# Bought a Snowbear...



## hero419

I am happy with the quality of the plow and believe it will hold up to my residential use. I will be mounting it on my 1999 Ford Ranger super cab 4x4.

I am not happy with the customer service. I bought it at Sams Club after shopping at Lowes where it was $100 more. The box was new, banded and unopened. When I got it home I laid out all the pieces on the floor and went through the parts list. I was (am) missing a number of parts and fasteners including the springs. 
I called customer service. After being on hold for 30 minutes I was met with a very harsh attitude and they did not believe I was missing any parts. After being on hold for another total of 15 minutes they agreed to send me the parts after I E-mailed a photo of the receipt. I asked in the E-mail to make sure the let me know that the parts would be in the mail (along with the mounting parts) It has been 2 business days and I have heard nothing as of yet.

After saying all that, I hope to be satisfied with this product.

Also, Sams and Lowes had very, very little knowledge of the product. Both stores had to go through a number of people to even realize they sold such a product. Lowes had a counter "mat" that displayed the product and they had no info about it other then the price.


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## iceyman

hero419;623536 said:


> I am happy with the quality of the plow and believe it will hold up to my residential use. I will be mounting it on my 1999 Ford Ranger super cab 4x4.
> 
> I am not happy with the customer service. I bought it at Sams Club after shopping at Lowes where it was $100 more. The box was new, banded and unopened. When I got it home I laid out all the pieces on the floor and went through the parts list. I was (am) missing a number of parts and fasteners including the springs.
> I called customer service. After being on hold for 30 minutes I was met with a very harsh attitude and they did not believe I was missing any parts. After being on hold for another total of 15 minutes they agreed to send me the parts after I E-mailed a photo of the receipt. I asked in the E-mail to make sure the let me know that the parts would be in the mail (along with the mounting parts) It has been 2 business days and I have heard nothing as of yet.
> 
> After saying all that, I hope to be satisfied with this product.
> 
> Also, Sams and Lowes had very, very little knowledge of the product. Both stores had to go through a number of people to even realize they sold such a product. Lowes had a counter "mat" that displayed the product and they had no info about it other then the price.


thats why you dont buy a plow at sams club


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## plowguy43

When I bought mine at Lowes they really didn't know much either and it took about a month for it to arrive from Snowbear. I wasn't missing any parts thankfully and the customer service was always great.

Sorry to hear about your problems but I'm sure you'll enjoy your plow.


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## Captain

I had good luck with my Snowbear - I owned it for 12 years. Just sold it two months ago for $250, not bad for 12 years of use.

It held up well, 12 years of 20 driveways times 10-12 plows (Avg) per year or 2400 plows. I went through 1 cutting edge, 1 set of shoes, and 2 winch motors.

You can buy the winch motors direct from Superwinch in Connecticut for around $110. 

It is what it is - a $1000 plow, treat it with care and it should last you a long time. Like I said - 12 years and less than $400 in parts over all that time 

One piece of advise - keep the winch motor covered when not in use. Rain / freezing rain will work itself inside the motor and freeze it up when it gets cold.

Good luck and happy plowing!!!!!


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## hero419

I have a gravel drive. Should I invest in feet?
I figured after the first few stormes, I should have a good base.


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## hero419

iceyman;623550 said:


> thats why you dont buy a plow at sams club


I defenitly understand where you are coming from.

I sure as heck wouldn't buy a bicycle from Wal-mart.
of course my bike was more then the plow

It all depends on the application


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## Captain

hero419;623589 said:


> I have a gravel drive. Should I invest in feet?
> I figured after the first few stormes, I should have a good base.


I invested in the regular shoes, not the heavy duty ones. If your just doing your gravel driveway, they will definately help, and should last you a long time. I have one account that has a gravel area they like me to plow, and I usually have to keep the blade up an inch.


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## mercer_me

I looked at snowbear plows a little bit they look like they are junk you would have bean better off buying a used Fisher or Boss.


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## hero419

From all the first hand accounts on this site,
It seems as though looks are deceiving.


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## das fisch

use it, don't abuse it and it will work out just fine for small personal jobs.
fisher/boss, sure. new $$$, used, condition?


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## Captain

Hero419 - I'm sure it will do everything you need it to do and more.

I was very happy with the 12 years / 2400 plows I got out of mine.


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## sechracer

mercer_me;623783 said:


> I looked at snowbear plows a little bit they look like they are junk you would have bean better off buying a used Fisher or Boss.


again with the boss/fisher kick..... Western or hiniker would have been too, heck, bet snow-way and meyers makes a good plow too.

All picking aside, I have heard good and bad about snowbear. Figure if you are useing it for personal use and remember it not like a regular plow, then it should work for you.... good luck and happy plowing....


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## sday88

hero419;623536 said:


> I am happy with the quality of the plow and believe it will hold up to my residential use. I will be mounting it on my 1999 Ford Ranger super cab 4x4.
> 
> I am not happy with the customer service. I bought it at Sams Club after shopping at Lowes where it was $100 more. The box was new, banded and unopened. When I got it home I laid out all the pieces on the floor and went through the parts list. I was (am) missing a number of parts and fasteners including the springs.
> I called customer service. After being on hold for 30 minutes I was met with a very harsh attitude and they did not believe I was missing any parts. After being on hold for another total of 15 minutes they agreed to send me the parts after I E-mailed a photo of the receipt. I asked in the E-mail to make sure the let me know that the parts would be in the mail (along with the mounting parts) It has been 2 business days and I have heard nothing as of yet.
> 
> After saying all that, I hope to be satisfied with this product.
> 
> Also, Sams and Lowes had very, very little knowledge of the product. Both stores had to go through a number of people to even realize they sold such a product. Lowes had a counter "mat" that displayed the product and they had no info about it other then the price.


I bought my Snowbear at Home Depot and they had no clue about it. It was the display model that was left in the spring. I had some problems with my mounts and Snowbear was very helpful. Sorry you had such a bad experience. Be careful with the mounts you receive. I have a '97 Ranger and the mounts didn't work. I see from the Snowbear website the '99 has a different part number. For my mounts, there is a tab welded to the mount that didn't allow me to install it properly. I called them and they sent me a new set of mounts without the tab, and a free pair of feet. If you continue to have problems let me know, I have the email address for the "Training and Technical Coordinator" who helped me with my problems.


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## plowguy43

mercer_me;623783 said:


> I looked at snowbear plows a little bit they look like they are junk you would have bean better off buying a used Fisher or Boss.


I had more problems with my Fisher 7'6" MM1 in one snow storm than my snowbear all year. When you buy something used you have no idea how they are treated and the snowbear is plenty strong for plowing snow.


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## hero419

The mounts came in the mail today. I was assured in an E-mail the the springs and other missing parts were going to be in the mail tomorrow.

I put the mounts on and would have to say that this may be the meakest part of the system. I have mounted a few other plows.

there is one bolt that goes through the frame without a sleeve. There is no real way to tighten it properly without crushing the frame a little. the other end of the mounts are attached around the frame using a plate on the top and two long bolt on either side.

I am more worried about damage to my truck rather than hurting the plow.

Time will tell.


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## dunedog

Plumber's pipe nipples work well for sleeves if you have a frame you are worried about crushing.
And don't mind the basher's of the Snowbear,.... MOST are wannabees and don't understand non-commercial forum anyway.


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## hero419

update:

Day 21 after purchase.
talked on the phone with customer service about missing parts with 2 diffrent people.
1st person told me parts where on the way and confirmed it in an Email. called back 2 weeks later, they had no record of my call, took part list info and assured me parts would be delivered also confirmed by Email. No parts yet. I sent an Email 2 days ago asking for a Tracking number. No response.

Its as if they don't want me to be happy with there product.

This is the worst experience I have ever had with any retailer. I imagine if I have problems with the plow (if the parts ever come) they will not stand behind it.


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## bribrius

hero419;643983 said:


> update:
> 
> Day 21 after purchase.
> talked on the phone with customer service about missing parts with 2 diffrent people.
> 1st person told me parts where on the way and confirmed it in an Email. called back 2 weeks later, they had no record of my call, took part list info and assured me parts would be delivered also confirmed by Email. No parts yet. I sent an Email 2 days ago asking for a Tracking number. No response.
> 
> Its as if they don't want me to be happy with there product.
> 
> This is the worst experience I have ever had with any retailer. I imagine if I have problems with the plow (if the parts ever come) they will not stand behind it.


Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully it works out for you.
I have noticed a number of people liking those plows for non-commercial use. Most seem to say they were very well. Seems like it fits your needs and if hopefully you get a chance to use it????
Good luck.


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## Captain

Sorry to hear of all your troubles. I had my Snowbear for 12 years. I only dealt with Snowbear 3 times in 12 years and each time they were super. First time was getting my mounting kit, then I ordered a new cutting edge and shoes, then another set of shoes.

I also replaced the winch motor 2 times but i bought that direct from Superwinch in CT.


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## mobo

Sorry to hear about the problems you had. I have had my snowbear for about 5 years and the only problem I ever had was my strap broke last winter on me and I changed it in about 15 min. I order a extra one when I got my mount because I was not sure how long it would last but I have to say 5 years wasn't bad.


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## hero419

Still don't have the springs.
I attached it to the truck last night to move it from where it was because they were calling for snow (and we got it) When I raised the plow I was able to push it down. The winch did not move, the truck did not move, The mounts moved. Maybe there is some settling to be expected. I got a FED-EX tracking number from SnowBear. It said it was overnighted last Friday, but they did not get the package till today.

Also, the one terminal is loose on the wench and needs to be tapped back in place once in a while to get it to work.

What a pain in the butt.


Edit: wouldn't't it be ironic if the springs where not delivered because the drive is impassable?


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## MrBigStuff

When I was a member of Sam's Club, they would take anything back, no questions asked!

The minute I sensed that the manfr wasn't being helpful, I would have boxed it all back up and took it back, asking for a refund. If I really wanted to keep it, here's an example of what I would do-

We bought an expensive lawn furniture set from Home Despot and found it had damage and missing parts when we got it home. Monster box and weighed alot. So I went back with the damaged chair and table top only and demanded they crack open another box and exhange the damaged and missing parts. They resisted and wanted me to bring it all back. WHAT? What sense does that make? They're not serialized so who cares which set you send back to the manfr? They couldn't argue that part so they dragged their feet saying the only other set was spoken for. I'm standing here NOW having bought a defective set. I don't care who promised the other set, I want satisfaction. They finally caved after 30 minutes (I had to keep going up the chain of command) and I left with the all the stuff I came for. This is how I would handle this problem at Sam's too.


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## hero419

You are right in saying that I wanted the product. the only problem is that they are serialized. I was thinking about asking them to give me some parts out of another box but already had a claim in (or so I thought) to the product manufacturer.

On another note, the parts came yesterday and the plow works awesome. it (and my truck) pushed around 4" of wet heavy snow with relative ease. One thing I may do is invest in some lights. either make up some fog lights with brackets or invest in snowbears set up.

Even with the aggravation, I would do it all over again.


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## whiteowl

I have owned the Winterwolf model made by Snowbear for about 5 seasons. It is mounted on my 1999 Wrangler and is used on my 3 1/2 car wide, 40 ft long driveway. I also help out older neighbors during heavier snows. It has served me well so far, only having to replace the skids once, My concern, after reading posted messages on this site, is how much longer will my winch last. It seems to be a weak point on these personal plows. I am not looking forward to replacing a winch during a heavy snowstorm. But, so far, so good.


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## Captain

whiteowl;650885 said:


> I have owned the Winterwolf model made by Snowbear for about 5 seasons. It is mounted on my 1999 Wrangler and is used on my 3 1/2 car wide, 40 ft long driveway. I also help out older neighbors during heavier snows. It has served me well so far, only having to replace the skids once, My concern, after reading posted messages on this site, is how much longer will my winch last. It seems to be a weak point on these personal plows. I am not looking forward to replacing a winch during a heavy snowstorm. But, so far, so good.


I plowed 15-20 driveways, average 10 times per year, for 12 years. So that's somewhere in the range of 1800-2400 plows. I went through 2 winch motors in 12 years. I bought them direct from Superwinch in Connecticut. They were around $115 or so. Not a bad idea to keep a spare if you do alot of plowing.

I only replaced the motor, not the entire winch and gear box.

My snowbear used a chain instead of the strap they now use. The strap may run much smoother and lead to extended winch life.

Other than the motors, I replaced the cutting edge once and was on my second set of shoes, (they were close to gone), when I sold it this year.


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## whiteowl

*Superwinch motor*

I have read of a few members buying the Snowbear (Winterwolf) replacement winch motor directly from Superwinch in CT. I have been looking for their customer service phone number on the internet but, so far, to no avail. Does anybody out there know their customer service phone number or address so I can contact them?


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## Captain

whiteowl;653242 said:


> I have read of a few members buying the Snowbear (Winterwolf) replacement winch motor directly from Superwinch in CT. I have been looking for their customer service phone number on the internet but, so far, to no avail. Does anybody out there know their customer service phone number or address so I can contact them?


Yes, here you go:

Superwinch, Inc. 
45 Danco Rd.
Putnam, CT 06260 USA
Tel: (860) 928-7787

By memory I think the guys name in service was Bob or Rob Middleton - he was very helpful. He even sent me a copy of the exploded parts list. I've been looking for it, but must have deleted it.


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## CruZer

I bought mine from HD on a year end clearance (they don't do that anymore) for $700 but it was the floor model. Snow Bear was great about sending me the trollyes and other parts that were missing.
I've enjoyed 3 good years of service so far and I expect to use it for many years to come.


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## PhantomRacer

Can't say anything good or bad about SB C/S. The few times I called for parts (lights, etc) they were very good to me. Their service doesnt reflect on the plow, which, for the money, is awesome.

I have not had any snow I could not push..with my 2wd truck without chains (just 4 wheels in the bed for ballast). Haven't had a part break in the 10 or so years using it. Even have the same winch!! 

It is made very well. logical design. priced right. easy to assemble by a DIY type. 

I used the SB light brackets and put real plow lights on it - much better than the SB lights. The brackets are alone worth the price of having to fabricate something yourself. 

I wired it into the trucks wiring using a trailer connector - flat 4. 

the snowbear is the best thing I ever bought for my truck!


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## PhantomRacer

whiteowl;650885 said:


> .....My concern, after reading posted messages on this site, is how much longer will my winch last. It seems to be a weak point on these personal plows. I am not looking forward to replacing a winch during a heavy snowstorm. But, so far, so good.


Mine is going strong on 10 yrs on the original. SOMETIMES early in the season, it doesn't move. But a sharp blow (don't kill it..just startle it!) to the winch case with a hammer and it fires right up. Probably at the end of it's useful life.. but so far so good. I fired it up a couple weeks ago..worked well (after whacking it !)

So if it stops.. try and hitting it..you have nothing to lose!


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## Captain

PhantomRacer;678838 said:


> Mine is going strong on 10 yrs on the original. SOMETIMES early in the season, it doesn't move. But a sharp blow (don't kill it..just startle it!) to the winch case with a hammer and it fires right up. Probably at the end of it's useful life.. but so far so good. I fired it up a couple weeks ago..worked well (after whacking it !)
> 
> So if it stops.. try and hitting it..you have nothing to lose!


You should refrain from hitting the motor with a hammer- I cracked the magnets in mine over time by doing that.


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## groundbreakers

glad to see some people know the value of things .. im on my second plow from them in 10 yrs ... great for residential and small commercial and thats what i do .... when its time to step up for a bigger plow i should have enough money saved .... unlike some people who blow $5,000 in pre season only to turn around and sell it in the off season because of lost contracts .... if your gonna gamble better know how to do it ...


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## Captain

I had great luck with my Snowbear - 12 years 15-20 accounts, 3 of those years one of the accounts was a 60 space parking lot.

It served me great for the $1000 I paid for it. Sold it this year for $300.

Just bought a Homesteader this year and I hope I am as happy with it.


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## PhantomRacer

Captain;679119 said:


> You should refrain from hitting the motor with a hammer- I cracked the magnets in mine over time by doing that.


If the motor is not working..how could I make it worse? It owes me nothing at this point. I SHOULD buy a replacement to have on the shelf for when it does go totally.

I am not whacking it.. just tapping it.. been working so far.. if it dies.. I will replace it. With everyone getting 3-5 years on a winch, I am on borrowed time for sure!


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## Captain

PhantomRacer;679919 said:


> If the motor is not working..how could I make it worse? It owes me nothing at this point. I SHOULD buy a replacement to have on the shelf for when it does go totally.
> 
> I am not whacking it.. just tapping it.. been working so far.. if it dies.. I will replace it. With everyone getting 3-5 years on a winch, I am on borrowed time for sure!


I found it was better to turn the manual handle to free it up. Sometimes the pionion gear the manual handle goes into will break rendering the manual handle useless. I had a couple of spare pinions.

Also, whenever the plow was not in use I kept it covered to lessen the chance of any water intrusion, which seemed to be the problem in the first place.


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## hero419

when I tap the winch on the one contact that I accently loosened while tightening the small nut. I pulled it apart when I first did it and all the brushes came out. There was no access to the other side of the terminal so it is still loose.

When I back drag the pin for the rotation comes undone and the plow turns. It seems as the pivot bolt has to much slop in it

Th other think I noticed is that when the plow is off of the truck the "cups" that the truck mounts to fill with ice and need to be chiseled clean. thats a pain, I need a cover for it.


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## KGRlandscapeing

Captain;679119 said:


> You should refrain from hitting the motor with a hammer- I cracked the magnets in mine over time by doing that.


like he said its well past paid for hitting it with a hammer can only make it better not worse.



hero419;680078 said:


> when I tap the winch on the one contact that I accently loosened while tightening the small nut. I pulled it apart when I first did it and all the brushes came out. There was no access to the other side of the terminal so it is still loose.
> 
> When I back drag the pin for the rotation comes undone and the plow turns. It seems as the pivot bolt has to much slop in it
> 
> Th other think I noticed is that when the plow is off of the truck the "cups" that the truck mounts to fill with ice and need to be chiseled clean. thats a pain, I need a cover for it.


for the record never try and hammer them on ur smash the cups to crap and i ended up grinding the tip of one of the cups off. i learnd that a nice benzo matic torch will clean them out nicely


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## hero419

KGRlandscapeing;680133 said:


> like he said its well past paid for hitting it with a hammer can only make it better not worse.
> 
> for the record never try and hammer them on ur smash the cups to crap and i ended up grinding the tip of one of the cups off. i learnd that a nice benzo matic torch will clean them out nicely


torch eh? Now why didn't I think of that


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## PhantomRacer

After 9 years I had to repalce the factory supplied hitch pin (doing too much back dragging, or the best you can do with a SB..LOL) . First part I had to replace! The replacements were not as good as the original though, but do work. 

There are a few tiny spots of rust, and the plow edge is starting to smile a bit on the sides, but still pushes the snow quite fine. 

Beats the pants off of shovelling by hand!


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## hero419

when you say hitch pin, do you mean the bolt that provides a pivot point?


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## PhantomRacer

hero419;681395 said:


> when you say hitch pin, do you mean the bolt that provides a pivot point?


Sorry..the hitch pins holding the plow to the truck The pin with the wire lock


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## coyote_nb

hay Folks,

if somebody look for skid's fore a nice Price 
Taks This
You must only cut 2 noses on the Skit's and it works nice!!

RG
Fred


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## ekoser

SDay88-

Please share the contact info for the "training and tech coordinator" at SnowBear. I need to contact them and have had a tough time getting a human!


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## sday88

ekoser;724151 said:


> SDay88-
> 
> Please share the contact info for the "training and tech coordinator" at SnowBear. I need to contact them and have had a tough time getting a human!


I posted a message in your profile.


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## Goofyexponent

I will tell you how tough a snowbear is, I have one mounted on my F250 supercab Diesel 4x4...the plow is not damaged at all, the frame brackets however and made from cheap, mild steel. I am getting a set made from 1/2 AR plate at a local Mack truck dealer to mount the plow up. I had to replace the strap once, and the winch JUST gave out, but It's a tough plow! Check out my profile for pics of it.


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## ArcticCat1

Goofyexponent;724556 said:


> I will tell you how tough a snowbear is, I have one mounted on my F250 supercab Diesel 4x4...the plow is not damaged at all, the frame brackets however and made from cheap, mild steel. I am getting a set made from 1/2 AR plate at a local Mack truck dealer to mount the plow up. I had to replace the strap once, and the winch JUST gave out, but It's a tough plow! Check out my profile for pics of it.


Makes me feel better that the SB is holding up well on your F-250. I just got one for my F-150, should be fine!


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## Goofyexponent

just get some brackets made up out of some 1/2 inch plate and you'll be laughing! I don't care who says bad things about them, snowbear plows are tough little plows!


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## Goofyexponent

The plow don't push bad. I have plowed with anything from a honda 300 atv, to a tandem Sterling with a 11' 3 way blade and a 9' wing. This little snowbear might look like a flimsy piece of crap, but it's pretty damn strong. I've bumped into things that brought my f250 to a dead stop from 5 miles an hour and never bent ANYTHING on the plow. The brackets that mount the plow however, are a little flimsy. When I get the new brackets from TG Mack/welding I will post the pics to show you how I changed them.


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## ArcticCat1

Sounds good, I would like to see these new custom brackets you get made. Anything to make SB plows stronger is money well spent, I think!


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## coyote_nb

Hay Goofy,

question pls did you make this picture close to this Beercompany?


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## Goofyexponent

I made this doing the driveway at our apartment building. This is after the plow guys showed up, plowed, salted and then went home until the next storm....you can see the mess we are usually left to clean up by ourselves....I get paid nothing for the diesel I burnt, or the time I spent shoveling.


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## coyote_nb

oki doki hear some Pics:

Pic 2 and 3 is my " storage system " it's very easy on this way, for my wife,
to hock the SB on.


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## Goofyexponent

is that the 82" x 19" blade? Looks like it's in pretty good shape!


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## coyote_nb

hay Goofy,

it's 84" x 24" and yes it's in a very good shape.
I purchased it at Okt.08 for 500 CAD and put a new Strap on it. 
incl. was a wheel frame.
I found a "Mount Certificate" with Nov. 19. 2005 on it.

I think the Price for this good shape was OK.

rg Fred


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## vfig

Ill looking to purchase this plow for my 98 Nissan frontier 4 cyc. How do you handle the snow that's up by the front of the garage? The bigger plows have the downward pressure and drag it back. Does that technique work well with this plow or do you have to get out and shovel the snow out and then plow it? What about pushing back old snow banks, we have a lot of snow here and looks like we are starting to run out of room to place it?

Thanks


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## delagem

It will pull back some snow from in front of the doors, but it certainly won't scrape it clean. I think it does a fine job. I only have to backdrag about 3' and then I can push it sideways into the yard. Here's a pic of how it backdrags from this morning, we had 5" of snow. Keep in mind, I use the shoes because I plow several houses that have gravel driveways, if you were only doing your own asphalt, without shoes, I think you could do a lot better.

You can't push back old snowbanks with this plow. At least I wouldn't try. From the very first snow, you have to be pushing as far away as you can, or you'll run out of room.

Also, here's some pics of how well it stacks!


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## vfig

Thanks for the pic's Delagem. Im looking at a used SB from a 03 dodge. What parts will I need to purchase, Mounting plate, wire harness for the electric winch ??
Thanks


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## delagem

They're not giving you the wiring harness with the plow? Yeah, you'll need the harness, remote switch, and a truck mount. 

If you're clever, you could make your own harness, it's just 2 wires to the winch, 2 wires to the battery, 2 SPDT relays (heavy duty), and a remote switch. 

I posted the wiring for the relays in another Snowbear thread very recently. 

Just don't think of your Snowbear as a battering ram, expect to have to buy a new motor every couple of years (it's only $100), and you'll be very happy!

Michael


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## ArcticCat1

Those stacks are comparable to western, fisher type stacks!!


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## Krieger91

vfig;735382 said:


> Ill looking to purchase this plow for my 98 Nissan frontier 4 cyc. How do you handle the snow that's up by the front of the garage? The bigger plows have the downward pressure and drag it back. Does that technique work well with this plow or do you have to get out and shovel the snow out and then plow it? What about pushing back old snow banks, we have a lot of snow here and looks like we are starting to run out of room to place it?
> 
> Thanks


Just to set the record straight, only Sno-Way has DP to my knowledge. Other plows rely on heavy weight to get through the snow while backdragging, or at least that's my understanding,.


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## coyote_nb

vfig;735382 said:


> What about pushing back old snow banks, we have a lot of snow here and looks like we are starting to run out of room to place it?
> 
> Thanks


hay vfig,

on way is backup in you garage and Plow 

i push some older snow banks but the SB is not made for this.

if the 1. snow com's you must plan to stuck it.

we push it direct far on our yard.

you have no realy chang's to push old frozen pils away.

rg 
Fred tymusic


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## antjmar

delagem;735402 said:


> Also, here's some pics of how well it stacks!


Wow those are some tall stacks! Do you raise the plow as you approach the stack so it goes that high?


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## delagem

Actually, the plow raises itself! I do hit up as I'm pushing in, but my poor little ATV winch doesn't keep up. As I back out, the plow drops and finally the winch catches up.

Oh, and I recommend that anyone needing a winch DO NOT buy the cheezy ATV winch like I did. I bought the 1102D winch from Northern, figuring I could just swap the motors. Not so, different drives, length, etc. Cost as much as the motor direct from Superwinch, and has been a lot of problems in only a month of use. Problems with wire cable fraying, relays melting, mount spacing is different. I received this from Superwinch after I bought the ATV winch regarding a motor for the Snowbear:

Michael, The part number for the motor is 90-33293 sells for $101.14 We also sell the 1102D for $ 201.61 The motor can be ordered from Superwinch call 1-800-323-2031

Best Regards,
Mike


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## plowguy43

I'm on my 3rd winch. I liked the Superwinch LT2000 the best- very fast winch and it was kinda overkill for this plow and lasted through a lot. Something happened with it and I needed a winch within hours so I went to walmart and picked up a Master Lock ATV 1500lb winch for $50. These winches are working ok and is slow but its a cheap alternative. The only thing you need to do to make these winches work is widen the mounting holes on the winch plate themselves and then they are good to go.


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## delagem

I suspect you have the nylon strap on your Snowbear? What I do know is the small ATV winches such as the 1102D from Superwinch will NOT work with the chain lift on the older Snowbears. The center spool is too small for the chain clamp, and when I shimmed it with brass pipe, the chain contacted the winch mount before the 2nd wrap.

This forced me to use the cheezy wire to lift the plow. And when the plow rises on my stacks faster than the winch can reel it up, the wire occasionally jumps out of the drum, and gets damaged. I'm on my 3rd splice of the wire in a month. 

I've found a cheap winch from Harbor Freight that I think is the exact match for the OEM Snowbear for $49 on sale, but haven't been able to get my hands on one yet.....


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## Goofyexponent

I bought a 2000 pound line pull winch from a place in Dartmouth called Princess Auto. Paid $74 for it, and it was a DIRECT fit. It came with the handle style remote which I spliced into the Snowbear wiring so I could have a hand held control for up and down. It is a little slower than the snowbear winch, but I have had NO problems with the wire fraying, jamming or anything like that. I will be doing the relay conversion on the truck this season though, just to get rid of that big ugly handle sitting on my dash.


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## plowguy43

Yes my original winch had the nylon strap that frayed due to ice build up and got jammed bad enough to twist the housing by the drum. This didn't allow the drum to spin anymore and ruined it. I then got the Superwinch LT2000 from VIP Auto Parts for about $99 and just used it as it came out of the box with the metal cable. It has jumped every now and again but worked great through a lot of snow, and like I said before it was very fast. The plow would raise and lower almost as fast as a Fisher plow. Something happened to the clutch as it will not spin the drum anymore. Now I'm onto the master lock and its fine but slow, but is also a metal cable style.


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## cherokeeman

i have a snowbear i have been plowing with it for 7 years now i had to modify it quite a bit i added a lot of weight to it my snowbear is a 7 footer poly blade i have read on this site about the wimpy electric lift motor im going to somehow try to use a diffrent brand for my lift i put my plow through hell and back other than the lift motor im happy with mine


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## coloradoplower

My stock Snowbear winch recently died. The motor is OK but the gears are chewed up and it just grinds without raising.

Anyway I am considering replacing it with a Superwinch LT2000 but had some concerns.

1. Looks like I will need to drill new mount holes in the plow frame as the stock winch bracket has 4 1/2" spacing and the LT2000 has 3.1" spacing. Confirm or suggest alternate mounting technique?

2. Do I need to be concerned with the plow descending when there isn't power to it. In other words will it hold the plow height without making any modifications to it or adding special braking circuits?


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## Goofyexponent

The winch I used to replace my old one with was a Superwinch LT2000. IT was almost a direct bolt on. All I had to do was enlarge the holes on the winch and and it bolded up to the plow frame. I NEVER had a problem with gravity making the plow drop on it's own and it helped me stack snow better. It is a little slower going up and down, but you won'y kill it.

I also spliced in the handle control from the LT2000 in place of the in cab switch. This let me have the control in my left hand at all times and my right hamd on the steering wheel and close to the shifter for those quick back and forth clean ups.


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## delagem

Yes, most winches you will need to modify the mount. And it's not as simple as drilling, if you go for a smaller winch like I did. If you look at the back side of the tower the winch mounts to, you'll see it's 3 plates bolted together, 2 tower arms and a center divider. You will need to disassemble, cut the divider down to size (I used a cutoff tool), and then install. If your winch plate is bigger than the stock Snowbear, you may just be able to drill new holes in the winch plate.

Alternatively, you could take a beefy piece of steel plate and make an adapter.

I haven't had any problems with the winch dropping while travelling. I have had many problems with the steel wire, and honestly don't recommend it. As soon as this winch motor dies, I'm going back to the proper Snowbear winch with a chain...

Here's a pic of the backside of my winch tower, and a pic of my pvc "yard guard" I made. It's just held on with bungee cord, but seems to work just fine! It's not permanent, I just made it as a "proof of concept" to see if I even like how it works. Takes $10 and 20 min to make one from pvc, probably 4 hours to make it out of steel!


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## coloradoplower

>>Goofyexponent... I NEVER had a problem with gravity making the plow drop on it's own and it helped me stack snow better.

Are you saying that the plow will drop on its own by gravity and that it didn't bother you?

OR

It was never a problem for you because it did not drop on its own?


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## coloradoplower

>>Goofyexponent: The winch I used to replace my old one with was a Superwinch LT2000. IT was almost a direct bolt on. All I had to do was enlarge the holes on the winch and and it bolted up to the plow frame.

We must have different plow frames because the winch mount holes on my plow are 4.5" apart and the LT2000's mounting point is only 4.1" tall so widening the holes to reach 4.5" would be impossible.

This link shows the winch diagram showing the 4.1" bracket height:
http://www.superwinch.com/LT2000_2_000lbs_ATV.html

My plow (at least the mount point) looks like the one in the photo that Delagem just posted.


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## ArcticCat1

Delagem------------

Let us know how that yard guard works! I like the idea, cheap and hopefully effective!


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## sday88

delagem;929791 said:


> Here's a pic of the backside of my winch tower, and a pic of my pvc "yard guard" I made. It's just held on with bungee cord, but seems to work just fine! It's not permanent, I just made it as a "proof of concept" to see if I even like how it works. Takes $10 and 20 min to make one from pvc, probably 4 hours to make it out of steel!


Doesn't the PVC wear though almost immediately?


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## Goofyexponent

Ok, it took me a little while to remember how I did this. I thought it was just a bolt on thing, and it was after I re drilled a hole in the back of the mounting plate on the winch. It's a big pain in the rearend because the bolt has to go through the winch from teh front or else the extra threads on the other end will interfere with the drum. You have to remove the plate from the winch to do it and I can't remember for the life of me how it comes off the winch,


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## Goofyexponent

OR, you could just unwind all the cable and drill and install the bolt that way!


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## delagem

sday88;930806 said:


> Doesn't the PVC wear though almost immediately?


No, I saw virtually no wear, however it did shatter this morning! 'Course, it's 8F here right now....

It's not meant for running up and down asphalt. I made it to stop lifting the gravel at one driveway I do, and it worked very well for that. Now I've gotta remake it in steel.


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## eman5oh

I had a snow bear that used to plow my drive and it held up fine for the two years that I had it and I was the 3 owner of it. I believe it to be 7-8 years old when it came to me and is now on its fourth owner. If you don't beat them they will last a long time. The winch was brand new when I purchased mine and it broke the very last time I used it two years later. The winch would lift ok but would coast right back down. So I got tow years out of it around 100 or so plowings. My brother in law has one and I helped him change the winch on his last nigh, it actually broke in half. The gear housing casting looked to have devolded a crack at the mounting point that lead to the failure. His plow is about 10 years old or so going on the paper work that came with it. His had a superwinch with chain drive. Not sure if it was original or replacement.I woould say plan on replacing this every few years if you get one. I retired mine because I bought a used Curtis set up for $350. Could not pass that up. The Curtis is a much nicer plow, but in the end it does the same job the snow bear did, just a little faster.


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## MBrooks420

delagem;929791 said:


> Yes, most winches you will need to modify the mount. And it's not as simple as drilling, if you go for a smaller winch like I did. If you look at the back side of the tower the winch mounts to, you'll see it's 3 plates bolted together, 2 tower arms and a center divider. You will need to disassemble, cut the divider down to size (I used a cutoff tool), and then install. If your winch plate is bigger than the stock Snowbear, you may just be able to drill new holes in the winch plate.


I didn't cut anything apart when I mounted my Atv winch. I simply took the winch off, marked where the new hole needed to be, and drilled a pilot hole in the center, then stepped up the bit.


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## MBrooks420

Goofyexponent;931269 said:


> Ok, it took me a little while to remember how I did this. I thought it was just a bolt on thing, and it was after I re drilled a hole in the back of the mounting plate on the winch. It's a big pain in the rearend because the bolt has to go through the winch from teh front or else the extra threads on the other end will interfere with the drum. You have to remove the plate from the winch to do it and I can't remember for the life of me how it comes off the winch,


There must be an easier way, I don't remember doing it, but I am sure I didn't take my winch apart.


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## delagem

MBrooks420;932431 said:


> I didn't cut anything apart when I mounted my Atv winch. I simply took the winch off, marked where the new hole needed to be, and drilled a pilot hole in the center, then stepped up the bit.


Is your NEW winch base plate smaller or larger than the OEM Snowbear winch plate? If your NEW plate is larger, you just drill a hole in the NEW winch plate in the proper location. If it's smaller, it isn't that easy....

If your NEW winch plate is smaller than your old one, you'll need to put a new hole in the winch tower. Look at the picture. The OEM bolt holding the winch on is sized almost exactly the same as the thickness of the middle plate. If you installed a winch with a smaller plate on your tower, and you drilled it out, you either put in a substantially smaller bolt, or drilled the sides of that plate remarkably thin.


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## MBrooks420

delagem;932573 said:


> Is your NEW winch base plate smaller or larger than the OEM Snowbear winch plate? If your NEW plate is larger, you just drill a hole in the NEW winch plate in the proper location. If it's smaller, it isn't that easy....
> 
> If your NEW winch plate is smaller than your old one, you'll need to put a new hole in the winch tower. Look at the picture. The OEM bolt holding the winch on is sized almost exactly the same as the thickness of the middle plate. If you installed a winch with a smaller plate on your tower, and you drilled it out, you either put in a substantially smaller bolt, or drilled the sides of that plate remarkably thin.


NEW winch pattern was smaller. Drilled the hole out to for OEM sized bolt in SAE. Nothing on the winch mount is remarkably thin, it's been in use for 2 seasons with the winch mount, and I abuse the plow like it was never meant to be used. I frequently push banks, and lift the plow with a snow load heavy enough to tax the 1,500# winch.


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## delagem

I think if you look at my picture posted previously, you will understand what I'm saying.

Now I'm asking you to post a picture so I can understand what you're saying.

I tried to repost my picture, but it give me an error message, saying I already posted that pic in this thread.....


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## MBrooks420

Winch plate is indeed smaller than the factory Superwinch. So where is it "remarkably" thin?


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## delagem

That mount tower is a sandwich of three plates. The middle plate must be very thin on the sides, the way you did it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. On mine its cut completely out, just like how Snowbear did it, only in a different spot. I moved the bottom bolt up, it looks like you moved the top bolt down. 

I felt it would be faster to disassemble, cut and reassemble than to do it the way you did.


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## MBrooks420

I understand the 3 plates thing. I also fail to see how having a thin middle plate is worse than not having any support below the bottom of the fastener head. Thin plate vs. large piece of center plate gone? I'll take the thin plate. How would taking everything apart and cutting out a piece of metal faster then punching the steel, then drilling 2 holes?


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## coloradoplower

I'm going to try to get away with one of these I bought at Harbor Freight for $50 + $10 2 year replacement contract:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92860

I mounted it by removing the plow's beefy mounting plate altogether. Then put one bolt through one of the plow frames holes meant for the old mounting plate. The second bolt wedges nicely in between one of the plow frame pieces and a large nut and the winch miraculously sits straight as it should and does a fine job of lifting the plow. (Let me know if you want to see pics of this.)

Looks like this winch has the same size motor as the Superwinch LT2000 but the gear box is much smaller so will likely need to take it easy. Kept all the old pieces in case it doesn't work out and I find myself needing to spring for the stock $250 replacement winch but so far I'm up $200 and good to go.


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## delagem

coloradoplower;941544 said:


> (Let me know if you want to see pics of this.)


Sounds great! Definitely post a pic and let us know how it works out!

My experience with using wire winches on Snowbears hasn't been good, I'd really like to go back to the chain setup. Like you, I saved my old winch, planning on going back once the current Superwinch I installed dies....


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## coloradoplower

I am nervous about the wire aspect of the winch since I've read many posts about them breaking constantly. Gee, it sure is smoother than the chain tho. I guess I should pick up some hardware bits to have ready to reattach it in a jiffy when it breaks (and breaks and breaks.)

I'll post the pics of the mounting the next time it snows cuz now I have it covered up with plastic like I should have been doing with my stock winch.


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## eman5oh

coloradoplower;941596 said:


> I am nervous about the wire aspect of the winch since I've read many posts about them breaking constantly. Gee, it sure is smoother than the chain tho. I guess I should pick up some hardware bits to have ready to reattach it in a jiffy when it breaks (and breaks and breaks.)
> 
> I'll post the pics of the mounting the next time it snows cuz now I have it covered up with plastic like I should have been doing with my stock winch.


When I had mine I ran it with cable for the first year, it broke 4-5 times that year. Real PIA if you know what I mean. I switched it to chain after that and no more broken cable or chain problems. Do your self a favor and change it over, it will make your plowing season go much more smoothly.


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## delagem

Some people on here have reported good luck with the cable. I'm not one of them, unfortunately....

Best "parting cable" story:

My son, a new driver, age 16, borrowed my truck to run an errand in town. As he left the driveway, the corner of the plow tinged the ground. Not a big deal, happens all the time if you don't raise the plow fully, or drive too fast over the apron. He grabbed the winch control, and mashed the "up" button... Apparently well past when the winch two-blocked... BAM! The cable parted, the plow slammed to the street as he was accelerating past 20mph. What a noise!

I think the cable can work ok, but it's probably down to how much use and how hard you are on the equipment.


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## ArcticCat1

Nice stacks! And with a Snowbear??wesport


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## delagem

ArcticCat1;943482 said:


> Nice stacks! And with a Snowbear??wesport


Yup, a 10 year old Snowbear at that! New winch (that sucks), 2nd set of relays on my cobbed switch, and a new set of corner flags. That's it for 10 years of service....


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## delagem

eman5oh;942056 said:


> When I had mine I ran it with cable for the first year, it broke 4-5 times that year. Real PIA if you know what I mean. I switched it to chain after that and no more broken cable or chain problems. Do your self a favor and change it over, it will make your plowing season go much more smoothly.


eman5oh, can you explain how you attached your chain in place of the wire? I tried to attach my chain to the Superwinch I bought, but the OEM Snowbear clamps that attach to the drum wouldn't work with the smaller Superwinch drum. Shimming the OEM clamps didn't work either, as the Superwinch frame is closer than the Snowbear, so the chain strikes the frame as it begins its second wrap....

If you don't mind, a picture is the best way to explain! Just pay out the chain before you take the pic, so we can see how you attached it!

I'd really appreciate it!

Michael


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## eman5oh

I don't have the plow any more so I can't provide any pictures. What I did was place a bolt though the hole though the winch spool that you would normally thread the cable though and attached the chain to both sides using washer to keep the chain from slipping off. I used a stainless steel bolt and had to bend it a bit to get the chain on once though the spool. It was not the best set up, but it did hold up for 2 years. If I were to do it over I would find a u-bolt or two that was close in size to fitting the spool and use the chain on the open side to squeeze against the spool.


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## champlainl

yes, a ubolt is the trick, bought a stainless one, ran chain thru it and used double backing plate,works perfect. I've moved and stacked a ton of snow with this set up


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## ArcticCat1

champlainl;958052 said:


> yes, a ubolt is the trick, bought a stainless one, ran chain thru it and used double backing plate,works perfect. I've moved and stacked a ton of snow with this set up


Could you provide pics of this setup you have? Would be much appreciated!


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## delagem

Here are the pics of Bob's (Champlainl) chain setup with the $39 Harbor Freight winch. Looks great!


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## coloradoplower

*Photos of zero modification Harbor Freight winch install*

This is a followup to my last post that includes photos that show how I managed to bolt on a Harbor Freight winch without any modifications. One bolt goes through an upper plate hole on the winch and a plow frame hole. The 2nd lower bolt goes through the winch plate and is wedged between two of the plow arms.

It seems very secure and have had success operating the plow with this setup in light use at my home on a 1/4 mile long unpaved driveway and unpaved circular driveway.

I'd like to hear some suggestions on cheap plow end marker flags if anyone has any please. I figured I don't need to buy official Snow Bear marker flags; what's the best thing I can find at my local hardware store?


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## ranger88den

coloradoplower;1035264 said:


> This is a followup to my last post that includes photos that show how I managed to bolt on a Harbor Freight winch without any modifications. One bolt goes through an upper plate hole on both the winch and plow. The 2nd lower bolt goes through the winch plate and is wedged between two of the plow arms.
> 
> It seems very secure and have had success operating the plow with this setup in light use at my home on a 1/4 mile long unpaved driveway and unpaved circular driveway.


Thanks for posting.


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