# Which Plow to Purchase?



## DSmith (Nov 3, 2004)

My husband just bought a 2003 GMC 2500 HD Truck - extended cab, full bed - that has a towing & plow package on it.

I was thinking of getting him a plow as a gift for Christmas. 

We live in NJ. The snow here is generally wet & heavy. He will be using the plow strictly to remove snow from our driveway, which is not very long, and his parents' driveway, which is straight, flat and about 1/4 mile long.

Can anyone give me ideas as to which brand and/or type (metal or plastic) of plow would be best?

Any info would be GREATLY appreciated, as I have NO IDEA what to buy!

Thanks!!

Debbie


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## Frozen001 (Oct 20, 2004)

With a truck that size you will have to go with at least a 7.5 foot model since anything smaller and you will end up driving over the snow that falls out the ends when the plow is angled) Having said that that pretty much limits you to any one of the major brands out there(Wester, Fisher, Boss, Blizzard, ect). These plows are going to cost you upwards of $4000, so it is a large investment to make...


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

DSmith said:


> My husband just bought a 2003 GMC 2500 HD Truck - extended cab, full bed - that has a towing & plow package on it.
> 
> I was thinking of getting him a plow as a gift for Christmas.
> 
> ...


Price will be more like $2,800- $3,500 installed, yea its very expensive unfortunately.You should get an 8' plow, visit the websites of some plow companies and find some local dealers and give them a call. If the plow is going to be a suprise it will take an entire day to get the plow installed after you make the appointment with the dealer, so you will need an excuse to take the truck for the day and have him take your vehicle  As far as brand goes any major plow company will have a plow for that truck (Fisher, Western, Curtis, Blizzard, Boss, etc, check out their websites, they are very good at telling you all about their product. If it is too much money for a new plow you could consider trying to find a used plow, HOWEVER this can be a real headache especially (no offense) if you don't know anything about plows. You end up getting the plow but the mount won't fit the truck so you have tobuy a new mount and then find someone to install it, where as if you buy new, they will take care of that.

Good Luck!!!


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## DSmith (Nov 3, 2004)

Thanks to both of you for the info. I really appreciate it. I found a Boss dealer nearby so I'm going to stop in and talk to someone there. I figured it would be around $3,500 so I guess I'm right in the ballpark.

I have one more stupid question....once the dealer installs the plow the first time, can my husband take it off and put it back on when he wants to?

Debbie


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

The only stupid question is on that is not asked.  
He will be able to take it off and put it on whenever he likes. Only takes about 30. secs. :waving:


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## Frozen001 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Shop around if you can...*

First off I do not have any problems with Boss plows, I just wanted to say you should shop around to the different dealers, ask questions(none are stupid so don't worry about it). Don't buy something with out being informed!!


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

*Hi Deb, welcome to PlowSite!*



DSmith said:


> Thanks to both of you for the info. I really appreciate it. I found a Boss dealer nearby so I'm going to stop in and talk to someone there. I figured it would be around $3,500 so I guess I'm right in the ballpark.
> 
> I have one more stupid question....once the dealer installs the plow the first time, can my husband take it off and put it back on when he wants to?
> 
> Debbie


Here's something that may help you if you have not already found it on your own. It's a link to the part of the Boss plow site that demonstrates the SmartHitch2 mounting system and there's even a video you can watch if your computer's capable of running it.
I have a Boss 8' and it really is easy to connect and disconnect, a MUCH better system than the old plows and I think well worth the money.
And, this is only my opinion, but I think the Boss is a great looking set up too which will only compliment your husband's fairly new truck.
He'll be :redbounce up and down like a little kid at Christmas when he see it!
Good luck, please let us know how it all turned out! :waving:

Might help if I put the link in! http://www.bossplow.com/smart.asp


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## DSmith (Nov 3, 2004)

John: Thanks!! I watched the video & the hook-up on the Boss plow seems really easy.

Thanks, again, for the info! 

Deb


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## crashz (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm gonna send a link to this thread to my girlfriend...


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## Bolts Indus. (Dec 22, 2003)

DSmith:

My advice on any large priced gift is to present the gift first in the form of a card. Inside state his gift is a new snow plow. You also could include plow brochures, and he could take his pick of them. This would probably be the best and safest way to do it.
You know how finicky we men are about our toys. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

You just never know, he may have his heart set on a Blizzard.


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

Dave:

Not to knock you or Blizzard plows in any way, but I looked on their site and the 760 and 800 model straight blades are full moldboard trips. Now, I don't know if they do offer a tripedge and they just didn't show it, but that's an issue for DSmith. Down here in the North East U.S. we get alot of heavy, wet snow and for that a trip-edge plow is the way to go. It's not that a full trip plow won't work, it's just not as practical a model for the applications around here. It is very uncommon in this area to see a plow with a full moldboard trip style.

And, if Debbie is anything like my wife, or any woman for that matter, I guarantee she already has a pretty good idea of what he wants. She either very carefully got the info out of him in casual conversations or she checked with his friends. Any woman who loves her man enough to drop 4 grand on a new plow for him for Christmas must have some idea of confidence that when he sees it he'll be happy about it and not say, "Well, it's alright.......but I really wanted the other one...." :crying: 

If it was me, I'd rather walk out and see it sitting in my driveway with a big ribbon tied around it than get a card. No offense, brother, just my two cents.


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## Bolts Indus. (Dec 22, 2003)

She's a women so she will decide   

Where do you think I live but in the further North East. Wet snow? Is there any other kind? That's 80 percent of our snow. Now I do not wish to start a long endless trip edge - full trip arguement but I have used both and there is no difference if set up properly.


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

Bolts Indus. said:


> She's a women so she will decide


Well, you've got that right for sure Dave.

I'm not here to argue, only to learn, have some fun, and hopefully make a few friends along the way. I figured that was dumb (about the weather) after I wrote it, but since I've never been up there I really wasn't sure. I was thinking it's alot colder up there and there'd be less wet stuff, but what do I know 

As far as the edges go, I'll take your word for it. I'm just going by what I've read here and what I see other guys using where I live. Alot of guys have said that the full edge will trip under a heavy load and you'll lose it, but never having used one, I don't know. But, I'm sure the other members will add to the thread and give us a few more points of view.

Bottom line though is like you said, _she'll decide_ .


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## Bolts Indus. (Dec 22, 2003)

I run a Blizzard 810 and it never trips under a full wet load of snow unless I catch something sticking up out of the ground etc. But then it is supposed to isn't it. Get Wide Get Blizzard. purplebou


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

Johntwist, i know you won't take this the wrong way either, but i have a full trip plow and love it. I only live about what 25 miles from you also. I see enough full trip plows around, western, curtis,meyer. Granted all those companies have added the trip edge to thier line. (meyer has had it for a while: Diamond.) snow is usually a little wetter in Middleboro then it is in Randolph LOL J/K, J/K (you are hanging by your thumb nails on the rain/snow line in most storms, must drive you nuts.) Middleboro seems to be just on the snow side when iam down there in the winter, plymouth forget it its rain most of the time. Back to the topic, its very hard to get my Curtis to trip, i have to nail some foregin object to do it, snow is not going to trip it in any case. Meyers tend to be weak and flop foward sometimes, mainly the older ones though.

Bolts, i hear you 100% on the "blank check" for the large gifts, i have a few personal stories in which i wished people did not make such a large purchse for me without my input.

At the same time, I would want to be suprised by a snowplow sitting on my truck as a gift as well. How can you go wrong with any brand new set up that you pay to have professionally installed. Suprise him for sure, thats my opinion on this gift, he will be elated


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

*How could I disagree with another Sox fan?*

I've read alot of your posts and if you have a full trip and you love it then that says something for sure.
I suppose all I've heard about trip edge vs. full trip are the same as what I've heard about Ford vs. Chevy or Chevy vs. Dodge. I guess the key is to find what you like and what works for you and you really can't go wrong. But, I'm going to have to start looking harder in a few weeks around here when guys start hooking up.
I really haven't seen anything around here except Fisher trip edge blades. I am one of the few Bosses, although since the dealer here in town started carrying Boss as well as Fisher, he's been pushing the Boss and a few more are popping up. I've seen one Western, no Meyer's at all. And like you said, you're only a half hour's drive away. But no doubt, Fisher is the big name around this town, for now anyway.
Now, if we could just get that first storm! :yow!:


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## lawnmedic (Jan 9, 2004)

Personally I am not a fan of trip edge plows. My first plow was a fisher, whenever it tripped the plow bounced upward and left a lot of snow behind. My Meyer's I run now are just fine. If it trips with just wet snow the trip springs need replaced. Cost about 8.00 each....


Deb, I agree with getting a card and some brochures, I sure he will appreciate the gift but,,, let him help pick it out.....


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## PLOWMAN45 (Jul 2, 2003)

id put a fisher mm2 8ft blade this way he can expand his snow removal buisness he feels free to


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## Up North (May 4, 2004)

DSmith said:


> My husband just bought a 2003 GMC 2500 HD Truck - extended cab, full bed - that has a towing & plow package on it.
> 
> I was thinking of getting him a plow as a gift for Christmas.
> 
> ...


Deb, I'm just getting back into plowing this season after being out of it for a while...don't have the experience that most of these guys do. But I just went thru the plow buying process and I'll tell you about my experience. Any of the plow manufacturers out there are pretty good, Blizzard, Western, Boss, Fisher, Meyer, and that's not put in any specific order. Others we don't have in this area that gets mentioned a lot is Curtis, Diamond, & Snoway. In my selection process I wanted to make sure that the dealer stands behind the product and stocks critical parts in the case of a break down. Appearance was a slight factor, I didn't want the chain out in front of my truck, had that for years and it always bothered me, just a personal thing. Functionality was a factor, as was responsiveness, weight, and durability. As I found out, all of those were covered very well by all the manufacturers except weight. I had to go with a lighter plow due to my 1/2 ton truck, and you won't have to worry about since he runs a 3/4 ton. (I assume a gas engine & not diesel).

Anyway, if he has mentioned before that he'd like to put a plow on, try to get some info out of him like brand or V-plow or straight blade. He may have his heart set on one...but if he doesn't then go for either one of the brands mentioned in this thread, just make sure the dealer is near by and stands behind his product.

Also, I can tell you this, if I went out to my truck Christmas morning and saw a new plow hanging off the front of it I'd be jumping for joy!! :bluebounc  Especially after knowing my wife went thru the trouble of researching the info with dealers and the professionals here on plowsite.com. Be sure to tell him that, as that'll ease his mind in knowing that the plow on his truck matches the performance he'll be looking for. Good luck and I'm sure he'll become a member here after Christmas. Kind of cool that 1,000's of us know what he's getting for Christmas before he does...  In fact I think his screen name should be "spoiled brat"! Geez, I'm lucky to get a bag of candy from my wife.

Buck


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

Do not forget that Fisher, Meyer and Western come with a 2 year warranty too while Boss and Blizzard does not and a longer warranty is a plus when you are new to this and have problems.


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