# Best Plow / Truck setup for Residentials



## snow4me (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm doing residential plowing this year and so far I've got 9 large driveways and one 1/2 miles private road signed up and proposals out on 15 more. I bought a 1992 Chevy Silverado Z71 shortbed (117" wheelbase) truck thinking that it would be manuverable enough but now that I've got my plow (Sno-way 29 7.5foot) attached some of my drives look like they are going to be a pita. I just bought a 1996 Cherokee Sport with only 84,000 miles on it for my 16yo stepdaughter and changed all the fluids and gave it a full tune-up and installed a tornado. Damn these 4.0 inline 6's pull strong...now I'm thinking about taking my Cherokee back and putting a Snoway 26 series 6',8" with lexan blade on it so I can do the tight driveways quicker and take on more accounts. What do you guys think about this setup and what would be yor ultimate "best residential plowing rig"? Heres' a link to a used plow available locally, how much would it cost to buy the correct mount for a Cherokee and do you think it will be a nice rig for driveways?
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/for/918109347.html


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## RamPainting LLC (Nov 9, 2008)

Easiest residential plowing I've done was in a Jeep Wrangler, solid front axle with a 4L straight 6, 7' Myers! Unstoppable! Even in the heavy wet New England snow.


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

The Cherokke has too many windows that will fog up. IMO
A Wrangler is one of the best driveway machins. But your truck will work very well also.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Hydro 37 is right Wrangler is best Cherokee is good.


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## Brant'sLawnCare (Jun 29, 2007)

I really like my Dodge setup.


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## yardsmith (Jan 3, 2000)

friend of mine quit using trucks & does it with his ventrac 4wd mower-has a cab on it, & talk about visibility & turning around capabilities! plows it out & moves on to the next one- of course he has alot in the same neighborhood- puts it on the trailer & goes to the next neighborhood. stacks as many as possible in each neighborhood


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## 042500hd (Oct 10, 2004)

Your Silverado should do just fine. I would stick with what you have, I think you'll find it works after you go out a couple of times.


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## heather lawn spray (Mar 11, 2003)

The best residential truck I've seen is ff1221's. Can be seen at 'Canadian weather +++++snow' thread, a pull plow and Blizzard on a GM shorty


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## heather lawn spray (Mar 11, 2003)

The best residential truck I've seen is ff1221's. Can be seen at 'Canadian weather +++++snow' thread #2065, an Arctic pull plow and Blizzard 760 S/W on a GMC 1500 shorty


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## JBMiller616 (Dec 12, 2007)

I do a lot of narrow drives and small lots. I use a 07 Ram 2500 Reg Cab with a 8.5' Fisher. It's a PITA in some spots but it get the job done pretty well.


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

Use what you have -- that short bed pickup is going to great for most applications, and you'll get a feel for what you can or can't get into with it. I "learned" plowing in my own truck with an extended cab short bed, which obviously isn't the WORST truck to have for driveways, but it's a good bit longer than the Tahoe I bought 5 years later. I think the great visibility you'll have with the pickup (take the tailgate off unless you need it) compared to the Cherokee will make your setup among the best going. Good luck!


~Kevin


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## plowtime1 (Nov 1, 2007)

Jeep wrangler w/cplow or snow-way, short bed/ no ext cab/with 7'-6" w/ back drag. Plowmeister has a great set-up jmo


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## L.I.Mike (Dec 28, 2002)

My first plow truck was a CJ-7 with a 7 foot plow. It was very nimble and plowed tight spots with ease. My Bronco is also a great driveway machine for tight spots with its turning radius being so small. But stick with what you have and it will be fine. Just get to know it's limitations.


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## MAR4CARS (Oct 6, 2005)

We run an S10 blazer with a plow on it for tight areas.


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## MikeRi24 (Dec 21, 2007)

I have high hopes for my Wrangler this year. we'll see how it works out


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

Ya your truck sould work just fine, get a 7.5' plow for it.


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## snow4me (Oct 8, 2008)

mercer_me;643619 said:


> Ya your truck sould work just fine, get a 7.5' plow for it.


I see the resident [email protected]# just showed up to offer his opinion. If you would read before spouting off you would notice that I have a 7.5" plow on my rig already.

To all you all others offering very good insightful opinions thank you they are much appreciated. I'm going to give it a go with my current rig but I'm now up to 12 large residentials and I've got 15 more proposals out yet and I know I'm getting at least 3 more for sure. Talked to a local guy who has been plowing drives in this area since 1996 and he said he got 3 per hour done when he was starting out and now he's up to four. He's only got 10 small accounts so far this season so if I take on too much work he said he'll sub for me. My question now is if I'm getting say $40 for a drive how much should I keep and how much should I offer to pay him (he'll be using his own equipment).


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## MikeRi24 (Dec 21, 2007)

snow4me;643661 said:


> Talked to a local guy who has been plowing drives in this area since 1996 and he said he got 3 per hour done when he was starting out and now he's up to four.


those must be huge driveways! when I was plowing a couple years ago, I could do an average drive and do a damn good job in less than 10 min


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## snow4me (Oct 8, 2008)

The drives are long and the lots are huge so there's travel time involved between estates. This is Barrington Hills Illinois...horse country for wealthy Chicagoans. Minimum home sites are 5 acres.


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

I was thinking the distance between his drives is probably significant. Many of mine are in clusters -- 5 or 6 in one area, as much as 11 in another, and so forth.


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