count this last one as a season though). I bought my truck and it had a Boss 9'2" V on it already so I started plowing only because I had the plow and this is the only plow Ive ever used. 
With all of that said, take my opinion for what its worth, not much.
If I didnt already have the Boss, especially a V Boss, I wouldnt purchase one. Im not a big fan of my V plow and Boss doesnt have much support around here. 
My quickhitchII doesnt work and never has despite me trouble shooting the entire electrical system, my center hinge has broken welds at the bottom and Im at the end of my second rubber center "hoof" in as many seasons, not a big deal in itself except when I changed out the last one, the bolt snapped off and I had to drill the old bolt out of the center hinge pin and tap it for a larger bolt, I dont like the fact that it doesnt backdrag well, the wings just fold back at the worst times. Its a fast angling plow. Its actually too fast, its hard to control in tight places. I can say that I havent had trouble with it tripping. It seems to trip when it should and not trip when it shouldnt.
I know that none of these problem are big problems. The quickhitch thing is probably something very simple Im missing, the "hoof" is a wear item and not all that expensive and for a few hundred, I can get locking cylinders for backdragging and my inabiblity to control it is due to my inexperience. All of these things add up to = I would sooner have a straight blade with more dealer support in this location.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

MN_BR said:


> Where are you at MN?


Stacy / Forest Lake area


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Could be we are somewhat abusive, but we do buy plows and equipment to make money. 

99% of the Boss v-plows in our area all have the same thing, though, they have lost some of the angle on either or both wings because they have caught something on the outer edge. I'd be willing to bet that if most of you look at your v-blades when angled you will see that the leading edge is bent back anywhere's from just a little to quite a bit. I have even seen a tweaked wing on a Fisher V, just not ours. 

The full trip of a V plow sucks because in a carry position it is physically impossible for the plow to trip before the relief valve allows the wings to go back. By this time, if one is travelling at any sort of speed, there has probably been damage done to the plow and\or truck.

Maybe they have beefed up the hinge area since we bought ours, but the same thing applies to our area, 99% of them have been welded in this area. Maybe we are all 'abusive' in this area.

Also, if you are doing a lot of windrowing, you cannot go wrong with a Blizzard. Only a normal straight blade will windrow as good, a v-plow is far inferior because of the hinge area disrupting the flow of the snow.

JMO, if you are buying a V-plow, I would strongly recommend a trip edge as opposed to full trip.


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## Makndust (Feb 6, 2004)

This is the 5th season on my Boss 9'2" Poly V. 
OK here is the good and the bad.
Bad:
1. The center hoff design could be better. I have only torn off one in the last 5 years though. I think that running the shoe behind it does help. By the way adjusting that particular shoe SUX!!!
2. The trip is a little excessive (when it does trip). I have no experience with any other plow to compare it to though. I have never broke anything due to the plow tripping.
3. It doesn't backdrag that well. I am not in a lot of situations where I have to back drag though. I have never bought the locking wing cylinders though. I think that if I have some extra jingle at the end of this season I will be doing that though. I don't believe that holding the wings back with spring pressure is the best design.

Good:

1. Dependibility. This plow has NEVER broke down on me. I have never broke anything. We have put it through the test. When we go out with that plow it is for 12 - 18 hours at a time. We plow a lot of concrete parking lots with some pretty abrupt seams so it does get banged around pretty hard and does have lots of opportunities to trip. 
2. Polly Wings. They still look new after 5 seasons. I believe that this feature is the one of the best. Because the wings are poly, there is extra reinforcing behind them. That makes the plow very heavy, (964 lbs I think), but I believe that that is why we ARE NOT twisting wings. We have also NEVER broke a weld in the pin area. I even took the pin out last fall and sanded it down and lubed it up with anti sieze. The pin wasn't bent, all I had to do was pop it out with a few taps of the hammer.
3. I have never broke a cutting edge near the center hoof (or anywhere for all that matters). I did notice that on this particular size plow, they put the 2 inner bolts closer together on each blade. Mabey they realized that this was a weakness. After reading what some of these guys say on this sight the last few years, I do carry an extra set of cutting edges, center hoof, and edge bolts on hand incase the worst happens.
4. The snow foil is nice. I don't know how some of you guys get buy without one. We still end up with a lot of dirt and gravel on the hood and windsheild when plowing hard. I will say that the way the snow foil is designed on the Boss V kinda sux because there is a high spot in the middle where the blades pivot. this acts like a funnel for all the sh*t to come up and right onto the hood.
5. The scoop action is a huge time saver. I can also see where the Blizzard would be excellent also. I do have a friend with a Blizzard who said that he wouldn't own another due to wing troubles. They all have their problems. My hydraulics are set up so that if I hit something with a wing, it will fold back. It can be kind of a pain when really piling snow hard, but I would rather have that wing fold than break something.
6. The quick attach system is awsome. I think that my switch is backwards, but as long as that tower powers up and locks on, I don't care how the switch is. If you unhook and hook up enough times you will find the "sweet spot" and never miss.
7. Fast Hydraulics. I got in a pickup with a Blizzard strait blade the other day. The owner was bragging about fast hydraulics. I moved the blade from side to side. I didn't say anything, but that Blizzard was about 1/2 as fast as my Boss.
8. The Handheld control. I like it because I can steer or shift with the same hand that holds the control I don't have to move my hand to a certain spot in the cab where a control is "hard mounted". My control goes with me anywhere in the cab. I did buy a couple connectors and lengthen my controler cable by about 3 feet.

I hear alot of brand bashing around this sight. Being in the sales profession in a very competitive market my self, I don't believe in bashing someone else's products or purchases. They all have good and bad points to them. What would be great is if we could take the good from every plow out there and build the ULTIMATE plow.
I will probably buy another Boss poly V. I am looking at the fisher V plow pretty hard though. My wife has plowed with our pickup and Boss plow for 3 years. She would kill me if I came home with yellow. She loves her Boss and I would put her up against anyone with anything out there.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

> Could be we are somewhat abusive, but we do buy plows and equipment to make money.
> 
> The full trip of a V plow sucks because in a carry position it is physically impossible for the plow to trip before the relief valve allows the wings to go back. By this time, if one is travelling at any sort of speed, there has probably been damage done to the plow and\or truck.


I agree

And I strongly agree, this is why I say you could have a rubber band back ther and it still wont matter.

Yes the return can be pretty violent if it fully tripps.



derekbroerse said:


> As for style, I'll never understand that one. Tripping shouldn't occur unless you hit something you aren't supposed to. If the blade trips more than a few times during the course of a night....??


Thats what a trip is there for......for when you hit something your not supposed to. Even not triping once can seriously F up your day. It does come down to plowing style and conditions quite a bit. I plow larger lots. Time is money, I dont ram rod stuff but I move as quickly as possible. The fisher gives me much more confidence to move through a lot and know its going to trip regardless of blade position! I have a set # of comercial sites i do. I know my lots very well. I know were the problems are. But I also get stuck bouncing around a bit at times covering lots that I am only 1/2 familiar with. We service quite a few lots. And how many times have you been buzzing through a lot 1/2 a sleep after being in the truck for 12 hours and remember F  and grab a foot full of brake and still nail that big crack or manhole that you never ussualy forget about?

For the plowing I do think a blizzard would probably be best. I have a fisher V and it works great. But Boss V would suck and does suck becasue i have ran one. A boss might work ok for some but not us. I try to explain what problems I see so people can decide if it fits them or not.

One thing you will notice about the Boss vrs Fisher/western V debate is that people either love or hate Boss's triping style. There isnt a "love it or hate it" metality with the fisher or westerns, people have things they like better about other blades but other than the old controler I dont think I have ever heard anyone say I hate my fisher or I hate x about my fisher. And generally the Boss V "lovers" have never ran anything else to compare it too(wittch may just be becasue they dont see a need to try anything becasue they are happy).

Not saying a fisher tripping is like ridding on a cloud when you whack a manhole hard, the damn thing goes flying in the air and acts like it wants to go into orbit but at least its tripping!


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Well, I bet I can sum this problem up very quickly and easily.

How many of you guys who either have bent or otherwise destroyed a full-trip plow (or just plain don't like them) are using them without the WEAR SHOES?

No wonder you are catching everything!!!!

My shoes stay on all the time! They are set to about a 3/8" gap under the wear bar. When the snow is undisturbed, it still clears to 98% bare pavement. Where there are tire tracks, obviously it doesn't. BUT the only customer who cares about that in the slightest pays for salt after every push, so it doesn't matter in the slightest! The rest of the lots are plow only but the remainder is so minimal it disappears in a few hours of sunlight.

Guarenteed that is why you are tripping more than I do and why you guys are bending parts! 

If the customer requires absolute bare asphalt/concrete then they should be willing to pay for salt, otherwise they don't care enough now do they? Have any of you ever talked about that with your customers at all? None of mine have ever mentioned it and some of the customers have been with 'us' (myself and the previous two owners before me) for over ten years.

So maybe those who absolutely must be anal about the plowing (but not salting) are better off with the trip edge and no shoes...?

I guess this is why I haven't got the problems you guys are describing... even though I probably drive as much like an animal as you guys...


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

Somehow I knew this one would turn into another god damn debate.  Why is it that people who don't even have Boss plows are responding to this?


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## Midwest BuildIt Inc (Nov 14, 2004)

derekbroerse said:


> Well, I bet I can sum this problem up very quickly and easily.
> 
> How many of you guys who either have bent or otherwise destroyed a full-trip plow (or just plain don't like them) are using them without the WEAR SHOES?
> 
> ...


Funny , i guess that if i had my shoes/skids on that 7" curb i hit wouldnt have bent my plow. or maybe the manhole cover , that broke my cutting edge and blew out my headlights , that was sticking up 1" would not have done that with the shoes on. oh well i guess pigs fly too..


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## LINY Rob (Oct 5, 2004)

The Boss said:


> Somehow I knew this one would turn into another god damn debate.  Why is it that people who don't even have Boss plows are responding to this?


I only responded to the guy who said the ultramount flew off on him when backdragging

sorry


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## salt shaker (Sep 10, 2004)

*Come on!!!!*

I think the gentleman who started this post made it very clear what he was looking for. I know you all can read and the only people that need to respond are anyone that has had a problem with their plows. With that said we own three brand new Boss plows. One 9'2"v-plow, one 7'6"straight poly plow, and one 10' straight metal plow. The Boss v-plow is the only one out of the three that has not performed up to our standards. Boss has never seen the problems that we have experienced with this plow. While plowing the wings have a desire to fold back in the scoop position without touching the control stick. Again they have never seen this problem, could be a bast##d plow, who knows. I would have to agree that the center piece is a problem to keep on the plow,replaced three-x this season. If you are used to the western v-plow this style may be difficult to get used to, it was for us, I am talking about the controls. I would like to ask though what style Boss are you in the market for, V-PLOW or Straight Blade? Let me know. I will say though another plower in our area has 4 Boss v-plows and loves them, only plow he will own.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

Hmmmm derek, we dont run shoes on the boss, might be something. We keep talking about putting a U edge on it but keep getting side tracked  Maybe next season. The shoes may alieviate a few of the instances. The damn manhole I ate I dont think woulda helped though. I have ate a manhole about the same hight at about the same speed and I will say that its trip wasnt exactly gracefull but it did trip. The blade came up to the stops I think it flew up so far. Another one of those OH SHT forget abot the obstruction till you are right on it moments.



The Boss said:


> Somehow I knew this one would turn into another god damn debate.  Why is it that people who don't even have Boss plows are responding to this?


I am assuming that this comment was directed at me? Dont see anyone else talking about the things the "hate" about a Boss that dosnt actually "own" one. Here I thought he was aking for peoples oppinions about what they dont like about Boss's. I thought I was giving some good examlpes about what I like and dislike about what I have ran across and I thought everyone was keeping a very civil disscusion and some good info was being thrown out there? I guess becasue I dont own a Boss V I cant participate in the "debate"? I have ran one and dead stopped a f550 with a utility box full of tools and a transfer tank full of diesel. I have also hammered, beat, torched, pryed, and welded on that plow a time or 2. I have heard stories from my father and the other guys that have drove that truck and have had simmilar expereinces and talked to local guys that say the same thing about thiers. What plows have you ran to compare your Boss to? If you have seen something different then explain your expereinces and explain how and what you plow so people can decide if thier style and conditions will be better suited with co A or co B. Smart assed comments dont help inform anybody. Its plowing nothing personal. He asked for oppinions and we have given them to him.

Sometimes I think I would get more of a rise outa people by saying Boss plows suck than by saying I screwed your old lady IDB.  Its a plow, NOTHING PERSONAL!


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

He stated he was in the market for both. I think boss has good electronics/hydralics and are well built. I believe I have stated that quite a few times. If there was a good Boss dealer close and I was getting a straight blade I would consider Boss.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

I'm just sick and tired of seeing a war between all of the brands, kind of like the truck wars. To each his own, right? I might be a big fan of Boss and I swear by them but I also like Western. I've ran many different types of plows and Boss came across as being the best of my experiences. No 1 plow does it all. As a matter of fact, my next plow will be a Blizzard 810.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Shoes are what you wear on your feet. BTW, 95% of our customers are salted. They _do_ pay for bare pavement.

salt shaker: that is the standard comment from just about every manufacturer for just about every problem. We have a Boss that when the back plow is raised, the wings extend, but only some of the time. New power unit, new valve, you name it we tried it and it still does it. We talked to other plowers with the same setup and they have it too. Ask the Boss dealer, distibutor, and factory, nobody but the dealer has ever heard of it.

That's why the internet is great, they can't use this BS excuse anymore.

I will agree, Boss's hydraulics are the best, other than the above issue. They are fast and reliable. Fisher is slower than molasses comparitively. The best solution IMO is central hydraulics\clutch pump. Faster, more reliable, and your electrical system doesn't have to be at 100% every second you are plowing.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

Well, this debate has gone on enough I guess.

I bought a 8.2 Boss V and an 8' Boss Superduty yesterday, traded my 8' Diamonds in. 

I looked at the Blizzard, but it wouldn't really suit the plowing I do.

I do mainly smaller commercial properties, banks, small clinics, small strip malls.

The reason I went with one straight blade and one V, was because my dad is my backup guy and he didn't want to learn how to run a V at 71 years old. 

The reason I went with a V on my plow, and not a blizzard, is because the 2 banks that I do, I cannot fit my truck through the drive-throughs without folding my trailer-tow mirrors in on my Dodge.

I looked at the Blizzard with the wings and it would be too wide to effectively clean these areas out. 

With the scoop on the V, I SHOULD be able to drive through these in one pass. 


As for going with Boss and not Fisher, or Western, there is a Boss dealer that keeps his shop open 24 hours when there's been a 1.5"+ snowfall within 15 miles of my house. 

I do live about 30 miles north of St. Paul MN, so dealers are spread out. There is a Blizzard dealer within 10 miles, but his hours are 8-5 M-F, no weekends and is more of a truck upfit (bedliners, grill guards) type dealer than a snowplow dealer. Again, the Blizzard with the wings is almost too wide for what I plow.

I try to run both plows the same, so if there's a problem with one truck, you and run both plows, or vice versa, that the reason no to put a Boss V on the one and run a Blizzard on the other that's getting the straight blade.

Sounds like we're going to get a 12"+ snowfall here in MN Friday-Saturday, but I don't get the new plows until Monday-Tuesday. But I'll be posting later how I like them.

Thanks for all the input though, I appreciate it.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

LwnmwrMan22 said:


> Sounds like we're going to get a 12"+ snowfall here in MN Friday-Saturday,


Send it down our way, That way you will be ready with your new blades for the next storm


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

It' snowing here we have about an inch on the ground already!! and they said light flurries!!! lol lake effect snow.. It's time to take the boss out and plow a dental office at noon. there a little retentive, as flake hits the sidewalk and they want salt, you just got to love'm. payup 
The only things I don't like about my boss is it takes an extra pass or two to back drag some times. I like how it stacks snow, and the scoop is a time saver. 
I have an idea I'm going to work on this su##er to help get rid of the small stripe of snow in the center..

I've never bent a wing or center hinge pin and I only use the shoes for gravel if it is not frozen.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

ratlover said:


> Send it down our way, That way you will be ready with your new blades for the next storm


Ratlover -

I'd LOVE to send it your way. So far this winter we've had 22" of snow, gotta love those contracts.  Anyways, my dad's heading out of town tomorrow night for a week, figures the only time we get a real snow storm and I'm going to have a new backup guy in the truck.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

Fisher runs a center rubber peice that bolts on both wings and just bends in the middle. Works fine and I havent taken mine out yet. I have also heard of people using a strip of urathan in the middle instead of rubber. The fisher rubber is pretty think. Old tire might work too? Duno what you were planning.


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

In the Boston area we just had our 4th snowiest winter on record, including one blizzard that gave us nearly 3 feet of snow at once and sub-zero wind chills at it's height.

Through it all, including the heavy wet slop we've had for our last few "march mess" storms, my Boss did not miss a beat. The hydraulics are _very fast_ and the trip-edge only trips when it needs to and you don't end up driving over a pile of snow. This is traditionally Fisher country, but I'll tell you what, their days of being the most popular plow around here are numbered as soon as a few more Boss dealers start popping up.

The dealer I bought mine from also sells Fishers, and he's been selling, installing and repairing plows for nearly 30 years. He told me that every season, when we get the temps in the single digits with the wind chills, the Fisher owners start calling by the _dozens_ with froze-up pumps. The Boss......NOT ONE. Now, everyone has the things they like and dislike about equipment, but for me this was a major factor in my decision to go Boss and I'm very glad I did.

I will agree that the headlight mounts suck, they do tend to aim low even after repeated adjustments and re-tightening. But, this is easily fixed by rigging up a few shims. Just cut them to size and jam them in between the bottom of the light assembly and the top of the headgear frame and tighten down the 4 nuts, problem solved. I recommend some "anti-seize" on the bolt threads if you ever want to get the nuts off again later!

As far as the 8' heavy duty straight blade with tripedge goes, you can't go wrong with The Boss.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

BNC SERVICES said:


> Funny , i guess that if i had my shoes/skids on that 7" curb i hit wouldnt have bent my plow. or maybe the manhole cover , that broke my cutting edge and blew out my headlights , that was sticking up 1" would not have done that with the shoes on. oh well i guess pigs fly too..


 

No, in that case I would say that maybe you should consider NOT hitting 7" curbs, as that would have destroyed a trip edge even more likely than a full trip... but if your blade was set up correctly the full-trip would have saved you.

As for manhole covers sticking up an inch, well, I guess maybe you should be talking to your Public Works department, or whoever installed it because they aren't supposed to be up like that!

OBVIOUSLY I am talking about talking about small items that could cause a tripping--if you are consistantly hitting large items like curbs then maybe its not the plow...?

Some people here need the trip constantly... there is no need to be a smartass  Clearly the wear shoes would prevent some of the problems as more clearance = less impact and also more leverage on the trip action.

Quite frankly, I think anyone who needs the trip feature so often that they complain about it needs to find a new profession, not new equipment. Period.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Center gap?
I was thinking of using a piece of spring steal mounted to one wing only, it would bridge the gap by about a foot. 
I haven't sat down and drawn any thing up yet, just thinking out loud.lol.
It would have a arch to it, so when the blade was in the scoop it really is not needed the gap is closed. so, you only would need it in all of the other positions. I thought that if it was only mounted to one wing and you hit something it would flex out of the way.  Make any sense?


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

derekbroerse said:


> Quite frankly, I think anyone who needs the trip feature so often that they complain about it needs to find a new profession, not new equipment. Period.


That is the quote of the day, I couldn't agree more.  I salute you Derek. :salute: Enough said.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

ratlover said:


> Hmmmm derek, we dont run shoes on the boss, might be something. We keep talking about putting a U edge on it but keep getting side tracked  Maybe next season. The shoes may alieviate a few of the instances. The damn manhole I ate I dont think woulda helped though. I have ate a manhole about the same hight at about the same speed and I will say that its trip wasnt exactly gracefull but it did trip. The blade came up to the stops I think it flew up so far. Another one of those OH SHT forget abot the obstruction till you are right on it moments.
> 
> Sometimes I think I would get more of a rise outa people by saying Boss plows suck than by saying I screwed your old lady IDB.  Its a plow, NOTHING PERSONAL!


Obviously, we will always make mistakes, especially when we've been up all night in the dark doing this... but if a driver consistantly hits the same large objects over and over... no brand is going to survive.

I really think the wear shoes (or even a U-edge, I have no experience with them) will help prevent any constant tripping problems. Most small obstacles will pass thru underneath, or at worst cause a partial trip instead of a full knock-down. Tension adjustment is really the key... although I have never ever ever had to adjust mine--they are still the original trip springs and adjustment from new.

As for headlights, I just don't know. I have had two bulbs fail and had to replace one plastic housing from a very high-speed trip by the truck sinking in the mud and catching the top--that one was not fun--by far my worst trip 'impact', and yet other than a plastic headlight shell, I reversed and went right back to plowing... ps the light kept working for the rest of the night but the shell was cracked and not holding straight anymore.

My truck is consistantly weighing in between 10-12000 lbs while plowing. And yes I have screwed up too and hit curbs at a good clip... but I have yet in all of these years to tear up the blade! I have even misjudged a curb's positioning and hit it with the wings folded all the way back hard enough to shove the truck two feet sideways, to the point that I was sure I had destroyed it, and nothing but scratched paint!

Thats why I take it a little personally--I resent being told over and over (by the same people of course)that my equipment is junk and people should never buy them and they were on crack when they designed it etc. etc. This blade has earned enough income to pay for itself 20 times over and is still coming back for more. I don't claim to be driver of the year, and yet it can take a beating from a truck of that weight and still consistantly be ready to go every single storm.

I can't figure out how some of you guys destroy them if not shear abuse. In all the years mine has been out I cannot think of anyone hitting something so hard as to bend this thing!!! And if it does bend I can guarentee you that any other brand would have bent too. Period. A trip-edge will not save you from curbs or large obstacles, only small items. I run the shoes and do not have problems with small items tripping the blade, end of story.

I don't think any one of you would appreciate being told your blade or truck or wife is any good, especially by people who have never tried (not recommending trying each others wives) another one. I haven't run the Western blade yet, or the Northman. I don't own a Fisher, Meyer, Arctic, Curtis etc. so I don't go around telling people not to buy them.

Jeez, you guys bash on the Boss stuff as much as a bloody Snowbear. Around here, Boss is considered to be the number one brand, and is the most common too. Fisher is a rarity, so is Diamond and Sno-way. I have never seen a curtis, ever. There are a few Meyer, a few Arctic.

I love my Boss blade and I am not an idiot for doing so. The machine has been A1, the dealer is good, and I am making money hand over fist with it due a large part to reliability. Argue with that.

The only pigs that fly are the ones that trip over 7" curbs....


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

The Boss said:


> That is the quote of the day, I couldn't agree more.  I salute you Derek. :salute: Enough said.


Well, I am glad I'm not alone in this. I feel like a bloody lepper or something.

We're supposed to get more snow tonight. If it happens, I am going to take my Boss blade and go make another grand with it. And on the highly unlikely chance that I destroy it, I will curse and swear and shrug it off, because it has made more than enough money to replace it with. payup


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

derekbroerse said:


> Well, I am glad I'm not alone in this. I feel like a bloody lepper or something.
> 
> We're supposed to get more snow tonight. If it happens, I am going to take my Boss blade and go make another grand with it. And on the highly unlikely chance that I destroy it, I will curse and swear and shrug it off, because it has made more than enough money to replace it with. payup


Give 'em hell Derek!


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

derekbroerse said:


> Well, I am glad I'm not alone in this. I feel like a bloody lepper or something.
> 
> We're supposed to get more snow tonight. If it happens, I am going to take my Boss blade and go make another grand with it. And on the highly unlikely chance that I destroy it, I will curse and swear and shrug it off, because it has made more than enough money to replace it with. payup


If I lived closer, I'd come help you.  I've never had ANY problems with either one of my Boss plows(used to have a straight blade). I could count on 2 hands how many times I've ever had a blade trip. I study my lots and make notes of any obstructions. I plow 9 gas stations and I've never tripped on any of the lids. Maybe that should be a clue?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Derek, do you have the old chain style hookup?

If you'll notice, I never said I hated Boss, I never siad don't buy one, all I did was reported my experiences with them, which would total about 41 seasons when adding up the years we've had Boss's on our trucks.

I'll tell everyone before they can tell me, my '05 F550 is a piece of junk. The tranny went out at 500 miles, the 4WD shifter didn't work , the vacuum motor for the heater went out, I have to have the snap ring replaced yet, it is totally gutless pulling our Bobcat. I don't get upset when sombeody tells me something I own is junk, I listen, because there's a good chance I might learn something.

Take a straight edge from the outer edge of your plow and go from the top to the bottom of the moldboard and tell me if they still line up.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

"Derek, do you have the old chain style hookup?"

No, it is an RTII with the solid linkage coupled directly to a pair of cylinders. There are no chains involved at all.


"Take a straight edge from the outer edge of your plow and go from the top to the bottom of the moldboard and tell me if they still line up."

Well, they cannot line up perpendicular to the concrete as the moldboard projects forward further at the top to make the snow curl. I think it is slightly exaggerated on mine because the truck sits a bit too high for the specs. The straightedge sits on the same plane all the way across each wing. It sits exactly the same way it did when I bought it (I don't remember from when it was brand new I wasn't around it much). Another quick visual inspection with the flashlight confirms that there are no bent brackets, cracked welds, tearing steel, or other defects you guys have listed in past discussions. The cutting edges sit nice and square to the concrete like they should. I suspect there is just enough wear in all the holes that even the over-height truck doesn't affect how it sits in the v or scoop position (I'm pretty sure this was it's eighth season, its not new anymore). In fact, the only thing that does not appear to be 100% straight are the brackets that hold the plow wear shoes, as I have caught them on a curb while lifting in the past and even tore one off. As mentioned before, I boxed them when welding it back on to prevent that from happening again, but I should have realigned them on the concrete first before I did so--they are tweaked upwards still, requiring a larger stack of shims than I would like. I'm not cutting them off to straighten them now, though. I welded them while they were in the air instead of checking them against the concrete. Oops.

In fact, the plow is in such good shape yet that I think this spring I will treat it to it's first overhaul--sandblast, powder coat, thorough cleaning hydraulically etc. Whatever else I find. It easily deserves it.

I wouldn't even think of replacing it, let alone changing to another manufacturer. In fact, if I can get another identical one for truck #2 I will. Wouldn't think twice.


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## IA snoman (Aug 31, 2003)

Hey Derek,

Could u send some more pics of the bomb since you got it finished. I would love to see the bomb part 2 as well, if you get the chance

sorry off subject.


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## William B. (Jul 22, 2004)

Same here Derek.That is one cool truck.

William


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Thanks for the reply, Derek. Our first Boss was the chain style hookup. If Boss had kept this style, I wouldn't be nearly as unhappy with them. As you stated, there was enough slop in the mount that that helped immensely with absorbing the shocks of a lot of little obstacles.

I guess you guys without cracked hinges and tweaked wings are better plowers than those around GR, must be a regional thing.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Thanks for the reply, Derek. Our first Boss was the chain style hookup. If Boss had kept this style, I wouldn't be nearly as unhappy with them. As you stated, there was enough slop in the mount that that helped immensely with absorbing the shocks of a lot of little obstacles.
> 
> *I guess you guys without cracked hinges and tweaked wings are better plowers than those around GR, must be a regional thing*.


Mark -

It could just come down to what properties you're doing too.

Personally, I've got one gas station, 1/2 the lot is in 12' x 12' concrete sections. There are lips here and there that you can catch, but not too many yet.

Other than this gas station, all my properties are fairly newly paved (within 5 years) so there's not too many potholes or breakups yet. Plus they are smaller commercial lots, entire property is, let alone the parking lot itself, is about 100k - 250k sq ft, so there isn't alot of room to get up too much speed.

Over the 10 years I've been plowing, I've weeded out the properties that have rough parking areas, and now I'm trying to weed out the properties that have curbs all the way around, less obstacles, less wear and tear, obviously.

I used to have a property where every place imaginable there was a 4' high "cement post", the kind they place on the corner of buildings or whereever they don't want some semi backing into the building, etc.

They even had them around the edge of the property, as a fence, it was a complete pain.

I suppose there are certain plows that would be better suited for certain properties.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

our boss v just has the cylinder, no chain. Its a 99 or 2000 blade

Some of our lots are new, some suck. It would be nice to have all 5 year old or newer lots.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

IA Snoman: "Could u send some more pics of the bomb since you got it finished. I would love to see the bomb part 2 as well, if you get the chance"

I had to laugh a little bit about your message, as you are probably the first person outside my immediate family and friends to actually refer to it as 'The Bomb'  They are really never finished, though, are they? Stay tuned, more pix to come this spring once plowseason is officially over... adding a bunch of the stuff that didn't get finished last fall... Advance Adapters Ranger III Overdrive, rebuilding the SM465, installing the power windows and locks from the donor truck (and black door panels finally, that will be a treat in itself! ) But wait, there's more: fuel pressure regulator install and adjustment, a custom programmed chip from TBICHIPS.com, possibly even A/C install if we get that far...

The Bomb Part II is still sitting, homely and unloved and still on only four of the six wheels.  I have been laid up with the flu all week (could explain my crabbiness all week too huh?) or I would be taking advantage of the decent weather. It needs six wheels and tires (along with my newly ebay-sourced stainless simulators ), a driveshaft hanger bearing, and I still need to investigate the leak from the left rear axleshaft area. I'll snap a few pix soon, but it looks so stupid with the outer duals off lol.... Looks a lot tougher (to me anyways) since I took the smoked headlight covers off...

Thanks for the kind words, both you and ctfan.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Thanks for the reply, Derek. Our first Boss was the chain style hookup. If Boss had kept this style, I wouldn't be nearly as unhappy with them. As you stated, there was enough slop in the mount that that helped immensely with absorbing the shocks of a lot of little obstacles.
> 
> I guess you guys without cracked hinges and tweaked wings are better plowers than those around GR, must be a regional thing.


Well naturally the slop is a side-effect.... the real problem with new equipment is that it gets old too quickly 

Next year I will probably find out first hand what some of your troubles are--I will be hiring at least one driver. I have seen how people treat 'company vehicles' at my friend's company (although his dad may be worse than any of the employees  ) I redid the body on their '88 Chevy 3/4 ton a few years ago--truck looked really nice afterwards. But I have had to watch it deteriorate in the hands on uncaring people--currently there is not a single body panel left that isn't caved in.

My intention for the drivers is to use nothing but older straight blades with ProWings if they are on asphalt with no curbs (unless I can get my neighbour's abandoned RTII V).

As for being regional, no believe me, we have more than our share of ******** drivers here. In fact, our area has been officially labelled as "Taking your life in your hands driving in the Niagara Region" by the tourist industry. I'm sure drivers-for-hire here will be just as bad as in GR.

I really wasn't aware that Boss had ever made a chain-hoist V-plow. Seems kinda cheezy... when I was walking thru my salt supplier, which happens to be an Arctic dealer too, I noticed that their V-plows were chain hoisted--struck me as almost archaic! I mean, I'm sure it works fine but that was the impression it gave me.

LwnmwrMan22, there is naturally a certain amount of truth to that. In my case, I think I'd feel spoiled on new asphalt. None of my contracts have asphalt newer than 5-10 years old at best guess (other than potentially one residential...?) While they are old they must be a fair quality job as they are still in reasonable condition. Most are within a few minutes of my house so it would be hard to miss if they got redone.

Does anyone happen to know if these are built by hand, or by machine? Could certain ones be just built better than others, the old Wednesday production vs: Friday-Afternoon-I-Wanna-Go-Home production? Are the 7-8 footers not built the same as the 9 footers?

Have a peek at your Boss plows.... Each wing on mine uses 4 vertical braces including the outer endcap. The cylinder area is a box affair going from end to end of the wing--like a piece of c-channel. The hinge area is fully boxed and near the center has a piece of steel almost 1/2" thick--appears to be the physical stopper when the wings are retracted. It uses 3 trip springs on a turn-buckle in the center.

Does this sound typical?


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## Midwest BuildIt Inc (Nov 14, 2004)

here take a look at mine . its a 2001 model....boss plow bent

mine also has 4 springs for the triping


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

BNC, that is exactly what I am talking about. If your wing(s) don't look like that, then I'm going to say you plow a whole lot easier than what we do. That is what every Boss plow that I have seen that is more than 1 month old lookes like.

Derek, I don't take any offense at what you are saying, although I am one of the '********' drivers. I will admit, I expect our equipment to be able to stand up to the plowing we do. Another one of the '********' drivers is my father who has been plowing for over 40 years. I'm pretty sure he knows what he is doing and I know I know what I am doing after 22 years, but due to the weather conditions, long hours, abnormal hours, frost heave and crappily designed parking lots, accidents are going to happen. And when they do, I expect a plow to stand up to being bounced off curbs, bumper blocks and manholes and not losing their angle. What is not a coincidence IMO, is that other than missing a driveway on one lot and hitting the curb instead (because of drifting) we have had 0 repairs on our Fishers. The above incident was with our straight blade and it still worked fine, it just hung at an angle.

I have hit 2 manholes that if you go over from one direction you will not catch them, but the other is a killer, that I have hit at probably 15MPH plus and done nothing other than knocking the snow chunks off the plow and truck and scared the crap out of me. I guarantee I would have wrecked something with our Boss's. 

I hated going back to the full moldboard trip on the Blizzard, but with the strength of the plow and the production received, I would be irresponsible to my company to not purchase these plows. 

The urethane edge is a big help in these situations and I will use these on all plows except 1.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

BNC: Well, you certainly did a number on it. Your headlights are different than mine, mine are larger, they use the large square sealed-beam bulbs. Pretty sure they are original, as they plug right into the Boss wiring harness. Actually, yours look a lot like the aftermarket ones I bought at Princess Auto for my Western.

I have one more vertical rib (presumably because mine is bigger). Other than that they look identical. Can't see your hinge are very well.

Odd that your blade uses four trip springs--I just confirmed it, mine uses three... and my blade is bigger. Does anyone else who complains that it doesn't trip, do yours use four as well? Maybe they are oversprung?  Three is more than adequate.

Mark, let me be very clear on what I meant by that--I wasn't calling anyone specifically ********, I said WE have an abnormally large amount of them, people who basically disengauge the brain while driving, heads in the clouds, etc... people of the 'its my lane and I'm not moving' mentality, people who think stop signs mean reduce speed to less than 50, etc. etc. Take it how you will but it wasn't meant as an insult. As for dads driving, well, the jury is still out on that one, as my dad used to be a fantastic driver (used to be a racer, quick reflexes etc.) but as he has hit his mid sixties things are 'slipping' shall we say. The guy up the road used to be a pro truck driver, until he was almost 70. They took his entire drivers license away from him last fall, thats how bad he has gotten. You can almost see the man deteriorating before your eyes. Obviously, this is a case-by-case basis (guys like ole-jim obviously don't let it slow them down much), but they say reflexes and vision start changing exponentially when people hit mid 40's. Not saying that is the case, but I really don't want my dad driving my equipment unless it is really necessary. Makes me cringe how he handles the clutch anymore  ...

I have made two trips outside to reinspect my blade since typing this post--second guessing myself. No, my blade is not torqued over like that, there is no rippling anywhere. 

As mentioned in an above post, I have hit curbs similar to what BNC describes at a rather high rate of speed, and even with all the weight of my truck I got shoved sideways. Nothing but scratches in the paint. This same thing has happened twice since I have been plowing, same place. This is why, I am sorry to say, I can't buy 5-7mph on that impact, as I am sure I was doing more than that and longer wings on mine equate to more leverage and force transferred. My truck is also considerably heavier and for instance #2 had all new tires on it resisting the sideways motion. I can't see having done what you did that easily. In fact, I have never seen a Boss plow here locally bent or torn up, with the exception of one hinge that had the welds falling apart last year, and it was replaced under warrenty as far as I know.

I have used my blade to move those concrete barriers out of my way before.

Sometimes I keep speed reasonable, othertimes I plow like a wild animal, just trying to get it done.

Ramming snowbanks is bad practice. Let me remind you that gas compresses, liquids and solids don't. Much like the age old joke/question "which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?", ramming a hard-packed snowbank is no different then ramming a brick wall. If the snow is put in the right place the first time (with the forethought of more snow coming) you won't need to move piles back. If it really really became necessary to move piles, I would sooner use a bobcat/tractor/backhoe than risk my equipment. I have yet to need to do so, even in my smallest lots. My piles are typically 8' high or so... always amazed me how high it will push.

If you are hitting solid objects (like curbs) going too fast, it doesn't matter what brand it is, steel is steel and it will bend and break. The full trip at least will 'try' to save itself, a trip edge will just be scrapmetal. The full trip V will likely only trip if you hit near the center, as the outer edge would need to be lifted to make it trip (done that one too, sewer grate, nasty).

There is only one way to sum this up--Speed = Abuse. If you absolutely must run fast, you are taking the chance of destroying your equipment regardless of manufacturer.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

PS BNC,

In your 6th picture (the one with the headlight damage), did you knock your driving lights out of your bumper too?? (sure looks like it) Or are those some aftermarket installed pieces?


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## Midwest BuildIt Inc (Nov 14, 2004)

I actually treat my plow/truck very nicely. My truck now has 160,000 miles on it. In both instances above the plow did trip. as for hitting the curb , i wasnt going more than 10 mph guaranteed , I had just backed up and dropped the blade about 15 feet away. i believe i was still on the gas though when i caught the corner of it. by the time i hit the brakes the plow was on its way back up from tripping. 

The trip springs do bother me though , why you have a larger plow and only three , and mine has four. Im wondering if maybe i should take a spring off of mine , cause when my blade does trip it is very hard. maybe some other people can write in and tell us how many springs they have.

in my 11 years of plowing i have never really tore up any equipment . i did blow apart a fisher trip edge plow hitting a manhole. i also broke off an angling cylinder , but that was on a 12 year old meyer plow. I have plowed in just about everything you could , from a lawn tractor to a tandem axle dump and up to a wheel loader with a 30 foot pusher, i know what it takes to get snow off of a parking lot fast and efficiently without tearing up stuff. I have a class a cdl and an operators license. this is just a little background on where im coming from..


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## Midwest BuildIt Inc (Nov 14, 2004)

derekbroerse said:


> PS BNC,
> 
> In your 6th picture (the one with the headlight damage), did you knock your driving lights out of your bumper too?? (sure looks like it) Or are those some aftermarket installed pieces?


those are after market lights, but the plow lights are a set of boss lights, sometime around 99 or so they went to a smaller light like i have..


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

I have an 98 RT II 8.2 power V plow. on a 2500 Dodge 
Trip springs: 3
Other than occasionally ripping a hose off and an ice chunk taking the plug off! I have had no real problems with mine and I'm probably the most aggressive plowjockey on the crew!!!( can admit it some times I'm a little hard on the equipment, but it is mine also.)
But, as I cheek mine for (bending of the wings!!) they look to have a little bend to them but not much, if I clean up the area around where the ram mounts to it there is a very small ripple in that area Too. The plow still touches the ground all the way across, in all positions, so I'm not going to worry about it. I'v been happy with it and I another one
 :waving:


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

2005 8.2 Boss Steel V

3 uprights on each wing, with a diagonal brace going from the top of the outside brace to the bottom of the second upright.

This SHOULD help with the wing bending, although I would have thought they went from the bottom of the outside brace to the top of the second brace, since you're more likely to put the pressure at the bottom outside of the blade if you catch anything.

In otherwords diagonally up / outside in, rather than diagonally down.

Also, there are 4 trip springs.




Quick question for you guys that don't run shoes.

With this V, can I take the shoes off and not worry about ripping off the rubber? Or just pull it back a washer??


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

The older ones (RTII) didn't have a rubber in the center, no rubber.
there 3 shews center and one on each wing. mine are on the plow, there just all of the way up. I just carry them around LOL.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

BNC SERVICES said:


> The trip springs do bother me though , why you have a larger plow and only three , and mine has four. Im wondering if maybe i should take a spring off of mine , cause when my blade does trip it is very hard. maybe some other people can write in and tell us how many springs they have.


Well there is definately something to this. I'll tell you, three is more than sufficient. When I first read that you had four, I thought maybe there was a parts mixup on yours or something (parts from a larger plow, like a 10 footer), but I find it surprising that others are reporting four as well. I wonder what the others have?

Maybe we need to post a poll?


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