# Hiniker vs Western



## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

My dealers has both brands but says everyone in the area is wanting the hinikers, but from the reading i have done the western is the way to go. What do you all think is the better plow and why?


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## sno commander (Oct 16, 2007)

id go with the western, there well built, easy to hook up and part support is good


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## niederhauser la (Feb 10, 2005)

Just look at them side by side. The western is build so much better!


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## exmark1 (Nov 30, 2005)

I have had Hiniker V-Plows for years now...My new truck I am getting this week will be getting a MVP Western. I have been happy overall with the Hinikers, but am looking to try something different and the dealer has really good pricing on them right now!


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## toptech72 (Oct 7, 2008)

We have 2 Hiniker V plows and have had no issues with them. The western we have (straight blade) has been nothing but trouble.


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## MileHigh (Nov 6, 2007)

My buddies got 4 westerns...all with problems.

Personally I like plows that have Direct Lift as opposed to the Chain Lift....That is the deciding factor for myself...So I choose Hiniker.


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## ondirtymax (Dec 22, 2008)

BladeScape;945165 said:


> My buddies got 4 westerns...all with problems.
> 
> Personally I like plows that have Direct Lift as opposed to the Chain Lift....That is the deciding factor for myself...So I choose Hiniker.


The only thing that scares me about direct lift is if the plow won't lift your euchared! At least with a chain lift you can short chain the blade to get back to the shop.


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## MileHigh (Nov 6, 2007)

ondirtymax;945344 said:


> The only thing that scares me about direct lift is if the plow won't lift your euchared! At least with a chain lift you can short chain the blade to get back to the shop.


Ok lets see...How would you short chain a direct lift plow? The same way you would a chainer...only without a chain.

You would drive into a pile (or jack plow up) and use a ratchet strap to "short chain" the direct lift plow.


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## ondirtymax (Dec 22, 2008)

BladeScape;945378 said:


> Ok lets see...How would you short chain a direct lift plow? The same way you would a chainer...only without a chain.
> 
> You would drive into a pile (or jack plow up) and use a ratchet strap to "short chain" the direct lift plow.


only with a chainer you would just shorten the chain, no need for a ratchet strap, but yes point taken. I was not being smart assed, I have never used a direct lift blade and do not know how the system works, or if it could be "short chained"...........now i know, thx for the info:salute:


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## Rossland&seal (Dec 6, 2009)

*Hiniker push-plates*

We have a 3 year old Hiniker c-plow, and the push plates have completely severed 2 out of the last 3 years, with the plow falling off of the truck. I also know of 2 other contractors in our area that have had the same problems {and only a few companys have hinikers in our area}. We have also have had problems with the motor and solenoids in the past. Now all we run are Fisher v plows and Fisher XLS plows and we have yet to have a problem.


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## ondirtymax (Dec 22, 2008)

Rossland&seal;945415 said:


> We have a 3 year old Hiniker c-plow, and the push plates have completely severed 2 out of the last 3 years, with the plow falling off of the truck. I also know of 2 other contractors in our area that have had the same problems {and only a few companys have hinikers in our area}. We have also have had problems with the motor and solenoids in the past. Now all we run are Fisher v plows and Fisher XLS plows and we have yet to have a problem.


What do you mean by push plates? As in the mold boards?


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## Rossland&seal (Dec 6, 2009)

*yes*

yes, the actual frame on the truck, we actually broke our second set 2 days ago, we are getting a set of forks custom fabricated this week


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## jake2333 (Oct 13, 2009)

*Hiniker*

I have ran Hininker plows for 5 years and have had zero problems until this year. I too had the fork bust right off the truck. I have heard some others have this and Hiniker ignores the flaw. I have been completely satisfied otherwise....hope that does not happen again.


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## Rossland&seal (Dec 6, 2009)

*hiniker*

Our truck with the hiniker c plow is going up for sale it has been nothing but problems. when it works it pull plows and scrapes good but there is too much down time due to break downs. we replaced it with a fisher xls 8"-10" ft. expanding plow. We do a lot of condos with a lot of pull plowing and the xls backdrags just as good as the c plow pull plows.


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## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

besides the hiniker c plow having some motor/solinoid issues how is the plow its self when working correctly


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## Cooter24 (Nov 13, 2007)

I have an older C-plow and it has given me no troubles whatsoever. They will all break at some point. Hopefully you can catch it while still minor. I would recommend the Hiniker.


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## Pushin 2 Please (Dec 15, 2009)

BladeScape;945378 said:


> Ok lets see...How would you short chain a direct lift plow? The same way you would a chainer...only without a chain.
> 
> You would drive into a pile (or jack plow up) and use a ratchet strap to "short chain" the direct lift plow.


Yeah that sounds good! Hooking up a ratchet strap at 4 in the morning in the cold. I have a direct lift with my Boss and love it. ITS DEPENDABLE. I've had Hiniker and like the others said it was nothing but problems. The plow doesn't go high enough in IMO, even after adjusting the "horns". The truck side "horns" are a horrible design, they start to bend down after a few years. Western all the way and you if want the direct lift Boss. Stay away Fromm Hiniker!


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## ABES (Jun 10, 2007)

I purchased a Western this past fall and havent had any issues with it yet (knock on wood), although it is an older unimount I have been hearing about quality issues with the new Westerns. There is 2 major problems I have with the hinikers 1) the grill plugs are too small and corode easily and are very hard to get a good connection. 2) the truck mounting forks are weak and break off right at the notch letting the plow fall off of the truck


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## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

in my area i bet you see 5 hinikers to 1 of any other brand.


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## MileHigh (Nov 6, 2007)

Pushin 2 Please;946368 said:


> Yeah that sounds good! Hooking up a ratchet strap at 4 in the morning in the cold. I have a direct lift with my Boss and love it. ITS DEPENDABLE.


I was simply referring too how to transport a broken direct lift plow....

One question smart guy...

How would you "short chain" your direct lift boss plow at 4 in the morning in the cold????

My lord.


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## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

I have been doing some reading on the Direct lift and Chain lift, so i kinda know about them but what do you all think on that topic? what do you suggest? 

I have also noticed that the direct lift seems to be more of what people want so I would really like to hear what the guys buying the chain lift say +/- of the them.


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## M.S.P.M. (Nov 2, 2009)

I have both a western and a hiniker and for me they are the same I have no preference between the two. The only difference is western is a chain lift and hiniker is a direct lift. I notice no difference except the fact that the chain lift bounces around more than the direct lift.


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## bigbadduramax (Jan 9, 2010)

Hiniker all the way.


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## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

bigbadduramax;951850 said:


> Hiniker all the way.


Can you explain why?


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## sno commander (Oct 16, 2007)

what does your dealer recomend, since they sell both brands they should have a un-biased opinion. what do hinikers have for a warraty? western is 2 years


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## orange toys (Dec 16, 2008)

if you called him up right now he would say hiniker, and then you ask why and somewhere in the answer of why is thats what everyone wants. 

I want the best not what joe down the road wants.


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## bigbadduramax (Jan 9, 2010)

*hiniker*

ive been plowing for 5 years with 3 hinikers. i sub contract for a huge company and i am one of the few that run hinikers. most use boss and blizzard and myers. i see constant breakdowns on newer equipment than mine. in 5 years i have had only 1 problem and it is with my back up plow that is old as dirt.


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## CHCSnowman (Nov 11, 2006)

I have a Hiniker V Plow on a F-250 & an 8' straight blade on my Chevy 2500. The Hiniker is about 4 years old and the Boss about 8-9. I have had chain lifts before and I just think the direct lift is better.

As for V plow compared to straight blade......I say V blades are much better.

As for brand....I would say either of these are tough plows. I have had a hose break on the Boss and a nut come off the solenoid(when it was new) in 8-9 years of use. 

The Hiniker the only problem I had was a wire connection at my controller when it was new to me and last year I hit a riser and bent and broke my truck side mount.....but the forks didnt break.

The Hiniker controller is nicer to use then the Boss joystick.....

I would let the deciding factor be the dealer and the hours they have during snow storms. We have 24 hour dealers. And if you can get 24 hour service with all brands..I would go with the cheapest priced plow.


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## TKLAWN (Jan 20, 2008)

The parts are easier to find and are cheaper for westerns.


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## FisherVMan (Jan 5, 2010)

Up here you couldnt hardly give either one away as everyone uses Yellow plows but they both look good and I have heard some good stuff about the Hiniker Plow..................


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## dforbes (Jan 14, 2005)

BladeScape;948791 said:


> I was simply referring too how to transport a broken direct lift plow....
> 
> One question smart guy...
> 
> ...


I don't have my instructions in front of me right now but I remember reading something like
_put the plow in float and push up on a pile of snow raising the blade. disconect the bolt from the lift cylinder and move the bracket to the center hole. Replace the bolt. The plow is now ready for transport._ short chained

Something like that. I remember from when I got my first Hiniker in 1994 so these directions may not be exactly right. I always carry my book with me in the winter so If I ever need to know I will read it then.


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## addictedtolands (Jan 18, 2010)

I have owned almost all of the more common makes. I switched to Hiniker last year after going through HELL with my sw v's. What I have noticed, the design of the blade significantly resembles that of a boss, I just sold my last boss that was 13 yo and worked like a dream. The frame is all box tubing. My v is 9'6" all steel, weighs just short of 1000 lbs. I was so impressed with it last year, I bought on of the scoop plows this year. The scoop is poly, 8'. I have used it to do cleanups for the couple storms we have gotten. The scoop is really fast, shakes the truck when you angle it, but settles on the ground nice and easily, scrapes very clean. I would have to say it only weighs somewhere in the area of 500 or so.

Overall, I like the performance and reliability, I run these things to make money, I am not by any means anyone who will baby them, they are designed to work and I put them to the test.

the only down side I have found, the connections are ridiculous. My v has three different plugs, power of course then two others I assume lighting on one and function of the blade on the other. The fact that they have not come up with something sturdier and more protected astonishes me. The scoop, same way, except two plugs instead of three. 

I prefer the full trip blades, and sued t have a Western pro series that had a shock absorber so that when the blade came back up you didn't lose your teeth, the scoop is a trip edge set up, so I will have to wait and see if it grows on me. The V doesn't rattle me to bad. My biggest concern with the trip edge has been hidden obstacles, but most are making there edges 9" I believe now, so that should be a thing of the past.


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## NicholasMWhite (Oct 5, 2008)

addictedtolands;973009 said:


> I have owned almost all of the more common makes. I switched to Hiniker last year after going through HELL with my sw v's. What I have noticed, the design of the blade significantly resembles that of a boss, I just sold my last boss that was 13 yo and worked like a dream. The frame is all box tubing. My v is 9'6" all steel, weighs just short of 1000 lbs. I was so impressed with it last year, I bought on of the scoop plows this year. The scoop is poly, 8'. I have used it to do cleanups for the couple storms we have gotten. The scoop is really fast, shakes the truck when you angle it, but settles on the ground nice and easily, scrapes very clean. I would have to say it only weighs somewhere in the area of 500 or so.
> 
> Overall, I like the performance and reliability, I run these things to make money, I am not by any means anyone who will baby them, they are designed to work and I put them to the test.
> 
> ...


The reason the v (and c-plow for that matter) have 3 plugs is so that you can use a truck that is wired for a v-plow or c-plow and run a straight or scoop blade. You just plug in the power/ground connector and the other. This way especially you using multiple hinikers could wire all your trucks to with the v-plow wiring and controller and then use any plow with any truck.


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## Ozone (Dec 5, 2003)

My Western Unimount is about 7-8 years old now, and never had 1 problem. 

I don't count an occasional "pin" break as a problem.

I change my pump oil every other year, and make sure my electrical connections are cleaned. 

However my blade's paint job is peeling a tad on the top..have to fix that this year. 

Western all the way for me.


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## linycctitan (Aug 13, 2007)

Pretty simple to answer your own question (not trying to be calis, just making a point). Your local dealer sells both, so which do they stock more parts for? Which has the better warranty? Talk to some of the techs, which ones do they have more issues with (which comes in the shop broken more?)? Which are they more experienced, or trained in servicing? All plow makes and models have pros and cons, so after looking at them side by side, which one will serve your needs better? After these questions have been answered, you can make an educated decision. Best regards.


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## cleansweep007 (Oct 21, 2008)

Two western plows and they have been perfect ! We have both dealers here and I think I have seen a total of three hinker's around here. Western is more reliable then hinker around here.


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## spencer087 (Sep 10, 2008)

I recently looked at a 2010 hiniker and if i remember right there was a metal plate that was kind of pie shaped with steps cut into it. I think what you do it drive the plow up a pile and move that plate down and when you back up it holds the plow up.


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## Pinky Demon (Jan 6, 2010)

My old Western Uni-Mount straight is a tank, but I switched to Boss for my new V. Western/Fisher builds a terrible V and there are many threads on here to back that statement up. Go search for 2CORs write up on his Fisher V blade.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Hey, I can get in enough trouble on my own.........

However, on the previous Hiniker V thread, I was very impressed by the photos I saw. Never looked at one "in person" so I can't say much more. Apparently the Hiniker truckside forks have had issues? Maybe that has been resolved.

As for strength/durability, I have a 9 foot Fisher Quick Switch I'll put up against any other pickup plow wesport


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## mule585 (Oct 24, 2010)

i have 2 westerns and love them will never switch but it all depends on what you want straight or v personally i want a wideout i think v plows are over rated


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## Pinky Demon (Jan 6, 2010)

mule585;1095823 said:


> i have 2 westerns and love them will never switch but it all depends on what you want straight or v personally * i want a wideout i think v plows are over rated*


Depends on what you are using it for really. Wideouts or Power Plows in general are damned good though.


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## mule585 (Oct 24, 2010)

i went to my western dealer on friday to see if i could trade my pro plus for a wideout they said $2100 installed with 2yr warranty. just need to make some money now it might be a mid season change to the wideout


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## addictedtolands (Jan 18, 2010)

I guess I will ressurect this since the mega blade from snow way has been out for a year and the new design on the Hiniker V has haf some time now.

Me, still very happy with my Hinikers. One of the contractor I deal with gave me a song and dance that his Fisher X series V is power in and out. Any truth to that?? 

Last year, I did have the truck side (forks) break. My dealer had it welded back together fairly quickly, figured rather have them do it incase something happens. I was able to get to the scoop plow and kept going. Here is the ,mind blowing part of that. By thetime I got to the next parking lot, there was 8" in there, as most may recall we really got hammered in NY last season. Now, the v is 9'6 and the scoop 8', V is steel, scoop is poly. I did that parking lot with 8" in it 20 minutes fast than I could with my V.


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## My bowtie (Jan 15, 2008)

addictedtolands;1312288 said:


> I guess I will ressurect this since the mega blade from snow way has been out for a year and the new design on the Hiniker V has haf some time now.
> 
> Me, still very happy with my Hinikers. One of the contractor I deal with gave me a song and dance that his Fisher X series V is power in and out. Any truth to that??
> 
> Last year, I did have the truck side (forks) break. My dealer had it welded back together fairly quickly, figured rather have them do it incase something happens. I was able to get to the scoop plow and kept going. Here is the ,mind blowing part of that. By thetime I got to the next parking lot, there was 8" in there, as most may recall we really got hammered in NY last season. Now, the v is 9'6 and the scoop 8', V is steel, scoop is poly. I did that parking lot with 8" in it 20 minutes fast than I could with my V.


The Quick hitch2 is new this yr on Hinikers comm plows. There is no more "notch" in the forks, and they are thicker. Also offer a flared moldboard to. The new plows will not interchange with last yrs plows. I looked at the new hitch system at my dealer the a week or so ago. I like it better than my old Hiniker. Ordered a 8.5 flared V for my new 1 ton dumpussmileyflag


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## addictedtolands (Jan 18, 2010)

I will have to check the new hitch system out. We have a ton of bids out, but everyone tends to wait until the last minute here. Drives me nuts!!!!!

I am looking for another truck t add as a backup, hoping to find a dodge and then will probably swap the steel v to that (push plates will mount right up and then put a new flared V on the 07.


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## merrimacmill (Apr 18, 2007)

Rossland&seal;945443 said:


> yes, the actual frame on the truck, we actually broke our second set 2 days ago, we are getting a set of forks custom fabricated this week


I had a guy do that to my last fisher plow this previous winter. He showed up pushing the plow in front of the truck with it hardly attached to the truck anymore. I just sold the last MM1 for $400.


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