# Just finished fabricating a backdrag edge for my Fisher Plow.



## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

Just finished it finally, after months of discussion, thought and design. Any thoughts or comments are appreicated.

The design started with a 8'x6"x5/8" Fisher cutting edge. I priced out steel and hardened steel (both 1/2" and 5/8") and it was by far cheaper to buy the Fisher edge. The hinge pins are also Fisher (3/4" trip edge pins). The hinge material is 3/8" steel plate with 2 steel tabs welded to the topside of the trip edge and a single steel tab notched and welded to the baclblade edge. Everything was first ticked and checked for function. As you plow forward, the backdrag just floats along. When the plow is lowered, it sits right on the backedge. This entire setup added 105 lbs to the weight of the plow. After some time was spent to clean up the welding surfaces and the backblade, paint was sprayed.

I also have more pictures for those of you who would like them, just email me at [email protected]


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

more pics of the backblade.


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## ScottPA (Nov 11, 2009)

Very nice. How many hours of fab. did it take?


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

about 20 hrs of design with a engineer friend and 3 hours of actual fabrication. Beers certainly slow the design process down!


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## ScottPA (Nov 11, 2009)

jimcouture;887517 said:


> about 20 hrs of design with a engineer friend and 3 hours of actual fabrication. Beers certainly slow the design process down!


Haha I hear that. Really looks good though.


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

Thanks, I'm sure there will be some fine tuning needed but need snow first.


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## ScottPA (Nov 11, 2009)

jimcouture;887533 said:


> Thanks, I'm sure there will be some fine tuning needed but need snow first.


Haha, don't even talk about snow...Iv'e been watching the weather channel like a hawk. NEPA hasn't gotten crap yet!


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

ScottPA;887555 said:


> Haha, don't even talk about snow...Iv'e been watching the weather channel like a hawk. NEPA hasn't gotten crap yet!


hahaha........same here!


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## ScottPA (Nov 11, 2009)

jimcouture;887567 said:


> hahaha........same here!


Lol, Just upgraded my truck,got a new plow and spreader, and if I don't get some snow to play in soon...I think there is a chance I might just LOSE it !!!!


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## f250man (Jan 28, 2005)

Looks good I hope it works out for you.


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## mcwlandscaping (Sep 8, 2005)

very nice job! looks very well made. What did you use to cut the notches for everything....plasma cutter? torch? Also what color/brand did you use to paint your base angle after you welded on the mounting tabs for the backdrag edge...it looks great!


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

I don't want to knock your work but the second last picture shows the back drag edge on the same angle as the front cutting edge. The idea of a back drag edge is to be in the opposite direction of the front edge. Easy solution, put on some stops so the back drag edge doesn't travel as far. Every thing else looks great.


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## serafii (Nov 29, 2009)

great job on the backblade for the plow. down here they come standard when u buy a fisher or western. if u dont mind wat did it cost u total to build it? down here its about $300-$400 with installation included.
a lil advice to save u work in the futur, i would add another tab on the backblade at every hinge, because when ur backblading those hinges take alot of impact and they sometimes become flimsy and snap.

cet---all the back blades lean like that. they scrape alot better than if they were straight down. and it also serves as a bit of a safety measure with it leaning forward liek he has, because if it is leaning straight, if u move the plow a little bit theres a chance it will kick back and land on the cutting edge.

im just talking from experience not trying to be a smarta$$

i posted a picture of my plow (sold it instead of rebuilding it) this back blade had a teflon blade bolted to it because clients were complaining because of the scratches on the unistone. i dont suggest to ever put a teflon blade, i took mine off my other truck, and i refuse to ever put one on again. they dont scrape!!


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

When you put the plow down, does the back drag blade hit first? If so, aren't you stressing those 3 pins quite a bit. I think you did a great job on it, but the way it mounts looks a little weak.


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## serafii (Nov 29, 2009)

yah the back drag is wat hits the ground first when u drop the plow, thats why i mentioned to the OP to add another tab on each pin. one they are reinforced it should be fine we all have them like that down here,


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

cet;887655 said:


> I don't want to knock your work but the second last picture shows the back drag edge on the same angle as the front cutting edge. The idea of a back drag edge is to be in the opposite direction of the front edge. Easy solution, put on some stops so the back drag edge doesn't travel as far. Every thing else looks great.


What he said!



serafii;887874 said:


> cet---all the back blades lean like that. they scrape alot better than if they were straight down. and it also serves as a bit of a safety measure with it leaning forward liek he has, because if it is leaning straight, if u move the plow a little bit theres a chance it will kick back and land on the cutting edge.


How does it scrape any better if it's at the same angle as the front cutting edge?


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## WRIGHTWAY (Nov 17, 2005)

2COR517;888094 said:


> What he said!
> 
> How does it scrape any better if it's at the same angle as the front cutting edge?


x3


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## rusty_keg_3 (Dec 6, 2008)

looks good, i think we should make one too, it sure would be nice for parking lots...


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

rusty_keg_3;888148 said:


> looks good, i think we should make one too, it sure would be nice for parking lots...


Do you perform much backdragging in your parking lots?


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## rusty_keg_3 (Dec 6, 2008)

2COR517;888149 said:


> Do you perform much backdragging in your parking lots?


Well, one of our biggest clients is a investment company. They have lots of apartments, and rental houses... Our second biggest is another realestate investor, same deal, apartments, and rentals... Most of the people dont come out and mowe their cars for us...
This year, our 09 (v-plow) will spend all day at the Crysler and Jeep plant, so no back dragging for that... But our 99 (straight blade) will be doing the apartments, small biz's, and houses.

Most of the houses have to be back dragged any way... So yes, our one truck dose lots of back dragging...


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## serafii (Nov 29, 2009)

wrightway---may sound a lil stupid but even at the same angle, it cleans much better because the backblade is thinner than the front cutting edge and scrapes more. also, the front cutting edge is always flat from all the pushing, the backblade with some time is going to make its own edge and will clean better. i have backdragged without a backblade and then converted to a backblade like the one the OP built and cleans much better than the cutting edge. it may sound stupid but im saying it out of experience, correct me if im wrong.


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

Back drags like a pro. wont change anything about the design or angle.


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

There are 4 mounts, on 3/4" pins, in which the mounts are welded directly to the back of the trip edge with 10-12" of weld per mount. Muliple that by 4 mounts.....thats 40-48" of weld holding the back blade on. If you have ever used your plow feet, the hiits the ground before the blade does and isn' t attached nearly as well as these backdrag mounts.


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## jimcouture (Aug 21, 2009)

It scrapes very well and functions as i need it to.


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## Grn Mtn (Sep 21, 2004)

looks very similar to the one on my old truck, loved it. you will be enjoying yours. as a bonus when pushing gravel you drop your blade, roll forward till plow is on the ground then lift up a tich, now the back drag edge sweeps the gravel and your blade pushes the snow. also sweeps curbs clean as you lift over them.


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## mycirus (Dec 6, 2008)

So I was having a guy make me one just like this and he says he cant weld to the edge he took off my front to use as a backblade because it is hardened steel and you cant weld to it. Others have, what is the secret to welding brackets to hardened steel so they dont break off.


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## chevyzrule810 (Oct 5, 2010)

Heat it up with a torch before you weld it.This will weaken the steel and make it brittle and it could break like the one below.

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=116715&highlight=backdrag


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## J&R Landscaping (Dec 25, 2005)

Nice design!!


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## WRIGHTWAY (Nov 17, 2005)

serafii;888879 said:


> wrightway---may sound a lil stupid but even at the same angle, it cleans much better because the backblade is thinner than the front cutting edge and scrapes more. also, the front cutting edge is always flat from all the pushing, the backblade with some time is going to make its own edge and will clean better.


I under stand what your saying I did not think about it being ground to a knife edge Thumbs Up
But I still think adding some stops and standing it up more will help it not climb over the hard packed snow


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## STIHL GUY (Sep 22, 2009)

looks great. hopefully it works well for you


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## TOYMVR (Jan 18, 2004)

jimcouture;887517 said:


> about 20 hrs of design with a engineer friend and 3 hours of actual fabrication. Beers certainly slow the design process down!


Did you by any chance make Print


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

Nice lookin' blade you've got there. I put an oem back drag blade on my Western 8' Pro. Added about 70 lbs and took $90.00 out of my pocket. Works ok but not great.


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